The problem of this study was to develop a scale for rating a school facility in terms of a proposed set of educational objectives.

Since South Africa is a developing state, the roles of the parastatals in stimulating economic growth and contributing to the alleviation of unemployment and poverty eradication are inevitable. South African parastatals find themselves with numerous initiatives that become projects as part of these initiatives. The projects vary from small to large capital investments. Parastatals are strategic assets that need to account for taxpayers’ funds. This thesis considers that the executed projects can add value only if there is a link to the strategic objectives. The effectiveness of this link can be established by having benefit realisation metrics. The metrics should have a process of measuring performance of projects based on strategic objectives. The thesis views projects that are executed outside strategic objectives as not viable. Without a clear process of using strategic objectives as a guide to measure success of projects, the expenditure in parastatals will remain unaccounted for, resulting in what could lead to a PFMA issue. The argument in this thesis, as well as its theoretical concept, is that the lack of strategic leadership has resulted in the challenges facing parastatals with regard to capital expansion and small projects that are executed without linking them to strategic objectives. Aggravating this situation is the blind loyalty to the PMBOK framework used by parastatals in executing projects; yet the framework has a gap regarding the knowledge areas of leadership and change management. The development of the thesis is through in-depth interviews carried out in two parastatals, namely, Eskom and Transnet. The interviews were conducted with respondents who are involved in projects, ranging from senior executives down to project administrators. The research was done in order to assess whether the projects executed in parastatals do, indeed, support strategic objectives. The effectiveness of the link between projects and strategy was based on the premise that when strategic leadership components are practised by the leadership, an execution process requiring proof of value add to the business through a link to the strategic objectives will be the basis for executing projects. The research found organisational structures that were rigid, and bureaucracy was the norm. The PMBOK framework that had been adopted was inadequate. Major findings were that most projects were not linked to strategic objectives and that there was poor strategic leadership at all levels. In view of this, there is a need to get the right leadership and have a rigorous process of ensuring that initiatives that become projects are, indeed, linked to the strategic objectives. 13

