The National Museum of Australia

The purpose and the site context of the building The National Museum of Australia (NMA) remains one of the most memorable and magnificent structure in Australia. Architects, Ashton McDougall and Robert Peck designed the NMA.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The National Museum of Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The building occupies an 11 hectare site in Canberra, Australia’s national capital, in Acton Peninsula at the edge of Lake Burley Griffin. The idea of NMA came from an International Design Competition in 1997. NMA is a post-modern building that shows different collections of history and culture. It does not take the root of traditional museum. The outstanding feature in the NMA is the huge loop at the main entrance on the Uluru line. The NMA building has houses of 6600 square metres. These are mainly individual spaces, and exhibition space, which form jigsaw puzzle and a semicir cle at Acton. There is widespread and extensive use of colour both inside and outside. The building has â€Å"varied and vibrant colours, such as orange, gold, crimson, black, bronze, and brushed silver† (NMA, 2012). NMA has a smooth texture consisting of â€Å"anodised aluminium panels that cover most of the walls, and smooth concrete surface† (NMA, 2012). There is an artistic work of Braille words forming raised and sunken holes. The entrance has a huge Hall. The Hall has a wide â€Å"inlet for light and a great open space of curving walls, ceilings, and windows† (NMA, 2012). People see the Hall as a large rope. They say that it is a knot that joins Australia as a country, joining them together in history, and in their stories. After the Hall, there are three levels of exhibition spaces and designs. Colour is significant here in reflecting Australian stories.Advertising Looking for critical writing on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your f irst paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig 1: A view of NMA Historical and or cultural references for the building The NMA has varied National Historical Collection of Australia’s history as its main attraction. There are other collections too. The NMA holds this treasure of a diverse collection in trust for the country. Historically and culturally, the NMA research works, collections and representations concentrate on three inter-related fields. The first one explores the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, enduring Indigenous attachment to country and contributions to Australian society. The second focuses on the Australian history and society since 1788, which focuses on the history of settlement in Australia and the development of the nation’s political, social and economic life since British colonisation of the continent. Finally, there is people’s interaction with the Australian environment (NMA, 2012). This studies the relati onships between people and their places, the evolution of distinctly Australian landscapes and reactions to environmental challenges. The above three areas closely â€Å"relate to each other, and a number of NMA collections relate to more than one field† (NMA, 2012). The National Historical Collection of Australia has â€Å"one of the world’s largest collections of barks paintings and the collection of the former Australian Institute of Anatomy, including the racehorse Phar Lap’s heart† (NMA, 2012). A part from these, NMA also has different collections of â€Å"historical vehicles, politics and politicians’ materials, collections of convict tokens, and mass collection of Aboriginal breastplates† (NMA, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The National Museum of Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The NMA also has a dynamic collection of other attractio ns. However, by any international standards, NMA collections do not match some of the leading world museums. It mainly consists of â€Å"collections donations, objects from other government’s agencies, and some acquired through purchases† (NMA, 2012). Macarthur notes that the NMA development relies on â€Å"the reports of Pigott of 1975 and that of National Museum of Australia Act 1980† (Macarthur, 2001). The NMA also creates and keeps important archival and academic and educational collections. These collections are essential in the provision of extra information and historical studies for the NMA collection. Challenges or opportunities in the project associated with context, access, site conditions and or the construction program The use of cast steel for a structural framework is not without its problems. In order to give steel the necessary liquidity, it must contain a relatively high level of alloy elements. This makes it brittle and unfit for welding and w ithstanding high temperatures. Some brackets, such as Gerberette brackets are difficult to join using welding. Therefore, constructors joined them to other parts of the structure using pinned connections (Addis, 1994). The basic design of the steelwork is fairly straightforward with a logical primary or secondary element arrangement configured to minimise element size and at the same time, satisfying the various requirements specific to this particular building. The geometries of the space trusses and primary elements are highly complex. Great ingenuity and inventiveness are necessary in order to realise the design economically on the very difficult curvilinear and tapering site plan, without compromising the architectural opportunities of the construction.Advertising Looking for critical writing on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A crucial challenge occurs in connection with the fabrication of trusses. This is devising an economical way of coping with variations in the span and height that occurs due to tapering, curvilinear form of the plan. This needs some aspect of standardization be incorporated to avoid the program from becoming totally uneconomic. In addition, there is complexity of the geometry of the primary structural elements. The opportunities to solve these challenges are the uses of the â€Å"weldable† cast-steel joint components. Therefore, architect team must become much involved with the design of the structure, particularly with the visual aspects of the complicated connections and the architects and engineers. Consequently, team work is mandatory so as to produce a building that works well both visually and technically. On the other hand, there are opportunities that exist due to use of steels in construction of huge buildings. The main advantage of using steel in a large building is its ability to reduce construction time and program. The large and single panels of steels allow contractors to put up a section of the building at one time. There is no need for separating other framing, insulating and sheathing requirements on site. In some case, some steel materials come as pre-cuts and fixed to include doors and windows sections, curves, arches and difficult shapes. Still, in some cases, the electrical holes are readily done in the frame works. Steels are very strong and are structurally self-supporting. Constructors can use them in roofs, walls and floor systems instead of other building materials. NMA has successfully used steel in most of its walls, stairways, floors, and supporting structures. In walls, steels carry