How to Write a Business Continuity Plan

How to Write a Business Continuity Plan Except for time-bound enterprises, or business ventures that are started with the intention of terminating operations and liquidating the business at the end of a year or two, businesses are established with a long-term outlook.They would want their business to earn profits, and to continue operating profitably for an indefinite, but long period of time. When drawing up their business plans, they see their business continuing to exist and operate in the many years to come. © Shutterstock.com | BsWeiThus, they make every decision with continuity of the business in mind, while taking into account the possible effects of unexpected events that may lead to disruptions and interruptions in business operations.INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS CONTINUITYIf we are to take the phrase “business continuity” for its surface value, the most obvious meaning would be the ability of the business or enterprise to continue operating as a going concern for a very long time. But the term actually means more than what the words literally mean.The International Organization for Standardization, in ISO 22300, defined “business continuity” as the capability of an organization to continue the delivery of its products or services, at acceptable predefined levels, following a disruptive incident. It implies the responsibility of the business owners and management for the business in ensuring that it stays afloat and “on course” despite any obstacles or stumbling blocks it e ncounters along the way. This responsibility is incorporated into the greater management process of the business, and what is also referred to as “Business Continuity Management”or BCM.The Business Continuity Institute hit the nail right on the head when it described business continuity to be about “building and improving resilience in the business”. Organizational resilience means that the business can weather any storm and withstand any hits, and still remain operational, productive and profitable. Being resilient means that the business is still able to recover and grow, bigger and stronger than ever.BCM is clearly described by the ISO to provide a framework for building organizational resilience, which will allow the organization to respond accordingly, in a way that protects the business, its reputation, and all other stakeholders. As a management process, BCM involves several key activities:Identification and analysis of key products and services of the businessIdentif ication and analysis of the most urgent activities and processes of the businessIdentification of potential threats, and their impacts to business operationsDevising of plans and strategies for quick and effective recovery from any disruption, and the continuation of business operationsBusiness Continuity PlanningIn recognition of the reality of the economic and business landscape being unpredictable and volatile, businesses are now taking a lot of precautions to ensure that their operations will still stand a chance against unexpected disruptions. We usually hear of these precautions in the form of disaster recovery planning, which is primarily focused on the restoration of a firm’s IT infrastructure and IT operations. This view is rather limited, when you look at the bigger picture, since a business and its operations are more than just its IT infrastructure.Thus, more attention is put on business continuity planning (BCP), which puts the company in a proactive position in plann ing how to ensure that it will still be able to deliver its critical products and services safely and smoothly, while meeting its legal, regulatory, and other obligations.We can probably enumerate more than a dozen reasons why businesses should create and maintain BCP initiatives but, at the end of the day, there is only one ultimate goal or purpose for it, and that is to help ensure that the organization, business or company has the required resources, information, and capabilities to deal with emergencies and similar unexpected events, particularly their aftermath.Benefits of Business Continuity PlanningYou will probably be able to appreciate BCP even more if you have a clearer idea of what the business can gain from it.BCP improves public perception and acceptance of the company. By displaying a proactive attitude and demonstrating the initiative to be well-prepared, customers and the general public will have a favorable and positive impression of the organization. This will lead to a certain level of trust, which is likely to convert them into loyal, buying, customers.BCP will boost employee’s morale and command their loyalty to the company. Employees are inclined to seek stability in the organization they belong to or the company that employs them, and a solid BCP is one way for management to give them the assurance that they are looking for. It will also give them pride in their work and motivate them to increase their productivity as members of the organization.BCP enhances the relationship of the business with its shareholders and other stakeholders. Shareholders will trust the company enough to encourage them to keep investing in the company, and partners will have no reason to stop working and collaborating with the business if they know that every effort to be prepared for the unexpected