Category: Building

Introduction

The major task of quantity surveyors is to provide cost analysis and value management services related to completing projects in the construction and building industry. The currently observed changes in the UK and global construction industry indicate the necessity of changing traditional approaches used by quantity surveyors (Eadie et al. 2015). Today, professionals in the spheres of building and construction are interested in reducing the use of hazardous materials, making their facilities socially and environmentally friendly without reducing potential profits for companies (Chamikara et al. 2018). As a result, clients from the construction and building industry need to receive innovative services to respond to modern tendencies in the sector and contribute to communities’ development. The purpose of this report is to discuss the role of such concepts as sustainability and Building Information Modelling (BIM) in changing practices used in the building sector of the United Kingdom and globally. Furthermore, in this report, the advanced services that the company can propose to its clients will be discussed in detail concerning the required collaboration and barriers to implementing principles of sustainability and BIM.

Sustainability

The Context for Sustainability in the Building and Construction Sector

In the construction and building industry, modern quantity surveyors are expected to provide efficient services to guarantee following the principle of sustainability. This principle has developed as a result of the public’s focus on the necessity to address the needs of the growing population in terms of providing economically effective building solutions without damaging the environment. Three pillars of sustainability are important to be taken into account while discussing this concept in any area: people, economy, and the environment (Towey 2017). Thus, projects are viewed as sustainable only when they are advantageous for a community, beneficial from the economic perspective, and do not affect the environment negatively. In the context of the construction industry, sustainability means planning buildings that are friendly for the environment, acceptable and advantageous for society, and efficient from the economic or financial perspective (Chamikara et al. 2018). Currently, the sustainable construction of facilities is associated with decreasing waste, reusing materials, preventing emissions, and decreasing the consumption of resources, including energy and water.

Services to Achieve Sustainability

To address the idea of sustainability in clients’ building and construction projects, the quantity surveying department may propose certain improved and additional services. At the current stage, quantity surveyors provide their clients with detailed and accurate calculations of all project costs that are associated with creating different types of buildings (Towey 2017). Thus, the purpose of these services is not only to offer accurate calculations but also to minimize costs for a client without affecting the quality (Xia et al. 2016). Therefore, enhanced services in this context will be the provision of lists of reusable materials to use in the project and the formulation of cost-efficient and customer-oriented strategies to decrease waste and emissions.

Additionally, quantity surveyors may offer their clients calculations on what architects’ and designers’ decisions mostly contribute to decreasing the consumption of energy and emissions. From this perspective, enhanced services include the provision of calculations related to environment-related costs: energy and water efficiency, the application of reused and recycled materials, and carbon emission reduction (Chamikara et al. 2018). Furthermore, it is also possible to propose calculations regarding potential social costs connected with creating comfortable workplaces to increase performance and productivity or areas to improve people’s wellbeing (Towey 2017). Detailed cost analysis should also be added to general documents provided by quantity surveyors to demonstrate what profits and expenses are associated with sustainable construction choices.

Services additional to the evaluation of alternatives, the project budget, and the project cost control should be proposed to clients. According to research evidence, they may include the creation of cost models and forecasting for “green” buildings (Osman et al. 2015). Other similar services to offer are the life cycle assessment for projects and property performance analysis (Ghaffarianhoseini et al. 2017; Peng 2016; Towey 2017). The life cycle assessment allows for determining total costs related to buildings during their lifespan. According to Peng (2016), this assessment is used to predict energy consumption for buildings at different stages of their development to conclude about their efficiency in terms of affecting or polluting the environment. Property performance analysis is used for evaluating buildings according to certain standards and norms and for identifying potential risks for the construction, environment, and community.

Collaboration with Internal Stakeholders

When proposing to clients to follow their advice formulated concerning the principle of sustainability, the specialists of the quantity surveying department are expected to collaborate with project managers, architects, designers, engineers, and analysts. This collaboration is described in the literature as important to guarantee that buildings will be economically advantageous and environmentally friendly, addressing people’s needs at the same time (Chamikara et al. 2018; Wao and Flood 2016). Thus, to achieve this purpose, quantity surveyors collaborate with designers, architects, and engineers to choose the most appropriate solutions to reduce the consumption of resources without decreasing the quality (Towey 2017). Thus, quantity surveyors evaluate proposed designs concerning their appropriateness to address the idea of sustainability to provide clients with the most efficient solution (Wao and Flood 2016). It should be mentioned that they also cooperate with project managers to guide the sustainable construction process according to the proposed cost model.

Barriers to Implementation

The implementation of the principle of sustainability in the building and construction sector of the United Kingdom, as well as the application of new sustainability-oriented services proposed by quantity surveyors, is hindered by certain barriers. The first obstacle to consider is clients’ perceptions that sustainable construction requires more financial resources and is associated with higher costs in comparison to traditional construction practices (Chamikara et al. 2018). However, in many cases, this perception is not supported by quantity surveyors’ calculations. The second barrier is that quantity surveyors often lack knowledge and experience that can be required to implement effective strategies and models; they need additional training, as was noted by Xia et al. (2016). Therefore, these two barriers should be overcome to guarantee that quantity surveyors can provide their clients with high-quality and advanced services to promote the principle of sustainability in the building and construction area.

Building Information Modelling

Definition of Building Information Modelling (BIM)

BIM is a specific technology that is used in quantity surveying and construction for visualizing a variety of physical and functional features of a building while applying three-dimensional (3D) images. Currently, 5D modeling is used in the building and construction industry with a focus on adding time- and cost-related information to models, as was stated by Alhasan et al. (2017) and Lu et al. (2016). As a result of preparing 5D simulations with the help of BIM, quantity surveyors can provide their clients with accurate geometric, semantic, and financial information regarding the project in the form of cost analysis. Therefore, today, BIM is actively used in the construction industry because of its role in increasing productivity and quality in terms of project realization.

BIM-Related Services

The quantity surveying department can improve the existing services associated with BIM to increase the quality of provided cost analysis and the accuracy of projected cash flows. The problem is that traditional approaches to using certain software for estimating project expenses can be ineffective because of challenges in integrating the methods of calculating costs and scheduling (Ali et al. 2016; Towey 2017). Thus, the linear programming models used to calculate financing along with scheduling for projects can be ineffective to address all needs of potential clients.

In this context, 5D and 6D BIM are more efficient than the 4D version, and they address clients’ needs regarding the estimation of costs associated with choosing certain physical characteristics and utilizing selected materials. Thus, the company should focus on providing not only 5D models but also 6D models that include information on a project life cycle during the occupational stage (Towey 2017). According to experts and researchers, the benefits of offering 5D and 6D models for clients are the possibility to visualize construction processes and simulate changes associated with the use of different materials (Ismail et al. 2016). Other advantages also include using animations and virtual tours in designed buildings (Osman et al. 2015; Towey 2017). In the UK, the adoption rate is about 39%, and the reason is that “BIM seems to be seen as a lifesaver for the future of the construction sector” (Ghaffarianhoseini et al. 2017: 1049). Thus, it is possible to state that BIM contributes to minimizing errors that can be associated with inappropriate designs and improves communication and collaboration between project team members.

Stakeholders Involved in BIM Implementation

To guarantee that clients will receive the most efficient and innovative 5D and 6D models for their projects supported with accurate cost analysis, it is necessary to collaborate with certain internal stakeholders. According to research evidence, it is critical to assign a BIM manager for the project supervision to make sure that a client’s requirements will be addressed (Eadie et al. 2015). Thus, BIM implementation in the context of project management requires a person who is responsible for developing and adapting 5D and 6D models.

Other stakeholders to collaborate when providing BIM services include IT specialists, BIM operators, BIM facilitators, and designers. From this perspective, BIM operators, BIM facilitators, and IT specialists are responsible for creating 3D models (Eadie et al. 2015). Furthermore, specialists from the quantity surveying department participate in contributing to making these models 5D and 6D ones while adding time- and cost-related information (Alhasan et al. 2017; Ghaffarianhoseini et al. 2017). Designers cooperate with BIM specialists to add more complex structures to their models and simulations while enhancing the visualization of a building with a focus on representing technical characteristics in detail (Towey 2017). As a result, clients will receive an opportunity to understand how to make their buildings sustainable at the first stages of the project development.

Barriers to Implementing BIM Solutions

Despite the obvious advantages of offering BIM services to clients, the implementation of this technology is associated with certain issues and obstacles. The problem is that not all clients understand how BIM works, and they lack resources and specialists to realise BIM-based projects without additional training (Alhasan et al. 2017; Ismail et al. 2016). The implementation of BIM also often requires changing the approach to using technology by a firm (Osman et al. 2015). In this context, it is often necessary to update clients’ software and systems to operate BIM files effectively, but these steps usually require additional financing and supervision.