high loads and offer maximum strength in holding the building. The nature of steel enables it to work as a material for exterior and interior walls, to resist earthquakes and high winds. In some roofing instances, steel eliminated the use of tru ss system in cases where there was less than 20 feet in design measurement. This enabled NMA to have open interior spaces and almost eliminated the need for intermediate structural supports. The use of steel reduced the construction costs and waste materials. Readily made steel materials need no further modifications. The use of steel eliminated most environmental impacts that come from other building materials. Steels also come from recyclable materials, thus, ensure environmental safety. NMA has good indoor air and light quality due to use steel in walls. It also created tight envelope around the building to reduce possible entrance of air pollutants. How characteristics and use of the selected material (steel) has influenced the  design, the building form, the structural assembly, component parts and or the building’s construction processes These works of steels are not only the beauty of the NMA, but also pointers to a complex and diverse geometrical works by which the constructors imagined the famous axes of the NMA, which lay out as joined and knotted on the site. NMA design exploits the use of steel to create spiral staircase. Steel offers varieties of designs which are also durable. Steel also enabled the constructors to customize their looks in terms of height, handrails, diameter, and balusters to meet the design needs of NMA. They also blend well with any kind of preferred colour coating. The NMA designers clad steel materials in areas such as walls, canopies, columns windows, lifts, staircases, panels, and NMA facades using different steel materials and a choice of finishes. Some NMA metal cladding applications include â€Å"the satin finish stainless steel, and anodised aluminium panels, which create magnificent walls and windows in NMA† (NMA, 2012). Some of the striking features of the metal cladding are â€Å"the spherical wedge and curved panels forming the interface between vertical and horizontal elements of the building† (Macdonald, 2000). The use of steel influenced some of the structural features that needed stainless steel. The designers created some of the striking designs in NMA. These features include customised themes of stainless steel staircases, tapered bars, balustrades elements of handrails and stanchions, curves of elevations, and different painted steel frames, which create outstanding period effects. In roofing, steel materials play significant roles in the diagonal tie rods on the upper floors of NMA building. The steel rods holds the structures to avoid swaying and make it comfortable for the visitors because they support the building structurally. There are also striking steel features on the building faà §ade, which are open on the exterior walls to keep the design intent visible and influence the history and cultural experiences of the Australians. The steel shapes and other features reflect the designers design intent. They played a significant role in determining the design of the ground- floor lobby, Halls, and other interior features. The most of the building features are steels including the columns that consist of steel cladding. This is not common in most museums. The steels cover both the interior and exterior of the building as a deliberate attempt to cover the preferred architectural features. How the decision to use steel has contributed to the architectural intent of the building: Aesthetic Strength to reflect history of the country Steel is strong, flexible and durable building material. It has influenced both engineering and architectural designs and intent throughout steel structures. Steel is also recyclable and can withstand extreme environmental conditions. Steel has influenced architectural intent in NMA building aesthetically. It shows beauty, history, and culture. The exposed and shining features of different colours show elegance and lightness (Macdonald, 2000). The elegance of the coated steel itself was important in the design. The painted steel columns and walls on the outside and in the lobby are the basic components of the NMA building and are all significant to the material itself. Thus, steel is one of the crucial and integral intent of architectural expressions. Fig 3: Lobby: Steel Aesthetic architectural intent Structural steel is among the most used materials in most landmark buildings. However, most designers choose to bury them in the concrete, walls, columns and building faà §ade and hide their elegance. However, designers of the NMA building decided to expose steel structures in the building and cover them with different coats to enhance the design intent and building aesthetics. The use of steel also presents challenges to engineers. For instance, the NMA building has a high visibility of steel structures and features, which is a problem in achieving such desired designer’s intent. Thus, managing the architectural intent and designers can present serious challenges in implementation of the design. Steel played a significant role in achieving the designers’ intent of architectural invention of its kind, a collection of cultural allusions, visual spins, and architectural symbolism of history. The NMA building shows a high level of scrutiny and consciousness of details in size, proportion, connection and joinery of the steel structures particularly around the rope knot that signifies the unity of Australians in a single country. These ideas had to meet the intent of different designers, architectures, and other stakeholders. The ability to sculpt steel and create pieces of art in a building cannot yield concrete result with inflexible approaches. Steel works well alongside other materials. In addition, it has both the strength and flexibility that is necessary in creating shapes, forms and sizes to fit desired architectural expressions. These are the qualities that make the steel suitable for designing air and light inlets across the walls. The beauty enhan ced by steel presented serious challenges to the design and engineering groups. For instance, the NMA building had to conform to the international and national safety and occupancy requirements. In most cases, steel building must be fireproof, meeting this requirement and maintaining aesthetic beauty is a serious challenge. Thus, painting on the exterior had to meet safety requirements and maintain aesthetic beauty. The steel structure developed parts of large and small steel columns and beams stretching from the building basement and supporting the vertical and horizontal weight, which increases as the building becomes large. The architectures did not fix the steel structures as they were available with their standard measurements, but rather the architectural and design teams took the reduction in size and manipulated it so that the plate sizes drop off in a controlled and planned manner that helped create the building’s feature of strength, lightness and beauty. Fig 4: St eel beam structures and strength of the structure The oval steel thread is not only the symbol of the NMA building, but also an indicator to a complex and thorough work of geometrical designs by which the architects