Continued expansion of the gold and nickel mining industry in Western Australia during recent years has led to disturbance of larger areas and the generation of increasing volumes of waste rock. Mine operators are obligated to rehabilitate all disturbed surfaces and reconstructed landforms, and considerable effort and expense is now applied to the achievement of this objective. Associated with increasing rehabilitation effort is the requirement to accurately judge rehabilitation success through the development of completion criteria. Completion criteria are rehabilitation performance objectives set as conditions of approval for each stage of rehabilitation and for the project as a whole. They provide standards against which the success of rehabilitation can be measured, or more broadly the point at which responsibility for rehabilitation is complete. The current research project tackles the development of completion criteria by investigating ecosystem function within a variety of rehabilitation trials at four mine sites located in arid and semi-arid Western Australia, and also within surrounding 'natural' vegetation complexes undisturbed by mining, termed analogue sites. Six specific objectives were identified as part of the study: 1. To establish an appropriate end point land use for each mine site where field trials were established; 2. To examine long-term ecosystem development through the assessment of revegetation at a variety of rehabilitation sites; 3. To examine functional components within analogue communities and make appropriate comparisons with rehabilitation trials; 4. To record the potential reproductive capacity of revegetation progeny, and determine how this relates to ecosystem function; / 5. To provide a better understanding of ecosystem function by investigating the relationship between state factors, interactive controls, and ecosystem processes at rehabilitation and analogue sites; and 6. To develop a methodology for establishing realistic environmental completion criteria at mine sites situated in arid and semi-arid Western Australia. Field trials were established at four mine sites located within three subtly different bioclimatic zones that extend through the arid / semi-arid shrubland belt of Western Australia; Northeastern Goldfields (Granny Smith Gold Mine, Sunrise Dam Gold Mine), Eastern Goldfields (Black Swan Nickel Mine), and Northeastern Wheatbelt (Westonia Gold Mine). 1 The re-establishment of a self-sustaining vegetation cover integrated with the surrounding ecosystem, was the common end land use objective at the four mine sites selected for this study. For three sites located in the Northeastern Goldfields and Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, sheep were grazed on surrounding rangeland; the fourth site located in the Northeastern Wheatbelt of Western Australia, and was surrounded by Crown Land. 2 To better understand ecosystem function, the dynamic behaviour and interaction of plant biodiversity parameters was monitored regularly at 19 post-mining rehabilitation sites up to 11 years after direct seeding. For functional ecosystems, plant biodiversity parameters changed rapidly during the initial five years after seeding following predictable trends, after which time they remained within a relatively stable range. / The stabilising of parameters over time was identified as a key indicator of rehabilitation success, however the point at which the parameters stabilised was influenced by numerous variables and was difficult to accurately predict. Prolific seed germination resulted in high seedling density during the initial growing season. Plant density then progressively decreased in response to competition, before stabilising within a range approximately five years after seeding. Revegetation cover was typically low during the first growing season, increasing rapidly there after before also stabilising in line with plant density. Maximum species richness was generally achieved during the first and second year when annual Atriplex species were prominent. Perennial Atriplex species established more slowly during the early stages of revegetation development, but eventually replaced the annual component as the dominant taxa. Perennial Maireana species required up to three years before germinating in the field and establishing themselves in the revegetation; in many cases they replaced perennial Atriplex as the prominent taxa. The presence or absence of cyclonic rainfall during the first growing season was a major determinant of the ecosystem trajectory, controlling revegetation structure and composition. The germination and successful establishment of hard seeded species, including Acacia and Senna, was reliant on heavy summer rainfall during the early stages of ecosystem development to break seed dormancy and extend the length of the first growing season. This provided an important competitive advantage against faster growing Atriplex species, which possessed greater drought tolerance. / The intensity of summer rainfall was also beneficial in leaching surface salts from the upper profile and hence, reducing salinity within the rooting zone. In the absence of heavy summer rainfall during the first growing season, the establishment of a low chenopod dominated vegetation cover was favoured, total species richness for the rehabilitation tended to be lower, and the variety of plant life forms was restricted to low and mid stratum shrubs. Increasing water stress resulted in progressively higher rates of local species extinction, with fewer taxa possessing the drought tolerance adaptations required to survive. For established revegetation, cyclonic rainfall increased productivity (as measured by % foliage ground cover) and stimulated the establishment of new taxa, which in many cases were brought in from adjacent unmined vegetation complexes (analogue sites). While the benefits of summer cyclonic rainfall were undoubtedly important to ari and semi-arid ecosystems, the occurrence of drought was also important in buffering the ecosystem against large-scale change by acting as a negative feedback to constrain cumulative productivity. Parent waste rock material varied considerably between rehabilitation sites, affecting the soil resource supply and associated functional components. Extreme salinity was a typical limitation of the rehabilitation medium, reducing the variety of salt tolerant species and favouring annual Atriplex during the early stages of ecosystem development. The cover of annual species present during early stages of ecosystem development contributed to decreasing salinity in the plant rooting zone, by reducing surface temperature and hence capillary rise of salts during summer months. / Annual Atriplex species were replaced by perennial Atriplex in line with decreasing surface salinity. Fundamental to successful revegetation of the post-mining rehabilitation site was the requirement that reconstruction and contouring focus on maximising water retention and reducing salinity within the upper soil profile. Once the initial vegetation community established and plant parameters became relatively stable, change continued to occur, albeit slowly. One factor contributing to this change was the immigration rate of biota from adjacent revegetation or more commonly from surrounding analogue complexes. Linking rehabilitation areas to surrounding functional ecosystems