The beam-column specimen

The beam-column specimen consisted of a 300 x 300 mm (11.8 x 11.8 in.) vertical element of height 1000 mm (39.3 in.), simulating the beam, anchored in a 300 x 400 mm (11.8 x 15.7 in.) base of length 1200 mm (47.2 in.), simulating the column. The tensile reinforcement of the beam consisted of two 16, 25, or 32 mm (No. 5, No. 8, or No. 10) bars anchored using standard hooks in the base column. The tension face clear concrete cover to the beam bar was 30 mm (1.2 in.). The reinforcement on the compression side of the beam consisted of two 10 mm (No. 3) bars in all specimens. In all specimens, the longitudinal reinforcement of the base consisted of two layers of three 25 mm (No. 8) bars. Whereas the bottom and top concrete cover to the longitudinal bars of the base was 30 mm (1.2 in.), the side concrete cover was 30 mm (1.2 in.) in the "confined specimens" and (30 mm beam bar size) in the "unconfined specimens." Transverse reinforcement was placed in all elements except at the anchorage zone to allow full examination of the effect of the FRP confinement. The center-to-center spacing of the base column transverse reinforcement was 75 mm (3 in.), and the spacing for the beam transverse reinforcement was 100 mm (4 in.) for the 16 mm (No. 5) bars, 75 mm (3 in.) for the 25 mm (No. 8) bars, and 50 mm (2 in.) for the 32 mm (No. 10) bars. The smaller spacing of beam stirrups for larger bar sizes is due to the greater shear forces that are expected to be developed in the tests. Schematic views of typical confined and unconfined specimens are shown in Fig. 1 and 2.
To ensure bond splitting failure before the tensile steel bars yield, the embedment depth of the tensile bars of the vertical elements in the base column, as measured from the interface to the outside end of the hook, was chosen in all 12 specimens to be shorter than the basic development length ldh for a deformed bar terminating in a standard hook, as specified by ACI 318-055
... (1)
where À is the coating factor, É is the lightweight aggregate concrete factor, fy is the yield strength of the anchored bars, fc?? is the concrete compressive strength, and db is the bar diameter. Both factors À and É are 1 in the study. The embedment lengths used in the study were 150 mm (5.9 in.) for the 16 mm (No. 5) beam bars, 150 mm (5.9 in.) for the 25 mm (No. 8) beam bars, and 200 mm (7.9 in.) for the 32 mm (No. 10) beam bars. The extensions of the hooked bars in the base column in the direction perpendicular to the bars were as per ACI requirements.
The wrapping configuration of all six FRP-wrapped specimens consisted of one continuous longitudinal sheet on either face of the column base and a 300 mm (11.8 in.) wide transverse sheet covering the 400 mm (15.7 in.) depth of the joint and extending 400 mm (15.7 in.) in the beam beyond the joint (refer to Fig. 3).
Materials

HSC beam-column connectionsaa

aseaThe objective of the rerch reported in this paper was to evaluate the effect of CFRP sheets, externally confining HSC beam-column joints, on the bond strength and ductility of the mode of failure of hooked bars anchored in the HSC joints. To date, there has been no research work in this area. Previous research performed at the AUB indicated a positive contribution of external confinement of FRP sheets to the bond strength of tension lap splices in NSC and HSC beam structures. It was significant to investigate if such an improvement would extend to the bond performance of hooked bar anchorages and the ductility of the failure mode of HSC beam-column connections. Such improvement would encourage the use of CFRP technology in strengthening and retrofitting distressed HSC beam-column joints, especially in earthquake-damaged and blast-damaged reinforced concrete structures.
of the mode of failure of hooked bars anchored in the HSC joints. To date, there has been no research work in this area. Previous research performed at the AUB indicated a positive contribution of external confinement of FRP sheets to the bond strength of tension lap splices in NSC and HSC beam structures. It was significant to investigate if such an improvement would extend to the bond performance of hooked bar anchorages and the ductility of the failure mode of HSC beam-column connections. Such improvement would encourage the use of CFRP technology in strengthening and retrofitting distressed HSC beam-column joints, especially in earthquake-damaged and blast-damaged reinforced concrete structures.
EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM Twelve full-scale beam-column specimens were constructed and tested using the strong floor-reaction wall testing facility in the Materials Testing Laboratory at the AUB. The specimen simulated the rigid connection of a vertical cantilever beam to a base column. The variables were bar size: 16, 25, or 32 mm (No. 5, No. 8, or No. 10), anchorage mode of the beam bars in the beam-column joint, and whether the beam-column joints were externally confined with CFRP sheets or not. Specimens where the beam bars were anchored within the base column reinforcement cage are referred to as confined specimens, whereas specimens where the beam bars were anchored outside the column reinforcement cage are referred to as unconfined specimens. For each bar size and confinement mode of the beam bars, two companion specimens were tested, identical except for whether the beam-column joint was externally wrapped with CFRP sheets or not. The test specimens are identified in Table 1. The specimens are categorized in three groups each with a different bar size. A four-part notation system was used to identify the variables in each specimen. The first part indicates the anchorage confinement mode of the beam bars in the column reinforcement cage: U for unconfined mode (beam bars outside the column reinforcement cage) and C for confined mode (beam bars within the column reinforcement cage). The second part indicates the size of the beam bars: 16, 25, or 32 mm (No. 5, No. 8, or No. 10), the

In 2004, Hamad et al.1,2 reported

In 2004, Hamad et al.1,2 reported on the first two phases of this research program designed to examine the effectiveness of FRP sheets to confine steel reinforcement in tension lap splice regions anchored in high-strength reinforced concrete beams.1,2 Ten full-scale high-strength concrete (HSC) beam specimens were tested in positive bending. Each beam was designed with three 20 mm (No. 6) bars spliced in a constant moment region at midspan. The variables used in the investigation were the type of the unidirectional FRP U-shaped sheets wrapping the splice region (glass or carbon), area of the FRP sheets (one or two layers), and the design configuration of the sheets. Glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) were used in this study. It was concluded that the presence of FRP sheets confining the splice region considerably increased the bond strength of the splices and improved the ductility of the mode of failure. Results were used to propose a new FRP confinement parameter Ktr,f that accounts for bond strength contribution of the FRP sheets to the overall bond strength of tension lap splices in HSC beams.2 The parameter Ktr,f takes into account the area of the transverse FRP in the splice region, effective stress in the FRP laminates, number of spliced bars, bar diameter, and the spacing between the FRP sheets.
Hamad et al.3 reported on the third phase of the AUB study to verify the trend of the results of the first two phases and the validity of the proposed confinement parameter Ktr,f , if normal-strength concrete (NSC) is used instead of HSC. Ten beams with a nominal concrete strength of 28 MPa (4 ksi) were tested in positive bending. Each beam was designed with a tension lap splice in a constant moment region in the midspan of the beam. The main test variables were the configuration of the unidirectional U-shaped CFRP sheets (one strip, two strips, or continuous strip) and the number of layers (one layer or two layers) of the FRP sheets wrapping the splice region. The test results demonstrated that FRP wraps were effective in enhancing the bond strength and ductility of failure mode of tension lap splices in NSC in a very similar way to HSC. In addition, the FRP confinement index Ktr,f, proposed previously for HSC, was proven to be valid in case of NSC.
Hamad et al.4 reported on the fourth phase of the AUB program to assess the effect of CFRP sheets in improving the serviceability and ultimate response of NSC and HSC beam anchorage specimens. Ten beam anchorage specimens were tested in positive bending in two series. To simulate the flexural cracks, two 50 x 50 mm (2 x 2 in.) pockets were introduced along the entire width of the beam. The tension reinforcement was unbonded between the two pockets and extended 150 mm (5.9 in.) outside the beam on both sides. The variables were bar size: 20 or 25 mm (No. 6 or No. 8), anchorage length, and the concrete strength: 28 or 56 MPa (4 or 8 ksi). For each bar size, anchorage length, and concrete strength, two companion specimens, which were identical except for whether the anchorage zone was wrapped with FRP sheets or not, were tested. The test results demonstrated that CFRP sheets were effective in enhancing the bond strength and ductility of anchorage zones in beam anchorage specimens where splitting failures were imminent.

