open

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Open a new Microsoft Word document, Microsoft Excel document, or use the provided template to complete the following tasks.

Tony Prince and his team are working on the Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project. They have been asked to refine the existing cost estimate for the project so they can evaluate supplier bids and have a solid cost baseline for evaluating project performance. Recall that your schedule and cost goals are to complete the project in 6 months for under $200,000.

Use the Cost Estimate template and Cost Baseline template to assist with this assignment.

Tasks

  • Prepare and upload a 1-page cost model for this project using spreadsheet software. Use the following work breakdown structure (WBS), and document your assumptions in preparing the cost model. Assume a labor rate of $100 per hour for the project manager and $60 per hour for other project team members. Assume that none of the work is outsourced, labor costs for users are not included, and there are no additional hardware costs. The total estimate should be $200,000.
  1. Project management
  2. Requirements definition
  3. Website design
  4. Registration for recreational programs
  5. Registration for classes and programs
  6. Tracking system
  7. Incentive system
  8. Website development
  9. Registration for recreational programs
  10. Registration for classes and programs
  11. Tracking system
  12. Incentive system
  13. Testing
  14. Training, rollout, and support
  • Using the cost model you created in the first task, prepare a cost baseline by allocating the costs by WBS for each month of the project.
  • Assume that you have completed 3 months of the project. The BAC was $200,000 for this 6-month project. You can also make the following assumptions:
  • PV=$120,000
  • EV=$100,000
  • AC=$90,000
  1. What is the cost variance, schedule variance, cost performance index (CPI), and schedule performance index (SPI) for the project?
  2. Use the CPI to calculate the estimate at completion (EAC) for this project. Is the project performing better or worse than planned?
  3. Use the SPI to estimate how long it will take to finish this project.

After completing your charts, write a 150-word follow-up in which you complete the following:

  • Explain how the project is doing based on the CPI and SPI. Is it ahead of schedule or behind? Is it under budget or over?
  • Describe the strategies or steps that should be taken for human resource management to avoid additional costs.
  • Describe the strategies or steps that should be taken for resource activity management to avoid additional costs.
  • Recommend 2 tools to support these strategies and explain why these tools would be beneficial.

Systems analysis and design project

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Ridgeline Mountain Outfitters (RMO), RMO’s strategic information systems plan calls for building a new Consolidated Sales and Marketing System (CSMS).

Project Report 1 (Steps 1‒4) focuses on defining, justifying, and planning the project.

Step 1: Define the project

This step should clearly define the project including, at a minimum: a description of the business need to be addressed, a statement of the project’s scope and general feasibility, a “ballpark” schedule, and a resource plan and budget. Additional data and detail is not required, but helps steer a desired outcome.

Step 2: Identify system requirements

This step should discuss the analysis activities associated with understanding and documenting the business needs and processing requirements for the proposed system. What are the desired outputs of the system and what are the major data requirements? Also, the constraints that are expected should be discussed. This step should include as much detail as possible. The remaining steps of the project will start to pivot off of Step 2.

Step 3: Develop a feasibility study

This section of the report will use the items developed in Steps 1 and 2 to specify the project’s risks and probability of success and will confirm the project’s feasibility in each of the dimensions mentioned in the textbook: economic, technological, organizational, and so on. A completed project is not always a successful project. The developed feasibility study in this step will narrow the focus and drive the project to a higher success rate.

Step 4: Schedule the project

This final section of Project Report 1 will develop a detailed project schedule and indicate specific resource needs.

Please thoroughly explain the following for a better understanding.

American Politics

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Answer five of the following medium-length questions (300 word limit per answer). Each answer is 20 points each.

1) Why did the Articles of Confederation Fail? How did the Constitution help remedy the problems created by the Articles of Confederation?

2) What were the main points of contention between the framers in designing the Constitution and how were they resolved?

3) Most of the framers felt that the Constitution adequately protected the states against encroachment by the national government. Why, then, has the power of the national government expanded throughout US history?

4) Why have civil rights and racial issues been a major point of contention in U.S. federalism between the federal government and the states? What are some of these in that have pitted the federal government against the states in U.S. civil rights history?

5) How did the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s change the political calculations of politicians like President Kennedy and President Johnson? How were the demonstrations planned strategically to increase pressure on politicians?

6) What are the main factors the Supreme Court takes into consideration when deciding whether or not it hears a case?

7) How are federal judges are selected for their positions? How and why have the appointment of Supreme Court judges provoked political battles in recent decades?

4MAT Book Review – Share Jesus without Fear

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  Turabian Citing Absolutely NO PLAGIARISM

The 4MAT REVIEW system is a way of responding to readings, lectures, and life experiences that requires the learner to interact with new ideas on several levels.