ensured the movement of plants and animals, and ultimately increased the rate of recovery. The sustainability of post-mining rehabilitation was enhanced where these links were established early, allowing for the provision of additional seed and the migration of displaced species. The life cycle pattern of keystone species in the revegetation was found to be an important determinant in long-term sustainability of the plant cover, particularly for chenopod shrublands where one species was typically dominant. The senescence and death of large numbers of a dominant revegetation species together, had the ability to significantly alter the revegetation structure and composition. The impact for rehabilitation where a number of dominant taxa co-exist was less pronounced. Thus it follows that a minimum level of species richness was important to long-term rehabilitation sustainability, as was the development of an age-class structure in the rehabilitation. / The most common disturbances encountered at the rehabilitation trial sites were drought, overgrazing and weed infestation. All three disturbances decreased the plant biodiversity parameters measured. Ecosystem recovery following disturbance was dependent on effective rainfall, but occurred rapidly with plant parameters returning to pre-disturbance levels within one to two growing seasons. The recovery of plant biodiversity parameters followed the same trends identified at functional rehabilitation sites during the initial five years following direct seeding. 3 Assessment of plant biodiversity parameters occurred at 15 analogue sites supporting native vegetation undisturbed by mining. It was anticipated that data from analogue sites could be used as a 'reference' against which to compare developing rehabilitation. However, analogue vegetation complexes were less dynamic in comparison to rehabilitation sites. Minor seasonal changes were recorded for plant biodiversity parameters, but overall annual change was minimal. Significant and sudden changes within analogue communities only occurred following disturbance, such as severe overgrazing, and recovery to pre-disturbance levels was rapid following the removal of the disturbance and return of effective rainfall. A major difference between rehabilitation and analogue sites related to their age. Rehabilitation sites were 'juvenile systems' assessed against a time frame much shorter than had been required for natural processes to achieve the developmental state represented at analogue sites. / Hence, it was important not to model one specific analogue site too closely, but instead model the desired revegetation structure and species composition on a variety of local analogue complexes occurring in parent materials 'matched' closely to those of the rehabilitation site. Data from analogue sites should be utilised extensively during rehabilitation planning, but cautiously when interpreting the rehabilitation outcome. For mine sites in arid and semi-arid Western Australia, the application of specific numeric targets for plant biodiversity parameters as a measure of rehabilitation success was not recommended. A number of factors and controls in the developing ecosystem together determined the rehabilitation outcome. These factors were site and time specific; minor changes in any number of variables led to significantly different rehabilitation outcomes, making them difficult to accurately predict. 4 Quality and germination testing confirmed progeny seed from a number of rehabilitation trials was of similar or higher viability than the maternal seed originally sown. This was further confirmed by field responses at trials in the Northeastern Goldfields one year after the 1994 drought, when elevated plant density was recorded following the return of above average rainfall. The ability of rehabilitation to show an immediate response to rainfall following a seven-month drought, and for vegetation parameters to subsequently recover to pre-disturbance levels within one to two years, provided an indication that the revegetation cover was resilient. The relationship between plant production and rainfall was dependent on a 'carryover' effect between seasons or following drought years, and 'pulses' mediated, for instance, by the amount of seed in the soil store. / The 'reserve' component in and ecosystems was responsible for both the memory of the system between pulses and for its long-term resilience. 6 The analysis of time series data collected from 19 rehabilitation trials emphasized the importance of planning and implementation of best practice techniques to subsequent rehabilitation success, and reinforced the difficulty associated with accurately predicting the final rehabilitation outcome. The large spatial heterogeneity of undisturbed vegetation complexes across the landscape of arid and semi-arid Western Australia, provided the foundation on which site-specific rehabilitation scenarios could be modelled, albeit with caution. The translation of data into useful completion criteria was dependent on the realisation that successful rehabilitation requires the implementation of best practice rehabilitation techniques, as determined by technically prescriptive (design) based standards, as much as the identification of a successful rehabilitation outcome, as determined by performance (outcome) based standards. With this in mind, completion criteria were developed as part of a robust theoretical framework incorporating the larger mine plan, and were not simply based on numbers generated as stand-alone performance standards. The broad methodology generated could be adopted by any mine site across the mining industry, however the criteria and, more specifically, the standards for each criterion should always remain site specific. / The methodology designed for developing completion criteria has been addressed in three stages: 1. Planning, 2. Operational and Monitoring, and 3. Post-Mining Hand-Over. Within each stage three parameters are addressed: 1. Criteria, 2. Process, and 3. Standard. 'Planning' is the most important stage in the development of completion criteria. It is the stage when an appropriate end land use is determined, analogue sites are assessed, a rehabilitation plan developed along with specified design standards ensuring implementation of best practice techniques, and a process of risk assessment implemented. The 'Operational Monitoring Stage' focuses on rehabilitation success during the period of ecosystem development. This stage is concerned largely with rehabilitation monitoring, from which performance standards can be developed to gauge rehabilitation success for specific periods during revegetation development. The initial task in Stage 2 is to ensure all aspects of the rehabilitation plan have been implemented as specified in Stage 1, and meet agreed design standards. The final stage of the completion criteria process, 'Post Mining Hand Over', is to ensure the rehabilitated site is safe, and able to successfully revert to the end land use. / While plant biodiversity parameters formed the focus of the current study, a variety of other functional ecosystem components may also make sound assessment criteria for determining rehabilitation success. Increasing the knowledge base for other functional components in arid and semi-arid ecosystems would further increase the ability to accurately determine rehabilitation success.