created the knots that show the relationship of Australians in a single country. The looping effect does not cross and pull the building together. Instead, it enlarges the NMA building to point the edges of the surrounding water as the area planning and design intent required. The design procedures also allowed some elements of arts and history to influence the museum in presenting the history of Australia as woven and joined together. The architectures’ idea of symbolism found its place well incorporated in the NMA building ideology. The two axes represent strings and a forced five-sided creation that visitors cannot easily see but separate the building into different parts. We must understand that the NMA building is on remarkable due to application of the lates t computer technology (Davies, 1988). This allowed the teams to design, perform sheet and material cutting, and carry out survey. Still, the building â€Å"geometry is not clear to any layman, and it is difficult and almost impossible to understand it even with the design diagrams† (Macarthur, 2001). Thus, such building’s geometry remains hard to understand and always open to misconceptions in interpretation. We can compare the NMA building geometry and architectural intent to that of S. Ivo della Sapienza of Rome designed by Borromini. Borromini applied a feature of â€Å"a six-pointed star both to create the structural design of the segmented roof and to stimulate the symbol of wisdom† (Macarthur, 2001). Conversely, the geometrical features do not conform to the building elements that it has created. The star is behind the veil, which clearly differentiates life and time experience from the complete and unchanged world of symbols. Scholars note that Borromini wanted to represent â€Å"a five-sided figure as the sign of Christ represented in His five wounds, and if one thinks, with the baroque, that interpretation is infinite, then the string which makes up the NMA can be the Redeemer as well as Griffin’s axes† (Macarthur, 2001). Describe and analyse at least two details that contribute to the quality of the work and shall include (evidence of, and reference to, at least one interview the student has undertaken with the building’s architect, and/or engineer and/or other key stakeholder(s) in its design and/or construction An interview with Aston Raggat McDouglla, Architect in the NMA building construction Question: What is your comment on the design flexibility? Answer: â€Å"The design of the structure takes advantage of flexibility of steel and uses cutting edge construction technique†. The architectures had steel precast parts customised to match design intents and requirements in plants. This is useful in f abricating complex size, shapes, sizes, and certain technical specification. In the absence of prefabrication, complex and detailed designs may be tedious to construct, or the desired quality may be difficult to get on the site using normal construction tools. Precasting provides wide and flexible design opportunities and several designs of the same shapes and sizes that lead to economies in a construction. Fig 5: Precast wall Question: What is your view on quality of external wall and stability of the structure? Answer: â€Å"The overall stability of the structures required careful thought due to the many eccentricities from leaning columns and non-symmetrical arrangements†. The alignment, upright arrangements and smooth surface finishes of external wall steel contributes to building facade. Most precast wall panels need no thorough finishing before the last finishing begins. Techniques such as scaffolding are not necessary in the finishing works. This provides opportunitie s to have clean, and safe working environment for fast construction activities. Fig 6: External walls Question: What is your take on dry and clean construction and material usage on the NMA? Answer: â€Å"The NMA construction was complex and unconventional with limited wastages of materials due to dry and clean construction†. Steelwork increases productivity because it is a dry construction. External wall metal cladding consisting of aluminium and glass, which work together with steelwork to enhance fast construction progress ensure dry and clean construction. The strict specifications for steel framing and cladding systems enhance to a better quality finishing. Workers can avoid scaffolding in installation of external wall structures by using tower cranes. Use of tower crane reduces difficulties associated with scaffolding. Reference List Addis, W 1994, The Art of Structural Engineer, Artemis, London. Davies, C 1988, High Tech Engineer, Thomas and Hudson, London. Macarthur , J 2001, ‘Australian Baroque: Geometry and Meaning of the National Museum of Australia’, Architecture Australia, vol. 4, 1-5. Macdonald, A 2000, The Engineer’s Contribution to Contemporary Architecture: Anthony Hunt, Thomas Telford Ltd, London. NMA 2012, National Museum of Australia, https://www.nma.gov.au/explore This critical writing on The National Museum of Australia was written and submitted by user Lydia Bradford to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Nevada Vital Records - Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates

Nevada Vital Records - Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates Learn how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in Nevada, including the dates for which Nevada vital records are available, where they are located, and links to online Nevada vital records databases. Nevada Vital Records:Division of HealthVital StatisticsCapitol Complex505 East King Street #102Carson City, NV 89710Phone:  (775) 684-4280 What You Need to Know:  Personal check or money order should be made payable to  Office of Vital Records.  To verify current fees, the telephone number is (775) 684-4242. This will be a recorded message. Information on current fees is also available on the  Nevada State Health Division website. The applicant MUST include a copy of a photo ID with the request. Web site: Nevada Office of Vital Statistics   Nevada Birth Records: Dates: From July 1911 Cost of copy: $20.00 Comments:  Ã‚  Birth records are confidential in the state of Nevada and may only be released to a qualified applicant. A qualified applicant is defined as the registrant, or a direct family member by blood or marriage, his or her guardian, or his or her legal representative. With your request include as much as you can of the following: full name at birth, date and place of birth, fathers name, mothers maiden name, your relationship to the individual and legal need for a copy of the record, your name and address, a copy of your photo ID, and your signature.Application for Nevada Birth Certificate For earlier records, write to County Recorder in the county which the event occurred. Nevada Death Records: Dates: From July 1911 Cost of copy: $20.00 Comments:  Death  records are confidential in the state of Nevada and may only be released to a qualified applicant. A qualified applicant is defined as the registrant, or a direct family member by blood or marriage, his or her guardian, or his or her legal representative. With your request include as much as you can of the following: full name of decedent, date and place of death, social security number (if known), decedents fathers name, decedents mothers maiden name, your relationship to the individual and legal need for a copy of the record, your name and address, a copy of your photo ID, and your signature.Application for Nevada Death Certificate   For earlier records, write to County Recorder in the county which the event occurred. Nevada Marriage Records: Dates:  Indexes since January 1968.   Cost of Copy: $10.00 Comments:  The state office only has indexes since January 1968. Certified copies are not available from the Nevada State Health Department. For certified copies of marriage certificates, you must write to the County Recorder in the county where the license was purchased. Nevada Divorce Records: Dates: Indexes since January 1968. Cost of copy:  $10.00 (index search only); cost of record from county varies Comments: Indexes since January 1968. Certified copies are not available from State Health Department. For divorce records, you must write to the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. More US Vital Records - Choose a State