is made.BCP improves the overall efficiency of the organization. In the event that a crisis does arise, resulting to a disruption in operations, having a solid BC P will allow the company to respond quickly and appropriately, keeping losses and costs to a minimum because there is already a plan in place.Threats to Business ContinuityRisks are inherent in businesses, and the risk of being faced with potential disasters and disruptive emergencies is one of them. What are some examples of these potential risks or threats?Natural disasters (force majeure, or “acts of God”), such as hurricanes or typhoons, storm surges or tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, bushfires, blizzards, sandstormsMan-made disasters with environmental repercussions, such as oil spills, hazardous materials spills, pollution, improper disposal of chemical and other industrial wastesAccidents brought about by fortuitous events, such as factory fires and similar incidents in the workplaceFailure of utility and other similar service providers to deliver their services, such as when power and energy providers shut down, water services are interrupted, and communication lines go o ut of orderResults of sabotage and similar crimes (with the intention of putting the business at risk), such as arson,Cybersecurity attacks, with the information system of the business falling prey to hacker and other similar intrusive activitiesAll these threats must be taken seriously by companies, considering their various effects or impacts when they result in the disruption of business operations. Some of the most likely effects are:Lost revenues and profitsWhen a retail store does not open for a week, the potential income that it usually earns in a one-week period is gone. Similarly, when a manufacturing plant is unable to operate even for a couple of days, the company will not be able to produce the average output of finished goods for distribution. Reduced finished goods inventory means reduced number of products to be sold, which will ultimately result to reduced sales and revenues.What the company is looking at is a profit level that is much lower than their usual level of earnings. Of course, if profitability gets a major hit, this will also have adverse effects on business growth strategies.Higher costs and expensesBusiness disruptions usually lead to the company spending more on incidental expenses in order to do some damage control. For example, if the disruption is caused by a blizzard leading to the closure of manufacturing facilities, there is a high chance that the facilities have been damaged, and will require some major repairs.Salvaging remaining equipment and machinery will also entail spending on transportation and hauling services. Incidentally, if the factory workers are paid on a monthly basis instead of on an output basis, they will still be paid their regular compensation rates. This, on top of the lost revenue, will further cause a drop in the profits of the business.In a study of mid-sized companies that suffered a major disaster and had no contingency planning in place, it was revealed that, on average, their downtime cost amount ed to $70,000 per hour. For small businesses, this is catastrophic.Loss of customersWhen their usual source of a specific product or service becomes unavailable, or unable to deliver their goods, customers will naturally look elsewhere for other sources. Even the most loyal customers may be swayed out of their loyalties if the business fails to rise to the occasion.Soon, the business will be unable to do anything except watch helplessly as its customers shift to the competition while it is still in the middle of figuring out how to deal with the fallout of the crisis that caused the interruption of business operations.Drop in business reputationThe reputation of the business will be on the verge of ruin. The moment it is unable to deliver the products and services that it promised, the trust levels of customers, stakeholders and other industry players for the company will suffer greatly. Lending institutions will think twice before granting any loans. Other businesses will have appr ehensions about continuing any partnership they have with the company, and they may even consider severing any ties they have with that business. This will definitely make recovery more difficult for the business, even long after the crisis has passed.The worst case scenario for businesses without BCP is the permanent end of operations. According to Agility Recovery’s Paul Sullivan, 80% of companies that have no plans whatsoever and were subsequently hit with a crisis or major disaster had to call it a day without having gone past 18 months of operations. 50% of companies that experienced inaccessibility of their business data for at least 10 days filed for bankruptcy right after.In the BCM lifecycle, the first stage is all about policy and program management, which is essentially the phase for planning the business continuity program of the business. In the succeeding discussion, we will focus on the Business Continuity Plan â€" what it is, what it is for, and how to write it.