It is important to note that the use of BIM requires a holistic approach. Thus, it can be possible that clients will need to change their technological base to use provided models in their operations, as was noted by Eadie et al. (2015). Thus, additional financial investment can be required, and it can be viewed by clients as a disadvantage (Osman et al. 2015). As a result, they can refuse to use the innovative BIM simulation based on 5D and 6D technologies that are proposed as innovative services by this company. Additionally, cash flow analysis proposed in the context of 5D and 6D models is considered as a new function in BIM that requires further research, testing, analysis (Ismail et al. 2016; Lu et al. 2016). Therefore, the integration of the model with cost analysis and scheduling can be associated with certain technical and financial limitations.

Conclusion

The analysis of the current research available on the topics of sustainability and BIM in the construction and building industry of the United Kingdom has been conducted and discussed in this report. It indicates that the quantity surveying department should provide clients with new advanced services in addition to traditional cost analysis and management services. The reason is that today, construction firms in the UK and globally are interested in improving their practices to guarantee that buildings are sustainable in terms of economic, environmental, and social aspects. Innovative services to contribute to developing sustainable construction practices include green costing, the life cycle assessment, and property performance analysis. Advanced services associated with using BIM in the context of quantity surveying should include the provision of clients with 5D and 6D BIM models to add cost and schedule analysis to traditional 3D versions. However, the implementation of these services can be challenging because of certain barriers.

Therefore, some important recommendations can be applied to overcome identified barriers and challenges. Firstly, the specialists of the quantity surveying department should be provided with additional training regarding sustainability and BIM. Secondly, the company should provide clients with professional training and support regarding the use of new services and procedures in the context of their organizations. Thirdly, clients should be informed regarding a variety of strategies and techniques that are effective to improve the integration of new models into the used systems and reducing financial investment. Therefore, the next steps for the company should include the development of training and education for quantity surveyors and clients to improve their literacy regarding the latest trends in the field of building and construction.

Reference List

Alhasan S, Kumar B and Thanikal J (2017) ‘Effectiveness of implementing 5D functions of building information modeling on professions of quantity surveying–a review’, International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 8(5), 783-800.

Ali KN, Mustaffa NE, Keat QJ and Enegbuma WI (2016) ‘Building information modelling (BIM) educational framework for quantity surveying students: the Malaysian perspective’, Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 21(9), 140-151.

Chamikara PBS, Perera BS and Rodrigo MN (2018) ‘Competencies of the quantity surveyor in performing for sustainable construction’, International Journal of Construction Management, 1(1), 1-15.

Eadie R, Browne M, Odeyinka H, McKeown C and McNiff S (2015) ‘A survey of current status of and perceived changes required for BIM adoption in the UK’, Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 5(1), 4-21.

Ghaffarianhoseini A, Tookey J, Ghaffarianhoseini A, Naismith N, Azhar S, Efimova O and Raahemifar K (2017) ‘Building information modelling (BIM) uptake: clear benefits, understanding its implementation, risks and challenges’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 75, 1046-1053.

Ismail NAA, Drogemuller R, Beazley S and Owen R (2016) ‘A review of BIM capabilities for quantity surveying practice’, MATEC Web of Conferences, 66, 1-42.

Lu Q, Won J and Cheng JC (2016) ‘A financial decision making framework for construction projects based on 5D Building Information Modeling (BIM)’, International Journal of Project Management, 34(1), 3-21.

Osman J, Mazlina S, Khuzzan, S and Razaksapian A (2015) ‘Building information modelling: proposed adoption model for quantity surveying firms’, Proceeding of IC-ITS, 6, 151-165.

Peng C (2016) ‘Calculation of a building’s life cycle carbon emissions based on Ecotect and building information modeling, Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, 453-465.

Towey D (2017) Construction Quantity Surveying: A Practical Guide for the Contractor’s QS, Oxford: John Wiley & Sons.

Wao JO and Flood I (2016) ‘The role of quantity surveyors in the international construction arena’, International Journal of Construction Management, 16(2), 126-137.

Xia B, Rosly N, Wu P, Bridge A and Pienaar J (2016) ‘Improving sustainability literacy of future quantity surveyors’, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 5(4), 325-339.

The given task is aimed at answering the question of whether there was a possibility of electrification of the Electrical Engineering (EE) building at UNSW using wind energy. The purpose of this fact-finding mission was to determine an appropriate type and rating of the wind turbine based on three factors: the average wind data (such as wind speed) at UNSW; the peak power demand for the EE building; and where the turbine would be installed. Safety issues, such as turbine height and noise level influence the place where the analyzed installation takes place. The research was undertaken between July 2010 and June 2011.

During the fact-finding mission, we collected data and considered several scenarios. According to Blakers (2000), the average wind speed at UNSW is over 8 m/s at 50 m above the ground. This speed increases in the afternoons (Coppin, Ayotte, and Stegel, 2003). From Appendix, I, the hourly peak power requirement for the EE building was established to be 568.44 kW. From Table I (attached), the total energy required by the EE building is 2749039 kWh per year. We would suggest that the turbine be installed on the top of the Electrical Engineering building. The installation of the turbine was introduced in order to avoid disruption of wind by buildings. In addition, the increase in altitude is favorable since high wind speeds occur at elevated levels (Blakers, 2000). Provided the turbine does not interfere with the normal functions of the institution, we suggest that it was not necessary to place restrictions on the height of the turbine. In addition, the height of the tower should be limited to between 1.5 times to 3 times the radius of the rotor (Edelstein et al., 2003). We settled on 1.95 times the rotor radius, as a compromise between maximum wind speed harnessed and cost of tower installation.

There was only one safety issue; the risk of fire. This was found to be extremely minimal, although it may arise as a result of sparks from turbine equipment, lightning, strikes, and the likelihood that fires would begin during construction or during repair works. So far, only two cases, out of 40, have been reported. There are two kinds of noise emanating from a wind turbine; aerodynamic noise and mechanical noise (Hau, 2000). Aerodynamic noise is caused by the rotor blades, while mechanical noise is caused by the gearbox. A small amount of noise can also be emitted from the moving parts of the turbines. The design of present-day turbines ensures that they minimize noise level (Edelstein et al., 2003). This is confirmed by Sustainable Development Commission (United Kingdom) that states that people can stand beneath a turbine and have usual conversations without raising their voices (SDC, 2005).

During the selection of the type and rating of the turbine, several scenarios were considered. The horizontal axis design was chosen for the vertical axis. More often, this turbine is not placed upwind of the supporting tower to minimize the effect of turbulence produced by the tower. The cost of a vertical axis-designed turbine is high since it requires a high torque due to the lower rotational speeds. Difficulties were also encountered when modeling, analyzing and designing the prototype rotor for vertical axis turbines. (Brower, Robinson and Hale, 2010). We also avoided selecting floating windmills because of the high cost of the utilities; usually, it is 50 to 100 % above the cost of land-based equipment (Fossdal et al., 2007).

Selecting the optimal horizontal axis wind turbine is dependent on maximizing the capacity factor (Changa and Tua, 2007; Akpinar and Akpinar, 2005). Therefore, according to Nemes and Munteanu (2011), the chosen parameters for the turbine should be equivalent to those of the wind profile area. 72 m was chosen to be the diameter of the rotor blade in order to reduce the cost of utilities and maximize on tower height. A smaller diameter would not produce sufficient energy to cater for the electricity need of EE Building. A capacity factor of 0.34 was chosen to help with the calculation of power output required. Using this capacity factor and the maximum power required by the EE Building, we find that the required turbine will have a rating of 1.5 MW (See Appendix II). This is confirmed by Tables II and III, where such issues as wind speeds, rotor diameter, and power output are compared to each other. Table IV gives the technical specifications of the selected horizontal axis wind turbine.

The important issue of having the output of the generator driven by the wind turbine contained three phase AC voltage, with varying frequency and amplitude, while the EE building requires a fixed 240V, 50Hz single phase supply, can be easily solved. A transformer with a primary Delta (3-wire) and a secondary Star (4-wire and center-earthed) solves this problem. Either two phases and the neutral, or a single phase and the neutral should be used when designing the EE building.

Although the wind speed is intermittent, this intermittency can be addressed quantitatively using the mathematical models and computer simulations for generation of probability distributions for wind speeds and electricity demand (Diesendorf, 2003/04). Storage is needed to avoid power outages in case there is insufficient wind energy. A combination of fuel cells that are hydrogen powered and wind power (Fossdal et al., 2007) could be utilized. When production is above demand, electrolysis produces hydrogen. This hydrogen is then amassed in pressure tanks. It could be used later when there is insufficient production of wind power (Fossdal et al., 2007).

References

Akpinar, E.K. and Akpinar, S. (2005).An assessment on seasonal analysis of wind energy characteristics and wind turbine characteristics. Energy Conversion and Management 46, pp. 1848–1867.