<p>Background</p><p>Promotional techniques are used to make prospective customers aware of products, to</p><p>whet their appetites, and stimulate demand; they also provide information to help</p><p>customers decide. In the promotional process the selection and the use of the tools is</p><p>crucial. Nowadays the tourism industry is extremely challenging. Tourism has evolved</p><p>during the latter half of the 20th century from a marginal and locally significant activity to</p><p>a widely dispersed economic giant. Many aspects of tourism promotion have been</p><p>developed these last years to attract new customers.</p><p>Purpose</p><p>The purpose of this study is to outline and analyse the use and the construction of three</p><p>promotional tools (advertising, Public Relations, printed materials), and find out their goals. These three promotional tools are represented by TV commercials, press releases and brochure.</p><p>Method</p><p>This study was conducted using the case study method. It is based on primary data. These data are coming from a questionnaire, from the internet and from one printed material. The applied theoretical frames of references are about the use and goals of the three promotional tools and also about models for the analysis of the construction of the latter.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>By answering the research questions this thesis presents first the comparison results</p><p>between the frames and the data concerning the use of the three promotional tools. Then</p><p>the main aspects of the construction of the tools are showed. And finally their goals</p><p>coming from the frames and the data are presented and compared.</p>

Background Promotional techniques are used to make prospective customers aware of products, to whet their appetites, and stimulate demand; they also provide information to help customers decide. In the promotional process the selection and the use of the tools is crucial. Nowadays the tourism industry is extremely challenging. Tourism has evolved during the latter half of the 20th century from a marginal and locally significant activity to a widely dispersed economic giant. Many aspects of tourism promotion have been developed these last years to attract new customers. Purpose The purpose of this study is to outline and analyse the use and the construction of three promotional tools (advertising, Public Relations, printed materials), and find out their goals. These three promotional tools are represented by TV commercials, press releases and brochure. Method This study was conducted using the case study method. It is based on primary data. These data are coming from a questionnaire, from the internet and from one printed material. The applied theoretical frames of references are about the use and goals of the three promotional tools and also about models for the analysis of the construction of the latter. Conclusion By answering the research questions this thesis presents first the comparison results between the frames and the data concerning the use of the three promotional tools. Then the main aspects of the construction of the tools are showed. And finally their goals coming from the frames and the data are presented and compared.

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between selected characteristics of school board members and public school systems in Indiana and the educational progressivism of board members as measured by the attitudinal responses of board members to statements on an instrument pertaining to controversial educational practices and issues.A major theoretical perspective adopted in the study involved the notion that attitudes of school board members may be differentiated by structural and contextual characteristics related to the school systems of board members in addition to, or rather than by, background characteristics of board members.Data pertaining to the background characteristics and attitudes of board members were obtained from a two-section instrument. Section I contained items designed to elicit information pertaining to the background characteristics of board members, while Section II contained a modified version of Education Scale VII that was employed for assessing progressivist attitudes.Stratified random sampling techniques, based upon the student enrollment of Indiana school systems, were used to select a sample of 524 school board members. The 524 school board members selected for the sample were administered the two-section instrument by mail. Two mailings resulted in 302 usable instrument copies being returned.Data pertaining to the selected school system variables were obtained, except data pertaining to the variable of study council affiliation which were obtained from a doctoral dissertation, from statistical reports furnished by a Division of the Indiana Department of Public Instruction.A correlation matrix was generated from the data for analysis of the simple relationships between all combinations of the continuous independent variables and the dependent variable by pairs. The one-way analysis of variance procedure was utilized for analysis of the simple relationships between. the categorical independent variables and variables contained in the matrix.Multiple regression statistical techniques were employed for analysis of the collective contributions of the selected independent variables to the variance of the dependent variable when the variance shared by other independent variables in a set was statistically controlled. The various multiple regression computations were utilized for analysis of two null hypotheses formulated for investigation relative to the relationship between selected background and school system variables and educational progressivist attitudes. On the basis of the findings, the two null hypotheses were held as being tenable.Major conclusions, among others, derived from the findings included:1. The findings do not support the proposition, as traditionally advanced in the literature, that age related to progressivist attitudes.2. None of the six background variables included in the investigation are strong and reliable predictors of educational progressivist attitudes among Indiana school board members.3. Two of the eight school system variables included in the investigation, student enrollment and teacher training and experience index, are relatively strong indicators of educational progressivist attitudes among Indiana school board members, but only when the contributions to the variance of educational progressivist attitudes shared by the two variables and other selected school system variables are not statistically controlled.4. The attitudes Indiana school board members hold regarding practices and issues in public education are varied and complex and do not lend easily to generalization on the basis of any one single dimension related to the backgrounds or school systems of board members.