Chat Instructions and the UR

Chat instructions and the URL for a mobile chat room segmented based on the mobile phone area code will be communicated via text to consumers several hours in advance of the State of the Union address. Upon entering the chat room, users will be able to interact with each other via SMS. To engage participants throughout the speech, Republican Party leaders and other well-known political celebrities will text everyone in all chat rooms.
Guests will include: Erick Erickson, editor-in-chief of the RedState.com blog; Former Congressman Tom Davis; Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush; Rick Scott, private healthcare executive; Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform; and Star Parker, founder and president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education.
Following the State of the Union address, Text2Chat members may take part in the follow-up question-and-answer session, where Republican House Members will field user submitted questions via streaming video. Chat room participants will receive an alert at the end of the address directing them to a website where they can gain access to the streaming chat.
Prior to the State of The Union mobile program, the Text2Chat technology has not been used by any political party to engage the American mobile audience. With 276.6 million wireless subscribers in the U.S in 2009, according to CTIA – The Wireless Association, the connotations for future usage of this technology are powerful.
“While mobile political campaigns have grown in popularity over the past few years, we have yet to see someone fully harness the two-way communication component. Our experience tells us that Americans want a dialogue, not a monologue, when engaging online.” Randall continued, “As a campaign committee, our challenge is to make sure we are providing Americans meaningful ways to engage with us. We are hopeful that leveraging this technology will put us closer to our goal.”
To join the State of the Union Text2Chat, sponsored by the National Republican Congressional Committee, text UNION to 777218. Standard text message charges apply based on the user’s service plan.
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is a political committee devoted to increasing the 178-member Republican Conference in the U.S. House of Representatives. The NRCC's origins date back to 1866, when the Republican caucuses of the House and Senate formed a "Congressional Committee". Today, the NRCC is organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code. It supports the election of Republicans to the House through direct financial contributions to candidates and Republican Party organizations; technical and research assistance to Republican candidates and Party organizations; voter registration, education and turnout programs; and other Party-building activities. Visit the NRCC at www.nrcc.org, http://twitter.com/nrcc/ and http://www.facebook.com/NRCC.

National Republican Congressional Committee Hosts Live “Mobile-Chat” for Presidential State of the Union Address on Jan. 27

Americans Urged to Participate in First Nationwide Real-Time Chat on Policies Affecting Americans
WASHINGTON -- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) will engage the American public with a live mobile chat during President Obama’s State of the Union address on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, beginning 9 p.m. ET. This program – the first of its kind – will be hosted by the NRCC and will allow Americans to have a real-time discussion with high-profile Republicans and other concerned citizens about the policies that, if enacted, will affect them.
Using a technology called “Text2Chat”, consumers will text the keyword “UNION” to the short code 777218. After opting-in, members will receive a text message that reads: “Thank you for participating in NRCC’s State of the Union Text Chat. Look here on Wednesday 1/27 for the link to participate”. Any mobile phone user with an internet-enabled device, on any network, will be able to access the mobile chat rooms.
“The Text2Chat program permits people across the U.S. to get involved and have their opinions heard,” explained John Randall, eCampaign director of the NRCC, Washington. “It provides an opportunity for Americans across the country to talk and receive feedback about the pressing matters facing our country. We are interested in hearing what Americans are thinking across the country—not just telling them what we think they should hear.

Interop Technologies Wins Contract to Provide Turnkey SMSC and Device Management Solutions to PC Management

4G-Ready SMSC 4.0 and Ground-Breaking SCOPE™ “One-Click Fix” DM Solutions Support Regional Operator’s Growth
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Interop Technologies, the premier provider of core wireless solutions for messaging, device management, and gateway connectivity, today announced that PC Management has purchased Interop’s turnkey Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 4.0 and SCOPE™ Device Management solutions including support services.
Headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida, PC Management is a regional wireless operator and a mobile and convergence applications services provider. The company plans to deploy the solutions in 1Q 2010. The Interop SMSC 4.0 solution enables PC Management to offer advanced messaging services and generate additional revenue. The SCOPE™ solution provides PC Management with convenient, subscriber-focused technology to manage customer devices on its networks. Interop also is providing PC Management with custom development services, as well as application and administration training for its employees.
The reliable Interop SMSC 4.0 Series solution fully supports the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)/Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) framework for messaging while maintaining seamless interoperability with legacy handsets and networks. The highly modular, scalable, and extensible solution enables PC Management to expand its messaging customer base and deliver 4G messaging services today.

Three US label converting companies have won the distinction of being among the "Best of the Best Workplaces in America" for 2009, as judged by the Printing Industries of America (PIA). They are Smyth Companies, St. Paul, MN; Tailored Label Products, Menomonee Falls, WI; and Label World, Rochester, NY. A total of 37 graphic arts companies, both members of PIA as well as non-members, were selected by a committee of human relations experts from within the industry. The program is designed to recognize graphic arts companies for their outstanding human relations efforts which contribute to a successful workplace. Entries are judged on management practices, work environment, training and development opportunities, recognition and rewards, workplace health and safety, health and wellness, financial security, and work/life balance. The awards are presented on two levels: Best Workplaces in America, and Best of the Best. A total of 21 companies received the designation Best of the Best, while 16 earned Best Workplace honors. Label World has won Best of the Best for seven out of the past eight years, and has also earned a Best Workplace award. For Tailored Label Products, this marks the fourth year of recognition. "We have our team's best interest each and every day," says President Mike Erwin. "As I have heard most of my business life, if you take care of your people, the rest will take care of itself. That includes providing supportive leadership, sincere recognition, and reliable business execution." "Being recognized with this award publicly confirms what our company privately practices every day," says John Hickey, CEO of Smyth Companies. "I am very proud of Smyth's employee-focused culture, as it reflects what is truly meaningful to ownership and management at Smyth. All our stakeholders are rewarded for this focus."

That view is not universally shared by the great American public, however. Industry officials say that while many are keen to downsize, this shift from large to smaller cars is motivated more by fuel prices than by concerns about the environment.

Volkswagen is cautious about introducing new technology too quickly
"Consumers are being very careful about how they spend their money," observes automotive consultant Michael Robinet of CSM Worldwide.
Tighter emission regulations are also driving change. President Obama recently said the industry must build cars that deliver an overall average of 35.5 miles per US gallon (42.6 mpg imperial) by 2016, rather than by 2020 as previously planned.
"The composition of our market is going to change quickly because of the federal mandate," predicts David Zuchowski, vice-president of Hyundai in the US.
"Our industry is going to become more like the European industry in the next couple of years, with more smaller cars."
But the shift away from big "gas-guzzlers" could take a long time, Edmunds.com automotive analyst Jeremy Anwyl says.
The number of electric or petrol-electric hybrids sold in the US "will still be modest" for some time yet when compared with overall sales figures, he reasons.
Risk of failure
Volkswagen's research and development chief Ulrich Hackenberg agrees, describing rival carmakers' electric vehicle launches as "hype".
"Some manufacturers are already releasing their e-cars on customers," he says. "We are only using test fleets."
The X Prize organisers feel the conventional automotive industry could do more to speed things up.
"We hope automakers will take another look at our mission and see just how closely it aligns with their goals of bringing new, affordable and fuel-efficient technology to drivers," says Mr Diamandis.
And there are good reasons why the industry is moving slowly, according to HSBC analysts Horst Schneider and Niels Fehre.
"Unreliable or unsafe technology would damage the image of electric vehicles and of their manufacturers," they say.
We can understand the wait-and-see stance of the mass-market leader, Volkswagen."