Please use the following format in preparing 4-MAT Book Reviews:

  1. Abstract. Summarize what you have read,      boiling the book down into 300 words (1 page). Prove you comprehend the      readings by writing a no-nonsense summary. The abstract is not a      commentary or listing of topics but rather an objective summary from the      reader’s viewpoint. Abstract equals “boiled down.” This section should      include a minimum of 2 footnotes      to the text being reviewed.
  2. Concrete Response. Get vulnerable! In no less than 150      words and no more than 1 page, relate a personal life experience that this      book triggered in your memory. Relate your story in first person,      describing action, and quoting exact words you remember hearing or saying.      In the teaching style of Jesus, this is a do-it-yourself parable, case      study, confession. You will remember almost nothing you have read unless      you make this critical, personal connection. What video memory began to      roll? This is your chance to tell your story and make new ideas your own.
  3. Reflection. This      is the critical thinking part of the review (not critical in the sense of      negative, but in the sense of questioning). In no less than 150 words and      no more than 1 page, describe what questions pop up for you in response to      what you have read. Keep a rough-note sheet at hand as you read. Out smart      the author by asking better questions than he/she raised in the book. Tell      how the author could have made the book better or more appealing to those      in your field of service. One way to begin this section is by stating what      bothered you most about the book. This is not a place to provide an      endorsement or affirmation of the book.
  4. Action. So what      are you going to do about it? In no less than 2–3 page and no more than 7 pages      for your entire paper.provide 3 action steps that describe what actions or      changes you are going to make in your life, ministry, and/or work as a      result of your reading. Action steps should be measurable and reveal a      commitment to specific time, specific people, and identified steps.

Make sure the action steps are implemented between the time the review are submitted inModule/Week 7. Discussion Board activity asks for you to reveal the results of 1 of your actions.

  1. Please provide a Turabian style* title page,      pagination, footnotes, and Bibliography.

*Please contact the instructor to ask permission to use an alternate format style.

Total: 5–7 pages

Submit each 4Mat Book Review by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the module/week in which it is assigned.

Psy 635

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Research and Critique a Qualitative Study

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, be sure to have read all the required resources for the week.

Locate a peer-reviewed qualitative research study in the Ashford University Library on the topic you chose in Week One for your Final Research Proposal. You may choose to use a qualitative study that was included in the literature review you used in the Week One assignment by searching the reference list for qualitative research studies on the topic. It is also acceptable to utilize a qualitative research study on your topic that was not included in your literature review.

Once you have located an appropriate qualitative study, identify the specific qualitative research design used. Summarize the main points of the study including information on the research question, sampling strategy, research design, data analysis method(s), findings, and conclusion(s). Evaluate the published qualitative research study focusing on and identifying the researcher’s paradigm or worldview and any evidence of reflexivity described in the report. Explain whether or not potential biases were adequately addressed by the researchers. Describe how the researchers applied ethical principles in the research study.

The Research and Critique a Qualitative Study

  • Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
    • Title of paper
    • Student’s name
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Date submitted
  • Must use at least one peer-reviewed source from the Ashford University Library in addition to those required for this week.
  • Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Reading Comprehension Research Presentation

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Special educators will teach comprehension skills, no matter what subjects or grade levels they teach. Students of all ages should also be taught strategies to monitor their own reading abilities and progress, giving them autonomy and power for metacognition. An effective special educator knows the value of using research-based strategies that empower students and enable them to increase their reading comprehension.

Create a digital presentation, to be used for teacher professional development in an elementary school, which creatively and accurately explains current research on how to develop reading comprehension skills. Your presentation should be 10-15 slides, including a title slide, reference slide, and presenter’s notes.

Within your presentation, explain each of the following:

  • Summarize how language development, fluency, and vocabulary are critical to building a student’s capacity to comprehend what he or she reads at a younger age.
  • Select three of the five recommendations from the practice guide meant to increase reading comprehension for young readers. Demonstrate how each recommendation relates to the research you presented.
  • Describe evidence-based strategies, different from those in the practice guide, that students can be taught to use to enhance their language development, fluency, and comprehension. Justify why these strategies are useful.

Your digital presentation should include graphics that are relevant to the content, are visually appealing, and use space appropriately.

36 questions environmental science question

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1.  Are all coastal processes naturally hazardous? Explain

2.  What can be done to reduce damages from tropical cyclones? 

3.  Beach nourishment project: an environmental decision or an economic decision or both? 

4.  Will coastal hazards become more severe, less severe, or stay the same in the geologic future?

5.  What are the management procedures in place for your community, if you live in a coastal state?

6.  Do you agree or disagree with the statements that all structures in the coastal zone (with exceptions of critical facilities) should be considered temporary and expendable and that any development in the coastal zone must be in the best interest of the general public rather than the few who developed the ocean front? Explain your position.

