Budget Reforms in Ghana

Budget Reforms in Ghana   Introduction/ Background: According to the research I have done I have found that Ghanas government needs help improving their budget. This projects development objective, for the Public Financial Management Reform, is to improve the budget management, financial control and reporting of Ghanas government. In these projects the organizations contribute to enhancing fiscal discipline, service delivery efficiency, through strengthened systems and procedures. The components for this project show financial management and budget strategies to help Ghana. In reviews dated back to the 1990s of the Public Financial Management in Ghana have shown that they have several weaknesses in this process. They have a weak budget formulation and a weak budget preparation. They also have a weak expenditure monitoring and controlling the budget. Ghanas lacking a good accounting and good monitoring system. These problems would catch the eye of any public administration major. This reform is being done to better the government of Ghana. If this was to go successfully it would influence the public greatly. In the field of public administration, you would want to help the public anywhere become better than it already is. With this title, you will know how to help better their budget and help with some small accounting work. Supporting the Budget Reform in Ghana: The new Public Financial Management system put in place for Ghana will use tools for improving fiscal management and budgetary control. They will increase economic management by making technology upgrades that will help improve debt and cash management, and boost timely and accurate reporting. They will also improve budget managements strength. This new system will also aim to strengthen the credibility of the national budget. A strategy to aid Ghanas debt was developed by this new system. During the 2000s a legislative review was done on the Public Financial Management system and there were many components. Ghana had Financial and Accounting Reforms, Revenue Management, Audit Reform and Procurement Reforms. This system helped launch other systems such as the Budget and Public Expenditure Management System, it also influenced fiscal decentralization and payroll reform initiatives. They improved the payroll management system. The system also help build ministries, departments and agencies capacity to develop costed sector strategies. They want to strengthen linkage and information between sectors. To help the debt they want to strengthen capacity in the Debt Management Division. To help improve efficiency in the delivery of public services, they have introduced performance measurement into the budget management. This will help Ghana keep track of every credit spent. Ghanas government would as review capital spending and the strategy for financing capital projects. Ghana plans to bring in measures to strengthen local revenue under its fiscal decentralization reforms. Negatives of Budget Reform: Even with the new system there are still problems that can be created or come across. Ghanas government still have a high level of debt the need to lower, large fiscal deficits, and lack of fiscal space for public investments. These are major constraints to Ghanas economic growth, said Yusupha B. Crookes, World Bank Country Director for Ghana. The reforms supported by todays project focus on critical and priority areas of the Government that together could facilitate transparent and accountable fiscal governance in Ghana. Lack of robust accounting, monitoring quality and timely data on government resources. The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability made an assessment in 2012 and fiscal discipline was weak and remained a concern. The distribution of resources for strategic priorities undermined causing efficiency in service delivery to be adversely affected. Ghana has invested in programs aimed at strengthening Public Financial Management in government, but significant institutional, policy, and system weaknesses continue to manifest themselves limiting the impact of these reforms, said Ismaila B. Ceesay, World Bank Task Team Leader for this Project. He believes that too many poor people live in Ghana to improve the delivery of basic services. There are even some legislative limitations that come with this new system. Making business change their process for the Public Financial Management system required revision of laws to support this process. Skill gaps and capacity were created in Human Resources sector, especially in the area of information and communications technology, and analytical skills. Critique of Both Arguments After going through both sides, I could tell both sides relied on some of the same things. Both sides have different view on Ghanas debt. Supporter of the new reform want to put programs in place to help lower the national debt overtime. On the bad side, they think that the debt is too high and the people basically think its a waste of time and money to create programs for lowering it. I agree with the people in support of these new ideas to lowering the debt and bring in more income into Ghana. How could a nation