Toyota recalls 2.3m US vehicles

Toyota is recalling 2.3 million cars in the US to correct sticking accelerator pedals, just the latest in a string of recalls the firm has had to announce.
Company spokesman Brian Lyons said the move was due to the vehicles' pedal mechanism becoming worn and, in some cases, getting stuck.
It is not yet known if the recall will affect Toyota cars in other countries.
Back in October, Toyota recalled 4.2 million cars in the US due to pedals getting lodged under floor mats.
Rare instances
The models affected by the latest recall include the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra, and the 2008-2010 Sequioia.
Toyota confirmed that accelerator pedals in the affected cars could "in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position".
It said it was a separate issue to the problem of loose floor mats, and that that recall of affected vehicles is continuing.
In August of last year, Toyota recalled 690,000 cars in China due to faulty electrical window switches.

Former champion Justine Henin fought back from a set down to see off Russian Alisa Kleybanova 3-6 6-4 6-2 to reach the Australian Open fourth round

Former champion Justine Henin fought back from a set down to see off Russian Alisa Kleybanova 3-6 6-4 6-2 to reach the Australian Open fourth round.
Henin, in her first Grand Slam event after a 20-month retirement, lost the first set, but levelled the match after a crucial break at 2-3 in the second.
Despite letting a 3-0 lead slip, the 28-year-old quickly secured the win.
Meanwhile, eighth seed Jelena Jankovic made a shock third-round exit in a 6-2 6-3 loss to 31st seed Alona Bondarenko.
Belgium's Henin, who has only just returned to the sport, looked a little weary at the start, which was not surprising considering her three-hour epic victory over fifth seed Elena Dementieva in the second round.
The former number one was swept all around the court in the opening set and after being broken at the start of the second a swift exit seemed the most likely outcome.
However, Kleybanova, 27th seed, allowed her opponent to break back and lost the set with a sloppy double fault.
With the crowd growing more noisy, both players raised their game and it was the Belgian who thrived on the atmosphere and took full advantage of the tiring Russian by flying into a 3-0 lead.
The topsy-turvy nature of this match continued with Kleybanova clawing back two successive games, but a very determined Henin stayed focused to complete a fine recovery and register her 500th career win.
The Belgian's next match will be against compatriot Yanina Wickmayer for a place in the quarter-finals.
Wickmayer beat Italy's Sara Errani 6-1 6-7 6-3 in her third round tie

EVALUATING SOFTWARE

Regardless of the approach, organizations should evaluate audit software based on their defined needs and requirements. In general, organizations must weigh their choices against a mix of criteria such as capabilities and features, ease-of-use, service needs, vendor record and expertise, and cost.
"You have to mix it all together and establish your own priorities about what needs to be done and at what cost," consultant Tongren says. "This comes out in questions related to risk management, which means that the process becomes more organizationally dependent."
Product features are a large concern, because they determine whether a particular tool will be able to perform the types of analyses that auditors need. In fact, respondents to the Internal Auditor survey cited features as their No. 1 criterion for audit-tool selection. One crucial feature is the software's ability to process and analyze the volume of data that auditors need. Another is its ability to extract data from the organization's databases and data warehouses.
According to Lanza, the majority of leading off-the-shelf audit packages share most of the same features and perform most of the same analyses. Here, ease-of-use--the second-highest concern among respondents to the survey--may be an important distinguishing factor to help auditors perform data tests and produce reports.
There are greater features differences among more specialized tools, Lanza says. This is particularly true of newer categories of tools like Sarbanes-Oxley products.
J.D. Edwards' Bigler is currently reviewing responses from a request for proposals for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance tools. In addition to requirements such as ease-of-use and database and operating system compatibility, Bigler's key criterion is that the software be Web-enabled, so that the company's various offices can document controls and provide financial reporting, operations, and compliance data online in real time and auditors can review the company's internal controls.
"There are so many people who need to contribute information," Bigler explains. "It's a lot easier if we can allow them to update their information over the Web, as opposed to trying to get input from other offices via e-mail or some other less effective/efficient method."
Tongren says vendor record, reputation, and expertise are key software-selection criteria. Internal auditors need to know what type of service they will receive from vendors, particularly for complex enterprise systems. They also need to know that the vendor is a viable company that will be around to provide service, updates, and upgrades in the future.
In addition, Tongren says internal audit departments need to work with vendors who understand the organization's particular requirements. The vendor's audit expertise is also important, because it shapes the analytical assumptions that are built into the software. This is particularly necessary for small organizations that are more reliant on the software and for products such as risk-management systems. "If you have very specific requirements, and they aren't understood by the vendor, you start out with a high potential for problems such as false assurance," Tongren says

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND REGULATORY concerns are among a number of forces putting pressure on organizations to establish stronger internal controls ov

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND REGULATORY concerns are among a number of forces putting pressure on organizations to establish stronger internal controls over financial records and systems. Consequent y, internal audit departments are turning to audit software tools to help them meet the tighter deadlines and stricter requirements imposed on their companies by laws like the u.s. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. * Sarbanes-Oxley, enterprise risk management (ERM), increased reliance on enterprise software systems, and other factors are making chief audit executives (CAE) and internal audit managers more interested in using computer audit tools, according to the 2003 Internal Auditor software survey. Compared to last year, more survey respondents reported that their audit departments were using software for data analysis, fraud detection, control self-assessment (CSA), continuous monitoring, and workpaper automation. (See The IIA's Web site, www.theiia.org, for last year's survey results.)
Now that audit software tools are becoming more necessary, audit professionals must determine what types of software best fit their requirements, while avoiding the common pitfall of buying products that may not fit their audit environment. This can be a daunting task given the ever-growing assortment of commercially available audit packages, which must be weighed against using general-purpose software such as database or spreadsheet programs and developing in-house, tailor-made solutions from scratch.
To ease the decision-making process, we've gathered advice from several experts and surveyed practitioners on their product choices and selection criteria. The survey results and expert advice may help auditors make better-informed software decisions and increase the odds of finding the right tools for their department.
NEEDS SHOULD DRIVE SELECTION
Experienced information technology (IT) auditors say an organization's specific needs should guide audit software selection, just as they would for any other software tool. However, it's tempting for audit managers to think buying software will solve their problems. According to the experts, internal auditors often fail to use audit software correctly because they choose the wrong tools for the job.
"A lot of software companies are saying that you need their software to ensure Sarbanes-Oxley compliance," says John Tongren, managing partner of audit consulting firm Tongren & Associates in Norton Shores, Mich. "The assumption is that the software is doing things correctly. Does the internal auditor know enough about the organization's requirements to make sure that the software is doing what it really should be doing?"
The most difficult task for some audit shops is defining their specific requirements, according to Dave Coderre, audit principal with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Ottawa, Ontario. "Auditors may not know what is possible," he says. "And they may only be looking at automating what they currently do manually, and that's a limited view."
ERM is a leading reason that organizations are using audit software, particularly CSA and risk management/ analysis tools, according to the Internal Auditor survey. For many internal audit organizations, audit tools are a low-cost and automated way to meet their increased governance and risk management responsibilities.
In the past three years, auditors at Denver-based business software maker J.D. Edwards have been acquiring new tools to help the company with a variety of audits. J.D. Edwards has only a nine-person audit shop to serve a company with offices in more than 20 countries, but like many technology companies, it relies on software to enhance the capabilities of auditors and do more with minimal personnel, says Senior IT Audit Manager Mark Bigler.
"Instead of adding bodies, we've tried to get smarter and taken more of a risk-based audit approach using automated tools," Bigler says. "We're using tools that help us identify potential problems on the front end, as opposed to detecting them on the back end." Bigler says the company is currently shopping for risk management and internal controls-related software, along with forensics software, and is developing its own tools to perform software license audits at client sites.
According to audit consultant Tongren, before audit departments can determine their audit software needs, they must first define:
* THE AUDIT MISSION, OBJECTIVES, AND PRIORITIES. Corporate governance and risk management issues have given internal auditors new responsibilities and requirements. Auditors must work with senior management and the corporate board to determine how audit software will help them meet these responsibilities and which responsibilities are most important. Auditors also need to know how much freedom management will give them to conduct different types of audits that software tools may facilitate.
HBOS PLC, the result of a merger between Bank of Scotland and Halifax PLC, chose to upgrade its audit management software last year to align with the bank's new group internal audit minimum standards methodology. The new methodology reinforces a risk-based approach to audits and is used in conjunction with a risk assessment model that identifies risk at the group, divisional, and enterprise-wide levels, according to Bob Holroyd, HBOS senior audit manager for quality assurance and continuous improvement