Compare and contrast high involvement and low involvement processing Essay

Compare and contrast high involvement and low involvement processing. Discuss how and when consumers go through these different - Essay Example What is Consumer Involvement? The study of decision-making behavior reflected by the customers is known as the customer involvement. The buying pattern of consumers varies from product to product based on the perception of consumers towards a product pertaining to its importance or relevance for the customer. In this manner, the study of purchasing behavior of customers enables businesses to understand the level of involvement each consumer has towards a product or service. The literature for consumer behavior is not considered in the modern business world as complete, without discussing customers’ involvement. For this reason, marketers have carried out extensive research in the area and have asserted that for understanding involvement, it is also important to consider the socio-psychological aspects as well. Although, researchers and marketers have fallen short of prescribing a comprehensive definition for the term â€Å"involvement†, but Kapferer and Laurent (1985) h ave suggested that there are five types of involvements. First level of involvement is for interest in the product, then involvement because of risk importance, risk probability, sign value or involvement due to hedonic value of the product. Other researchers like Schiffman and Kanuk (1991) perceives involvement as the reaction to ego’s call, perceived risk of the product or the importance of purchase of the product. Another perspective of consumer involvement is presented by Hansen (1981). He views involvement as: "Variations in the extent to which the individual is more or less motivated toward a specific piece of information, product, or the like. With high involvement, more psychic energy is released for handling incoming information, sorting it out, and making choices" (Hansen, 1981). The definition presented by Hansen (1981) is also supported by researchers like Mitchell (1981) who also suggested that consumers are motivated by businesses to commit high involvement in t he purchasing decision so that they can close study the product, its attributes and its benefits. Moreover, Hensen’s (1981) definition is also close to perfect as it defines involvement on the basis of motivation that a marketing strategy of a business produces amongst consumers. To summaries the various definitions of involvement found with the review of literature, it can be asserted that involvement refers to the degree of attraction and the level of individual experiences an individual feels towards a product at the time of making a purchasing decision. The next section of the report would discuss the most important aspect of marketing studies, i.e. consumer behavior and its relevance to consumer involvement. Consumer Behavior and Consumer Involvement Consumer behavior is a wide area of marketing studies, which deals with the understanding of patterns depicted by individual or group of customers towards a particular product or service. It consists of a purchasing process, which includes the selection of a product, securing the product, disposing the product and experiencing the performance of the product. Therefore; consumer behavior is the study of attitude shown by consumers while purchasing and using a product or service. The study of consumer behavior requires marketers and

Let me Introduce You to Christianity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Let me Introduce You to Christianity - Term Paper Example Christian religious studies have used a number of strategies to encourage Christianity to both ‘christians’ and ‘non-christian’ (Harris, 4). There are benefits associated with Christian theology. The advantages are facilitation in the Christian church as roles are shared out among the church followers. Secondly, Christian spirituality aid in the dissemination of Christian ideologies within the church. This is realistic since there is togetherness among the followers. Lastly, it helps in addressing the emerging issues in Christianity as it prepares followers of the Christian doctrine with the knowledge of solving daily problems. Methodical theology is a sub-branch of the Christian theology that ensures that all Christian accounts and beliefs are systematically arranged. It examines the alterations that have happened to the development of Christianity in years and effects it has had over the people (Koehler, 169). There are a number of aspects in Christian the ologies that are associated to its beliefs and basics. These aspects are strongly rooted in the Christian religion, and for centuries, they have remained unchanged. Biblical insight is a set of guidelines that are concerned with the study and analysis of the bible. It analyses the teachings of the bible and what the scriptures expects from an individual. Secondly, God is a Supreme Being associated with certain attributes that are easily identifiable. Some of these qualities are sharable by a human being, and some are blissful in nature. The sharable attributes are the ‘Communicable’ traits, and those, which are divine, are referred to as the ‘incommunicable’ traits. The holly trinity in Christian spirituality is used to describe the togetherness of God. Trinity in Christian spirituality involves ‘God the father’, ‘God the son’ and ‘God the Holy Spirit’. The holy doctrines state that God the father is divine in nature, and God the son is divine and human in godly and human nature (Harris, 42). God is described as the ‘father’ in Christian theology. He is branded the name ‘father’ because of his constant concern of the human life. The term is related to the connection that exists amid a father and a kid. The affiliation amid human being and God is considered as an close one, compared to the relationship amid a father and son. A father is always concerned about a child’s welfare just like God is concerned with the welfare of man. Christology examines the personality of Jesus. It looks at the nature, characters and works of Jesus and emphasizes on the divinity of Jesus as an offspring of human and God (Harris, 75). Christ is a term from the Greek books meaning the selected one. The term means the Messiah when interpreted into Hebrew. According to Christian theology the term ‘Christ’ is a designation, and not as a name, though individuals mistake it to mea n an individual’s name. The title is evenly used to refer to individuals who believed in Jesus. The followers have been awarded the name Christian, since they are believers that indeed Jesus is the Messiah. The ‘Person of Christ’ is highly upheld due to his relation with God and is characterized by certain attributes that are celestial in nature. The person of ‘Christ Jesus’ comes from King David’s lineage. He is selfless in nature, and this is evident by the works he did on the planet. He believed in

