Sexism In Disney Princess Movies - 709 Words

Disney princess movies has been a very impactful on society and pop culture, and the franchise has been proven to be very lucrative. The main target audience for these movies are little impressionable girls. Every movie from 1937, Snow White, to 2017, Moana, has garnered a lot of attention from children everywhere, especially young females, and leaves a lasting imprint on each and every one. There have been many critics saying that the franchise leaves negative impressions on little girls. They believe that the Disney princess plots promotes sexism. They believe that these characters are oppressed. While I do agree with that to a certain extent, I also believe that if we analyze these princesses a little bit more closely we can†¦show more content†¦Belle could have settled down with any man in her town, but she waited for the one she was most compatible with and the one that possess all of the qualities she was looking for. All the qualities that the beast possessed. It fig ures like Belle that shows little girls everywhere that love exist and they deserve to be the ones that fit them and the one who genuinely love them for who they are. Now some critics may say that the love spawned between the beast and Belle was a product of Stockholm syndrome but there is no evidence of it being such. Belle was given freedom and she decided to stay and when she did come back it was to save the beast. And her attitude changed when she saw the beast for who he truly was. Disney princess culture also teaches little girls to chase their dreams, despite what challenges they are faced with. All of the Disney princesses have many goals and ambitions that were not just to be â€Å"in love†. We live in a society now where people give up on their dreams if it is not easy to access, but Disney princess help show through perseverance, hard work, and sometimes even sacrifice nothing can stand in the way of a girl and her dreams. Tiana’s dream, from The Princess and the Frog, was to open up her very own restaurant. The opening of the film was her working to save up enough to accomplish this ambition. Along the way she did find love, but that did not stop her. Ariel, from The Little Mermaid, isShow MoreRelatedNot Much Change With Kid Movies1234 Words   |  5 PagesNot Much Change with Kid Movies I grew up watching all the Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks animated films from Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Shrek. In high school, a peer of mine named Paul Ray asked me, â€Å"Who is your favorite princess?† My response was Mulan and was not shocked, instead he gave me this sarcastic laugh and â€Å"I knew it and it’s so obvious that you are a feminist.† Of course, I loved watching all the Disney princesses and I still do watch them to this dayRead MoreGender, Race and Disney Princesses Essay examples1041 Words   |  5 PagesDisney princesses are fun for all ages, but their target audience is young children and â€Å"as children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear†. Therefore, what they see and hear in Disney movies leaves an impression on them. The first princess, Snow White, was created in a time where each gender and race had a specific role in society. Recently, many believe that D isney has come a long way in regards to gender and race since Snow White, as several multi-cultural protagonistsRead MoreSexism In Snow White1217 Words   |  5 Pagesthem all.† Snow White was the very first animated film by Disney that is about a young princess. The Evil Queen is jealous and wants to have her killed. Snow White runs into the Seven Dwarfs and stays with them. Disney movies have a lot of controversy and one of them is sexism. Disney movies are good for kids and have role models, but people still say there are negative characteristics that come with the movies. Snow White is full of sexism and it is shown in many different ways. Snow White is constantlyRead MoreAll s Not Well And Land Of The Lion King 1450 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent from the traditional Disney movies because it is based on a group of animals and not on sexist princess movies such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast (1). Lazarus says she had grown â€Å"weary of reinforcing wo men’s subordinate status by screening fables about a beauty who tames an angry male beast or a mermaid who gives up her glorious voice and splits her body to be with a prince.(1)† I agree with Lazarus’s statements about traditional Disney princess movies being sexist. In the earlyRead MoreAll s Not Well And The Land Of The Lion King 1452 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent from the traditional Disney movies because it is based on a group of animals and not on sexist princess movies such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast (1). Lazarus says she had grown â€Å"weary of reinforcing women’s subordinate status by screening fables about a beauty who tames an angry male beast or a mermaid who gives up her glorious voice and splits her body to be with a prince.(1)† I agree with Lazarus’s statements about traditional Disney princess movies being sexist. In the earlyRead MoreThe Impact Of Disney Films On Children1767 Words   |  8 PagesImpact of Walt Disney Productions on Children A young girl with black hair and brown eyes sees a beautiful princess named Cinderella who has blond hair, blue eyes, and flawless skin. She believes she will never be as radiant and beautiful as the princess because they don’t look alike. Like this girl, there are many cases of Disney films having lasting negative effects on children. Disney influences children more than any other age group since most merchandise and movies are geared towardRead MoreAnalysis Of Disney s Disney 1320 Words   |  6 PagesDisney is hard to miss. The umbrella of the Disney Corporation reaches from books and toys to movies, television networks, and radio (Towbin 2003). Beginning around the age of 18 months, cartoons are the most interesting format of media to children (Thompson 1995). When young children spending so much time engaging in these forms of media, the messages they send are very important. When young children- boys and girls are absorbing all this information, aren t cons ciously aware of the stereotypicalRead MoreFemale Portrayal in Disney Cartoon Films2218 Words   |  9 Pages Most of the world’s youth grow up watching Disney films. As family movies should, these films demonstrate appropriate behavior through the characters in them and can teach semi useful lessons to the children who watch. Of course children don’t always pick up every message that the movies they watch are set to convey, but watching these films as an adult may raise an eyebrow or two. These movies consist of young, naà ¯ve, and beautiful princesses doing what it takes to be freed from a bad circumstanceRead MoreMulan Sexism Analysis1393 Words   |  6 PagesMulan Is Sexist Disney movies feature female characters in a variety of roles, from a damsel in distress needing a man’s help to a woman who becomes her own hero. Mulan is one Disney character who has a seemingly feminist role. The movie features an unordinary girl who is meant to bring honor to her family by being the perfect woman for a man to marry. However, that’s not who she truly is. When her father gets summoned to serve in the military, Mulan poses as a man and takes his place. She trainsRead MoreGender Stereotypes In The Media1207 Words   |  5 Pages Gender Stereotypes are everywhere in the world. This paper will focus on the formation of Gender stereotypes through different media sources. The media sources that will be used include television shows, movies and magazines. Thus the paper will also explore the effect that gender stereotyping may have on development of a person’s social and individual identity. There were many different media sources that I used to see where Gender Stereotypes were predominant. First of all I reviewed different