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THEIR JOB

TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THEIR job, internal auditors must be able to write, speak, and listen effectively. Of these three skills, effective listening may be the most crucial because auditors are required to do it so often. Unfortunately, listening also may be the most difficult skill to master.
Effective listening is challenging, in part, because people often are more focused on what they're saying than on what they're hearing in return. According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, people think the voice mail they send is more important than the voice mail they receive. Generally, senders think that their message is more helpful and urgent than do the people who receive it.
Additionally, listening is difficult because people don't work as hard at it as they should. Listening seems to occur so naturally that putting a lot of effort into it doesn't seem necessary. However, hard work and effort is exactly what effective listening requires.
Internal auditors must listen to explanations, rationales, and defenses of financial practices and procedures. They are constantly communicating with fellow employees whose backgrounds range from accounting to finance to marketing to information systems. In addition, explanations by fellow employees of any "unusual" practices often pose a significant challenge to an internal auditor's listening skills. Auditors can use the following techniques to improve these skills.
1. CONCENTRATE ON WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING. When listening to someone, do you often find yourself thinking about a job or task that is nearing deadline or an important family matter? In the middle of a conversation, do you sometimes realize that you haven't heard a word the other person has said? Most individuals speak at the rate of 175 to 200 words per minute. However, research suggests that we are very capable of listening and processing words at the rate of 600 to 1,000 words per minute. An internal auditor's job today is very fast and complex, and because the brain does not use all of its capacity when listening, an auditor's mind may drift to thinking of further questions or explanations rather than listening to the message at hand. This unused brainpower can be a barrier to effective listening, causing the auditor to miss or misinterpret what others are saying. It is important for internal auditors to actively concentrate on what others are saying so that effective communication can occur.
2. SEND THE NONVERBAL MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE LISTENING. When someone is talking to you, do you maintain eye contact with that person? Do you show the speaker you are listening by nodding your head? Does your body language transmit the message that you are listening? Are you leaning forward and not using your hands to play with things? Most communication experts agree that nonverbal messages can be three times as powerful as verbal messages. Effective communication becomes difficult anytime you send a nonverbal message that you're not really listening.
3. AVOID EARLY EVALUATIONS. When listening, do you often make immediate judgments about what the speaker is saying? Do you assume or guess what the speaker is going to say next? Do you sometimes discover later that you failed to interpret correctly what the speaker was telling you? Because a listener can listen at a faster rate than most speakers talk, there is a tendency to evaluate too quickly. That tendency is perhaps the greatest barrier to effective listening. It is especially important to avoid early evaluations when listening to a person with whom you disagree. When listeners begin to disagree with a sender's message, they tend to misinterpret the remaining information and distort its intended meaning so that it is consistent with their own beliefs.
4. AVOID GETTING DEFENSIVE. Do you ever take what another person says personally when what her or she is saying is not meant to be personal? Do you ever become angry at what another person says? Careful listening does not mean that you will always agree with the other party's point of view, but it does mean that you will try to listen to what the other person is saying without becoming overly defensive. Too much time spent explaining, elaborating, and defending your decision or position is a sure sign that you are not listening. This is because your role has changed from one of listening to a role of convincing others they are wrong. After listening to a position or suggestion with which you disagree, simply respond with something like, "I understand your point. We just disagree on this one." Effective listeners can listen calmly to another person even when that person is offering unjust criticism.
5. PRACTICE PARAPHRASING. Paraphrasing is the art of putting into your own words what you thought you heard and saying it back to the sender. For example, a subordinate might say: "You have been unfair to rate me so low on my performance appraisal. You have rated me lower than Jim. I can do the job better than him, and I've been here longer." A paraphrased response might be: "I can see that you are upset about your rating. You think it was unfair for me to rate you as I did." Paraphrasing is a great technique for improving your listening and problem-solving skills. First, you have to listen very carefully if you are going to accurately paraphrase what you heard. Second, the paraphrasing response will clarify for the sender that his or her message was correctly received and encourage the sender to expand on what he or she is trying to communicate.

Building cost comparison between conventional and formwork system: a case study of four-storey school buildings in Malaysia

The Malaysian construction industry is undergoing a transitional change from an industry employing conventional technology to a more systematic and mechanized system. This new system is now known as the Industrialized Building System (IBS). This new method of construction can increase productivity and quality of work through the use of better construction machinery, equipment, materials and extensive pre-project planning. This study becomes very necessary since there is yet no organized body, which can provide the necessary information on the building cost comparison between the conventional system and industrialized building system in Malaysia's construction industry. This study also addresses the building cost comparison of the conventional system and industrialized building system of formwork system. It provides the details building cost between the conventional system and the formwork system and indicates which of the two is cheaper. The data were collected through questionnaire survey and case study, which consisting of institutional buildings. Through the statistical test 't-test' it is shown that there is a significant difference in cost saving for the conventional system as compared to the formwork system (industrialized building system)
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Key words: Conventional, Formwork System, Building Cost, Comparison
INTRODUCTION
The Malaysian construction industry is undergoing a transitional change from an industry employing conventional technologies to a more systematic and mechanized system employing the latest computer and communication technologies. This is vital for the future health of the industry, given the trend towards global competition and the advent of the k-economy.
The Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been introduced in Malaysia since the 60's by the use of precast concrete beam-column elements. Since the demand of building construction has increased rapidly, it is necessary to innovate a construction method, which speeds up the building construction process. Abdullah et ad. [1] has listed the various types of building systems currently available in Malaysia. Few definitions of industrialized building system are also given by various authors [2]. To sum-up, in general, the IBS is a methodology whereby a local construction industry is driven towards the adoption of an integrated and encouraging key players in the construction industry to produce and utilize pre-fabricated and mass production of the building at their work sites. This will help to enhance the efficiency of construction process, allowing a higher productivity, quality, time and cost saving.