Critique on The Speakers Corner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique on The Speakers Corner - Essay Example However, the police have endeavored to be very tolerant to the speakers and only respond in cases where they have received complaints from member of the public. At times they are forced to intervene on the grounds of profanity which involves the use of offensive language. The speaker’s corner in Britain was established as a result of the increased struggles for civil liberties and a quest for a more democratic society. The speakers’ corner has provided great opportunity for people to express themselves and have their views heard by many listeners across the global. The minority groups, who do not have any other platform to address their concerns, have benefited from the speakers’ corner since it has granted them a chance to be heard. However, the popularity and strength of the speakers’ corner has been eroded by the rapidly emerging trend of blogging and the use of other social media platforms in communicating personal views and opinions. In the current set-up, speakers’ corner is set loose its meaning and will soon become a thing of the past if the current trend is to

The Electricity Company Of Ghana Action Plan Finance Essay

The Electricity Company Of Ghana Action Plan Finance Essay Electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Ghana mainly involve three institutions that work in an interrelated manner. Volta River Authority (VRA) generates the electric power through hydro and thermal plants and, until recently, also had responsibility for the high voltage transmission system. The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), created as part of reforms in the power sector, now has responsibility for the high voltage transmission so as to have that separated from generation entities. It is the least known of the institutions. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) distributes the energy produced to most consumers through low voltage transmission lines. It is the institution that is in direct contact with most of the public. Figure 1 below shows the main processes of the power distribution in Ghana. The ECG is a limited liability company owned solely by the Government of Ghana and has the responsibility of supplying and distributing electrical power in the southern part of Ghana. It was established in November 1997 as Joint Stock Company based on the companies code in accordance with the 1993 Corporate Act (Act 461) of Ghana. The company has its headquarters in Accra, a total workforce of 5,281 with a customer base of 1.7 million (ECG annual report 2008). Vision The ECGs vision is to be among the leading electricity distribution companies in Africa in terms of quality, safety and reliability. Mission Statement The mission statement of the company is to provide quality electricity services to support economic growth and development in Ghana. The primary objective of the company is to supply electrical energy to people in its areas of operation. In discharging its various duties, the company has executed a number of national electrification programmes on behalf of the government. The ECG is a monopoly in the electricity distribution sub sector of Ghana. The tariffs that clients pay for the supply of electricity services are regulated by the state owned company called Public Utility Regulatory Commission. The ECG charges commercial rates to its clients which are subsidized by government. Organizational structure The company is run by the Board of Directors, Principal Officers and Advisors. The companys Board of Directors are appointed by the Government of Ghana. The Principal Officers and Advisors control and run the eight directorates of the Company. These directorates are Engineering, Operations, Customer Services, Materials Transport, Finance, Audit, Legal Services and Human Resources. Figure 2 below depicts the organizational structure of the ECG. Fig.2: The Organizational Chart of ECG Board of Directors ManagingDirector rector Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (6) Director Legal Services Director Customer services Divisional Managers (3) Employees Employees Director Human Resource Director Customer services Director Material and Transport Director Material and Transport Director Audit Director Finance Director Engineering Director Operations Divisional Managers (6) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (2) Divisional Managers (2) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (5) Divisional Managers (3) Lower managemt Employees LOwer Managemt Employees Lower Managemt employees Employees Lower Managemt Employees Lower managemt Employees Lower managemt Employees Lower Managemt Employees Lower Managmt Employees Board of Directors The Board of Directors as at 29th June, 2009 was composed of the following persons: Ing.Sqn. Ldr. Clend Sowu (Rtd.): The chairman of the Board. He is a Consultant Engineer and a Retired Military Officer. Mr. Cephas Gakpo: The Managing Director of the company Mr. Bernard Allotey Jacobs: A Media Practitioner Barimah Kwame Nkyii XII: Omanhene Assin Aimanim Traditional Area, Tax Ecpert. Dr. Kwaku Osafo: Economist/Engineer Mr. Samuel M. Codjoe: Lawyer Mr. Anthony Gyampo: Educationist Mr. Kwabena Adjei: Businessman, Communication Professional Hon. Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah: Member of Parliament for Krowor Constituency, Veterinary Surgeon Mr. Jake Kofi Anre: A Lawyer and Secretary to the Board Directorates of ECG The Engineering Directorate is responsible for the planning and designing of the distribution network. The directorate is also responsible for the procurement and implementation of investment projects. The Operations Directorate is responsible for delivering quality reliable and safe supply of electricity to customers, maintain the network regularly in order to reduce the number of interruptions and outages, respond quickly to faults and use modern technology to operate the distribution system; Materials Transport Directorate has responsibilities of managing all activities regarding materials received for projects and other ECG operations. In addition, the department has to manage all operations regarding Transport (Vehicles). Customer Services Directorate has responsibilities of gathering all information about Power Purchases, Power Sales, Average End-User-Tariff (EUT), System Losses, Revenue Collection, debtors position at the end of each year and customer population. Audit Directorate is responsible of operational, commercial and financial activities of ECG. With Technical Audits, physical inspections and reconciliation of materials usage are carried out. The directorate is also responsible of