create a better budget with an outstanding debt? Me personally, I do not think that you can. I am in complete support of the new reform and the ideas that come with it. I can also see how the non-supporters are feeling. After being in place for a couple years, there was not a lot of changes. People were also using funds for the wrong purposes. Finding out this kind of information could make many people no trust in the new ideas. With the influx of new ideas for the reform, there are bound to be new problems to come along with it. I think Ghanas nation need better people to lead them in the right path. They need people who will watch and manage them while going through this process. I think that if they had more management they could make actual changes. These two arguments are very complementary to each other, without one the other would not exist. In my eyes the argument supporting the new budget and new reforms is the superior of the two. I think this because Ghana is known for being poor, and need something to help bring in income. Bring in more income will affect the public greatly. This could bring the number of poor people in Ghana to go down. This may also cause funding for projects to go to the right place. Conclusion: Ghana has a very poor budget and an outstanding debt to go along with it. Along with this their governmental structure is also poor and needs management in these areas. If Ghana gets the support they need in these areas, they could start to make real changes. Without management Ghanas government, will not make any large improvements and the reform will fail. This research has shown me that nations all around the world have a split in them. There will always be people on two opposite with different views. Public administrators will be greatly prepared for this situation. They would be great regulators and managers. Already being involved with work from both United States parties they will know how to look at each and try to work out a solution that works best for the people. References: Ugwumadu, Judith. Ghana Budget Ushers In Programme-Based PFM Reforms | Public Finance. Publicfinanceinternational.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 9 Mar. 2017. washington,. Public Finance Management Reform In Ghana Receives World Bank Support. The world Bank. N.p., 2017. Web. 4 Mar. 2017. Ibrahim, Levent. The Little Data Book On External Debt 2012. 1st ed. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2012. Print. Projects : Ghana: Public Financial Management Reform Project | The World Bank. Projects.worldbank.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.

The Case of the Omniscient Organization

Case Analysis: The Case of the Omniscient Organization Introduction In this case study, Dominion-Swann (DS) has implemented a â€Å"radical restructuring of the work environment† in order to regain control of its employees. By 1990, DS had been suffering from a number of business woes. It was not keeping pace with its competition, employee turnover had increased substantially, health costs and work-related accidents were rising, and employee theft was at an all-time high. Instead of identifying and addressing the underlying business and management problems, DS decided to treat the symptoms by turning to SciexPlan Inc. o help radically restructure the work environment through the use of employee monitoring technology. Background DS has justified its work environment restructuring based on past failures rather than future goals for success. The company has created a system to compile a comprehensive database of information on every employee. DS also monitors its employees in all aspects of their job, subjecting them to constant evaluation and productivity tests. The massive amount of information collected on each employee is supposed to allow DS to objectively manage personnel and make job assignments that provide the greatest efficiency. Instead, DS has created an impersonal monitoring, surveillance, and detection system designed to lay traps for employees and shape their behavior without any managerial effort. Problem Statement Has DS become so consumed with its â€Å"radical restructuring of the work environment† that it has prioritized technology and control over the welfare, creativity, and productivity of its people? Analysis and Issues Digital technology has made an undeniably profound impact, both positive and negative, on the workplace. When implemented properly, the benefits of this impact can include increased productivity, improved safety, better working onditions, and enhanced communications between employees, management, and customers. However, an exceedingly obsessive employee monitoring system will create tedious and stressful working conditions, loss of employee privacy, and fear which will result in reduced levels of creativity and productivity. By implementing an overly zealous system for emp loyee monitoring, DS is significantly aggravating the tension that exists between surveillance technology and employee privacy concerns. DS wants to monitor employees in order to reward effort, knowledge, productivity, and success while eliminating idleness, ignorance, theft, and failure. Instead, it