Abstract While Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Bureau transformed into Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, the first presidency was selected publicly to account for privatization by Executive Yuan. The new president proposed ¡u123¡vobjectives to be the targets and visions in privatization process. This study observed the influences of the emergent events during change process, analyzed the elements that influenced the objectives, finally proposed some management implications. Thus, there are three stages in this case study: (1) elected critical events in the change process, (2) build the model that influenced the objectives, (3) explored the feasible management action. We divided the change process into different phases, including initiating change , forming top level managers, proposing objectives of management, communicating the vision, creating new competitive advantages, launching new products and implementing social responsibilities. In the wake of 11 critical process events, the¡u123¡vobjectives was becoming impossible. We analyzed the influencing model which composed by three elements: (1) Executive and Legislative Yuan, (2) social and market, (3) employees and union. Furthermore, by in-depth interviewing with selected employees, we found that the success of privatizing transformation and the improvement of competitive advantage not only depend on management by objectives but also rely on the management by value. In summary, from external perspective, the real meaningful management action should focus on building the legitimacy and competitive advantages of corporation. On the other side, from the internal perspective, we suggest the participating management by objective and deep structural management by transferring the value of employee. To effective change management of privatization, we recommend that (1) predict and control only work for short term objectives, (2) the role of leader is the player of context, (3) the change of value is the critical factor of privatization.

The purpose of this study was to redefine and validate science education curricular goals for grades K-12 in the 1980s. Goals were obtained through a survey of recent educational literature. The goals were then compiled into an instrument, Science Education Curricular Goals for Validation, which was mailed to 100 science educators for validation by ranking each of the goals on a 1-7 scale (with 1 being the least important and 7 being the most important). The science educators were randomly selected from the membership of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, an organization dedicated to research in science education with a United States membership of 582 as of October 1980. The sample of 100 science educators represented 17% of the total United States membership. Medians and ranks for each of the 17 goals were calculated and the additional goals suggested by respondents, organized with minimal editing, were reported. The results of the study indicated that, although there was some agreement on the initial 17 goals in the instrument, there was also considerable disagreement as evidenced by the suggestions from respondents of 41 additional goals. The highest goal was one dealing with the processes, concepts, principles, and generalizations of sciences. The lowest ranked goal was one dealing with the integration of the humanities and the sciences. In the additional 41 goals suggested by respondents, there were several that were in direct opposition to those in the original 17 or to those additionally suggested by respondents. It was concluded that considerable further research is needed before a cohesive set of science education curricular goals can be established.

No description available.

Throughout the 1970's many "accountability systems" were developed and offered as panaceas for curing the ills of education. The purpose of this study was to develop a method by which the wide variety of accountability designs could themselves be held accountable, and then to apply the methodology of these evaluation criteria to develop an accountability system that would, in fact, accomplish the basic ends of accountability and thus place the entire process of education on a deliberate basis. The design and effectiveness of accountability systems, at the application level, presuppose the rules of the more fundamental target, sequence, and relational models that provide the rules and categories for the development of all manner of accountability systems. As part of this study's investigation, the purposes and goals, objectives and activities, support conditions and evaluations of selected accountability evaluation systems were reviewed and placed into a design. The bases for the categories of accountability and the ways in which definitional types were used by those systems of accountability clearly set conditions for the performance of the accountability system. An examination of some of the accountability criteria used by evaluation designs resulted in the identification of three levels of evaluation associated with accountability. These criteria judged the ability of systems to (1) measure the data or material involved in the system, (2) provide a format or structure for collecting and classifying the information generated by the system, and (3) a statement of the mission goal or objective which provides the purposes for the system. Using these criteria as guidelines, selected literature related to accountability systems was reviewed and critiqued. The literature represented a variety of systems ranging from the use of standardized tests, to performance contracting, to the systems approach. The criteria for evaluating the systems presented in the literature were used as guiding standards for the development of a model for a comprehensive accountability system. The system developed in this study, the Parallel Pairs model, is derived from the more generic concepts developed through the use of relational models. This model permits the interrelationship of two categorical systems within the same framework. Thus, the accountability categories are capable of being interrelated with and subsumed under the categories of education. Moreover, the hierarchical structure of the model provides for placing the evaluation categories and criteria into levels. The use of the Parallel Pairs accountability model should provide a means for separating and isolating, continuing and phasing the complex variables that will emerge in the future expansion of science and technology in our daily lives. The model is based upon five evaluation types with the same system. These evaluations make it possible to evaluate individual activity accomplishments, accomplishments by categories, management of specific projects, the effective management of projects, and a comprehensive evaluation of the overall results of an educational system in a district. The accountability model proposed by this study was predicated upon the articulation and application of the criteria that produce a "good" accountability system. The foundation of this study was based upon the exploration of those model bases that give rise to the variety of accountability systems. The criteria and model presented by this investigation should contribute substantially to the understanding of models accountability and evaluation by the general public as well as to offer specialists in evaluation an in-depth perspective on the internal, technical, and methodological issues in forming an evaluation of any kind. The criteria for accountability for models of evaluation offer a clear insight into accounting for accountability and effective evaluation.