7.  Do you think building a space colony is a feasible solution to the impact of MACs? Why or why not?

8.  Will new technology be available to shield us from potential major aerial bursts or direct impact? If yes, how?

9.  Should we have an equal emphasis on the environment threats at the Earth’s surface and the potential threats from the space? Explain

10.  Consider the hypothetical concept of planetary sustainability over a time period of hundreds of millions of years. At this time frame, what is the role of large impacts of extraterrestrial objects? How does your answer link to sustainability at a human time frame (hundreds of years)?

11.  What is the feasibility of mining extraterrestrial objects for rare ores?

12.  Describe the likely results if a Tunguska-type (check your book) event were to occur over or in central North America. If the event were predicted with 100 years warning, what could be done to mitigate the effects if changing the object’s orbit were not possible? Outline a plan to minimize death and destruction.

13.  In your area, which type of water source (surface water or groundwater) is more important? Why? Why not?

14.  If we change the ways we use water, what would be the impact on the global water cycle?

15.  What sort of wetlands are found in your region? Any changes over the years?

16.  Which continent will the global warming have a greater impact on its water resources?

17.  Do you think we are living in a “food bubble” that may burst in the next few decades? That is, will links between food and water lead to a drop in food production with increasing human tragedy?

18.  When a municipal water system needs to expand its supply because of growing demand, why is it often preferable to accomplish this through conservation efforts as opposed to building a new reservoir or drilling additional wells?

19.  What can individual citizens do to reduce groundwater pollutants?

20.  Does surface water contamination automatically trigger groundwater pollution at a given location?

21.  What are the major point and nonpoint sources of water pollution in your community? 

22.  What current water laws and legislation are you familiar with? Are there any problems with them?

23.  How safe do you think your drinking water supply is? Upon what are you basing your answer? What do you need to know to give an informed answer?

24.  Dams can create large reservoirs for greatly expanding a region’s water supply. If a dam releases water and always maintains the flow of its river, how can it have a negative impact on the downstream ecosystem?

25.  Considering mineral resources are nonrenewable, do you believe that technology will eventually help meet the growing demand for mineral resources? If yes, explain.

26.  Biotechnology shows the potential for cleaner minerals extraction and waste disposal. Will biotechnology bring about any environmental problems?

27.  What types of environmental impact would there be if we increasingly extract more mineral resources from seafloor?

28.  Conservation is important when it comes to any of Earth’s resources. How is conserving metals, such as aluminum or copper, any more important that conserving water?

29.  How can some valuable elements and minerals be fairly abundant in Earth’s crust, yet rarely be found in concentrations that are economical to mine?

30.  Select one metallic mineral resource and investigate its occurrence, distribution, consumption, and reserves. A good place to start is the USGS Mineral Resource Program website. Evaluate the impact of its customary mining and extraction methods:

a.  How and where is it mined?

b.  How much energy is used in processing it?

c.  What special pollution problems, if any, are associated with the processing?

d.  Can this metal be recycled, and if so, from what sorts of materials?

e.  Are there practical substitutions for it?

31.  Sustainable energy development means an energy policy and energy sources without harming the environment. Do you think this is possible? 

32.  Is it possible that new technology will be able to make fossil-fuel burning a clean process? Explain.

33.  Speculate the possibility of power plants in space.

34.  List specific actions that an individual citizen can take to conserve energy and reduce environmental impact.

35.  Do you think that peak oil will be a defining moment in human history? Why or why not?

36.  How long do you think it will take to transition from oil (mostly used in the transportation sector [e.g. cars, buses, trains, planes]) to other sources of energy? Is it possible in 20 years? 50? Why or why not?

Module 3 Discussion: Communication Research Methods

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Read the article :  The Optimal Marketing Mix? Let Your Target Audience Decide! (think2grow.com) 

The Optimal Marketing Mix? Let Your Target Audience Decide! (think2grow.com) 

The topic this week is RESEARCH! To be effective in communicating with an organization’s publics, we must be constantly listening and scanning the environment for information. This is key, especially when it comes to listening to your target audience.

Now that you have selected Comcast as a company for your final project, read this article and write, in a couple of sentences, for each area explaining how your selected company (Comcast)  assess some typical attributes to define its target market. Do your best and at the end of the semester, once you have completed your final project, we will circle back and see how your initial research from this discussion post compares to your final project.

The fun aspect of research is that it doesn’t lie, and if used correctly and collected correctly, can tell a great story and provide some remarkable data for a variety of different projects.