Blakers, A.W. (2000) Solar and Wind Electricity in Australia. Australian Journal of Environmental Management, 7, pp. 223–3.

Brower, M.C., Robinson, N.M., and Hale, E. (2010) Wind Flow Modeling Uncertainty. AWS Open-Wind. Web.

Changa, T-J. and Tua, Y-L. (2007) Evaluation of monthly capacity factor of WECS using chronological and probabilistic wind speed data: A case study of Taiwan. Renewable Energy, 32, pp.1999–2010.

Coppin,P.A., Ayotte, K.A, and Stegel, N. (2003) Wind Resource Assessment in Australia – A planners guide. Wind Energy Research Unit – CSIRO Land and Water. Web.

Diesendorf, M. (2003/04) Why Australia needs wind power. Dissent, 13, pp.43-48.

Edelstein, W.A., Waleck, C.J., Cox, D.L., and Davis, L.C. (2003) Wind Energy: A report prepared for the Panel on Public Affairs (POPA). American Physical Society.

Fossdal, M.L., Arnstad, E., Mathiesen, K.B., Eriksen, B. (2007) Renewable energy. Oslo: Thoresen Grafisk AS.

Hau, E. (2000) Wind Turbines – Fundamentals, Technologies, Application, and Economics. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Nemes, C., and Munteanu, F. (2011) The wind energy system performance overview: capacity factor vs. technical efficiency. International Journal of Mathematical Models and Methods in Applied Sciences, 5(1).

Sustainable Development Commission (UK) (SDC) (2005) Wind Power in the UK: A guide to the key issues surrounding onshore wind power development in the UK. Government of the United Kingdom, England. Web.

Appendix I

Appendix II

Annual Energy Output = Turbines Power Rating * Capacity factor * Time 2749039 kWh = TPR * 0.24 * 24 * 365

Therefore, TPR = 1.308 MW = approx. 1.5MW

The “extra” energy covers for plant margin and operation reserve.

Table II: Power ratings for different rotor design diameters (Danish Wind Energy Association, (2002).

Table III: Wind Turbine Power Curve (Calculated using the Power Calculator).

Table IV: Technical specifications of the selected horizontal axis wind turbine.

The argument for developing the plan is that it will aid in achieving the more significant aim of increasing participation in sports and physical exercise. This is critical for enhancing health and wellness results, as well as for the provision of the necessary cohesiveness and inclusion. Accessibility open areas and possibilities for sport and leisure may make a significant difference in a community’s health and well-being. Planning policies should be predicated on thorough and available evaluations of the demands for open areas, recreation and leisure facilities, and new possibilities. The evaluations should detect particular requirements as well as qualitative shortages or overflows in the local area’s open space, sports, and recreational amenities. The evaluation results should be utilized to decide what available size, sports, and leisure activities are needed. For me, this work is an opportunity to show my strategic skills in building a plan for creating a sports space.

The availability of high-quality and widely available facilities will help the overarching goal of developing healthier lives. There is a need to guarantee that everyone has access to adequate facilities and the ability to participate. The evaluation and analysis conducted to generate this strategy reveals a need for some specific provisions across a variety of production units, as well as more general requirements in terms of improving the quality of current facilities and increasing accessibility. To increase the number of people who can participate in society, all new and upgraded facility availability should be completely inclusive. In my case, I want a vote to be held on what precisely the school wants to have in this environment that each student may be interested in because this work will be carried out not for one person, but for a large group of people whose opinions do not always coincide.

The process of identifying the functions and needs of the places to be constructed is referred to as programming in architecture. This crucial step should start as soon as the order is initiated. Failure to do so might result in costly delays and, in many cases, a facility that does not match the planned aims. The engineer will develop plans that illustrate specific room measurements, high ceilings, and windows and doors positions, as well as the electricity, drainage, and mechanical systems. This stage is one of the most indicative for me because I believe that having seen the drawings, you can already imagine a general picture of how everything will happen and roughly estimate the success of the project.

Most sports facilities present administrative issues that keep management on their feet and endeavor to solve them efficiently. These difficulties can be met in the short to mid-term by hospital administrators. Still, without adequate long-term implementation and scheduling, they may remain to impede operations even if handled regularly. Supervisors will need to view these difficulties through a more conceptual lens in running a profitable sports facility. They will need to take the suggested measures to enhance sports operation and maintenance. Since my strategy is aimed at high school, I believe that the school administration will be able to take care of the preservation and integrity of the sports environment, which will be created and built following all regulations.

The first item a public enterprise needs is a well-organized schedule of activities that will assist visitors in understanding the nature of its offerings. Given that prospective consumers might range from inexperienced beginners to experienced athletes wishing to maintain their fitness, individuals must plan a variety of programs to appeal to everyone. Effective program structure can produce positive feedback at school and attract a growing number of specialized audiences. People may also enable facility reservations, which allow members to hire amenities to use on their own time and attract students who are not seeking long-term commitments. I believe that the option of armor by students for a specific part of the environment or some kind of equipment will help create a structured system that will determine who visits the territory more often and who is more passionate about it. This will help in the creation of school teams for competition in sports disciplines.

For a production system, developing the layout for various types of amenities such as gyms, play areas, natatorium pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, ball fields, and the like may be an easy way to divide up spaces. Nonetheless, not all training facilities may span a large area. When it comes to space use, the physical architecture of the structure or complex is crucial. Even venues with little space may juggle schedules for many types of games, sports, and activities because many of them are seasonal and not available all year. Second, there are members of various ages and agendas that are better suitable for them. As a result, creating timetables based on facility space is critical.

I suppose that this place will be large enough and concentrate a reasonably large number of people. The dimensions of this structure directly depend on the person for whom it is being built. In the case of a school, the building should be pretty significant since schools can accommodate a large number of students. Each sport should be divided equally. The proportions and original rules of the sport must be respected to ensure the best possible feedback from students and overall performance and attendance rates.

Meeting or exceeding all construction and fire rules is the surest approach to constructing a safe structure. However, in addition to the fundamentals, consider the demands and liabilities specific to sports departments. The width between the tops of storage containers and the ceilings of fire hydrants is of particular interest to fire departments (Wenger, 2021). Properly located doors enable quicker and more fluid traffic flow, which improves safety dramatically. The capacity to monitor areas and activity within the facility is substantially enhanced by windowed doors and walls. Install surveillance cameras in corridors, equipment rooms, and practice, wellness, and play spaces. Organized equipment is more challenging to steal since it is simpler to identify when pieces are missing.

I find that this aspect of building social spaces such as school sports grounds is often overlooked. However, safety should be considered one of the first considerations when planning a building. By providing an environment in which an emergency can occur, anyone, students will not be able to visit this place, and the administration will be forced to conduct constant checks until, in principle, the place is closed because its rating has dropped.

To summarize, the justification for designing a plan is that it will help achieve the more important goal of expanding participation in sports and physical activity. Accessibility to natural areas and chances for sport and leisure may make a dramatic contribution to the health and the outside of society. Planning strategies should be based on rigorous and readily available assessments of the need for open space, entertainment and leisure infrastructure, and new opportunities. The increasing availability, of widely accessible facilities, will contribute to the ultimate objective of living healthier lives. It is necessary to guarantee that everyone has enough facilities and the chance to contribute.

For me, this task is a chance to showcase my strategic talents in developing a plan for constructing a sports facility. In my situation, I want to vote on what the institution wants to have in this setting that each kid would be engaged in because this job will be done for a massive group of individuals whose ideas do not always match. Having viewed the sketches, I believe you can immediately conceive a basic image of how things will unfold and rate the achievement of project objectives.

Because my approach is directed at high school students, I believe that the school authorities will be able to ensure the maintenance and authenticity of the sport setting, which will be constructed and built following all regulations. I believe that allowing pupils to wear armor or use equipment in a particular area of the environment will aid in the development of a structured system that will decide who visits the territory more frequently and who is more enthusiastic about it. When designing a building, one of the primary concerns should be safety.

Reference

Wenger. (2021). Planning your athletic facility. Wenger.Com. Web.

Executive Summary

The aim of the project is the creation of the plan for hotel building. The plan will entail business objectives, approaches, and description of the plan and principles of its implementation. Budget and project control will be regarded as the key aspects of this report, and management principles will be analyzed from the perspective of successful time, quality, and resource management. The roles of the stakeholders will depend on their own aims and objectives; hence, their activity and interestedness in the success of this project will be regarded as the defining factor for their role in the plan.

Project Description

The scope of the industry is closely associated with accommodation, and the scope of the project requires the proper observation of all the aspects and terms, required for the comfortable accommodation. Thus, the scope of the project is aimed at creating the solid basis for the balanced resource, time and quality management. Scope will be regarded as the central aspect of project management strategy, and the values of hotel business global experience.