Personal statement for Master degrees Example

Essays on Personal statement for Master degrees Essay Personal ment Figuring future After completing my undergraduate studies, I did not know where to start building my career. However, after securing an internship last summer to work as a trainee trader, I finally realized which path I was going to take to advance my career. Working and receiving training from experienced traders; my eyes got caught by graphics and trading actions. I spent most of my days in the office conducting trade on trial accounts as I learned how it is done. After some time, I realized that this was where my passion lies; thus I wanted to become a trader, and later advance to an analyst. Decisions made and Ambition As my interests of becoming a trader have intensified, I have decided to choose Financial Maths as one of my option this year. This is attributed to the fact that I enjoy Mathematics. I have never been extremely eager to discover something as I am with Maths. I answer questions in class, I read books in my leisure time, I am keen on discussing it with my colleagues, I love solving difficult problems on it, I do research on relevant stuff, which are not covered in lectures, just to mention but a few. These entire efforts enable me attain full marks in every assignment I am assigned. I became an asset to my colleagues who sought for assistance in Financial Maths. This always excited me as I ventured into my looks in pursuit of the unknown. I never thought anything could give me confidence as it does. I do not study when under the exam pressure anymore, instead, I desire to learn about Maths every day. Pricing, hedging, arbitrage, options, forwards...all this terms excite me since they give me the desire to do real trades. However, in as much as I am good in Mathematics; I need to prepare myself since trading is a highly intense and risky industry. That explains my decision to pursue Finance related course for my Master degree. I am confident that additional knowledge in that field would enable me develop skills of statistics and computation. I believe that I will not only be a qualified trader, but also an individual who develop his own analysis of the trading methods. To enter the finance industry, there are lots of different routes. Diversity backgrounds are being considered, but why do I choose Mathematical trading and Finance ? Mathematical skills are needed to build up finance. Since Markowitz claimed payoff by random variable in 1952, the top financial articles are difficult to tell from Mathematics dissertation. After that, in 1973, as a result of the invention of Black-Scholes formula, mathematical methods are used to value options, as well as replicate portfolio and duplicate derivatives. Mathematical skills are extremely crucial to both the understanding and invention in finance industry. Besides, highly quantitative skills are needed in being an analyst, which is my career plan. Therefore, Mathematical Finance and Stochastic Calculus, Quantitative Asset Pricing, Numerical Methods in VBA module in this course will be extremely useful to my career. This implies that by seeking a chance to study Financial Maths, my actions are not pegged following what other people are doing, but following my heart’s desire. I have got several both A*s in Maths, an A in physics in A-levels along with the undergraduate study in Maths with an exceptionally high quality pass at UCL. I believe that I have built quantitative skills that are compatible to the course’s requirement. Moreover, I have already studied Binomial model, Brownian motion, Stochastic calculus, Black-Scholes equation, Ito’s lemma and Feyman-kac in the current financial Maths module which will help me with the further study. Academic achievements I did not do well during my first two years as a student, and I attained an overall score of 58. However, achieving a second-class upper division for my first degree was not a problem. This is attributed to the fact that I gave lots of concentration in the third and second year. In order to prepare myself for the further study, I have fully developed the basic skills in analysis, algebra and mathematical methods such as the curriculum setting in the undergraduate study. I am also equipped me the quantitive and analytical skills to cope with the further study. I would love to pursue these modules; Logic, International Business, Computation Methods, just to mention but a few. My major would be Mathematics since it will help me in my thinking when studying for other subjects. This is because mathematics is not only a subject with quantitive skills, but also a qualitative subject teaching people how to think in logical ways. This helps people to remember knowledge, as well as solve probl ems independently. Having studied management briefly, I am trained to co-operate with others in group work, as well as perform as a leader who can direct and allocate jobs for members with different abilities. Therefore, I believe my interests are compatible with this master course. Work experience As I have already mentioned, I went on an international financial trainee programme in the past summer. During the first 2 weeks, I got a trainee position by an academic department in AXA Group Hong Kong, the following 2 weeks being an intern in AXA insurance Ltd., Hong Kong and 4 weeks being an intern in Emperor Financial Service Group Hong Kong, which is one of the biggest financial service company in Hong Kong with their own trading platform being listed in Hong Kong stock exchange market. In the first 2 weeks, we learnt an intense course on finance, including mortgage, fund, stock market, currency, interest rate, trend lines and chart analysis and stochastic. During the 2 weeks at AXA insurance Ltd, I was working in a group to analyze the existing investment insurance products of AXA which include, researching performance of funds in product portfolio concentrated on those from Picket funds, Barings equity management and Fidelity investment; analyzing