THE USE OF MULTIPLE CASE STUDIES TO ENHANCE GENERALIZATIONS

A multiple case study was employed in the research study. The choice for multiple cases is appropriate given that Yin (1993) argues, Multiple-case studies should follow a replication, not sampling logic. This means that two or more cases should be included within the same study precisely because the investigator predicts that similar results (replication) will be found. If such replication are indeed found for several cases, you can have more confidence in the overall results. The development of consistent findings, over multiple cases, can then be considered a very robust finding (13).
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Examining a number of organizations enhances the accuracy, validity and reliability of the results by capturing the holistic essence of the subject studied.
REFERENCES
(1.) Morgan, G., and L. Smircich, 1980. The Case for Qualitative Research. Acad. Manag. Rev., 5 (4): 491-500.
(2.) Finch, J., 1986. Research and Policy. The Falmer Press, London, pp: 6-10.
(3.) Easterby-Smith, M., R. Thorpe, and A. Lowe, 1991. Management Research: An Introduction. Sage Publication, London, pp: 23-25.
(4.) Denzin, N., and Y. Lincoln, 1994. Handbook of Qualitative Research. Sage Publicatio, California, pp: 3-5.
(5.) Merriam, S., 1988. Case Study Research in Education: A Qualitative Approach. Jossey-Bass Publishers, California, pp: 4-25.
(6.) Yin, R., 1989. Case Study Research. Sage Publication, California, pp: 22-26.
(7.) Anderson, G., 1993. Fundamentals of Educational Research. Falmer Press, London, pp: 152-160.
(8.) Patton, M., 1987. How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation. Sage Publication, California, pp: 18-20.
(9.) Johnson, D., 1994. Research Methods in Educational Management. Longman Group, Essex.
(10.) Gummesson, E., 1991. Qualitative Methods in Management Research. Sage Publication, California, pp: 83-156.
(11.) Hartley, J., 1994. Case Studies in Organizational Research in Casell and Symon 1994 Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research. Sage Publication, London, pp: 208-229.
(12.) Yin, R., 1984. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Sage Publication, California, pp: 11-15.
(13.) Yin, R., 1993. Application of Case Study Research. Sage Publication, California, pp: 33-35.
Khairul Baharein Mohd Noor
Universiti Industri Selangor, 40000, Shah Alam, Malaysia
COPYRIGHT 2008 Science Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Here are the 10 hottest employment opportunities for the next millennium

Here are the 10 hottest employment opportunities for the next millennium
WHETHER YOU'RE JUST ENTERING THE JOB MARKET or you want to jump-start your current profession, we invite you to check out the 10 hottest careers for 1999 and beyond. The selection taps into a variety of interests, skills, experience requirements and job levels. Salaries, which largely depend on experience and geographical location, range from the low $20s to more than $100,000 annually.
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Three of the 10 entries made the fastest growing occupations list published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This agency collects, processes and analyzes all employment data for the Department of Labor. According to the BLS, the total number of jobs in the United States is expected to increase by 18.6 million between now and 2006. The fastest growing occupations are concentrated in service sectors such as business services, healthcare and social services. The rapid growth in the business services sector is being led by technology-based jobs, especially those in computer and data processing services. As a result, these positions are projected to grow significantly more than the 14% average. Although employment growth is predicted to cross all levels of education and training, jobs usually requiring an associate degree or higher are expected to grow faster than average. Those requiring less educaation or training are predicted to grow more slowly than average; however, they will account for more than half of overall employment growth. The remaining careers were culled from an analysis of jobs across a spectrum of industries where the expected demand will far exceed the pool of qualified personnel.
The following listing should be used as a resource by junior and high school students as well as by college students and experienced employees. In this dynamic labor market, your success depends on your ability to make informed decisions. The key to a fruitful professional career is in your hands. It's your move.

Bus Dev Partener In Europe

Previous research argue that the structure of ownership, or resource contributions in a joint venture is a direct proxi for management control (Yan and Grey, 2001). Actually cultural differences lead to differences in patterns of thinking (Linowes, Mroczkowski, Uchida, Kornatsu, 2000), divergent values (Gutterman, 2002), and, therefore, dominant control is more preferable. However, on the other hand, mutual interdependence of patterns leads to necessity of shared control and management (Inkpen and Currall, 1998). In uncertain environment the quality and timeliness of corporate decision-making declines (Alexander, 1991). Classical control processes are designed as feedback systems detecting problems and deviations from planned results (Preble, 1992). The link of control systems with effective performance can be realized via different mechanisms including monitoring, learning, signaling, constraint, motivation (Simons, 1990). Control can increase not only efforts to align individual and corporate goals (Good and Quinn, 1990), but also performance outcomes through incentive plans, understanding turnover relationship, opening negative attributes of the managers (Walsh and Seward, 1990). However, control can also be related to performance under certain conditions. For example, Govindarajan (1988) found that high managerial internal locus of control is associated with high performance in strategic business units employing a strategy of differentiation. Under certain conditions managers not-owners can escape internal control rising costs of control to the degree that no effective managerial control exists.
Following Colombo (2003), the challenge in the advantages of organization are individuals' advantages based on path-dependent "cognitive frames" developed in the context-specific environment. Although organization provides shared cognitive frames, development of new capabilities based on pooling of partners' knowledge is an alliance that could not be created in isolation is doubtful. Indeed, as some argue that an alliance is an investment to transfer existing knowledge from one firm to another internalizing partner's capabilities, one might propose that an individual may be reluctant to estrangement of own knowledge to keep own competitive position. Thus, the purpose of an alliance can be obtaining access to a proprietary technology or services of specialized assets including brand, and this extensive individual exploitation can lead to limited learning. Of course, the situation can be more complex if partner's opportunism is taken into account. In this case, as different partners spend different time and effort to perform the same task (White and Lui, 2005), control may be needed to identify the most efficient partners and to avoid conflicts. However, according to Berglof, Bolton, Guriev and Zhuravskaya (2005) in emerging market economies the main concern is poor enforceability of debt contracts, because of corrupted courts, police and law enforcement. Control mechanisms were named as important ways to reduce corporate governance problems. Specifically, the basic property rights of controlling shareholders could protect developing good corporate governance, but it requires uncorrupted bureaucracy and judiciary.

Economy Market Of Europe

Central and Eastern Europe become an attractive area for foreign investors willing to take risks, according to Hyder and Abraha (2003). The authors argue that in this region shared-control modes of foreign entry is preferable, because it helps reduce political and legal risks, and minimize investment risks. However, differences in knowledge base of partners can lead to conflicts, for example, mentioned in previous research frequent conflict between global and local optimization of strategy (Inkpen and Beamish, 1995). In general, conflicts lower performance of IJVs and decrease the likelihood of survival (Fey and Beamish, 2000; Hennart and Zeng, 2002; Parkhe, 1991; Richard, Barnett and Chadwick, 2004; Steensma and Lyles, 2000). Thus, control is needed, as according to Yan and Gray control in international joint ventures is "the amount of decision power each parent exercises in the venture's daily operation" (2001: 297), because it strongly effects venture performance.
The objective of this paper is to answer the following question: Can control reduce co-management contradictions and conflicts, and, thus, improve performance in IJVs? To achieve this objective I contrast IJVs characterized by high level of cultural differences with high probability of conflicts, although it is difficult to clearly define this kind of IJVs. First of all, it is important to consider the most representative economies in which conflicts can be more common taking into account that cultural differences between two developed countries are substantially less than between a developed and a developing country (Hyder, 1999). Thus, this research intends to examine conflicts between Western and transition economy partners in IJVs operating in the region of transition economies, which consists of former planning economies moving to free market, because foreign firms often experienced cultural differences after they had entered a transition economy market (Cattaneo, 1992; Fey, 1995). Choice of partners from a Western (developed) or a transition economy in this context was also supported by Kennedy's notion that there were important differences between Western and Eastern Europeans in transition culture (1997: 5).

CONCENTRATE ON WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING.