[sl ideshare id=39582108doc=businesscontinuityoverviewslideshare-140926170330-phpapp02w=640h=330]THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANThe Business Continuity Plan, which we will refer to from here on as “The Plan”, is the documentation of the outputs or results of a company’s BCP, presenting the processes and strategies that aim to help the company minimize, if not eliminate, the negative impact of disruptions to its business operations.The Plan has two components:Plans: These plans refer to the arrangements, measures, tactics and policies designed to ensure continuity of business operations, so that critical products and services are still delivered to customers.Resources: The second component refers to the resources or assets that are necessary for recovery measures, thereby supporting business continuity. These resources often include manpower or personnel, information, facilities, machinery and equipment, physical security tools, legal support, and funding.STEPS IN DEVELOPING A BUSINES S CONTINUITY PLANBefore you can get down to writing The Plan, there are several steps that must be performed.Step 1: Identify the scope of The Plan.As in most business planning processes, the first thing that must be done is to define the scope and objectives of the plan being made. In this case, it is the Business Continuity Plan.In addition, there is also a need to define the assumptions that will prevail in the conduct of BCP. It is also during this phase that budgeting is conducted, with the initial program budget taking into consideration the expenses that may be incurred in the process of developing the plan. These include costs of research, trainings and seminars, and other services sought in the process of moving the plan along.Step 2: Form your business continuity team.There is a need to establish a governance structure within the BCP in order for management to have order and control in its conduct. This implies care and prudence in choosing the people who will be assigned the task of planning for the continuity of the business.This involves identification of the key roles in the team, and their functions or roles and responsibilities. In addition, the qualifications for each role should also be identified, in order to justify the choice of personnel to fill the roles within the team. Lines of authority and accountability, as well as management succession, should also be defined clearly.The usual composition of a typical BCP team includes:BCP senior or executive manager â€" He is the overall leader of the committee, and the major link between top management and the BCP team.Program Coordinator â€" His responsibility includes BCP budgeting and budget implementation and monitoring, development of BCP policies, and coordination of BCP activities, such as the conduct of BIA, quality assurance, staffing, and training of BCP team members. In short, he is the team leader.Information officer â€" He will be responsible in ensuring the smooth and steady flow, a s well as access to and retrieval of data to be used in BCP.Representatives from the various business units or divisions of the company â€" They are excellent sources of input and relevant information, and will also aid in the analysis of BCP data. Usually, there is a representative for every critical process or function, as well as support processes or functions.There is no limit to how many people should comprise the business continuity team or committee. A team could have only five people on board, or it could have as much as 20 or even 30 members. The number of people and the size of the team will largely depend on the nature of the business and the size and scale of its operations.Step 3: Conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA)Conducting a BIA is crucial since its results will be the major input in business continuity planning. Through BIA, the team will be able to predict or forecast the potential impacts or consequences of business operations. It will also aid the team in ga thering information that will be helpful when it comes to developing strategies that can be adopted by the company for its recovery from the crisis.Briefly, let us take a look at the core concerns of BIA:Key business areas, or the core operations of the business;Functions and processes of the business that are considered critical and/or time-sensitive;The resources required to ensure the continuity of these key business areas and critical processes and functions;The dependencies (and interdependencies) between and among the business areas and functions or processes;The acceptable or tolerable downtimes for each critical process or functionThe BIA will facilitate the prioritization of critical processes and functions (or critical products and services) of the company, so management will have a clearer idea on which areas need more resource allocation in case of an emergency. Usually, estimates and approximations are made with respect to financial variables, such as lost revenues, add itional costs, and other possible losses.Step 4: Strategizing and PlanningBased on the results of BIA, the team will then identify response and recovery strategies and plans to address the effects of the disruption, and present them in detail. It is in this phase where the team will provide details on the arrangements and measures that the company will undertake in order to mitigate threats and risks.For every critical function, process, service, or product, there should be corresponding continuity responses, measures or plans. Cost estimates should also be included. That