The business need is the creation of the hotel building plan for further hotel business development. The key aims of the project are closely associated with proper management of financial, operational, human and risk management. The basics of the scope are regarded as the outline of the functionality aspects, required for the proper project management. The need of the project creation was originated by the complexity of the project and the strong necessity to meet the requirements of the hotel business industry. Thus, the magnitude of the opportunity is represented by the necessity to create, adjust, and launch all the systems required for hotel activity.

The clear objectives of thee project help to define the aims, and formulate the plans of the project implementation. On the one hand, this is required for better motivation of employees, on the other hand, it provides an opportunity for performing the precise progress measurements.

In accordance with Baum (p. 45), the most effective business objectives in hotel industry are the following:

Specific – objectives are aimed at what the business does, e.g. a hotel might have an objective of filling 60% of its beds a night during October, an objective specific to that business. Measurable – the business can put a value to the objective, e.g. £ 25,000 in sales in the next half year of trading. Agreed by all those concerned in trying to achieve the objective. Realistic – the objective should be challenging, but it should also be able to be achieved by the resources available. Time specific – they have a time limit of when the objective should be achieved, e.g. by the end of the year (Baum, p. 45).

In the light of this fact, it should be emphasized that the actual aims of the project are explained by management strategy, with the applied efforts, associated with personnel training and professional development. Additionally, the company aims to arrange the reliable marketing strategy for further successful cooperation with recognized and trusted brands of hotel industry.

Reasons for Undertaking the Project

The reasons are closely associated with the necessity to expand the network of hotels, offering the high quality accommodation services. Additionally, the organization is intended to arrange the proper operation of the hotel properties for the stakeholders, and hopes for further reliable and fruitful cooperation. As for the quality of accommodation services, the company aims to create the UK 4 star level quality of the provided services, and maintain the level of these services. The company – performer of the project, aims to build reliable relations with the other investors, and create the sufficient contractual basis for the successful development of the hotel networking. Thus, the position of the company in the building and hotel industry will be re-established, and the company itself will be regarded as a recognized and reliable Hotel Management Company.

The business aims of the project entail the necessity to achieve the certain profit level, which will be sufficient for further reinvestment and provide the suitable returns to stakeholders. Hence, the company needs to achieve the suitable and optimal advertising strategy, aimed at improving the ethical standards in customer care strategy and relations with the suppliers.

Anticipated Benefits

The potential benefits of the project are closely associated with the enlisted objectives and reasons. In fact, the anticipated benefits of the project depend on the reliability of the partnership between the stakeholders and the company-performer. Additionally, the benefits of the completed project will be regarded from the perspective of the accommodation success and the satisfaction of the visitors. As for the accommodation principles, which should be implemented during the construction, these are as follows:

• The accommodation surrounding suits the aims and purposes of the visitors
• Selling, marketing and promotion strategies of the hotel services should correspond to the architectural appearance of the construction.
• Infrastructure, maintenance and security principles should be included into the initial project of hotel construction

In fact, the benefits of the project depend not only on the return levels, but also on the popularity of the hotel within tourists, thus, all the principles of accommodation should be implemented into the design and construction projects.

In fact, the construction project which considers the comfort level of the future visitors on the construction stage may become a project which could end up as a alternative approach towards accommodation and hospitality. Surely, when construction companies are financed by a particular group of stakeholders, the actual necessity of the construction is to create a reliable project, which will be within the frames of existing budget. However, the development of the project should be strictly observed for keeping it within the stated objectives. Additionally, the hotel industry players should value the alternative approaches.

In fact, the key benefit of the project will be explained by further growth of hospitality industry. Thus, the company will be able to enter the wider hotel-building market, as well as the construction market in general, and the cooperation with stakeholders will be more fruitful and trusted.

The accommodation market in general is regarded as very specific, and the actual necessity to meet the requirements of accommodation and hospitality rules provides an essential restriction for the development of alternative approaches. However, this specification provides a reliable justification of the project implementation. As Dunning and Sumit (p. 178) emphasized:

The land upon which they stand may be well developed, and near by property may not be available. If the owner of a single successful unit wishes to expand, he might do so not by increasing the size of existing accommodation facility, but by opening up new units in different areas. This also may occur because of takeovers and mergers. Such expansion is called horizontal integration – the growth of firms by the multiplication of similar units at the same level of production. In the hotel and catering industry most of this occurs at the retail level.

Initially, the growth aspects have been already discussed, however, it should be stated that the actual increase rate depends on the quality of the performed services, which essentially depend on the construction success, and meeting of the accommodation standards.

Start and Finish Points of the Project. Deliverables

The starting point of the project entails all the necessary preparations, associated with the project elaboration, design planning, and development of the reliable and trusted cooperation with clients (stakeholders). The beginning of project implementation should be started from the studying of the clients’ interests, and thinking over the tools of their consideration in the plan. The details of the plan should be discussed with the clients, as they might wish to control the process. The timetable (approximate) of on-site meetings and briefings should be given in advance. The next step is the verification of the quality, safety, and health standards. These should correspond to the commonly accepted norms.

The final point of the project is the constructed hotel, built in accordance with the commonly accepted standards, and four-star level quality of the services. The deliverables of the project generally entail both included and excluded services. The new services of the project involve the providing of the high quality accommodation services, aimed for tourists and residents. The key aim of these services is to fill market of accommodation and hospitality services, and the aims of the company is to gain the reputation of the reliable partner in the sphere of construction. The feasibility of these objectives depends on the rules and principles of project performance. In fact, the feasibility of the project should be regarded as the traditional perspective of successful implementation of the project objectives. The new system maintenance should be arranged as a result. This system involves the hospitality and accommodation services, which are the key principles of hotel business success.

Risks and Constraints

In fact, the hotel business is subjected to numerous risks, and the aspects and sides of possible restraints are closely associated both with technological and human factors. Insurance is only a part of the solution, as the best protection from risks is the talented risk management, as a large number of hotels were unable to recover in spite of the adequate insurance compensation. The risk factors may be of natural, financial, or business character. The natural factors are:

• Arson
• Electrical installations
• Fire protection
• House keeping
• Security and Intruder Alarms
• Health and Safety
• Hot Work and Control of Contractors
• Water damage

Financial are as follows:

• Bankruptcy of the stakeholders
• Inflation of the currency
• Unexpected changes of the prices on realty market
• Illegal raider capturing of a territory

Business factors entail the reasons of the financial factors, and the consequences of natural disasters. In fact, competitors may arrange arson, or win one of the project managers over. Thus, the risks will depend on the current market situation, economic environment and attitude of other competitors towards the company. The key aim of this part is to provide the adequate disaster recovery measures. However, adequate and thorough risk management principles should be implemented. The key aspects of risk management are as follows: first, responsibilities and activities should be defined (who and what should do in the case of risky situation). The locations of the necessary items and things should be available, and known for all the workers responsible for disaster recovering. The identification and communication system should be prepared beforehand, and maintained workable.

Activity List

In fact, the project should be described by the company, basing on clients’ wishes and recommendations. Otherwise, the dead ends are inevitable. Thus, as Sebestyén (p. 381) emphasizes:

Clients often describe projects in terms of the types of capacity building activities in the project, rather than of the overall nature of the project. For example, they might refer to the project as “fundraising” or “strategic planning,” rather than “resource development” or “setting the long-term direction for the organization. Clients often hire consultants based on how closely the consultant’s services match what the client believes the activities should be.

Event Analysis

Events of the project implementation phase are closely associated with the aspects of project management, which are regarded from the perspective of irregular customers’ behavior (Howes, p. 56). In general the actual flow of events will by cycled:

The entire management of the project is divided into three main components:

Finally, the events of the project implementation will be associated with project management, considering the principles of strict division into preparation and resource management approaches. Thus, the theoretical part will be united into single “Project” block, while the resource management will be controlled by the block’s regulations.

Resource Allocation

The allocation of the resources, required for the implementation of the described project is closely associated with the requirements of hotel industry and construction design. Thus, considering the necessity to implement the balanced project, centralized, balanced resource allocation approach will be required (Frame, p. 67). On the one hand it will slower the implementation process, on the other hand, it is one of the risk management and prevention means. Thus, the allocation plan should be developed by the centralized border, and with the consideration of hotel industry processes. In accordance with Howes (p. 254):

All entities send messages requesting resources and the allocator responds with the allocated resources. The main advantage of this scheme is simplicity. However, the disadvantage is that as the system size increases, the centralized allocator gets heavily loaded and becomes a bottleneck.

Nevertheless, considering the time scope of the project, and the opportunity to allocate the assignments and resources, the likelihood of bottleneck is close to zero.