profit or loss of both of the company and customer. Moreover, I had some training on marketing skills and also did a presentation of products to customers. The following 4 weeks at Emperor, I had an extremely valuable experience as I was allocated a current employee who needed to be trained on the trading skills specialized in gold futures. With the chart analysis, mainly using Trend lines and channels, Wave theory and Fibonacci series combined with different trading strategy. I was awarded a third place of a mock account competition on the trading platform with a roughly 20% profitability, and earning/loss ratio of a single transaction was 4:1. Which was a healthy profit earning way, proves that I was not only able to make a profit, but also had a reasonable risk management ability. Little extras I was selected by CSSA (Chinese Student and Scholar Association) of UCL as a committee in my first year. However, I could not bear due to their working by favoritism, clique and misuse of authority, among others. I established a private organization with friends and organized activities which favored by many Chinese students. The most successful one was a party visited by more than 600 people and made nearly 10,000 pounds profit. Therefore, I worked as a cooperator with CSSA thereafter, produced other profitable parties, charity concerts and Chinese New Year Gala. I am confident that I am ready to move on to the next stage of my academic career. May you consider my application by judgement of achievements and abilities in all aspects. I will prove myself in case Cass Business School offers me a chance to study MSc Mathematical Trading Finance. I earnestly look forward to hearing from you. Yours Sincerely, Xueer Wang

The Parable Of The Cave Essay Example For Students

The Parable Of The Cave Essay Kevin McKee6-2-99ENGL 251C. WootonTaking the High RoadThe unexamined life is not worth living, In The Apology, Socrates relates that the most important goal in life is the improvement of the soul. We should search others, our environment, and ourselves so that we may come to a better understanding of the world. The Parable of the Cave tells of the journey that Socrates was trying to relate, in that each person is faced with different realities as we travel to try and reach the intellectual world. This journey of enlightenment draws close parallels to another piece of literature by Robert Frost. In his poem The Road Not Taken, he describes how he felt as he came upon the fork in the road and chose to take the road less traveled and that has made all the difference. The use of life as a journey is nothing new to literature, but with Plato and Frost both show that this journey is not easy and there are many choices along the way that we must make that will determine the quality of the l ife we will lead. The main factor that drew me to the Parable of the Cave was the way it described our journey through life. It begins by telling us that the reality we initially see when we are chained down in the cave is nothing more than an illusion. This is true in my own life in that I was told by my parents what was right and what was wrong without questioning the reason behind it. They kept a chain of sorts around me so that I was not harmed by all of the realities of the world at once, but rather gradually introduced to them as I grew up. As we are released from bondage, our reality is immediately changed. When we first look toward the light we will suffer sharp pains; as we try to adjust to this new reality that is suddenly thrown upon us. The bondage that we experienced in the beginning is no longer there and the full weight of the world is pressed down on us without the help of others and now responsibility for our own actions becomes the controlling factor in our life. The light that first shocked us into reality now causes you to come to a crossroads in life. Looking directly at the light will cause some pain and suffering, but offers a clearer vision or turn away and take refuge in the objects of vision which he can see and return to the reality of which he was accustomed, but is only an illusion. Many people are scared to face reality and would rather turn back to the shelter that they are comfortable with. Independence and freedom are things these people could live without, so long as they had someone to lead them. Unfortunately, the majority of people fall into this category. They become sheep and require a shepherd to guide them through their lives. The others who can overcome the blinding light are able to ask of themselves what they are trying to accomplish in their lifetime. They may make mistakes along the way, but because they had the strength to try, are able to learn from those mistakes and become more intelligent as they age. Those th at never leave the depths of the cave remain in an illusion. Ignorance is bliss, and these people never want to have to struggle with their lives, but would rather remain without the responsibility the new knowledge would bring them if they were to walk towards the light. .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb , .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .postImageUrl , .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb , .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:hover , .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:visited , .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:active { border:0!important; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:active , .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc58d818c5099eaa74c47ba5dc2448fdb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Virus Invaders EssayThe light allows us to see things more clearly and this is the goal that we are trying to reach in our lifetime, but are almost assured of failing. Why then should you constantly fight toward this goal over adversity and hardship only to fail in the end? The journey is the most important part of the trip, not the destination. The things learned along the way will make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable. The Parable of the Cave shows how this journey can be related to our own lives and the struggles we face throughout our lifetime. The journey talked of in The Parable of the Cave has many parallels with the poem by Robert Frost entitled The Road Not Taken. The last line of the poem reads, I took the road not taken and that has made all the difference. The road usually taken is the easy road, the road that is the most comfortable to us. This road keeps us ignorant because we never seek to gain more knowledge by searching and asking questions. I chose to represent the Parable of the Cave by visually showing the poem by Frost. It begins on a road that is surrounded by foliage. This acts to shelter you from the harmful world. The foliage shelters you until you come to a fork in the road. The road ahead of you is clear of any obstacles for as far as you can see. The other road to your right begins with a hill and you can