Audit investigations on fraud and corruption. Lastly, it support Management about operational activities and give directives to address them. Legal Services provides legal services to the ECG. The Director is the Secretary to the Board of Directors and maintains a Board Secretariat to provide secretarial services to the Board of Directors. He is involved in the prosecution of people involved in the illegal activities against the ECG to reduce system losses. Finance Directorate has responsibilities of analyzing and reviewing financial data, reporting financial performance, preparing budgets and monitoring expenditures and costs for the ECG as a whole. Human Resources Management Directorate has responsibilities in the following areas: Staffing (Employment and Recruitment, Personnel records, Compensation); Training and Development and Industrial Relations (Health and Safety). The ECG is a Strategic Enterprise in the sense that it is the only electricity distribution company that supplies electricity to the whole of Ghana. Secondly it offers employment to over 5,000 Ghanaians, making it the largest employer in Ghana. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The analysis of the performance of ECG as described below is based on available information up to year 2008. The Impact of Global and National Forces on ECGs Operations The worldwide economic recession (Credit Crunch) affected both the economy of Ghana and ECGs operations. The year saw rapid hikes in crude oil and metal prices which resulted in the high cost of power generation from thermal sources and sharp increases in the cost of materials and equipment required for capital investment projects. The Ghana Cedi also depreciated against the major world trading currencies especially the US Dollar, the Euro, and the British Pound. Since most of the inputs for ECGs capital investment projects were imported, prices consequently increased relative to energy sales which were generally denominated in the Ghana Cedi. The cost of investment projects therefore increased from 12% to about 20%. The U.S dollar for instance appreciated in value against the Ghana Cedi from a rate of $1: GHÂ ¢0.92 in July 2007 to $1: GHÂ ¢1.49 in June 2009Â  [1]Â   The inflation rate in Ghana also contributed to the high cost of operations and subsequently affected the companys profitability. The inflation rate has increased over the period from an average of 10.73% in 2007, 16.46% in 2008 to 19.86% in 2009. This resulted in increases in labor cost and other local raw material inputs. Details of the inflation rate is attached as appendix 1 Financial, Operations and Human Resources Performance Profit and Loss The ECG has made an operating profit of GHÂ ¢25,089,202 in 2008. Prior to this year, the company had been making losses. In 2006 and 2007 for example, the net operating losses were (GHÂ ¢3,429,300) and (GHÂ ¢8,657,716) respectively. Current Assets The stocks level at year 2008 was GHÂ ¢135,851,792. This was an increase of 99.8% over year 2007 figure. The Accounts Receivables also increased by 50.5% to GHÂ ¢258,033,418 in 2008. The table below depicts the status of the Current Assets of the company over the three year period from 2006 to 2008. Current Assets 2008 GHÂ ¢ %age change 2007 GHÂ ¢ %age change 2006 GHÂ ¢ Stocks 135,851,792 99.8 67,999,841 39.3 48,800,300 Debtors 258,033,418 50.5 171,411,587 16.2 147,503,100 Prepayment 8,323,294 184.6 2,924,574 48.4 5,665,800 Short Term Investment 16,358,519 108.5 7,845,126 12.0 7,002,600 Cash and Cash Balances 49,473,765 42.6 34,690,929 16.4 29,796,100 468,040,788 64.3 284,872,057 19.3 238,767,900 The increases in the stocks and debtors depict a weak inventory management and credit policy of the company. Debtor/Sales Ratio The Debtor/Sales ratio which is an expression of customer debt in days of billing was 130 days in 2008. It deteriorated from 138 days in 2006 to 162 days in 2007 representing a decrease of 17.4%. Although there was an improvement from 162 days in 2007 to 130 in 2008, the figure is still too high. Loans and Suppliers Credit The ECG through the Government of Ghana has secured the following loans and credit from the World Bank and other suppliers for investments in its distribution network. This has increased the companys debt situation tremendously. DSUP $15m financed by IDA, ECG (2003-2007) GEDAPÂ   $94.5m financed by IDA and partners, AfDB, ECG, (2008-2012) GEDAP Extension $70m for Ashanti Region, financed by IDA (2010-2014) French credit Euro 65m for Tema and Kumas. Financing from the french govt. (2008-2012) Norwegian credit Euro 60m for Greater Accra and Eastern regions. Financing from the Norwegian govt. (2008-2012) El Sewedy credit 16.5m from El Sewedy TD (2010-2011) As at December 2008, an amount of GHÂ ¢171.92 million was outstanding in suppliers credit. Systems Losses System loss is a power loss in its course from the source to end users. In 2007 the systems loss was 24.03%. This increased to 25.58% in 2008 as result of poor transmitting system and also theft through illegal connections. The ECGs performance in this area is declining and this is adding onto the cost of operations of the company. The table below shows the trend of the systems losses over a three year period from 2006 to 2008. System losses units (GWh) Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total Purchases 5045.4 5252.8 5145.6 5799.4 Total sales 3762.0 3978.4 3909.1 4315.8 System losses in % 24.26 24.03 25.58 Human Resources Capacity ECGs staff strength at the end of the year 2008 was 5,281. This was an increase of 6.07% over year 2007 figure of 4,929. Staff turnover over the year period is showed in the table below. Employee turnover Year 2006 2007 2008 Employee turnover 3.02% 3.27% 3.53% The percentage of employee turnover increased from 3.27% in 2007 to 3.53% in 2008. The reasons assigned for this increase upon our investigation are lack of motivation and incentives to the employees. Evaluation of ECG This section of the Plan tries to come out with a range of expected fair market values for ECG incase the government find it necessary to privatize it. The main purpose of this evaluation is to give all stakeholders especially government and management of the company a fair market range of values within which the ECG can be sold. ECG, as already mentioned above is a public monopolist and as such not listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). As a result of this, the market Comparison Method of evaluation can not be used. The only feasible formulas to use would be the Asset Appraisal Method and the Discounted Cash Flow Method. Asset Appraisal Method This method involves revising all the asset and liabilities of the company including Goodwill. Using the 2008 audited financial report of the company, we can easily get the values of the asset and liabilities of the company at Net Book Values (NBV) and not the Revised Values. Since we are not in a position to revalue the companys assets and liabilities we are solely relying on the NBV of these assets and liabilities. The NBV of assets and liabilities for the 2008 financial year were given as follow: 2008 GHÂ ¢ Current Assets 468,040,788 Fixed Assets Plant, Property and Equipment 1,171,197,452 Goodwill 2,021,653,890 Total Asset 5,008,661,390 Less Current Liabilities (259,567,145) Value ECG 3,401,324,985 Calculating