is treating its workers like pieces of equipment rather than unique and valuable individuals. DS has basically transformed the workplace into an all-encompassing electronic prison where nearly every aspect of an employee's behavior is monitored. The DS managers who monitor every move that employees make are accomplishing efficiency objectives at a sizeable cost. Monitoring and surveillance can create a high stress environment for employees that can lead to physiological and psychological stress-related illnesses. Covert surveillance at DS will do nothing but increase fears, anxieties, and distrust among employees. The impersonal aspect of technological surveillance diminishes employees’ concepts of their value, contribution, and self-worth. The all-encompassing surveillance implemented by DS will destroy any hope for employees to make decisions and act autonomously. Autonomy is a critical component to on-the-job independence that maximizes worker morale. Although DS has justification for some amount of employee monitoring in order to successfully evaluate employee performance, it has taken employee surveillance to the point where it will adversely affect productivity. When employees do not feel that they are trusted, their desire to perform well is lessened. The employee screening process DS has implemented brings up additional privacy concerns. Any investigation of employee activities and history outside of the workplace is an extremely sensitive and potentially litigious issue. DS is only justified in intruding into its employees’ personal lives when it involves misconduct or illegal activity. Off-duty conduct may be relevant to employment if the misconduct negatively impacts the employee's work performance or the company's mission. However, the systematic monitoring employed by DS raises serious privacy concerns. Monitoring all employees’ activities, rather than just the activities of employees under suspicion of specific misconduct, constitutes a blanket search that brings enormous privacy concerns. Recommendations DS would be better off with no employee monitoring rather than scrutinizing its employees' every move. Once the employee monitoring creates a morale problem, all of the value it has created will be diminished. If DS is to continue with employee monitoring systems, it must create and clearly communicate a monitoring policy for employees. DS needs to start with human-oriented policies, then use technology to enforce them. As it stands right now, DS is exerting too much power in its invasion of employee privacy in the workplace. DS is exploiting the lack of regulation in this area in order to implement extremely invasive methods of employee surveillance. Until employees are protected by regulation to protect their rights to privacy in the workplace, DS should assume responsibility to self regulate by limiting the amount of surveillance, implementing it only when it achieves specific goals for success. Monitoring should be conducted only for business purposes, and this must be communicated to the employees. In order to throttle back its employee monitoring system to a reasonable level, DS should review and apply the suggested rights given by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). To establish a reasonable approach and prevent abuses, DS should adopt a human-oriented policy that includes the following features:   * notice to employees of the company's electronic monitoring practices;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * use of a signal to let an employee know when he or she is being monitored;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * employee access to all personal electronic data collected through monitoring;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * no monitoring of areas designed for the health or comfort of employees;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * the right to dispute and delete inaccurate data; a ban on the collection of data unrelated to work performance; * restrictions on the disclosure of personal data to others without the employee's consent (American Civil Liberties Union, 1997). DS should also consider whether or not monitoring is truly necessary for performance evaluations. DS does not need to watch an employee’s every move to be able to judge the quality of his or her work. Performance monitoring should be far less of a concern than an employee’s ability to complete tasks and consistently meet deadlines. DS should involve its employees on the decisions regarding when, how and why electronic monitoring needs to takes place. Most importantly of all, DS must allow employees to inspect, challenge, and, when necessary, correct the data gathered about them or their performance. Conclusion/Summary DS must strike a balance between its business interests and its employees’ privacy interests. This balance should allow for surveillance under certain limited conditions, and utilize less intrusive approaches. Although it is unlikely that DS would completely discontinue its monitoring practice, at a minimum DS should continue to fully inform its employees about all surveillance tools being used in their workplace and provided them with clear information as to what management does with the data. References Pedeliski, Theodore B. (1997). Privacy and the workplace: Technology and public employment. Public Personnel Management. December 22, 1997. Shoppes, Mia. (2003). Employee monitoring: Is big brother a bad idea. Information Security Magazine. Dec. 9, 2003. American Civil Liberties Union. (1997). Privacy in America: Electronic monitoring. Retrieved from http://www. aclu. org/technology-and-liberty/privacy-america-electronic-monitoring