is how detailed this phase should be.It should also talk about the readiness procedures that must be implemented, and how they will be implemented.Step 5: Compilation and DocumentationThis involves the writing of the Business Continuity Plan. Usually, there will be a first draft, since the succeeding steps involve testing the recovery plans and strategies, making adjustments and re-testing until such time that The Plan can be finalized.Also, it is important to note that BCP is an ongoing process. That means that The Plan must be tested frequently, and updated when necessary. Thus, The Plan is subject to changes, as applicable.Step 6: Implementation and TestingThe prevention and mitigation strategies formulated in Step 4 will now be implemented. This involves communication of the plan to all members of the organization, making them aware of their part in it. This involves training them on their roles if the event does happen. External stakeholders should also be made aware of the plan.The emergency response and recovery strategies will undergo testing, mostly through drills and scenario exercises that will require the participation of the concerned employees or members of the organization. Through testing, the business continuity team will be able to assess whether the plan will be effective or not. This is their opportunity to make the necessary adjustments and corrections.Testing and evaluat ion must be done periodically in order to take into account the ever-changing nature of businesses.Step 7: Adjustments and ImprovementsThe program may need to be adjusted due to the following:Evaluation and testing of the strategies may reveal that they are ineffective or inefficientThere may be deficiencies in the strategiesSome roles and responsibilities are vague and need clarificationChange in the roles and members of the business continuity teamIntroduction or occurrence of new or additional factors or circumstances, such as new equipment, opening of a new branch, relocation of operations, and new technology or system that modified critical processes.Since testing and evaluations are done periodically, there is an equal chance that the program has to be adjusted several times. It follows that the Business Continuity Plan will have to be rewritten to accommodate or reflect these adjustments.WRITING THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANAfter performing the first three steps mentioned abov e, you are now ready to compile and document your business continuity planning activities in the Business Continuity Plan, modifying it for finalization purposes after testing and audit. Basically, everything that you performed in BCM will be documented in The Plan.Depending on the nature of the business, The Plan may have special features or additional parts. But generally, a Business Continuity Plan has the following sections:1. Program AdministrationUsually, this comes in the form of a Mission Statement which contains the following:The purpose of the plan, stated to benefit and involve the organization as a whole and not in partsThe scope, goals and objectives of the company’s BCPThe methods of evaluation that will be employedThe budget, specifically the anticipated and estimated costs that will be requiredOther resource requirementsAnticipated timeline of the conduct of BCPCompliance with any relevant legal and/or regulatory requirements2. GovernanceThis will detail the format ion of the business continuity team. Emphasis must be placed on the following information:The team members, their titles or designations, as well as their roles and responsibilities as members of the BCP team. Include their contact details.The lines of authority and succession of management, clearly demonstrating the delegation of authority and accountabilities.External entities or organizations that the business will interact with in the conduct of BCP. They include vendors, distributors, contractors, suppliers, and the like.Presentation of this section is reinforced by including an organizational or functional chart showing the lines and interconnections among the members of the team and external parties.3. Business Impact AnalysisDocument all the results of the BIA conducted by the team. Again, be as detailed as you possibly can.Results of any prior risk assessment procedures undertaken by the company should be included, as these will figure greatly in the conduct of BIA. By iden tifying the vulnerabilities of the company and their potential impact on its operations, the company will be able to determine its state of readiness and responsiveness in the event a disaster does happen that may cause disruptions.Other points that must be highlighted in this section are:Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for business processes and functions, in case of disruption. This is basically the estimate of the maximum duration or length of time that disrupted processes and functions must be recovered or restored, before the continuity of the business is seriously threatened.Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for data restoration. This is the maximum length of time in which data in a company’s IT infrastructure or database might be lost or inaccessible because of an emergency or disaster. When system designers and analysts are called in to work on recovery or restoration of data, they will know how much time they are given to accomplish that.4. Business continuity strategies and requirementsAll the plans, measures, procedures and arrangements, as well as the resources and other requirements to implement them, must be documented in this section, in great detail.Take note that BCM is an ongoing process, which means planning strategies that will be employed before, during, and after a disruptive event.Examples are detailed strategies and resource requirements for:Implementation and execution of prevention and control strategies, or the activities that will be undertaken before the event takes place. Examples are:Installing physical protection facilities, systems and measures, such as emergency generators and storm shutters.Diversification of resource providers and expanding the supply chain, maybe by looking for other alternative suppliers and vendors so as to not be entirely dependent on a single source.Setting up off-site facilities as backups or alternates for servers, storage and warehousing, among other thingsImplementation and execution of emergency resp onse strategies, or the activities during the event. Examples of these emergency responses are:Set up of an incident response command centerEvacuation proceduresInformation dissemination to the media and the general publicDelivery of notifications and status updates to suppliers, vendors, distributors and customersImplementation and execution of recovery strategies, or activities after the event has taken place and efforts are made to resume operations. Example strategies are:Relocation or transfer of operations to another geographical areaAlternative methods or processes, such as manual workarounds, or temporary methods employed or used by the company to facilitate the continuation of critical processes and functions in the absence of normal systems and personnelData restoration, especially when the company’s information technology units received the brunt of the disruption5. Training, Testing and EvaluationWith respect to Training, the Plan should include details of the followin g:Training program or curriculum that will be followed by the members of the business continuity team and the other members of the organization.Timeline or training schedule of the team members and other personnelWhen evaluating the planned strategies, the following should be in The Plan as well:Testing procedures for the recovery and response strategiesTesting schedule or timeline for the conduct of the proceduresForms and documents that will be used in the testing and evaluationDescription and the finer details on the exercises that will be conducted6. Program MaintenanceThe Plan will also serve as a historical record or reference to trace how the business continuity management process went about. Thus, when writing about updates or adjustments made, there should be a reference on the deficiencies or issues that were addressed by the adjustments or corrective actions.The Business Continuity Plan is essentially the Bible of the company during times of crisis or when it has to deal with the fallout of a disaster. Usually, people have trouble thinking straight during such major events and upheavals, and The Plan will serve as the guide that will steer the company in the right direction.When writing a Business Continuity Plan, accuracy is of high importance, from the personal information of all individuals and entities involved to their roles and responsibilities. It should also remain relevant at all times, and that can be achieved by making sure that it is kept up to date. Finally, when writing The Plan, do it in such a way that it can be easily understood by everyone who reads it, from senior management to the lowliest employee in the organization. It won’t be of any use if trying to make sense of what it written on it becomes a hardship.

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Olive Garden Case Analysis Essay - 957 Words

Case Analysis of Olive Garden Restaurants Division Brief Overview On Tuesday evening around 8:15 pm, Mr. Martin A. Wallace accompanied by his father and two daughters, entered an Olive Garden Restaurant expecting to be greeted with a friendly smile and great customer service. This was not the case. Instead, Mr. Wallace was not greeted by any host/hostess, but instead an empty station. After waiting about ten minutes, he went to the bar to find someone to seat him and his family. Only then did a hostess take them to their table and appeared to be annoyed. The hostess tried to seat them in a section that was not possible for Mr. Wallace’s father to get to easily since he is handicapped. After a short conversation, she then took them to a†¦show more content†¦The critical issues relevant in this case are: the employees as well as the manager showed no signs of respect for the customers’ physical needs, time, or opinion of the restaurant by both verbal and non-verbal cues; and key corporate customer service strategies were not be ing implemented. The key concerns for the corporate office should first and foremost be the fact that their own customer service strategies were not being implemented in this location. Olive Garden uses the term Hospitaliano, as their slogan meaning 100% customer delight (Anonymous, 2011). The first sign of this not being followed was the issues with the hostess. There was not anyone waiting at the hostess stand to greet newly arriving customers. Once the customer did track someone down to wait on them, the hostess then responded with her facial expressions and body language as though she was ready to go home and was not happy about having to seat another customer. She also did not pay attention to the customers’ needs, by not grabbing the appropriate menus and trying to sit the customers in an area which was physically impossible for one to get to. She showed no regard to the customer being handicapped and almost irritated that it might take longer for her to go home. 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Future Goals Essay Free Essays