the value of Good Goodwill is calculated based on the Supper Profit Method. This involves determining a value for the expected future profit of the company. Here, some past profit of the collected based on the 2008 report and an average is taken. We then make adjustments to reflect future profits. Thus, expected future expenses and income are adjusted. Years Net profit/Loss GHÂ ¢ 1999 17365,259 2000 (7,583,807) 2001 152,973,046 2002 (451,974) 2003 (483,609) 2004 (269,686) 2005 (305,425) 2006 (475,200) 2007 (48,836,581) 2008 11,598,017 Total 123,530,040 Average profit for the 10 years = Expected Future Operating Expenses Looking at the operating expenses of the company over the years, the average expenses over the years is around GHÂ ¢6,574,530. Since expenses are expected to increase over the coming years, a 10% adjustment is made to reflect future changes. This 10% was chosen based on the increasing trend of operating expenses from 1999 to 2008. This brings the total future expected operating expenses to (GHÂ ¢6574530 +GHÂ ¢657453) GHÂ ¢7,231,983. Expected Future Income Again, looking at the operating income over the years, the average income for the 10 years is GHÂ ¢54,145,602. Since the expected income are expected to increase as a result of the stabilization of the Ghanaian Cedi against major foreign currencies, stable world price of crude oil, materials, and of course the discovery of crude oil in Ghana. Taking all these factors into consideration, a 15% adjustment is made to reflect these changes. Therefore the future operating income is (GHÂ ¢54,145,602 + 8,121,840) GHÂ ¢62,267,442 GHÂ ¢ The number of years of purchase which depends on the bargaining powers of both the government who is the owner of ECG and the would-be private investor on the reputation of the company. ECG, as earlier discussed, serves both the Ghanaian Economy and other two countries in West Africa (Togo Benin). It also has the potential to expend to other countries as a result of the discovery of crude oil in Ghana. With all the above reputations and potentials, we have decided to fix the number of years of purchase at 30 years. The Goodwill for the company would be Limitation of this method The value of the fixed assets used in the valuation might have some composition of non-productive assets and therefore would affect the fair market value of the company. Discounted Cash Flow Method This method takes into consideration the time value of money. Thus, discounted cash streams of future cash flow. Here, the first thing we do is to forecast the future cash flow by making adjustments to 2008 cash flow of the company. From the cash flow statement (2008), the net cash flow was GHÂ ¢15,819,658. Since cash inflows are expected to increase over the next few years due to expansion and reduction in operating expenses, an upward adjustment of 15% is made to the net cash flow for the next five (5) years. Thus, from 2008 up to 2013. Expected net cash flow from 2013 upwards can not be forecasted due to uncertainty. Discount Rate The company is at the moment using a discount rate of 10%. Due to the possibility of inflation and exchange rate fluctuations, have decided to fix the discount rate between 12% 15%. According to the discounted cash flow method: FMV = Present value of cash flow up to the terminal year + Present value of terminal value. Year Expected Net Cash Flow GHÂ ¢ 2009 18192607 2010 20921498 2011 24059722 2012 27668681 2013 31818983 Using the NPV formula which is given as: NPV =, we can now calculate NPV at both rates of discount (12% and 15%). NPV @ 12% = But Terminal = NPV = NPV (12%) = GHÂ ¢2,200,234,081 NPV @ 15% = But terminal value = NPV = GHÂ ¢1,708,064,531 Interpretations Since the Asset Appraisal Method gave us the highest value of GHÂ ¢3,401,324,985 it would be considered. We are therefore concentrating on the Discounted Cash Flow Method range of values to determine the value of the company. This therefore means that the value of ECG, must be in the range of GHÂ ¢1,708,064,531 and GHÂ ¢2,200,234,081. SWOT ANALYSIS The investigations conducted on the ECG revealed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as summarized in the table below. STRENGTH Competent Work Force High level of technical expertise Government Support A monopolist (large customer base) Facilities (i.e. warehouse) Availability of donor funds Installation of prepayment meters Customer Call Center Vast Distribution network system Low cost of production as compared to countries in the sub region Availability of electrical fault detection technology WEAKNESSES High turnover of professional and technical staff Uncompetitive conditions of services Lack of rule enforcement Poor Communication Lack of team work Not clear defined job descriptions Talents in the company not used to the best advantage No effective Research and Development (RD) Weak Inventory Management High network distribution losses Mismanagement of resources OPPORTUNITIES Potential to expand (nationwide and other countries) Potential of quality power delivery Political and Economic stability Staff training and development West Africa Gas Pipeline Oil discovery on the coast of Ghana THREATS Government Interferences Government determination of Tariffs Fluctuations in the exchange rates Effects of inflation Natural Disasters (i.e. rain storms) Increasing World prices of metals, materials and equipment WEAKNESSES OF THE THREE MAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURING BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS MATERIALS AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT Weak Inventory Management Unstructured Procurement Unit Increases in the world prices of metals, materials and equipment Mismanagement of Company resources Effects of inflation on local procurement Fluctuation in the exchange rate OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT No effective research and development High network distribution losses Unreliable and low quality of power supply Inadequate training and development of operations staff Inadequate staff HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT High turnover of staff Talents in the Company not being used to the best advantage Poor Communication Lack of team work Uncompetitive conditions of service Lack of rule enforcement No well defined job description Excess labor force STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES Based on the SWOT analysis, the following strategic alternatives are recommended to bring about turnaround for the Material and Transport Directorates; Human Resource Directorate and the Operations Directorate. MATERIAL AND TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE Assets Reduction Strategies: Divesting Specific Assets Assets that are in surplus with respect to the future requirements of the company should be sold off. Unproductive and obsolete assets such as transformers, power cables, electric conductors and meters should be sold. Reducing Inventory Material costs should be reduced through improved buying practices, better utilization of materials and efficient inventory management. Inventory of the company such as transformers, meters, cables, conductors and wooden poles should be managed based on Vital Few Trivial Many Principle. This will help the company to avoid holding too much inventory, which is cost to the