Mccarthyism The Cold War - 1277 Words

Reasonable After WWll leaders realize that they were not too fond of the past because the United States was trying to move away from being isolationist and make the change to interventionism. They looked for new ways to keep the U.S safe and to protect their interest in the world because they were threatened by Stalin. Leaders soon realize that there were going to be people who disagreed with the new rules/policies such as HUAC, Bert the Turtle which were atomic bomb drills, and Joseph McCarthys idea called McCarthyism. All because of these people who disagreed they had to act fast to keep the U.S and its people safe. When Franklin Roosevelt died in April of 1945 the U.S was at a very non stable point in time. The U.S was still at War and one of our most important allies which was the Soviet Union was beginning to break off after WWII from the u.s. due to the Soviets wanted to keep Eastern Europe. This sent us into a great conflict known as the cold war with the Soviets because they didn t hav e much in common. The U.S was a capitalist democracy in the Soviet Union was a dictatorship and were communist, the leader of the dictatorship was Joseph Stalin. The United States was determined to remain a capitalist democracy, Harry S. Truman who was president at the time tried to stop the spread of Communism. Truman help Nations that were in danger of Communism by creating things such as the Truman Doctrine, this provided political, military, and economic assistance toShow MoreRelatedMccarthyism : The Cold War1110 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the Cold War, the United States was deeply enthralled in fears of a Communist takeover. The Cold War, a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States, lasted from 1945 to 1990. As the Cold War progressed spies and individuals of the communist party were uncovered and put on trial. 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Gothic and Romanesque Cathedrals Essay - 1296 Words

The Romanesque style transformed into the Gothic style during the Middle Ages. This happened for many reasons. The Romanesque period was a time of trial and error while the Gothic period was a time of advancements in inventions. Religion was an important factor in the shift between Romanesque and Gothic. The locations of the two types of cathedrals also contributed toward the change between Romanesque and Gothic, as well as the power of the relics and the community to raise funds for the Gothic cathedrals. There are several reasons the architecture of the cathedral changed from Romanesque to Gothic in the Middle Ages. The Romanesque period lasted from 1000 to 1200 AD. Todays France was the center of Romanesque architecture and the†¦show more content†¦In Romanesque,the emphasis was on transcendental and feudalistic systems whereas in the Gothic this approach was humanized and individualized. The Gothic architecture emphasized upward movement towards god, a feeling that cann ot be found in a Romanesque basilica although it might hav already pointed arches, a key element of gothic architecture. There is just a different feeling in the Gothic architecture gives and overwhelming feeling of mysticism, the dominant spiritual and philosophical movement. The Gothic period was a tuime of advancements in architecture including the pointed arch, the rib vault, and the flying buttress. Also, stained glass windows were a beutiful way to express their beliefs in an architectural way. The pointed arch was their first invention that removed the awkward look of disproportional arches at the sides of the Romanesque cathedrals. The pointed arch also directed the weight of the vault downward to help support the massive ceilings. The second advancement of the Gothic architects solved problems of the Romanesque period. The Romanesque cathedrals had thick walls that gave the feeling of confinement, and their massive arches seemed ill proportioned to their small windows, whic h created little light. The rib vaults allowed the architects to increase the spaciousness and height, reduce the thicknessShow MoreRelatedRomanesque Cathedral And Gothic Cathedrals1257 Words   |  6 PagesWe’re looking at the difference between Romanesque cathedrals and Gothic cathedrals. I know you all are so excited to learn what a flying buttress is because I know I was. Spoiler alert, it is nothing like what it sounds like. It’s much more cool and innovative, which is what these two periods were all about. Taking knowledge from the past and improving it. After Charlemagne’s death in 814, a terrible and dark period of cultural decline and terror ensued. It took a long time for the terror to endRead