Conclusion

Hotel building, jointly with accommodation industry is a specific sphere, which requires particular approaches and accurate project planning. The elaboration of the hotel building project is based on the principles of risk management analysis, required for the successful construction of four-star hotel. The project management strategies were selected from the perspective of industry specifications, and the factors of further cooperation of the performer with other stakeholders and hotel industry representatives.

Works Cited

1. Baum, Joel A. C. “The Changing Basis of Competition in Organizational Populations: Hotel Industry.” Social Forces 74.1 (2005): 177-204.
2. Dunning, John H., and Sumit K. Kundu. “The Internationalization of the Hotel Industry – Some Findings from a Field Study.” Management International Review 35.2 (2007): 101
3. Frame, J. Davidson. The New Project Management: Tools for an Age of Rapid Change, Complexity, and Other Business Realities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
4. Howes, Norman R. Modern Project Management: Successfully Integrating Project Management Knowledge Areas and Processes. New York: AMACOM, 2007.
5. Sebestyén, Gyula. Construction: Craft to Industry. London: E and FN Spon, 2008.

Introduction

The building design is meant to provide people with safe dwelling houses that not only shield them from environmental hazards, but also that meet their physical, social and cultural requirements. This means that in addition to providing the housing needs of residents, a well-designed house also needs to keep their belongings safe.

According to Aceh & Islands (2007), there are eight design principles that must be followed. They include principles in laying down the foundation, a coherent structure, wall-to-roof structure, walls-to-building structure, the roof-truss ties, cross-braces between roof and walls, drainage principles and house elevation.

Willison (2006) also identifies the eight principles as the core details that must be observed in building design and the four commonly practiced construction methods which are: wood framing, steel framing, manufactured house and concrete construction.

In building design and construction, the cliché that a house is just as strong as its foundation rings true. According to Willison (2006), the type of soil where construction will be put up, the moisture content, as well as the estimated weight of the construction, must be put into consideration when laying the foundation.

This means that the ground where construction is intended to be put up must be strong enough to bear the weight of the building. If the soil is weak, like would be the case with sandy soil, the designers and construction workers must be ready to strengthen the foundation of their construction before proceeding with any other construction above the ground (Calvert, 2001). Ideally, all foundations need to be continuous under the house. The more stories a house has, the firmer a foundation it ought to have.

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (2001), most foundation walls in the US are made from concrete masonry units. In a 1998 study in Minnesota and Ohio, it was established that in order to comply with building codes in the two respective areas, constructors usually use either engineered design or empirical design during construction.

In areas that registered low winds and seismic activities, the empirical design was most prevalent. The houses constructed using this design also had to be residential dwellings or other houses that measured less than 35 feet vertically. Areas that had stronger winds and more predisposed to seismic activities had the engineered design approach for most houses.

Regardless of the kind of framing (wood, concrete or steel) a house has, Willison (2006) notes that all building designs need to come up with a coherent structure which should be followed to the latter during the actual construction. This means that the structure needs to be regular, needs to integrate a ring beam in its structure especially above the doors and windows.

The ring beam should connect to defined columns. A similar beam should be integrated into the structure on top of all walls in order to connect them to defined columns. More to this the end of triangular gable walls must be supported by the construction structure as initially envisaged and patented by Boehmig (1987).

As identified earlier in this study, most foundations in the US are concrete based. However, most houses (especially residential) are framed using wood. This, therefore, raises the need for proper anchoring of the wood frames on the concrete stubs forming the foundation.

According to Willison (2006), this often requires the use of non-corrodible metal, which is cast deep into the foundation to provide the structural connection needed to support the wooden frame. It is specifically essential that each wooden column is secured to the foundation well enough.

Joining the roof structure to erected walls is also an essential part of any construction method. In concrete-based constructions, column underpins must protrude from existing concrete columns to provide the necessary structural strength to the roof. In wood-framed structures, metal ties are usually used on roof trusses to the existing wall structures.

In areas prone to natural hazards such as strong winds or earthquakes, tying the roof structure correctly to the house structure is done to retain the integrity of the house if and when a natural disaster occurs. Without the proper connections being made between the roof structure and the building, then strong winds and other natural disasters can easily sweep the roof structure away (Aceh & Islands, 2009).

The fourth design principle that must be considered in every construction according to Willison (2006) is tying walls appropriately to the established structure. This ensures that should any nature forces hit the walls, they remain contact without moving separately as would happen in walls that are not tied to the structure. For the ties to last, they must be hooked to the wall formation. More to this, staircases inside the building should have adequate support.

Proper roofing is the fifth design principle under consideration. According to Aceh & Islands (2009), roof trusses should be firm enough during construction to provide the necessary roofing strength. For this to happen, constructors need to bolt roof trusses together using metal straps. The trusses should be flexible, but must also be strong enough to withstand strong forces from nature. Wooden blocks also need to be used to hold a different section of the truss together as nails would not provide the necessary support.

Proper cross-bracing is identified as the sixth principle in design and construction that should be upheld. Just like the main structure, the roof needs to be held together during construction. This cannot be achieved by linking the roof structure to the main building structure alone. It is at this point that bracing the different parts of the roof using cross-braces becomes essential. The braces ensure that the different parts of the roof are joined together thus making the roof stronger and more likely to withstand the adverse forces of nature.

The seven design principle regard drainage. Common sense dictates that houses constructed in high rainfall areas should have a better drainage system to prevent flooding and destroying the construction material. According to Henderson & Ginger (2008), proper drainage also prevents water logging that may become breeding grounds for insects. Lastly, the floor of the house should be elevated in such a way to avoid ground level water flowing into the house.

Building collapse

According to Calvart (2001), buildings could collapse for several reasons. This includes bad design, extra-ordinary loads, foundation failure, faulty construction or a combination of any of these causes. Regarding bad design, the designer fails to consider the weight load that the construction may have to bear.

Also, he may rely on misleading theories or data and may even be ignorant of the impulsive or repeated stresses that the building may be exposed to. Calvart (2001), however, notes that most structural collapses are caused by faulty construction. Here, the engineer takes the blame since he is in charge of ensuring that only quality, up-to-standard materials are used in the construction.

As stated earlier in this study, the foundation is essential to good construction. This means that however good a constructed structure is, it cannot stand for long on a bad foundation. The earth beneath a structure may just give way, therefore resulting in sinking constructions or they may lean sideways especially where the load of the building is not fairly distributed.

Impact of construction failures on building codes

It is an inherently human characteristic to learn from past experiences and failures. In areas where past nature occurrences have caused damage to residential property, it is common for area building codes to be stricter than areas that had relevantly lower incidences of building collapses.

In some parts of Australia, for example, Henderson & Ginger (2008) notes that local inspectorate has tougher building codes in areas where there are stronger winds and water ingresses. In such areas, the building collapses require constructors to consider the strengths of wind or the water levels on the construction site before embarking on the design. It is only after the approval of a proposed design by the local building authorities that the construction can go ahead as scheduled.

Conclusion

Regardless of the building design or construction methods used, the most essential detail in a building is that it should provide people using it in their day to day activities a safe and comfortable indoor environment. For this to happen, and as observed herein, every detail of the construction process must be held with the utmost keenness. Any neglect on the designer or the building engineer’s part may lead to consequences that may cost people’s lives.

References

Aceh, I. & Islands, A. (2007). Handbook on good building design and construction. Web.

Boehmig, R. (1987). Building construction: United States Patent [19]. Web.

Calvert, J. B. (2001). The collapse of Buildings. Web.

Henderson, D & Ginger, J. (2008). Role of building codes and construction standards in Windstorm disaster mitigation. Australian Journal of Emergency Management 23(2), 40-47.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2001). Building Concrete Masonry Homes: Design and Construction Issues. Web.

Willison, R. D. (2006). Handbook on building design and construction: central Jawa. Web.

The public building

The Tuynhuys building in Cape Town, South Africa is the most visited office of the president of South Africa. Reconstructed in 1968, the main material used in the building was from the Tristan da Cunha Island. The interior of the building was fabricated with limestone blocks from this island in the Atlantic Ocean. This paper describes the type of mineral used in the construction of the Tuynhuys building, where it came from, and a brief history of the mineral.

Mineral used: Limestone

The Tuynhuys building’s interior was constructed with limestone blocks from the Tristan da Cunha Island. The limestone blocks were handcrafted from the island and transported to South Africa. This particular mineral is called the Trenton limestone. It was created from accumulation of aragonite and mineral calcite from marine organisms.

The main marine organisms that formed the Tristan da Cunha limestone were foraminifera and corals. Within the terrain of the Tristan da Cunha Island, limestone makes up 30% of its sedimentary rocks. Unlike other limestone rocks, the Tristan da Cunha limestone is very stable and grey in color (Marshak 49).