Everyone should hold ends when they are seeking to accomplish a specific undertaking. A good illustration of when ends are of import to hold is when you’re planning to go to college. Therefore. We will write a custom essay sample on Future Goals Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now I have developed three personal ends that I consider of import in accomplishing during my clip here at WEHS. First is the end of run intoing other people that have the same calling field that I do. Second. I would wish to better myself utilizing instruction. doing me a better good known single. Third. and eventually. I would wish to graduate from WEHS and attend Texas A A ; M University in Corpus Christi. With the ends that I have listed. I feel that it will profit my hereafter and educate me further in the condemnable justness field. First. my end of run intoing other people that have the same calling involvements as I do or hold already been in the condemnable justness field. In order to accomplish this mark. I am traveling to speak to other persons that have already worked as Attorneys. Besides. if they are willing to speak to me about past experiences they can give me tips and other information that they have learned and are willing to assist other people learn from their error s. Furthermore they will be able to give me ideas sing what it will take for me to acquire my pes in the door in the Criminal Justice field. I feel that I will non hold a job speaking to people that already work in the field because I have learned that people experienced in this type of thing are friendly and are willing to assist others because helping others is what this calling entails. For that ground. meeting others that have the same calling aspirations as I do makes this end an highly of import 1. My 2nd end of bettering myself and going a well known single will do me a better individual. Education is what runs the universe and moves our economic system. In today’s society. instruction is improbably of import and if you are educated. you will be given more respect than those who are less educated. Without it. we would non be able to carry through the many undertakings society demands completed in order to last. Furthermore. I would non be where I am or who I am today without the instruction I am having here in WEHS. Due to my old ends. I believe that I have achieved a great trade in life and wish to foster my schooling. and be able to accomplish higher purposes in my hereafter. Besides. some of the personal ends that I have set for myself will necessitate a higher degree of instruction and the cognition that the University Of Texas A A ; M will give me will assist me to accomplish my achievements. My 3rd and concluding end is to graduate WESH and go to the University Of Texas A A ; M and have a grade in Criminal Justice. I will be able to accomplish this grade by go toing the categories that the University will be able to supply for me and my ain committedness to finishing them. By making these things. I will have the grade that will non merely set me on the right path to my hereafter. but besides lead me beyond the calling ends that I have set for myself. It will give me the option of traveling up in ranks in condemnable justness field that would non be possible if I wouldn’t have the ends I have set for myself as of now. Therefore. I will accomplish the ends that I have set Forth for the growing of my hereafter. Goals are vastly of import to hold and everyone should hold them written down if they want to be successful. Without composing them down. they would merely be impressions and most probably would merely accomplish thoughts. non ends. As a consequence. I have written down the ends I spoke of above and will seek my best in making them. Meeting other people in my calling field. going a well known single. and having my Condemnable Justice grade are of import to my hereafter. With these ends. I will carry through my educational ends at the University Of Texas A A ; M and it will put me up to carry through my personal calling aims that I have set for my hereafter. Besides. if I keep on path. my hereafter will look bright and I will hold an exciting life in the old ages to come. How to cite Future Goals Essay, Essays

UK Healthcare System in India