not see what lies ahead. At this fork you must make a decision to continue straight ahead on the clear path, or take a chance and climb that hill to see what is on the other side. The clear path is representative of the path that most people will take, the easy road. This road continues with no obstacles because th at is what you have seen all of your life and are comfortable with this arrangement. Taking this road would be the same as returning to the depths of the cave once you were blinded by the light. The road to the right represents the continuance toward the light at the cave mouth discussed by Plato. This road had obstacles that will impede your path and slow you down, but do not stop you from continuing on to the end. The hills are the trials we must face in life if we are trying to obtain knowledge. The knowledge does not come without consequences, however, and you must go through trying times (whether it be self-examination, examination of others, or examination of the environment around you) before you can move ahead. Whichever road we decide to take, the end result is the same, death. The roads lead to the same destination, but the paths to that destination are very different. This is representative of the course of life that each of us must take, some paths are easier than others , but the more difficult path leads to a more fulfilling life. The Parable of the Cave shows the major steps in life that we are all faced with. Those who choose to turn away from the light would not lead a fulfilling life in the eyes of Plato or Socrates. Those that choose to continue toward the light take all the responsibility that comes with that choice. By continuing toward the light they continue to enlightenment. In order to reach enlightenment, we must question ourselves and our motives and in doing so will face more trying and pressing times than those who choose to return to a place that they are comfortable with. Frosts poem The Road Not Taken very much parallels the thoughts expressed by Plato. We are faced with many choices in life. The fork in the road represents those choices we are faced with and once they are made, there is no turning back. The mistakes made along the way may cause use to stumble or slow down, but the journey to the end is much more fulfilling if we are willing to take the road less traveled, for it too could ma ke all the difference.

Marketing of Projects Essay Example

Marketing of Projects Essay The first and one of the critical steps in the project cycle management is the identification and selection process.This is an important stage such that it can affect the whole process including that of sustainability of the project after completion and transferring to operational phase. However, this stage is overlooked in some cases particularly in the process of capturing the actual needs of the beneficiaries. Instead of demand driven approach some donors including international organizations would like to follow supply driven approach. In the actual practice projects should be identified from the perspective of the needs or demand of the beneficiaries whether at community or national levels.Countries need to craft their strategic plans and programs from the point of view of the interest of their people. Donors both bilateral and multilateral including international organizations and non-governmental organizations need to direct their assistance based on the programs of the countr ies which are reflecting the actual needs of their citizens. In other words the assistance of donors should be synchronized with that of the needs of the countries that are clearly shown in the strategic plans of the latter.However, what we see in practice is not similar to that of what has been said. Particularly donations from international organizations tend to focus on the interest of the donors instead of that of the recipients. Many NGOs in developing countries of Africa, for instance, design their own program based on the aim or intention of the resources from donors rather than the needs of the society at large or the community in particular. It does not mean that recipients of funds from donors should not take into account the focus of donation funds.As the recipients have enormous needs to be addressed, then it is imperative to align and match their projects towards the interest of the donors as well. In the world where we have so many poor nations that need to be helped a nd few nations that can help then this is some kind of competition for scanty resources, i. e. funds from donors. Thus there is a need to win the competition by a given nation through adopting a smart strategy. This, among other things, require the strategy of keeping the balance between the donors’ intention of funding and the country’s policy or goals to meet the interest of the society.One of the main reasons for the failure of projects either at early stage of the implementation or not being sustainable after getting into operation stages is low attention given at the project identification and selection stage. I believe that the smart strategy of maintaining the balance between the recipient countries interest and donors fund focus area is not seriously considered during project identification and planning. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to understand the concepts of Project and Project Cycle Management (PCM) and to critically examine one of the phases of PCM, which is Project Identification.An attempt will be made to identify inherent problems that are commonly overlooked at this stage of project cycle management and to come out with recommendations as part of solutions to the problems. 2. Understanding of Project and Project Cycle Management (PCM) 2. 1 What is project? According to Nicholas, John M. (2001) some of the characteristics that warrant classifying an activity as a project centers on the purpose, complexity, uniqueness, unfamiliarity, stake, impermanence, and life cycle of the activity.Based on these features then project is defined as follows: †¢ A project involves a single, definable purpose, end-item, or results, usually specified in terms of costs, schedule, and performance requirements. †¢ Every project is unique, in that it requires doing something different than was done previously. †¢ Projects are temporary activities. †¢ Projects cuts across organizational lines because they need the skills a nd talents from multiple professionals and organizations. †¢ Projects involve unfamiliarity†¦. posses significant elements of uncertainty and risk. †¢ The organization has something at stake when doing a project. Finally, a project is the process of working to achieve a goal; during the process, projects pass through several distinct phases, called the project life cycle. Westland, Jason (2006): A project is a unique endeavour to produce a set of deliverables within clearly specified time, cost and quality constraints. Projects are different from standard business operational activities as they: †¢ Are unique in nature. They