company and also prevent the company from holding too little inventory which can make the company loose customers. Not only that but also, the reorder level should be fixed between the maximum order level and the minimum order level to prevent the inventory from reaching the danger level. Reducing Debtors (Accounts Receivables) There should be a credit policy to help in the effective administration of the debtors. Customers credit worthiness should be well determined. Debts should be collected within 30 days. There should also be a debt recovery plan. Reducing Cost The Company should adopt Total Cost Management (TCM) control strategy as a way of reducing cost. There should be intelligent optimization and not just cost cutting in the areas of direct costs; overheads; procurement costs; production costs; selling and distribution costs; inventory costs; personnel costs. There should be speedy execution of contract bids and procurement processes to avoid additional costs being incurred as a result of lapse of deadlines. The introduction of e-Procurement should also be used to facilitate the procurement process. The company should also enter into forward contracts to reduce costs. Debt Restructuring Arrangements should be made for third party (government) to service the debt on behalf of the enterprise. There should be selective sale of assets and the revenue that would be realized from the sale of these assets should be used to offset the debt owed to suppliers. Legal Restructuring Specific legal steps should be taken to privatize the company. HUMAN RESORCE MANAGEMENT DIRECTORATE Organisational Restructuring There should be a merger of the engineering and operations directorates to ensure harmonization of action plans towards the achievement of corporate objectives. Information technology should also be used to make the hierarchical organizational structure flat. A strategic planning unit should be created and headed by a corporate strategist to lead the process of strategically positioning the company towards the achievement of the companys goal. There should be appropriate job descriptions, specifications and schedules matching with the qualifications, experiences and skills of employees so to get the best performance out of them. Furthermore, training and development should be a routine exercise for the company. Rules and regulations should be explicit, easily accessible and discipline enforced to ensure compliance with set standards. Labour Redundancy Management should develop a Redundancy Implementation Plan considering the economic climate and political mood of the country, since the implementation of the redundancy plan could be a complex and time consuming process. Staff Performance Appraisals methods such as the Balanced Scorecards should be used to identify and declare non performing staff redundant. Compensation packages should be prepared for such redundant staff, and contingency plans made for unforeseen circumstances in the event of strikes. OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE Physical Restructuring It is recommended that this Directorate should be merged with the Engineering Directorate to bring about efficiency and effectiveness. The size of budget for Research and Development should be increased. Investments in distribution networks should be increased to improve quality and reduce losses of electric power. There is also the need to improve upon the monitoring of customers consumptions to be able to detect theft of electric power. The technical staff strength should also be augmented and given the appropriate technical know-how so to be able to cope with the growing demands of the proposed merger of the Operations and Engineering Directorates. Safety equipment should be made available for the staff to use in protecting themselves in order to reduce the rate of accidents. Proposed Timeline for implementation of Turnaround strategiess TURNAROUND STRATEGIES 2010 2011 2012 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Discussions with Management Assets Reduction Reducing Cost Debt Restructuring Legal Restructuring Organisational Restructuring Labour Redundancy Physical Restructuring Conclusion ECG plays a vital role in the socio- economic development of Ghana and there is no doubt that any Turnaround would yield enormous benefits to the Ghanaian economy. Hence, for the above recommended strategies to bring about any meaningful Turnaround, it calls for commitment and support of management of ECG and the government of Ghana. Not only that but also, for efficient and effective implementation of the strategies, there is the need for expert knowledge and advice. It is therefore hoped that the necessary support will be given for the desired results to be realized in ECG. Privatization Option The public sector in Ghana has suffered setbacks which are largely attributed to ineffective and in efficient management. When we consider the case of Ghana Electricity Company, noticing the trend of losses of the company over time and the failure to meet the objectives or purpose of its formation, in view ,it is suggested that it would be better for the ECG to involve expatriates into their operations, this can be done by private sale of there shares to the foreign multinationals who have got the technical and financial knowhow and experience in the distribution of energy to buy into the private share of the organization ,Government should endeavor to have multinational partnership in the operation of the privatization by giving them of shares in the enterprises. There is need for good follow up on privatized enterprises. This would make the organization to be more effective and efficient in their operation. The federal Government should encourage this multinational to participation in the distribution of power in Ghana. This would be done by establishing a power sector reforms which will allow the involvement of foreign multinationals expatriates in the distribution of power. These reforms would include the provision the necessary Infrastructures which would enable the reduction in establishment costs, rationalization of power tariff, mobilization of private capital for power generation and transmission and lower capital-power generation ratio. In order to achieve these goals, distribution companies. A State Electricity Regulatory Commission would also be also set up to monitor the operation of the company. The desire to involve the private sector in the management and provision of infrastructure and services which will prompt multinational company to buy private share of the organization. . Private placement occurs when a company makes an offering of securities not to the public, but directly to an individual or a small group of investors. Such offerings do not need to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are exempt from the usual reporting requirements. Private placements are generally considered a cost-effective way for small businesses to raise capital without going public through an initial public offering (IPO) The ECG should sale 49 of its shares to a multinational partner would be able to participate in the core business of energy distribution in Ghana. Also the Government should provide

Man Hath Known No Fury Like A Woman Scorned :: essays research papers

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