For this week’s discussion post, you may not be able to provide specific details for each of the following attributes. If this occurs, discuss what you hope to find when conducting your research. Be creative – think outside the box! Don’t settle for the first answer you come across – this is why research is so important and can be quite eye-opening.  Research is many times like Pandora’s box – one idea leads to another and another…

Read the article and discuss in a couple of sentences for each area explaining how your selected company/organization assess some typical attributes to define its target market. REMEMBER to cite your work in APA style No Page Count requirement 

  • Are your prospects B2B or B2C, government, or not-for-profit? 
  • Are they small to mid-sized business or larger enterprises?
  • Where are they located? 
  • How many companies or consumers make up the target market?
  • Is there a typical type of person who buys your product or service?
  • Where do they meet or communicate with peers?
  • How do they get information to learn about products and services such as yours?
  • How do they buy? What is the buying criteria? How often do they buy?
  • Are there trends in the purchasing processes they use?

Weeks 7 & 8: Investing Behaviors

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structions

Successful investing text with US dollar banknotes | FlickrWeeks 7 & 8: Investing Behaviors

Course Objective:

CO6: Discuss the factors affecting the choice of investments.

Assignment Instructions:

Part I: Investing Behavior:

What are the various types of investors? Complete the interactive investor profile questionnaire at Investment Risk Tolerance Assessment. According to this instrument, what kinds of investments should you consider? Write an introduction to your essay that provides a profile for yourself as an investor. What else can you find out about investing behavior–for example, does your profile change over time as you age or does it remain the same? How would your profile assist you and your financial advisor or investment advisor in planning your portfolio?

Part II: Recognizing Fraud

What is a pyramid scheme exactly? Have you ever participated in or invested in such a scheme? Have you ever been a victim of one? Research and discuss this topic in this part of your project. According to research, why can it be difficult to detect a pyramid scheme? What are some possible tip-offs to this kind of fraud? Why are pyramid schemes unsustainable? Who are the victims? Provide a diagram illustrating the dynamics of pyramid schemes.

Part III: Famous Scandals

Survey the Web site of a 2009 60 Minutes CBS broadcast on the Madoff affair, which includes articles, video, and links in this Youtube Video, ‘The Man Who Knew‘ . According to this site, who discovered the Madoff fraud and how? Who were Madoff’s victims? Visit the support group Web site created for the victims. In the CBS video, how did Madoff defend himself? Read a Read a Journal article that explains how Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was able to succeed. How did investor biases contribute to this success?

How did biases in regulatory oversight contribute to the fraud? Sample some of the videos of the congressional hearings on the Madoff scandal. Why did representatives and senators focus their criticism on the Securities and Exchange Commission?

Use the template provided. Follow APA7 format, including a title page, introduction, conclusion, citations, and a minimum of three scholarly references (not Wikipedia or Investopedia). See the attached PPT file. Turnitin report of no more than 20% similarity index is required. Your final project should be 5 pages in length, not included title page, abstract, or references.

Submit all three sections in one essay and in one file by midnight ET, Day 7 (Sunday). Use the naming convention JSmith_FinalProject

Phoenix ECO 535 Signature Assignment: Government Intervention Analysis

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Analyze 1 of the following government intervention programs:

  • Countercyclical fiscal policies (countering economic disruptions such as the housing bubble and the Great Recession)
  • US agriculture support programs
  • Assistance for Low Income Families (choose 1)
  • Housing vouchers
  • Earned Income Tax Credit (including Child Tax Credit)
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Low income healthcare (choose 1)
  • Medicaid (including Children’s Health Insurance Program).
  • Affordable Care Act expansion
  • Social insurance programs (choose 1)
  • Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
  • Medicare
  • Unemployment insurance

Write a 700- to 1,050-word summary of your analysis. Identify the intervention and the market failure leading up to the intervention. Complete the following in your paper:

  • Analyze the arguments for government intervention as opposed to arguments for market-based solutions.Hint:See the information about market failures.
  • Examine who has been helped and who has been hurt by the selected government intervention.
  • Examine externalities and unintended consequences of such intervention. For example, consider whether the SNAP program and health coverage for low-income families result in higher future tax revenues because low-income children grow up healthier and produce higher incomes over their lifetimes.
  • Analyze whether cost of the intervention you selected as a share of GDP or the number of participants is increasing,decreasing, or varies with the state of the economy, based on the cost trend(or number of participants) since its inception or since 2000.
  • Analyze credible economists’ opinions on the success or failure of the intervention that you chose in achieving its objectives.
  • Recommend whether the program should be continued as is, discontinued, or modified based on your conclusions. Defend your recommendation.

Note: Use of charts and graphs is encouraged with appropriate citations. Any charts or graphs retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED website may only be included when the data sources used by FRED are US government sources such as the Bureau of Economic Analysis or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Cite at least 2 academically credible sources.  

Format your assignment according to APA guidelines.