do not involve repetitive processes. Every project undertaken is different from the last, whereas operational activities often involve undertaking repetitive (identical) processes. Have a defined timescale. Projects have a clearly specified start and end date within which the deliverables must be produced to meet a specified customer requirem ent. †¢ Have an approved budget. Projects are allocated a level of financial expenditure within which the deliverables are produced, to meet a specified customer requirement. †¢ Have limited resources. At the start of a project an agreed amount of labour, equipment and materials is allocated to the project. †¢ Involve an element of risk. Projects entail a level of uncertainty and therefore carry business risk. †¢ Achieve beneficial change.The purpose of a project is typically to improve an organization through the implementation of business change. GTZ (1996): A project can be described as a process of providing inputs over a limited period: using the resources provided, activities are conducted and outputs (results) generated, in order to achieve a previously defined impact (the project purpose). We talk of programmes when more than one project in a sector, sub-sector or region are linked together by a clearly defined concept. Projects and programmes are sustain able if the impact continues to have effect.RPRLGSP, May 2009: Project is defined as follows: †¢ Work that is temporary and produces a unique product or service †¢ An intervention to conduct activities, in order to provide assistance, that will allow the ‘users’ to improve their own situation’’ †¢ An undertaking for the purpose of achieving established objectives, within a given †¢ budget and time period’’ †¢ An investment of resources to produce goods or services 2. 2 What is project management? Westland, Jason (2006): Project Management is the skills, tools and management processes required to undertake a project successfully.It incorporates: [pic] Figure 1: Project management components [pic]A set of skills. Specialist knowledge, skills and experience are required to reduce the level of risk within a project and thereby enhance its likelihood of success. [pic] A suite of tools. Various types of tools are used by pr oject managers to improve their chances of success. Examples include document templates, registers, planning software, modelling software, audit checklists and review forms. [pic] A series of processes. Various processes and techniques are required to monitor and control time, cost, quality and scope on projects.Examples include time management, cost management, quality management, change management, risk management and issue management. RPRLGSP, May 2009: PMBOK 2008, defines project management as ‘the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities, to meet specific scope, time, cost and quality goals of projects’. John M. Nicholas (2001): Project management is a system/ contingency approach to organization and management; it applies elements of classical and behavioral management and uses organizational forms and management roles best suited to the unique environment of projects. 2. 3 What is Project Cycle Management?In general we can defi ne Project Cycle Management as a tool that describes the management activities and decision making procedures used during the life-cycle of a project. The following sections show the definition given to PCM in different documents. Lucian CIOLAN –Trainer- EU Project Cycle Management: The project cycle follows the life of a project, from the initial idea through its completion. It provides a structure to ensure that stakeholders are consulted, and defines the key decision, information requirements and responsibilities at each phase so that informed decision can be made at each phase in the life of the project.RPRLGSP, May 2009: The systematic process of initiating, planning, implementing, managing and evaluating projects or programmes is known as ‘Project Cycle Management’, PCM ; it is also defined as an approach in project management used to guide management activities and decision-making procedures during the life-cycle of a project, from the first idea until the last ex-post (afterwards) evaluation. European Commission (March,2002): Project Cycle Management defines different phases in the project life with well-defined management activities and decision making procedures.PCM provides a structure to ensure that stakeholders are consulted and relevant information is available, so that informed decisions can be made at key stages in the life of a project. European Commission (May 1999): The way in which projects are planned and carried out follows a sequence that has become known as the project cycle. The cycle starts with the identification of an idea and develops that idea into a working plan that can be implemented and evaluated.Project Cycle Management integrates the phases in the project cycle so that issues are examined systematically, by means of an approach and methodology which ensures that objectives and issues of sustainability remains in focus. 2. 3What are the phases of the project cycle? Westland, Jason (2006): The project life cycle consists of four phases: Project initiation: During this phase a business problem or opportunity is identified and a business case providing various solution options is defined. Next, a feasibility study is conducted to investigate whether each option addresses the business problem and a final recommended solution is hen put forward. Project planning: This phase involves outlining the activities, tasks, dependencies and timeframes; resource plan; financial plan; quality plan; acceptance plan; and procurement plan. Project execution: This phase involves implementing the plans created during the project planning phase. Project closure: Project closure involves releasing the final deliverables to the customer, handing over project documentation to the business, terminating supplier contracts, releasing project resources and communicating the closure of the project to all stakeholders. [pic]Figure 2: The four phases of the project life cycle GTZ (1996): Categorize Project Cycle in to three phases: †¢ Identification phase-asses outset situation, establish system of objectives †¢ Concept phase-establish project concept, prepare decisions to implement the project †¢ Implementation phase- operationalize planning, implement, adjust and update planning, and terminate project RPRLGSP, May 2009: Typically, the project cycle comprises 6 or more standard project stages, phases or activities, arranged in a logical sequence to accomplish a project’s goals or objectives.Stage 1: Policy setting Stage 2: Project Identification Stage 3: Appraisal Stage 4: Formulation/planning Stage 5: Contracting/ commitment Stage 6: Implementation, monitoring midterm evaluation Stage 7: Final evaluation Lucian CIOLAN(27-29 of September, 2007): The generic project cycle within EC external aid programmes has six phases. [pic] PROGRAMMING: What are the partner’s