CONCENTRATE ON WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING. When listening to someone, do you often find yourself thinking about a job or task that is nearing deadline or an important family matter? In the middle of a conversation, do you sometimes realize that you haven't heard a word the other person has said? Most individuals speak at the rate of 175 to 200 words per minute. However, research suggests that we are very capable of listening and processing words at the rate of 600 to 1,000 words per minute. An internal auditor's job today is very fast and complex, and because the brain does not use all of its capacity when listening, an auditor's mind may drift to thinking of further questions or explanations rather than listening to the message at hand. This unused brainpower can be a barrier to effective listening, causing the auditor to miss or misinterpret what others are saying. It is important for internal auditors to actively concentrate on what others are saying so that effective communication can occur.
2. SEND THE NONVERBAL MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE LISTENING. When someone is talking to you, do you maintain eye contact with that person? Do you show the speaker you are listening by nodding your head? Does your body language transmit the message that you are listening? Are you leaning forward and not using your hands to play with things? Most communication experts agree that nonverbal messages can be three times as powerful as verbal messages. Effective communication becomes difficult anytime you send a nonverbal message that you're not really listening.
3. AVOID EARLY EVALUATIONS. When listening, do you often make immediate judgments about what the speaker is saying? Do you assume or guess what the speaker is going to say next? Do you sometimes discover later that you failed to interpret correctly what the speaker was telling you? Because a listener can listen at a faster rate than most speakers talk, there is a tendency to evaluate too quickly. That tendency is perhaps the greatest barrier to effective listening. It is especially important to avoid early evaluations when listening to a person with whom you disagree. When listeners begin to disagree with a sender's message, they tend to misinterpret the remaining information and distort its intended meaning so that it is consistent with their own beliefs.
4. AVOID GETTING DEFENSIVE. Do you ever take what another person says personally when what her or she is saying is not meant to be personal? Do you ever become angry at what another person says? Careful listening does not mean that you will always agree with the other party's point of view, but it does mean that you will try to listen to what the other person is saying without becoming overly defensive. Too much time spent explaining, elaborating, and defending your decision or position is a sure sign that you are not listening. This is because your role has changed from one of listening to a role of convincing others they are wrong. After listening to a position or suggestion with which you disagree, simply respond with something like, "I understand your point. We just disagree on this one." Effective listeners can listen calmly to another person even when that person is offering unjust criticism.
5. PRACTICE PARAPHRASING. Paraphrasing is the art of putting into your own words what you thought you heard and saying it back to the sender. For example, a subordinate might say: "You have been unfair to rate me so low on my performance appraisal. You have rated me lower than Jim. I can do the job better than him, and I've been here longer." A paraphrased response might be: "I can see that you are upset about your rating. You think it was unfair for me to rate you as I did." Paraphrasing is a great technique for improving your listening and problem-solving skills. First, you have to listen very carefully if you are going to accurately paraphrase what you heard. Second, the paraphrasing response will clarify for the sender that his or her message was correctly received and encourage the sender to expand on what he or she is trying to communicate.

AboutTannese

Many Tannese were genuinely excited by the prospect of material riches and power to rival the Europeans. Some of the older men wanted to restore certain pagan customs which had been forbidden by missionaries and which required mass participation in order to be effective, and they used the supposed authority of John Frum to achieve this. Some people were disappointed that Christianity had failed in its believed promise to create a society free of jealousy and conflict, and were keen to try something new. A number of John Frum's supporters were true believers. Others were far more scepticaMany Tannese were genuinely excited by the prospect of material riches and power to rival the Europeans. Some of the older men wanted to restore certain pagan customs which had been forbidden by missionaries and which required mass participation in order to be effective, and they used the supposed authority of John Frum to achieve this. Some people were disappointed that Christianity had failed in its believed promise to create a society free of jealousy and conflict, and were keen to try something new. A number of John Frum's supporters were true believers. Others were far more sceptical.
During one research trip to the island in the late 1970s, brought along a book I had found called John Frum, He Come. This had been written by Edward Rice, an American who had visited the island some years earlier, and it was the kind of book that did not resile from the `sacred places', `ancient cultures' and `wicked Europeans' stereotypes. However, it also contained a number of photos of Tannese that I knew.
As it turned out, the photos did not excite much interest. Instead, my friends were fascinated by another photo in the book, that of a World War II American boatswain called Thomas Beatty, but whom they called Tom Navy. He had been responsible for recruiting and looking after the thousand or so Tannese men who had gone to labour at the American base near Port Vila during the war. Recruiting had been easy, because the Tannese were delighted with the opportunity to work for a country to which they believed they had such strong links. I began to hear fabulous stories about Tom Navy, his generosity, and his magical powers, including the ability to be in two very different places at once.
As news of the book spread, I received a request to visit one of the oldest and most respected men in the area, Jake Yahoi. He was a man of great dignity, who was also very ambivalent about Europeans. He remembered the murderous times before colonial authorities took control of the island early this century, and he certainly welcomed their imposed peace and feared that strife would follow their departure. But he was bitter about the colonial appropriation of Tannese land, and he was the only elderly man I knew who had never experimented with Christianity, which he despised.
Yahoi led my wife and me to a seating mat placed under one of the magnificent banyan trees that adorn every Tannese village. He spent a long time looking at Tom Navy's photo in silence. Then his questions began.
`Is there a volcano in America?'
I told him about Mount St Helen's, which had begun erupting some time previously.
`Do they grow yams in America?'
I said that although Americans call their sweet potato 'yam', it was not the same as what he understood by the word. Then he asked whether coconuts grew in America. There were further questions, equally puzzling. Finally I interrupted, and asked him the purpose of this interrogation.
He willingly explained. One day Tom Navy had given the Tannese workers yams in a basket plaited from coconut palm fronds. The basket was of a type commonly made on Tanna, and it also contained some volcanic ash, familiar to the Tannese because of the active volcano on their island. Tom had said, `This is from your home'. l.
During one research trip to the island in the late 1970s, brought along a book I had found called John Frum, He Come. This had been written by Edward Rice, an American who had visited the island some years earlier, and it was the kind of book that did not resile from the `sacred places', `ancient cultures' and `wicked Europeans' stereotypes. However, it also contained a number of photos of Tannese that I knew.
As it turned out, the photos did not excite much interest. Instead, my friends were fascinated by another photo in the book, that of a World War II American boatswain called Thomas Beatty, but whom they called Tom Navy. He had been responsible for recruiting and looking after the thousand or so Tannese men who had gone to labour at the American base near Port Vila during the war. Recruiting had been easy, because the Tannese were delighted with the opportunity to work for a country to which they believed they had such strong links. I began to hear fabulous stories about Tom Navy, his generosity, and his magical powers, including the ability to be in two very different places at once.
As news of the book spread, I received a request to visit one of the oldest and most respected men in the area, Jake Yahoi. He was a man of great dignity, who was also very ambivalent about Europeans. He remembered the murderous times before colonial authorities took control of the island early this century, and he certainly welcomed their imposed peace and feared that strife would follow their departure. But he was bitter about the colonial appropriation of Tannese land, and he was the only elderly man I knew who had never experimented with Christianity, which he despised.
Yahoi led my wife and me to a seating mat placed under one of the magnificent banyan trees that adorn every Tannese village. He spent a long time looking at Tom Navy's photo in silence. Then his questions began.
`Is there a volcano in America?'
I told him about Mount St Helen's, which had begun erupting some time previously.
`Do they grow yams in America?'
I said that although Americans call their sweet potato 'yam', it was not the same as what he understood by the word. Then he asked whether coconuts grew in America. There were further questions, equally puzzling. Finally I interrupted, and asked him the purpose of this interrogation.
He willingly explained. One day Tom Navy had given the Tannese workers yams in a basket plaited from coconut palm fronds. The basket was of a type commonly made on Tanna, and it also contained some volcanic ash, familiar to the Tannese because of the active volcano on their island. Tom had said, `This is from your home'.