Source of the limestone

The limestone used in the interior finishing of the Tuynhuys building came from the Tristan da Cunha Island. The islands that neighbor Tristan are Stoltenhoff Island with an area of 0.1 square kilometers, Middle Island with an area of 0.1 square kilometers, Nightingale Island with an area of 3.4 square kilometers, and Inaccessible Island with an area of 14 square kilometers.

Out of the five islands in that group, Tristan da Cunha is the largest and it covers an area of 113 square kilometers. In most cases, Gough is not considered as part of the chain of island because it is located several kilometers away from the group. The location of Tristan da Cunha is almost equidistant from Cape Town (South Africa) in the continent of Africa, and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Buenos Aires, Argentina in the continent of South America (Christophersen 702).

The Island is approximately 1,800 miles from South Africa and approximately 2,150 miles from Brazil. Further, the Tristan Island is circular in shape with a diameter of 10 kilometers. This island has rich deposits of limestone in the form of grey sedimentary rocks.

The limestone from this Island is believed to have been formed several centuries ago as a result of deposits of the decaying remains of foraminifera and corals. These organisms were washed ashore onto the island by tides from the Atlantic Ocean. Over the years, the accumulated deposits turned into limestone.

Unusual fact/story about the island

The Tristan da Cunha is mainly covered with the moss and fern. The vegetation cover on the Island is made up of a number of widespread species. These species are widely distributed and they have also been found in other regions such as the southern areas of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The volcanic activities in the island Tristan da Cunha and the entire Mid – Atlantic Ridge played a significant role in the cracking of the borders of South Atlantic Ocean. The activities led to the creation of the classical plume theory. The volcanic activities gave rise to the Walvis Ridge and Rio Grande Rise. It is rumored that the volcanic activities were responsible for strengthening the limestone found in this island (Irene Schaffer’s Website 1).

Works Cited

Christophersen, Erling. “Tristan da Cunha the Lonely Isle”. Geographical Review. 31.4 (1941): 697-710. Print.

Irene Schaffer’s Website 2008, Tristan da Cunha. Web.

Marshak, Stephen. Essentials of Geology, New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Approaches to Political Development: (Nation-State Building in Southern Sudan)

Introduction

Political matters form an integral part of human life and almost every country across the world has its own political policies and systems controlling its national development agendas (Kingsbury 2007). Perhaps one of the most recently formed African nations is the Republic of Southern Sudan that became the world’s newest county after gaining independence after it split from the north following four decades of massive civil war (Maxwell et al. 2012).

Since then, the Republic of Southern Sudan has been living under the consequences of the long civil conflict that has affected citizens’ livelihood, essential services, and even social protection. As a young nation, Southern Sudan currently has the best opportunity to develop a peaceful nation and improve the lives of all its citizens (Lehtinen 2001). Since the four-decade war altered socio-political structures and relations, the Southern Sudan government kick-started the nation-building process immediately with several initiatives emerging.

Hitherto, the country could not make any meaningful developments due to lack of freedom as the two elements intertwine (Sen 1997). This essay seeks to investigate the main criteria for political development and assess the extent of its implementation as it has applied in South Sudan.

Sudan as a Nation-State: Efforts of Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS)

Against background marred by civil war uncertainties that hampered almost every little human aspect in Southern Sudan, the devastated livelihood, political difficulties, and the fragmented social order required urgent recovery. The provision of humanitarian aid and peace consolidation and stability initiatives were essential to restore Southern Sudan to stable human civilisation.

Economic and political restoration initiatives started during the prevalence of the civil war under a coalition arrangement that involved the political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and a humanitarian program known as Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) (Maxwell et al. 2012).

The Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) is a consortium of humanitarian organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Development Program (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Program (WFP) among other humanitarian organisations (Lehtinen 2001). Over several years since its emergence in the 1990s, the OLS has continued to play an essential role in enhancing people’s livelihood, political, and social reform through humanitarian support.

Notwithstanding the notion that western nations use humanitarian support to conquer political dimensions and plant their leadership agendas, the incumbent Southern Sudan government should be commended, as it has stood firm in supporting international aid. As Taylor-Robinson (2002) postulates, “It is unusual for an established government to allow international aid to the inhabitants of rebel-held areas, but the Sudanese government, although much criticised in the Western press, is an exception” (p. 49).

Through the support of authorities in Khartoum, Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), which is a UN-sponsored organisation, has managed to deploy diplomatic and logistic support to Southern Sudan (Operation Lifeline Sudan 2002).

Responsible for coordinating several human developments, including restoration of war distorted socio-political structures and relations, OLS has become an effective governance organisation as it has demonstrated considerable political impartiality (Taylor-Robinson 2002). The OLS has dutifully provided diplomatic cover and operational support for the underway humanitarian and emergency food support, including providing air transportation and protection for NGO operations.

The presence of compassionate organisations has enabled the development of strategies and support to the Sudanese affected by the civil war and especially those residing in warring and rebel-held regions. As the political environment of Southern Sudan remained constantly tensional following the enduring civil war due to lack of proper political representation, economic exploitations, and revolutions against marginalisation of communities, OLS continuously played an essential socio-political function.

Political rivalry in Southern Sudan was commencing despite the separation with Northern Sudan and OLS intervention has performed a vital political responsibility.

According to Ashamu (2010), the cornerstone to political development currently witnessed in Southern Sudan entails the involvement of the OLS in tripartite agreements with other two important actors, viz. the Southern Sudanese government, which is commonly known as Government of South Sudan (GOSS), and the state government.

Before the separation of Northern Sudan from Southern Sudan, the two-state governments (South Sudan and North Sudan) with equal political, social, and economic autonomy developed under the same National government (Sudan).

The Nation-State Political development in Southern Sudan

The terrible and devastating civil war in Sudan led to destruction of social-political structures and relations. The war-induced poverty, displaced populations, weakened kinship and dismantled community ties (Macrae et al. 1997). The civil war that existed from 1983 to 2005 killed approximately 2 million South Sudanese and displaced over 4 million people.

Subsequently, the war deteriorated traditional authorities, which were thus exposed to aggression, intimidation, and manipulation by the armed groups and Government of Sudan (GOS). The war ended in 2005 when the GOS and SPLM/A signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). This move gave a new wave of hope and anxiety to the South Sudanese whose primary war intent was to struggle in defending the customs, religions, languages, and communal property against Arabic and Islamic partial political exploitation.

The signing of the CPA enabled a significant shift of external agencies from barely providing humanitarian aid to the longer-term development initiatives. The formation of state government and GOSS emerged from here when national and state governments developed.

Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)

Perhaps the main integral part of the Sudanese history is the reaching of consensus between the two governments to build everlasting peace through separation of the North and South Sudan. The CPA agreement comprised provisions that stipulated interventions of separating the religion and the state, referendum for secession, a separate army designed for the South, and an everlasting globally monitored peace agreement.

Under the CPA, the agreement would delineate the 1956 border accord, religious, and ethnic diversity would be defended, joint military units would be deployed to safeguard territories, both South and North would have State-wide agreements and legislative chambers, and all protocols on power-sharing would be observed.

Both signatories in this agreement recognised that violence and conflict are significant causes of tragic human loss and destruction of infrastructure. Particularly, the CPA mechanism wanted to address the source of conflict through establishing a permanent framework that aimed at providing governance in sharing power and wealth in Southern Sudan.

Nation-state Political strategy implementation

Immediately after reaching a concession to develop the government through two-state power divisions into national and state governments, state-building programs and initiatives started to enhance government capacity, strengthen its institutions, and improve the legitimacy of the Southern Sudan government (Cook & Moro 2012).

Under the agreeable conditions, the new nation of Southern Sudan was bound to combine the institutional and governance mechanisms that grew during the CPA interim era. The state-building process of the Southern Sudan entailed endogenous process of strengthening reciprocal relations that involved multiple national stakeholders negotiating and transforming political processes (Fukuyama 2004).

The joint government approach involved shared government responsibilities between the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) and the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Despite possessing different responsibilities as stipulated in the national regulations about the levels of government in the Southern Sudan, LeRiche and Arnold (2012) affirm that the two governments have shared vision and responsibilities in political settlements, conflict resolution, facilitating economic development, and other political processes that enable positive state-society relations including security and laws.

From the pre-colonial regime of Sudan, the Egyptian-British rule in the 1956 was characterised by the element of centralisation of essential resources and political power in Khartoum and the neighbouring part of the Northern regions of Sudan (LeRiche & Arnold 2004). Despite being fully independent, creating the rule of law and a justice system to govern essential activities of the state government and the national government processes were constrained by limited government capacity.

The signing of the CPA has since then forced GOSS to undertake the process of developing laws and regulations that reflect the values and awareness of impartiality of the Southern Sudanese (Akongdit 2013).