development priorities and what is the EC’s focus for assistance?During the Programming phase, t he situation at national and sectoral level is analyzed to identify problems, constraints and opportunities which co-operation could address. This involves a review of socio-economic indicators, and of national and donor priorities. The purpose is to identify the main objectives and sectoral priorities for co-operation, and thus to provide a relevant and feasible programming frame-work within which projects can be identified and prepared. IDENTIFICATION: Is the project concept relevant to priority local needs and consistent with EC policy priorities?The purpose of the identification stage is to: †¢ identify project ideas that are consistent with partner and EC development priorities; †¢ assess the relevance and likely feasibility of these project ideas; †¢ under the ‘Programme approach’, prepare a Financing Proposal, or an Identification Fiche for individual projects; and †¢ prepare a financing decision for a Programme of projects, or determine the s cope of further work required during the formulation stage for individual projectsFORMULATION Is the project feasible and will it deliver sustainable benefits? The purpose of the Formulation stage is to: †¢ Confirm the relevance and feasibility of the project idea as proposed in the Identification Fiche or Project Fiche; †¢ Prepare a detailed project design, including the management and coordination arrangements, financing plan, cost-benefit analysis, risk management, monitoring, evaluation and audit arrangements; and †¢ Prepare a Financing Proposal (for individual projects) and a financing decision.IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING MONITORING AND REPORTING: Are results being achieved and resources efficiently and effectively used? What corrective action should be taken? The purpose of the implementation stage is to: †¢ Deliver the results, achieve the purpose(s) and contribute effectively to the overall objective of the project; †¢ Manage the available resources ef ficiently; and †¢ Monitor and report on progress. EVALUATION :Were planned benefits achieved, will they be sustainable, and what lessons have been learned? The purpose of evaluation is to:Make an assessment, as systematic and objective as possible, of an ongoing or completed project, programme or policy, its design, implementation and results. AUDIT: Has there been compliance with applicable laws and rules? Are efficiency, economy and effectiveness criteria being met? The purpose of an audit is to: †¢ Assess an activity/subject that is the responsibility of another party against identified suitable criteria; †¢ Express a conclusion (i. e. opinion) that provides the intended user with a level of assurance about the activity/subject being audited.According to the European Commission Manual (March 2002) the six phases of the project including the major documents to be produced and decisions to be made under each phase are summarized in the following table: |Project Cycle |Major Documents |Decision | |Programming |Country Strategy Paper |Priority areas; Sectors; timetable | |Identification |Pre-feasibility study; Project |Which options to study further | | |Identification Sheet; | | |Appraisal |Feasibility study; Draft financing |Whether to draw up major financing proposal| | |proposal | | |Financing |Financing proposal; Financing agreement |To fund | |Implementation |Progress and monitoring reports |To continue as planned or to re-orient | | | |project (mid-term evaluation); about the | | | |need for extension | |Evaluation |Evaluation study |How to use results in future programming | It is possible to summarize the phases of the PCM discussed by different authors as shown in the following format. |Westland, Jason | | | | | | |(2006) | |RPRLGSP, May 2009() |EC (March 2002) |Lucian CIOLAN (2007) | |Stages | |GTZ (1996) | | | | |1 |Project |Identification phase |Policy setting |Programming |Programming | | |initiation | | | | | |2 |Project planning | Concept phase |Project Identification |Identification |Identification | |3 |Project execution|Implementation phase |Appraisal |Appraisal |Formulation | |4 |Project closure | |Formulation/planning |Financing |Implementation | |5 | | |Contracting/ commitment |Implementation |Evaluation | |6 | | |Implementation, monitoring |Evaluation |Audit | | | | |midterm evaluation | | | |7 | | |Final evaluation | | | Furthermore these stages of project cycle presented by different authors can be summarized in three phases.These are Preparation, Implementation and Project Closure Evaluation. 3. Analysis: Project Identification Selection According to Westland, Jason (2006) the project identification and selection of the project cycle is slotted in the Project Initiation Phase. Within the initiation phase, the business problem or opportunity is identified, a solution is defined, a project is formed and a project team is appointed to build and deliver the solution to the customer. Figure 3: shows t he activities undertaken during the initiation phase: [pic] Figure 3: Project initiation activities Develop a business case: The trigger to initiating a project is identifying a business problem or opportunity to be addressed.A business case is created to define the problem or opportunity in detail and identify a preferred solution for implementation. The business case includes: [pic] A detailed description of the problem or opportunity; [pic] A list of the alternative solutions available; [pic] An analysis of the business benefits, costs, risks and issues; [pic] A description of the preferred solution; [pic] A summarized plan for implementation The business case is then approved by an identified project sponsor, and the required funding is allocated to proceed with a feasibility study. Undertake a feasibility study: At any stage during or after the creation of a business case, a formal feasibility study may be commissioned.The purpose of a feasibility study is to assess the likelih ood of each alternative solution option achieving the benefits outlined in the business case. The feasibility study will also investigate whether the forecast costs are reasonable, the solution is achievable, the risks are acceptable and the identified issues are avoidable. Establish the terms of reference: After the business case and feasibility study have been approved, a new project is formed. At this point, terms of reference are created. The terms of reference define the vision, objectives, scope and deliverables for the new project. They also describe the organization structure, activities, resources and funding required to undertake the project. Any risks, issues, planning assumptions and constraints are also identified.Appoint the project team: The project team is now ready to be appointed. Although a project manager may be appointed at any stage during the life of the project, the manager will ideally be appointed prior to recruiting the project team. The project manager cr eates a detailed job description