Phil Dobbie: Hello, I’m Phil Dobbie and welcome to BTalk Australia. And today how do you stop your business proposals finding themselves in the paper shredder?
Writing the perfect pitch. How do you put together a proposal document that will actually be read and hopefully will win you the business? Well, Robyn Haydon is the author of “The Shredder Test — The Australian Guide to Writing Winning Proposals”. Now, Robyn presumably that’s where a lot of proposals find themselves; shredded and taken home and, perhaps, used as bedding material for the pet guinea pig. I guess that’s the reason for the title for the book is it?Robyn Haydon: Exactly when I first had the idea of writing the book that was the first thing that came to me and when people are sitting in their office with their soft music on and trying to sing to themselves and pouring their heart and soul into writing a proposal I think the last thing that they think of is the fact that it may end up there. And in actual fact that’s where the majority of proposals do end up. And especially now, I do a lot of work in competitive tendering and probably, I think, things out there are about three times as competitive as they were this time last year, so that means that people who are buying stuff have three times as many proposals to read. And so, yes, the logical outcome of that, of course, is that a lot of them end up on the reject pile.
Dobbie: And there’s a big imbalance which in the amount of time spent writing these things and the amount of time spent consuming them as well, of course, which you’ve got to be painfully aware of, I think.
Haydon: Yes, absolutely, I mean a proposal that takes you a week to write might take a couple of minutes for somebody to flip their eye over, and if you can’t grab them in the executive summary, which is extremely important, and a lot of proposals lack a really concise commercially-focused executive summary. If you can’t grab them there and even in the first couple of paragraphs it’s like when you go into a book store and you’re rifling through the shelves and you’re trying to find something that appeals to you. You really only have a very short window of opportunity to get a potential purchaser’s attention. So it is really just like rifling through a stack of books and picking out the two or three that you might want to read in detail.
Dobbie: So, I guess it really depends on what it is you’re bidding for but the exec’s summary, what a couple of pages with a lot of the financial details or is that less important should it be more how you’re going to deliver what you’re being asked to deliver?
Haydon: I would say with an executive summary one of the common problems that I see is that executive summaries really aren’t summaries at all, they’re just a synopsis of the technical aspects of the proposal. If you think about who’s reading an executive summary, they’re called an executive summary for a reason, it’s usually the most senior decision maker will read that part of your proposal, they might not read anything else. So I always say to people one to three pages is plenty never go over three no matter how long your actual proposal is, and some proposals can be very long. As far as the financial details are concerned this is the place to spell out exactly why a purchaser needs to choose you and putting in the financial benefits of your offer we can save you 25 percent over the life of this contract by doing this, this and this; this is absolutely the place to spell out all of that so that they will go, oh, OK, I need to read this in more detail.
Dobbie: Now, should you assume that different people are going to read different parts of the proposal and does that mean that the style of the proposal can change as you move from section to section assuming that you’re going to have subject matter experts consuming those relevant parts?
Haydon: Yes, that’s very true and, in fact, a lot of people don’t realise that either that there is going to be more than one person reading your proposal and that they are going to have different interests. In my book there’s a whole chapter devoted to how to keep evaluators’ hot buttons and that’s thinking about all of the people who might potentially be reading your proposal and what their role is. For example, we tend to think maybe there’s just one person that we’ve been speaking to so that’s the only person who’s going to be reading the proposal but it won’t be, there’ll be the person who signs the cheques, there might be the user you’ve been talking to. If you’re selling, let’s say, for example, software that has a specific technical purpose, for example, payroll software, the IT people will look at it and the HR people will look at it, so there are a whole bunch of people as well as the pertinent people and others who will be going through your proposal. I wouldn’t necessarily say that sections of the proposal need to be written in different language, but they need to be written with the concerns of the reader in mind. The only time I usually recommend using a different style of language is in the executive summary because that really needs to be like one senior decision maker talking to another senior decision maker whereas the rest of the proposal can be more, I guess, more technically oriented in nature, although, of course, it still has to be able to be easy to understand.
Dobbie: So does that mean you should have one person who writes the whole thing. I mean you might get subject matter experts to contribute but is it important to have one person who ensures there’s some continuity through the document? I’ve seen lots of large documents that have been thrown together and it looks just like that, that they’ve been thrown together and a whole lot of people have written their sections without reading the whole document themselves.
Haydon: Absolutely, in fact, before I started talking to you today I was putting together a persuasive writing workshop for a client of mine in the IT industry and they’re a consulting organisation, and this is one of the problems that they have. There are a number of people who contribute to proposals and those people are often complaining that their input gets changed but that’s because they don’t have a really clear idea of how it should be written in the first place. If you don’t have the luxury of having a bid manager like me who can come in and take all of those desperate pieces of content and actually write them as one voice your best option is to get all of your technical people to write content in a way that it doesn’t really need a lot of editing by the time it gets to you. So, yes, you’re spot on there. It’s a big problem.
Dobbie: But that can actually be, you know, if everyone does it in a way that it doesn’t need editing that to me sounds like it could also be incredibly dull. And I guess that’s another question isn’t it. Is there a way of making your proposal more interesting? Because it is primarily a sales document, of course, and can it be too flashy? Can you be too overt in the techniques you use? And conversely, can it also be too dull? How do you get the right balance?
Haydon: Well, that’s a very good question and the simplest way to answer that and the way that I describe it to my clients is that you apply the steak knife test. And I call it that because if you read back something to yourself and it sounds like you’re trying to flog steak knives then you’ve gone too far. And a lot of people who’ve had marketing backgrounds and PR backgrounds tend to be a little bit guilty of this because they talk in headlines and they talk in brochure speak and it’s just not appropriate for a proposal.
The steak knife test aside, probably the simplest way for people to actually edit their own proposals is to read it aloud and see whether it sounds like something you would actually say to a buyer, because if it doesn’t then you’re either being too technical and too confusing and as you said things can come out sounding a bit flat. You remember you’re trying to sell something so you want to get them interested and you want to move the conversation along. But, and this is probably the third thing I’m trying to say in answer to a single question here but there’s more than one question in that question, I think, and that is that a lot of proposals tend to lack the two or three key messages that are going to make a buyer choose you. If you think about it from their perspective they’re sitting there waiting for a lot of stuff. Not only do you have to keep their interest but when they get to the end they need to be able to say, well, we should choose Phil’s company because of this, this and this, and those things should be very, very easy for them to recall once they finish reading your proposal. And I call those Purchase of Value Topics, some people call them win things and there are processes to actually develop those and make sure that you use them in a proposal. But it’s about finding a balance between selling the key benefits of your offer and actually writing in language that a lay person on the other end of this who hasn’t met you or who doesn’t know your product offer the way that you do in a way that they can understand.
Dobbie: So, those two or three key messages should you keep on going back to them throughout the document if you’ve got a lengthy document? Should you be saying, well, we need to make sure we reinforce this message every five or six pages, for example?
Haydon: Yes, a short answer is yes, we should definitely make sure that it’s in more than one place in the document. But the way to do that is to look at where is the most appropriate place to include that information. And when I’m producing a bid I produce a story board at the beginning of that bid where we look at all of the things that we’re being asked to answer by the purchaser and we say, OK, now we’ve got our purchase of value topics here’s a question about quality, here’s a question about solution if it’s IT or the statement of requirements if it’s a consulting assignment, that sort of thing. How can we actually weave those messages in so that we’re answering the question, sure, cause that’s essential, but we’re getting our message across as well.
Dobbie: I’ve got a couple of questions about meeting those, the criteria that you’re given. I mean, first of all, what happens if you take nine out of 10 boxes but there’s one criteria that you really don’t meet I mean, what should you do? Should you just fudge your way through or should you just be totally honest and say, hey, nine out of 10 is not bad?
Haydon: It depends on how hardball you want to go and how hardball the purchaser is going to be when they evaluate you. I mean we all saw what happened to Telstra in the National Broadband Tender, they were kicked out because they didn’t actually comply with the tendering conditions, they didn’t supply information about how they met, I think it was small and medium enterprise content.
Dobbie: Well, I think it was only four or five pages long as well and I think Optus was about 150,000 pages or something like that, so it was a fairly slim document.
Haydon: Look, I mean they probably looked at that and said, look, you know, these guys aren’t really serious about this I’m guessing that’s the message that that sent to the evaluators, and so, therefore, they could get them on a technicality. I think, what I always say to my clients anyway is compliance is the number one thing. We need to make sure we check all of the boxes first and if we don’t, if we can’t comply we need to be able to say what the alternative is. I mean I’ve had clients who have not complied to certain conditions and then gone on and won contracts. So it’s a more complex discussion and it’s a more individual discussion probably than what we’re able to have in a general talk about what works and what doesn’t work in a proposal. But I suppose a short answer is that, yes, it’s certainly possible to be successful if you don’t comply with everything the purchaser has asked for, but you need to be respectful of the fact that they had asked for that and really check with them initially unless you decide that it’s something that you will provide post tender. Check with them to see whether or not you actually will still be in contention.
Dobbie: A related point to that is: what happens if what they’re asking for you believe is not the best thing for them? Should you tell them that you think you’ve got a better solution and you know best or should you just address what they’re asking for?
Haydon: Yes
Dobbie: Just what they’re asking for.
Haydon: Yes to both. Because by the time, I mean if we’re talking tenders here, by the time you get to the tender that’s the end of the purchasing process. They’ve already decided what it is that they want to buy and in a lot of cases it’s quite difficult to talk a purchaser out of buying something that the organisation have committed to buying because they’ve gone through that whole process. However, if you do come in at the last minute and you do have something that’s much better then, of course, you need to tell them about it. You just want to be careful that you don’t knock yourself out of contention by saying, look, yes, we can do what you’d asked us to do, of course we can do that but we actually think this will work better. Because in my experience purchasers don’t always know exactly what it is that they need and it’s the organisation who’s pitching for the business; this is your area of expertise, you’re the ones who know the problems and the opportunities that are there. So it is important to spell it out because often times, and this has happened to clients of mine in the past, that will actually prompt a discussion about the way that this thing should be purchased and I had a client last year that won a fairly significant slice of business with a telecommunications provider simply because they said we do things this way we know you do things that way but we think our way is the way of the future and we explained to them why and that’s how they actually got their foot in the door with that contract because they did take that approach. But, of course, they had to be able to do the bare minimum of what was already being done.
Dobbie: So it’s like we can do this but we think this way is better?
Haydon: Yes, yes, that’s right.
Dobbie: Now, truth is, it can be a little illusive in some of these documents. It’s a bit like your CV isn’t it? I’m not saying that you’d ever do this but people do exaggerate a little bit on their CV’s and I think tender documents might be the same as well. But these are legal documents aren’t they, so I guess you’ve got to be —
Haydon: They are legal documents.
Dobbie: — so you’ve got to be careful about what you say.
Haydon: I would strongly argue that although it might be permissible it might — well, I don’t know if it’s permissible but it’s certainly practice that people stretch the truth on their CV. You should never stretch the truth in a proposal because it could come back to bite you in a really big way because a proposal is a legally binding document and it sets out the parameters of your agreement with the purchaser. So if you say you can do all of these things and you actually can’t then not only could you lose the business but potentially you could be in a lot of trouble. So part of my job when I work on bids is to actually act as the police person of some of these things because people will say, oh, we can do this, this and this and I’ll ask them to explain why and how they do it and I’ll find out that in actual fact that’s not strictly speaking the truth. So my job to remind the people that I’m working with that in actual fact they will be bound by that so let’s be honest about what we can do and let’s win the business on the merits of what we can do.
Dobbie: And it’s often the sales team that are putting these documents together and the sales team like to say, yes, of course, we can do that. They’re programmed in their brains to say that. So does that mean that the sales person is not necessarily the best person to be writing these documents?
Haydon: The best person to be writing a bid document or a proposal is actually not a person at all it’s a team of people. And I always say that there are three types of expertise you need to be successful when you’re writing your bid.