As an immediate mechanism for consolidating the national identity, military laws, international humanitarian laws, and human rights laws were key influences in developing the interim Constitution of Southern Sudan (Cook & Moro 2012). Through their constitutional development legitimacy, GOSS has been working to clarify border issues and related situations through the ascertainment of legislations laws and customary regulations.

Advances in political development (GOSS & GONU)

The signing of the CPA national accord between the Southern Sudanese and the northern Sudanese marked an important era when each of the nations gained nation autonomy. Southern Sudan is quickly recovering from the civil aftermath through fixing important legislative and executive laws.

Maxwell et al. (2012) assert, “One of the strengths of customary law is its ability to be adapted to a particular case in a particular context; it is not a fixed body of law but is constantly evolving and adapting” (p.13). Essential issues in the nation-state cooperation have become eminent in the Southern part of Sudan, which has demonstrated mature leadership through national democratisation following effective autonomy mandated by the State constitution (National Election Commission 2011).

As their fellow counterparts in the North, under the tyrannical leadership of president Al-Bashir, continue lamenting about the lack of collaboration between the government and the humanitarian groups, donors in the South Sudan are working closely with GOSS (National Election Commission 2011). Recently observed is the influx of supportive initiatives.

The interim constitution of the Southern Sudan has been paramount in the stabilisation of political reforms anticipated by the Sudanese nationalists with democratic principles heavily observed. Under the stipulation of the CPA accord, the GOSS serves as an independent state under the GONU (Athorbei 2011).

According to the interim constitution, the Government of Southern Sudan bears several responsibilities as an independent state. Under the constitutional mandate, the government of Southern Sudan consists of legislative, executive, and judicial duties and all functions are in accordance with the interim constitution (Akongdit 2013).

Southern Sudan would exercise its political powers under the stipulations of the interim constitution while at the same time respecting the responsibilities accorded to the Government of National Unity. Several advances in socio-political development have emerged prior to the peace accord and the interim constitution (Akongdit 2013). With the support of the Department for International Development (DFID) country plan, the GOSS is aiding in improving political approaches, especially towards restoration of peace and economic growth.

Under the diplomatic governance spurred by the interim constitution, the GOSS has responsibilities in protecting the stipulations of the constitution including the bill of rights that constitute social justice, peace, equality, and democracy (Maxwell et al. 2012). More specifically, the GOSS considers the hope of the Southern Sudanese citizens in finding comprehensive solution that would address the social and economic deterioration in the country.

This goal is being pursued mainly through replacing antagonism with political, social, and economic justice that recognises human and political rights of all the Southern Sudanese. The GOSS has the political responsibility of providing, in accordance with the interim constitution, diplomatic and peace negotiations, including referendum arrangements between the North and South Sudan (Maxwell et al. 2012).

The GOSS is mandated responsibly to undertake negotiations with armed dissidents and provide maximum cooperation towards reconciliation and peace conferences necessitated by NGOs, development partners, as well as religious and traditional leaders (Kingsbury 2007). The GOSS has the political mandate to develop constitutions including the Peace Commission, institutions such as the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA), and other government institutions that support diplomatic governance.

Perceived significance of political development in Southern Sudan

Since the advent of the interim constitution and the CPA peace accord, the Republic of South Sudan has witnessed substantial changes in political, social, and economic advancement despite relying too much on humanitarian support (Maxwell et al. 2012). Poverty, as a multi-dimensional phenomenon, has been part of the Southern Sudanese where human capital, poor health facilities, inadequate housing infrastructure, low and deprived national economic issues have become common.

However, giving each country its political autonomy and bringing the former combatants into the GONU has led to significant advancement in socio-political developments in Southern Sudan (Cook & Moro 2012). Cases of war, political aggression, and human social abuses, including human insecurity concerns, have reduced considerably following the advent of the CPA strategies that aided the development of the interim constitution.

The passionate cooperation accorded to the development agencies has led to significant improvement of government institutions, including educational associations and health organisations, among others (Cook & Moro 2012). Politically, the levels of democracy have developed and subsequently improved where inclusivity in governance is becoming eminent.

Here is Southern Sudan’s vision 2040: “By 2040, we aspire to build an exemplary nation: a nation that is educated and informed; prosperous, productive and innovative; compassionate and tolerant; free, just and peaceful; democratic and accountable; safe, secure and healthy; and united and proud” (Athorbei 2011, p.41)

Conclusion

Southern Sudan is the world’s newly independent country that became independent following the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by the signatories of the Northern and Southern Sudan political combatants.

Under the support of the Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), which was a United Nations’ (UN) umbrella organisation, the two combatants reached a peaceful ceasefire agreement that led to the end of a four-decade civil war. Southern Sudan became a decentralised nation with three levels of governments under the interim constitution that produced two autonomous political states (North and South Sudan).

The nation-state government, which aimed at separating the Northern Sudan and Southern Sudan, has enabled substantial political developments that include making Southern Sudan an autonomous political state that shares limited economic resources with its counterparts.

The Southern Sudanese have rigorously engaged in state-building to enhance capacity, governmental institutions, and legitimacy of the state of South Sudan. Politically, through the support of development agencies, the GOSS, under the CPA accord, is responsible for ensuring diplomatic and peace negotiations, reconciliation efforts, and implementation of the interim constitution.

Reference List

Akongdit, A. 2013, Impact of Political Stability on Economic Development: Case of South Sudan, Author House, London.

Athorbei, D. 2011, Realising freedom, equality, justice, peace and prosperity for all. South Sudan Development Plan. Web.

Cook, T. & Moro, L. 2012, Governing South Sudan: Opinions of South Sudanese on a Government, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Washington, D.C.

Fukuyama, F. 2004, State Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century, Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Kingsbury, D. 2007, Political Development, Rutledge, New York.

Lehtinen, T. 2001, The European Union’s Political and Development Response to Sudan. Web.

LeRiche, M. & Arnold, M. 2012, South Sudan: From Revolution to Independence, Hurst Publishers, London.

Macrae, J., Jaspars, S., Duffield, M., Bradbury, M. & Johnson, D. 1997, ‘Conflict, the continuum and chronic emergencies: a critical analysis of the scope for linking relief, rehabilitation and development planning in Sudan’, Disasters, vol. 21 no. 1, pp: 223–43.

Maxwell, D., Gelsdorf, K. & Santschi, M. 2012, Livelihoods, basic services and social protection in South Sudan. Web.

National Election Commission: Factsheet: Levels of Government in Sudan and how they function 2011. Web.

Operation Lifeline Sudan: Southern Sector Annual Report 2002. Web.

Sen, Amartya, 1999, Development as Freedom, Alfred A Knopf, New York.

Taylor-Robinson, T. 2002, ‘Operation Lifeline Sudan’, Journal of Medical Ethics, vol. 28 no.1, pp. 49-51.

A city with well-developed infrastructure and a distinct dominance of quiet suburban atmosphere, Tempe has recently become notorious for the lack of facilities for the numerous families, the number of which has been growing increasingly over the past few years.

The lack of rentable area has triggered the question concerning the possibilities of building several condominiums for families with children. In the course of the recent meeting, the given issue was discussed.

The meeting in question concerned the consideration of a request regarding building several three-story condominiums for family rentals, as well as families residence on baselines. Held by a committee of seven commissioners (Ron Collett, Lind Spears, Paul Vent, Dennis Webb, Peggy Tinsley, Angie Thornton, and Dare Meiza), the given meeting took several hours. In the course of the discussion, the following issues have been considered:

• Re-painting of the community art property;
• Designing the landscape plan;
• Getting the public approval for the re-painting of the property;
• Considering the possibility of redeveloping the property for investment;
• Reconsideration of the exterior building design;
• Implementation of the landscaping techniques to address the problem above.

For a discussion of the project that was going to not only define the further process of condominiums building, but also the design of the area in question, the conversation went rather smoothly. It is remarkable that each of the participants preferred to communicate his/her ideas in a coherent and adequate manner, with little to no interruptions.

For the most part, the participants were comfortable about the decisions that were made in the process; however, certain unevenness in the decisions of the committee could still be spotted. For example, the refusal to use green color as the basic one for the current building block was not unanimous; while most of the committee members agreed that green was inappropriate for painting the buildings.

However, in general, the members of the committee tended to agree with each other regarding the solutions that were provided to the conflicts mentioned above. It could be argued, though, that the process of decision making could have been improved a notch by allowing the members of the committee to consider the strategies of positive behavior enhancement among the residents of the building block in question.

Seeing how a number of issues considered in the course of the meeting have been triggered by the inappropriate behavior of the dwellers (e.g., throwing cans out of the window), it would be reasonable to spare some time discussing the opportunities of promoting positive behavior among the residents of the area, therefore, using transformation model to encourage positive behavior.

Instead, though, the members of the committee preferred to deal with the mess rather than with its sources.