for each role in the project team, and recruits people into each role based on their relevant skills and experience. Set up a project office: The project office is the physical environment within which the team is based. Although it is usual to have one central project office, it is possible to have a virtual project office with project team members located around the world.A project office environment should include: [pic] Equipment, such as office furniture, computer equipment, stationery and materials; [pic] Communications infrastructure, such as telephones, computer network, e-mail, Internet access, file storage, database storage and backup facilities; [pic] Documentation, such as a project methodology, standards, processes, forms and registers; [pic] Tools, such as accounting, project planning and risk modeling software. Perform a phase review: At the end of the initiation phase, a phase review is performed. This is basically a checkpoint to ens ure that the project has achieved its objectives as planned.RPRLGSP (May 2009): Policy Setting precede the project identification stage. Policy Setting is the establishment of the development vision guiding the Local Authority and it includes the strategic planning process whereby the long term direction of the Local Authority is established. Accordingly Project Identification is the stage 2 of the project cycle is Project identification or initiation, where Local Authorities identify projects from an assessment of existing demand for goods or services based on 3 main sources, †¢ The Council’s Strategic Plan/IDP †¢ The annual LASDAP consultations where citizens articulate their needs †¢ Baseline surveys and diagnostic studies to meet special needsThe main practice in Local Authorities however, is to follow their primary mandates in the choice of projects, with additional ‘demand’ projects from LASDAP priorities. This planning is often called Ã¢â‚¬Ë œdemand led planning’ and is often disjointed from the more proactive policy and strategic planning process that has been described in stage 1. The problem with this demand approach is that project feasibility and sustainability is affected because the demands led planning comes with vested interests not matched with an objective appraisal of projects. As a result, LAs invest in a fragmented portfolio of projects that are neither linked to the national plans nor to their own strategic plans.It is important therefore, that at the project identification/initiation stage, LAs choose projects from many alternative ideas or schemes that balance between local demands, strategic priorities, ongoing diagnostics, and research or baseline studies. To determine ‘demand’ projects from communities or stakeholders, 2 key elements are involved; (i) needs analysis and (ii) situation analysis. i) Needs Analysis: Analysing the present actual situation can be ‘problem basedâ €™ or ‘opportunity based’. It concerns identifying the priority problems/ opportunities and their main causes, and identifying the causes that can be addressed by the project intervention.It is essential to understand the resources within the community or from others, that are relevant to tackling the problems. It is important therefore that all many citizens and stakeholder groups get the chance to express the problems they experience and recommend solutions. Discussions, opinions and clarifications by the problem ‘owners’ should be respected. The Manual on Community Participation has elaborate guidelines on how to conduct participatory needs assessment situation analysis. This ensures that ‘ownership’ which is part of the project pre-feasibility is established from people’s needs and requirements. ii) Situation Analysis: Situation analysis concerns identifying the priority problems/ opportunities and their main causes.This is an i mportant factor because people’s desires and assessment of their needs, may be based on ‘symptoms’ of an underlying or situational factor; addressing the symptoms will not solve the problems because the cause and effect have not been properly analysed. A properly planned intervention should therefore combine both needs analysis and situational analysis, based upon a correct and complete analysis of the existing situation. This involves analysing the present actual situation through various methods (transect walk, social mapping, gender analysis etc). The method chosen, can be ‘problem based’ e. g. what are the prevalent problem situations or ‘opportunity based’, e. g. is there an opportunity to serve people with disability?After discussion and clarification by the ‘problem owner’ or people affected by the problem, all opinions should be respected. The aim is to create a picture of reality. The existing situation should be in terpreted according to the views, needs, interests and activities of parties concerned. It is essential that all those involved accept the plans and are committed to implement them. A greater involvement of the beneficiaries and stakeholders in defining local problems, identifying solutions and implementing them ensures that the resulting programmes are more effective and sustainable. Participatory methods aim to create ownership and commitment among the involved parties.Once the projects are identified from needs situational assessments, the LA should consider the priority projects to be undertaken, and to do this, they must subject those needs/priorities to further review. This introduces the 3rd stage of the project cycle, project appraisal stage. VLIR (July 2002): Within the VLIR programme framework, problems, needs and interests of possible stakeholders are analysed and ideas for projects and other actions are identified and formulated in broad terms. This involves a study of the project context to obtain an idea of the relevance, the feasibility and sustainability of the proposal. A comparison of this information with the funding criteria will allow an assessment of the funding chances. The EU Project Cycle Management model takes PROGRAMMING as an initial phase of the process.In the training manual prepared by Lucian CIOLAN (2007) it is indicated that during the Programming phase, the situation at national and sectoral level is analyzed to identify problems, constraints and opportunities which co-operation could address. This involves a review of socio-economic indicators, and of national and donor priorities. The purpose is to identify the main objectives and sectoral priorities for co-operation, and thus to provide a relevant and feasible programming frame-work within which projects can be identified and prepared. According to EC manual the main question asked at project identification phase is: â€Å"Is the project concept relevant to priority local needs and consistent with EC policy priorities? The manual further describes the purpose of the identification stage as: †¢ identify project ideas that are consistent with partner and EC development priorities; †¢ assess the relevance and likely feasibility of these project ideas; †¢ under the ‘Programme approach’, prepare a Financing Proposal or an Identification Fiche for individual projects, and †¢ prepare a financing decision for a Programme of projects, or determine the scope of further work required during the formulation stage for individual projects. NB: Each project ‘general objective’ should be derived from an appropriate objective statement in the Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Planning or from a relevant sector policy or programme objective.During the identification phase the key assessments required to help ensure the relevance and feasibility of a project idea are: (i) assessment of policy and programming f ramework; (ii) stakeholder analysis, including institutional capacity assessment; (iii) problem analysis, including scoping of crosscutting issues (e. g. gender, governance, environment); (iv) assessment of other ongoing and planned initiatives, and assessment of lessons learned; (v) preliminary objectives and strategy analysis; (vi) preliminary assessment of resource and cost parameters; (vii) preliminary assessment of project management, coordination and financing arrangements; and (viii) preliminary assessment of economic/financial, environmental, technical and social sustainability issues.The key documents required by the EC at the identification stage of the cycle are therefore: †¢ Terms of reference for any EC funded prefeasibility studies; †¢ The Identification Fiche, including as appropriate draft terms of reference for a feasibility/design study; or †¢ A Financing Proposal for a programme/package of projects (e. g Action Programme together with Project Fiches ). EC Manual (March 2002):During the Programming phase, the situation at national and sectoral level is analyzed to identify problems, constraints and opportunities which co-operation could address. This involves a review of socio-economic indicators, and of national and donor priorities.The purpose is to identify the main objectives and sectoral priorities for co-operation, and thus to provide a relevant and feasible programming frame-work within which projects can be identified and prepared. For each of these priori-ties, strategies that take account of the lessons of past experience will be formulated. During the Identification phase, and within the framework established by the Country Strategy Paper, the stress is on analysis of relevance of project ideas, which includes an analysis of the stakeholders and of the likely target groups and beneficiaries (who they are: women and men from different socio-economic groups; assessment of their potentials, etc. and of the situation, inc luding an analysis of the problems they face, and the identification of options to address these problems. Sectoral, thematic or â€Å"pre-feasibility† studies may be carried out (including consultations with stakeholders) to help identify, select or investigate specific ideas, and to define what further studies may be needed to formulate a project or action. The outcome is a decision on whether or not the option(s) developed should be further studied in detail. Overall responsibility for Identification is with EuropeAid who initiates missions, studies and related preparatory work (including consultations with others donors and potential co-financing) in order to define the activities (projects, programmes, sectoral support, etc. ) to be financed.A priority list is established indicating which projects should be appraised immediately for a rapid start of implementation, in the following year and so on. 4. Case Studies: Case Study 1: Project Identification Based Countries Stra tegy: African Development Bank Group (August 2008): Project linkages with country strategy and objectives The Tanzania mainland’s National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, known by its Kiswahili acronym, ‘MKUKUTA’ covers the period 2005-2010. It identifies three clusters of broad outcomes: i) economic growth and poverty reduction; ii) improvement of the quality of live and social wellbeing; and iii) governance and accountability.Goal 3 of Cluster (ii) addresses increased access to clean, affordable and safe water, sanitation, decent shelter and a safe and sustainable environment. Zanzibar’s Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (MKUZA) has been developed as a response to similar development needs. Zanzibar Development Vision 2020 provides the over-arching framework to reduce poverty. The Zanzibar Poverty Reduction Plan (ZPRP 2007-2010), Cluster 2, Social Services and Well Being, includes amongst others goals for i) increased access to c lean, safe and affordable water and ii) improved sanitation and sustainable environment. The Joint Assistance Strategy for Tanzania (JAST) is a compact between Government and Development Partners (DPs) for managing development co-operation.It came into force in 2006. The efforts to harmonise aid management systems on the mainland with those on Zanzibar are at an advanced stage. Case Study 2: Project Identification Based on the Local Problems: UNDP (2006): Lare (a community in Kenya-Africa) is a dry area with no permanent rivers. It receives an average of 700 millimeters of rainfall a year but this varies widely from one year to another. It is also unevenly distributed among the seasons. Farmers in Lare have identifies four major constraints to agricultural production, with scarcity of water as a major one. Before 1998, about 70 percent of all households in the area experienced shortages of water.In addition, not only was there insufficient water, but it was also of poor quality and caused a high incidence of water born diseases. In 1999, a project involving nine collaborating institutions was initiated to address rainwater harvesting practices and water treatment along with other technologies required by the farmers. The two case studies discussed above represent different factors for project identification. In case of Case 1 project consideration was given to the linkage of the project to the overall country strategy. This is taken as the main justification for the identification of a given project as a priority need of the country. In Case 2 project the local situation of the community was taken as the means for the project identification.Depending on the country’s strategy alone sometimes may lead to wrong conclusion. The country strategy may be outdated such that may lack to capture the changes that have occurred since the time of its formulation. The reality on the ground particularly the conditions in the target community may not warrant the feasi bility of the project and can lead to the failure of implementation. On the other hand many NGOs in developing country are focusing on target community needs in the identification of projects without recognition of the country strategy. This again can lead to the question of sustainability of the implemented projects due to lack of acceptance of the endeavors by the local and national governments.Therefore, the identification stage of PCM needs to