Question: Compare and contrast the UK healthcare system in India? Answer: Introduction Healthcare service is one of the essential frameworks, responsible for the wellbeing state of community people in terms of physical, mental and societal prospects. Often government reframes the public policy, make amendments in the existing acts, and focus on existing resources in health care settings to improve the health standard. The objective of these measures is to maintain the healthcare standard that meets the demand of the community. The scope of the present paper is to discuss the variation and similarities of pattern, health economics and reframes that are present in UK and among other countries. Notably, for a simplified and effective comparison, it is necessary to mention some key points, based on which the healthcare system can be compared. Likewise, the key point should be based on critical data that are helpful for analysis. These data should be reflective towards the epidemiology like mortality, morbidity, risk factors, the prevalence rate of infection, cost per prescription, and quality outcome (Siciliani, Moran Borowitz, 2013, pp.292). Other than this, the accessibility of people for primary care, hospital admission rate, waiting time and length of stays in a hospital is also reflective of same issues. In particular the comparison is made with reference to UK and India. The evidences used for the analysis of healthcare system in the present paper is thus collected based on published literatures from la st five years by date. Health outcomes The life-expectancy of people across UK differs significantly. In India, the average life expectancy of male and female is 64.6 and 67.7 respectively, according to health statistics of 2008-10. For UK, the same is 80.4 and 82.6 respectively for male and female. A similar trend is also evidenced with respect to standardized mortality ratio and healthy life expectancy; where the condition is worsen in India compared to UK (Lau, 2012, pp.195). It is noteworthy to mention that the overall health care standard is genuine and optimum in both countries, but population factor is one of the major challenge in this regard. Hence, it can also be concluded that the need is to focus on meeting the demand of health care need as the performance and effectiveness are appropriate, particularly for India compared to UK. Health spending According to health economics, health services in UK have increased the expenditure almost double in the 2010-11 term, compared to 2000-01. The figure of invested revenue increased from 53 to 120 billion. The increased rate of expenditure is attributed to the modernization of facilities with technology, and recruitment of number of healthcare professionals (Greenhalgh, 2013, pp.e125). Opening of new health care organizations, sponsoring conferences, increased concern for competencies of professionals are also included under the expenditure. Comparing the same figures for India, it is 51,417 Crore Rupees (56.12 billion), and that the increase of expenditure in last 10 years is 20%. Note that the overall expenditure of India in 2010-11 is less compared to UK, which is mainly because of less implementation in the work process. Presently, almost in every organizations of UK, electronic health records, telenursing, day care center for elder people is active, for which India lag behind. In india, the population are more in poverty, rural location and at below baseline level of education. Based on the demographic, geographic and behavioral factors, it is concluded that health care delivery is of India is less compared to UK. The reason is also attributed to higher population and presence of cultural diversity in higher proportion for India. The incidence of ills health condition and risk factors with childhood obesity, smoking status, poor socio-economic status and occupational disease is also higher in India (Gupta, 2012, pp.e44098). Overall, based on the statistics, the need for healthcare service is higher for india compared to UK. Cost of resources for health services The average number of general physicians, dentist and medical staff and nurses are the primary criteria for analyzing the cost of resources for health services. Other than this the elements such as protocols, machinery, bed system and associated resources in health institution also account for the same cost. Overall the number of professionals and health organizations are more in number compared to UK. On the contrary, comparing the same number with respect to the population of the nation, it is UK, which dominates. Thus, despite of overall expenditure in India, the quality of service is more accurate in UK (Sinha, 2013, pp.86). Health priorities in every nation vary with time, but some of the critical areas are limited in this regard. The constant are included public health, cancer care and waiting time in hospital. Government administration have allowed for their population to choose and decide the overall budget for their health expenditure in both the nations. The total public spending is comparable for India since 2008-10 (16%), which further increased to 20 % in the year 2010-11 (Balarajan, Selvaraj Subramanian, 2011, pp.505). On the contrary, the expenditure in concern to public spending is almost constant for UK which is 16% from last 10 years (Wallace Kulu, 2014, pp.694). Quality of healthcare services Disease management, patient counseling and patient education and consent are same in both the nation. Likewise, the competency level and the assessment during the recruitment are easier in India compared to UK. There exists challenge to the individual level (for both government and private organization) for India in maintaining appropriate number of professionals to