Some of the problems concerning the inconsistency of the decisions undertaken by the members of the committee can be attributed to the choice of the people who were supposed to discuss the current concerns of the residents of the area. When taking a closer look at the committee, one will notice several specific details.

To start with, there is little diversity in the committee; the interests of all residents of the block are introduced by the people of the same social status, background, and concerns, which begs the question whether such a homogenous committee can evaluate all pros and cons adequately.

While having the members of the committee constantly arguing and being unable to conclude is an obvious problem as well, a one-sided perspective on the concerns of the many is not a way out, either. One of the most graphic examples of the negative effects that have people with similar interests in the committee can lead to, the solution concerning the Reception Hall should be mentioned.

On the one hand, the decision to build a Reception Hall works to the advantage of the community, since it not only provides an allocation for holding important events in, such as weddings but also seems to address the lack of order and spirituality in the community. The idea of building a Reception Hall to make a difference in the community, however, seems somewhat half-baked.

Establishing a reception Hall in the area will not solve the problem concerning the lack of spirituality and care – on the contrary, I may even spur further vandalism aimed at destroying the Hall. It would have been more reasonable to create a place where young people, who are usually responsible for the mess in the area, could engage in a positive, or at least harmless, activity.

However, the members of the committee are still admittedly good at making important decisions that address the needs of the community. It would have been much easier to throw the last-minute decisions to solve the problem of the area refurbishment and call it a day; instead, the members of the committee engaged into a thorough discussion and approached the solution of the major issues responsibly.

Since the meeting was carried out among the representatives of the committee, which was assigned to evaluate the state of the community in question, voice the concerns of its dwellers, and make important decisions regarding the changes to be made for the community to prosper, there was no obvious need in conducting extensive paperwork to register the participants for the discussion.

Instead, the members of the committee were merely to sign up for the discussion. After that, the meeting was held on the date that had been assigned beforehand. The lack of formalities and the choice of a closed meeting of the committee instead of a broad discussion involving the city residents was predetermined by the fact that some of the problems, including streets littering, have been tolerated for too long and, thus, needed an urgent solution.

The absence of the time limit should also be mentioned as one of the key specifics of the meeting. Instead of scheduling a series of discussions, the members of the committee decided to handle the problems on the agenda in a very decisive and efficient manner, considering each of these issues on the same day.

Hence, the only thing that the participants of the discussion were limited by was their ability to produce coherent and logical arguments to support their opinion. Despite the obvious flaws of the chosen method, it worked very well, with crucial decisions having been made on the very day that the discussion started.

Finally, the fact that the participants of the conversation used little to no supporting materials should be brought to the audience’s attention.

Naturally, the basic theses were outlined with the help of a PowerPoint presentation, yet most of the arguments were not supported by any visuals, and the members of the committee had only documented evidence to prove the point. Most of the visual aids included the pictures of the building blocks as they were at the moment of the refurbishment discussion, which was appropriate enough.

Nevertheless, it would have still been much better if the members of the committee could provide images of the buildings altered with the help of Photoshop according to the refurbishment ideas that each of the committee members supported.

Thus, the flaws of the decisions would have been much more evident, which means that the discussion process would have taken less time and effort, leaving more room for the discussion of other topical issues. The use of other software, such as Google Earth, would have also been a welcome change of pace in the traditional discussion techniques.

In a retrospective, though, the discussion process seems rather appropriate, and the solutions appear to be quite legitimate. Even though some of the suggestions are quite dubious, they are admittedly harmless. According to the results of the discussion procedure, the decision to refurbish the building block has been approved.

Also, the creation of a Reception Hall to be built in the community was accepted as a method to have a positive effect on the moods within the community, as well as shape the behavior patterns of some of the community members with the reputation that left much to be desired.

Speaking of the possible outcomes of the given decisions, one can assume that the creation of the Reception Hall will attract the attention of the community members, contributing to the cohesion of the community.

The Levittown project does not seem to address the issues outlined in the “Building Suburbia” connected to social roles and ethnic diversity. Instead, Levittown focuses on efficiency. The author of this project decided that it is possible to apply a principle used in different industries, such as manufacturing, to the process of constructing homes. Hence, mass production became of varied elements of homes became the center, although some differences such as coloring were allowed. Picture 1 shows the process of house construction of Levittown. Additionally, efficiency is displayed in other aspects, such as the shared plumbing system of the kitchen and bathroom.

While the construction process is essential, the issue of social roles in suburban areas arises. In “Building Suburbia,” the author states the following – “if suburban space has somehow resisted ethnic diversity, it has been even less accommodating to the changes in household composition and women’s roles” (Hayden, 15). Thus, one can argue that the Levittown project addresses the critical problems of Suburbia by providing affordable housing, for only $9,000, which would allow for inclusivity of different social groups.

Some of the social roles that are prescribed into the displayed way of life and reinforced through video are the young people, for whom Levittown was constructed. Levittown was designed for young people, meaning that the standard roles and responsibilities of different community members could be altered here, since due to affordability, different people could purchase a home in this community.

Work Cited

Hayden, Dolores. Building Suburbia. Vintage, 2004.

The story is about the construction of the transcontinental railroad. It talks about the risk -takers who financed the railroad, surveyors, those who protected the constructors, and managers of the construction of the railroad. Mainly, the book discusses the workers especially the Irish and Chinese, who assisted in the construction of the railroad along the United State.

The workers underwent tough life during the building of the railroad. They lived under snow caves, which were not favourable for them. They lost lives in the caves especially during chaotic explosions and due to lack of food. People were prone to death since accidents like fire occurred frequently. As time went, technology was improving day by day and this was encouraging the establishment of railroads (Ambrose 20).

Late at 1850s, trading was extremely difficult. This is because there was no way to carry items. People desired and encouraged the construction of railroads. They laid poor run on tracks which were highly risky to the cars that moved on them. The cars that were present during 1850s got extremely hot during the summer season and cold during winter. They also often caught fire. This made transportation a hard thing to take place.

An engineer discussed the proposal on construction railroads with a politician-Lincoln or influenced the project. They both surveyed the route where to construct the railroads. During the construction, there were civil wars, which made it slow. This is among problems that risked lives of those who built and the engineers. The United States government had two companies-Union Pacific and the Central Pacific.

In conclusion, the construction of railroads had a lot of problems as discussed in the book. Examples of those problems are hunger, adverse weather conditions, poor infrastructure, and death (Ambrose 85).

Adverse weather conditions

These conditions vary from one time to another. It is a problem that interrupted with the construction of the railroads during 1860s, and is also an expected problem in today’s constructions. Snow was a serious problem that made construction of railroads terribly hard. Climatical changes especially winter was the worst part of building of railways. This is because when workers dug tunnels, they could find them filled with snow the following day.

Getting rid of it was the hardest task. Today, there are parts of the world that face this problem of snow during the winter season. They receive hails which affect transport seriously. Rain is a weather condition that affects construction of buildings and roads. When it rains during construction, workers are not able to go on with the building.

Construction of roads becomes an ugly scene when it rains. This is because there are furrows dug and they are full of water. The water-filled furrows are extremely risky for human beings especially during the night. This problem affected the workers who helped in construction of railroads and to those involved in construction even in today’s world.

Dry conditions are also a problem to constructors. Construction of buildings is the most affected area by sun. When workers leave buildings on construction under ultra hot sun, they end up having cracks which can lead to their break down. The work of re-building leads to excessive spending of money. This is a problem expected to be encountered in today’s constructions.

Poor infrastructure

Snow could cause movement exceedingly hard during winter since it covers the ground. During the 1860s, there were poor roads. The workers did not get access to raw materials for railroads construction on time. This could make it even hard for engineers to go on encouraging this project.

This contributed to slow construction of railroads. Sometimes, the surveyors got routes to construct railroads which were extremely difficult to pass through. These places were very hard to take raw materials. Still, constructions taking place nowadays have poor infrastructures, and it is becoming a serious problem in construction. In remote areas, there is an expectation of this problem to face constructions since roads are exceptionally poor.

They end up taking a lot of time to be completed. Also, the constructions end up stopping due to lack of raw materials. This can lead to a decline in the growth of the economy. Poor infrastructures can also lead to lack of development especially in remote areas and the places which encounter snow- caps.

These problems continue facing us even now because of lack of enough money to use technology. They all do not support any growth of the economy. Technology is improving each and every day that passes. The only unfortunate thing about it is that, it is terribly expensive to make use of it.

To avoid these problems in today’s world, people should encourage authorities in their states, and countries look for money, and provide for buying transporters like tractors to reach places at different conditions (adverse or favourable). This would help to improve development in today’s societies. This will show the difference between today’s way of doing things and that of 1860s.

Work Cited

Ambrose, Stephen E. Nothing like it in the world: the men who built the transcontinental railroad, 1863-1869. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Print