Dollar Reverts Back to Former Self

Given that the US has basically committed itself to importing certain goods, a Strong Dollar is actually beneficial, because it reduces the cost of those imports. In the short-run, then, a 20% decline in the Dollar might be expected to correlate with a 20% rise in the trade deficit. The hope is that this can be offset over the long-term, with the relocation of production facilities (yes, foreign companies also outsource to the US; it’s a not a one-way exodus) to the US and the creation of new products/services that can fill the void of those that have already been outsourced.
In short, it’s not clear that a weak Dollar will dramatically improve the US trade imbalance. This can best be accomplished not through aOnly two weeks ago, analysts were singing about a new day for the Dollar, which had risen on the basis of good news for the first time in months. In hindsight, it looks like such talk was premature, as the Dollar has returned to its old ways. Good news once again causes the Greenback to fall, while bad news causes it to rise.
This development (or lack thereof) suggests that investors may have gotten ahead of themselves, when they sent the Dollar surging after the employment picture brightened slightly. At the time, the news was interpreted as a sign that rate hikes were imminent. On a broader level, it was a sign that investors had dumped the paradigm of risk aversion, in favor of a model based on comparing economic fundamentals. Since then, investors have slowly moved to distance themselves from the notion that the Fed will soon hike rates, and in the process have moved back towards trading based on risk dynamics.
As a result, positive news developments over the last couple weeks have coincided both with a rise in equity prices and a decline in the Dollar. When the Chinese stock market collapsed one day last week, investors responded by dumping high-yield assets, and moving temporarily back into “safe haven” currencies. “Diving Shanghai Helps Dollar” read one headline. “Worries over the continued fragility of the world economy outweighed a firmer tone in overseas equity markets to underpin the U.S. dollar versus major counterparts,” explained another report.
Meanwhile, a divide is forming among fundamental analysts. There is one school of thought which argues that the US will be the first industrialized economy to recover, and hence the first to raise rates. Based on this line of reasoning, then, positive economic news provides a foundation upon which to buy the Dollar. A competing school of thought, meanwhile, has suggested that regardless of if/when a US recovery materializes, it will be overshadowed by out-of-control inflation. In this regard, then, the Dollar is not such an attractive buy.
No less than the venerable Warren Buff has insisted that the Fed’s quantitative easing program and the US economic stimulus plan – while necessary – threaten to create even bigger problems than the ones they purport to solve. “But enormous dosages of monetary medicine continue to be administered and, before long, we will need to deal with their side effects. For now, most of those effects are invisible and could indeed remain latent for a long time. Still, their threat may be as ominous as that posed by the financial crisis itself,” he said.
If this true, then the Dollar is damned either way. Damned in the short-term as a result of a pickup in risk appetite, and damned in the long-termIn forex, timing is everything. If I had written this post a couple weeks ago, the headline would read “Euro Touches 2009 High.” Perhaps if I had waited another week, it would have read, “Euro Approaching 2009 High.” But alas, I chose today to write about the Euro, and the headline I chose is probably the most appropriate under the circumstances.
On August 5, “The euro hit a high for the year against the dollar as stocks trimmed their losses in afternoon trading Wednesday despite a generally cautious tone in currency markets.” Analysts were careful to point out that the markets remained cautious and the Euro eased past – rather than smashed through – its previous high. Technical analysts would and have argued that this paved the way for the subsequently rapid decline: “The euro is testing the base of an ascending channel with daily momentum charts showing a ‘double top in overbought territory.’ ”
This notion might have some merit, considering that fundamentals arguably favor a continued Euro appreciation. “The economy of the 27-country European Union shrank 0.3 percent in the three months ended June 30, for an annual rate of roughly 1.2 percent. The 16 countries that use the euro registered a 0.1 percent decline for the second quarter, or an annual rate of roughly 0.4 percent.” While output remains well below its 2008 levels, the slight contraction represents a tremendous improvement from the first quarter, when GDP shrank by 2.5%. due to inflation.
weak exchange rate, but through incentives that stimulate innovation and discourage consumption of low-quality, non-durable goods, the majority of which are produced overseas. When you consider the inflation (Strong Dollar keeps prices in check) and financing (Strong Dollar increases the willingness of foreigners to invest in and lend to US entities) perks, the Strong Dollar probably provides a net benefit to the US economy. If Bernanke and Geithner actually believe this, it would be nice if they conducted policy accordingly.