More Gothic and Romanesque Cathedrals Essay1289 Words   |  6 PagesGothic and Romanesque Cathedrals The Romanesque style transformed into the Gothic style during the Middle Ages. This happened for many reasons. The Romanesque period was a time of trial and error while the Gothic period was a time of advancements in inventions. Religion was an important factor in the shift between Romanesque and Gothic. The locations of the two types of cathedrals also contributed toward the change between Romanesque and Gothic, as well as the power of the relics and the communityRead More Romanesque and Gothic Architecture Essay1144 Words   |  5 PagesRomanesque and Gothic Architecture The 11th to 15th centuries saw a great surge of the Christian Church within Europe which was emphasized by the persuasiveness of the Crusades. The growing population of the Church increased the demand for the increased presence in architectural monuments and during the Romanesque and Gothic periods, a great cathedral construction boom occurred across Europe. The Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles were distinctive in not only the massiveness of the RomanesqueRead MoreArchitectural Styles Of The Ottoman Empire993 Words   |  4 Pagesempires, namely the Byzantine, Iranian, and Islamic architectural styles. As a result, the Ottoman empire’s architectural style has resemblances with the Romanesque architecture, which is a blend of the ancient Roman and Byzantine architectures. And it also has similarities with the Gothic architecture which was heavily influenced by the Romanesque architecture and subsequently by the Renaissance architecture. However, all three of these ar chitectural styles also have their differences due to individualRead MoreKey Characteristics of Gothic Architecture1436 Words   |  6 PagesWhat architectural changes were necessary in the shift from Romanesque to Gothic cathedrals in Europe and what inspirational changes influenced these changes? A. Plan of Investigation This investigation’s purpose is to analyze the changes in the architectural technique of the Romanesque style of architecture and come to a conclusion as to whether the shift in technique led to the rise of the more grandiose Gothic architecture in Europe. All art is inspired and the influences that caused the changeRead MoreAnalysis of the Romansque Style of Architecture1451 Words   |  6 PagesThe Romanesque style is a little like Roman architecture. Gothic architecture structures were beautifully made and offered the light of the new world to be shared. Both styles can be regarded as revolutions in building styles. By comparing the Romanesque and Gothic Architectural styles, I found that both styles were popular in the middle Ages, although Romanesque was first and later evolved into the Gothic style. Founded by the Normans but resembling classical Roman architecture, Romanesque styleRead MoreCultural Influence Of The Early Medieval Era1570 Words   |  7 Pagesanother c an impact things such as stylistic transition, and transfer of subject matter. The combination of local traditions and newly introduced ideas will allow for new types of artwork to be produced. Artwork during the Early Medieval era, Romanesque era, and Gothic era demonstrates how local and imported ideas intermingle to produce new things. In order to fully express the idea of cultures integrating local ideas with ideas of other cultures to form new artworks, focusing specifically on architectureRead MoreSaint Brigid s Centre For The Arts1657 Words   |  7 Pagestechniques of architectures were influenced by its of the Etruscans and has developed three architectural features: arch, dome and vault in the 1st century BC. Romanesque architecture has characteristically elements: Semi-circular arch, Barrel vaulting of the nave, thick buttress walls and Gothic architecture has three elements which came together in Gothic period: Pointed arch, Ribbed vault and Flying buttress. Among Architecture terms, a vault is an arch- shaped structure used to provide an enclosed spaceRead MoreDurham Cathedral Essay854 Words   |  4 PagesDurham Cathedral Durham Cathedral is one of the oldest examples of Romanesque architecture present in England today. Although the cathedral was completed in the early 12th century there are signs of Gothic architecture present due to the close relation of Romanesque and Gothic styles. In Robert Scotts book The Gothic Enterprise he discusses how the early Gothic style pulled heavily from the Romanesque style of architecture and built upon its basic themes. Durham Cathedrals extensive historyRead More Saint Sernin Of Toulouse And Notre Dame Of Paris Essay701 Words   |  3 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one thinks of St. Sernin and Notre Dame, one tends to think of two beautiful cathedrals, not to churches that portray two totally different styles of architecture. Those two styles are, of course, Romanesque in St. Sernin and the Gothic style of Notre Dame. Some characteristics that these two buildings share include quest for height, basic floor plan, and artistic flair. The period of Romanesque architecture, which lasted roughly from 1050 A.D. to 1150 A.D., concentrated mainly on