meet the growing health services related demands. The average general physician for UK people is constant since 2008 to 2011 which is more than 80 GPs per 100,000 people. The figure for India is 55.3 GPs per 100,000 people (Steele Cylus, 2012, pp.1; Pramesh, 2014, pp.e223). Similarly, the number of nurses per 100,000 people is 150 in UK and 65 in India. Note that the average taxable income for a general physician in the year 2009-10 is 89,500 in UK and that in India is 60,000 Rupees (654) (Blackman, 2012, pp.49; Pramesh, 2014, pp.e223). Conclusion With the above statistics and figures, it is common to find that the overall expenditure is comparable for India. Note that the complications in conjunction with the help risk in children, adolescent, and elderly people are higher in India compared to that of UK. This is attributed to the larger population of the nation. It is hence despite more investment and more concern towards the policy priority matters, the overall health outcome is less for India, compared to UK. Apart from this, it would be appropriate to state the maintenance of healthcare standards and measures for health restoration are poor in India (Prinja, 2012, pp.e30362). Considering the analysis point of view, other consideration, such as emergency services, mental health status, per capital income, and education are also crucial for determining the healthcare aspect of the community. References: BALARAJAN, Y., SELVARAJ, S., SUBRAMANIAN, S. V. (2011). Health care and equity in India. The Lancet, 377(9764), pp.505-515. BLACKMAN, T., HARRINGTON, B., ELLIOTT, E., GREENE, A., HUNTER, D. J., MARKS, L., ... WILLIAMS, G. (2012). Framing health inequalities for local intervention: comparative case studies. Sociology of health illness, 34(1), pp.49-63. GUPTA, R., DEEDWANIA, P. C., SHARMA, K., GUPTA, A., GUPTHA, S., ACHARI, V., ... GUPTA, R. (2012). Association of educational, occupational and socioeconomic status with cardiovascular risk factors in Asian Indians: a cross-sectional study. PloS one, 7(8), pp.e44098. GREENHALGH, T., MORRIS, L., WYATT, J. C., THOMAS, G., GUNNING, K. (2013). Introducing a nationally shared electronic patient record: Case study comparison of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. International journal of medical informatics, 82(5), pp.e125-e138. LAU, R. S., JOHNSON, S., KAMALANABHAN, T. J. (2012). Healthy life expectancy in the context of population health and ageing in India. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 24(1), pp.195-207. PRAMESH, C. S., BADWE, R. A., BORTHAKUR, B. B., CHANDRA, M., RAJ, E. H., KANNAN, T., ... SULLIVAN, R. (2014). Delivery of affordable and equitable cancer care in India. The lancet oncology, 15(6), pp.e223-e233. PRINJA, S., BAHUGUNA, P., PINTO, A. D., SHARMA, A., BHARAJ, G., KUMAR, V., ... KUMAR, R. (2012). The cost of universal health care in India: a model based estimate. PLoS One, 7(1), pp.e30362. SICILIANI, L., MORAN, V., BOROWITZ, M. (2014). Measuring and comparing health care waiting times in OECD countries. Health Policy, 118(3), pp.292-303. SINHA, S., PEACH, G., POLONIECKI, J. D., THOMPSON, M. M., HOLT, P. J. (2013). Studies using English administrative data (Hospital Episode Statistics) to assess health-care outcomessystematic review and recommendations for reporting. The European Journal of Public Health, 23(1), pp.86-92. WALLACE, M., KULU, H. (2014). Migration and Health in England and Scotland: a Study of Migrant Selectivity and Salmon Bias. Population, Space and Place, 20(8), pp.694-708. STEELE, D., CYLUS, J. (2012). United Kingdom (Scotland): health system review. Health systems in transition, 14(9), pp.1-150.

Guide How to Write an Argumentative Essay Simple Steps

Guide How to Write an Argumentative Essay Simple Steps The Definition of an Argumentative Essay An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that aims at making a specific claim on a particular subject. The position you choose should be expressed in an understandable manner and backed up with reliable and authoritative evidence so that people will not only comprehend your point but will also change their mind in correspondence to your argument. Therefore, the primary purpose of an argumentative essay is to convince someone in something. Types of Argumentative Essays There are two possible approaches to making an argument: the classical strategy of argumentations and Rogerian argument. Both of these types have specific distinctive features of expression and are aimed at achieving different goals. Classical argument: The classical approach to making an argument is the most famous and used method. This strategy implies presenting an issue, claiming a solution to it, and trying to convince the audience that this specific solution is the best one. If you are writing an essay using the classical argument, your job is to make people care about the chosen topic and agree with you. This type of argumentation usually follows a specific outline: Introduction: Attracts readers’ attention to the discussed topic, describes a problem connected with it and explains why it is important. Background: Presents facts that surround the issue. Thesis: Defines your position, main arguments, and possible objections. Argument: Discusses motivation behind your position and available evidence that will prove its rightfulness. This section should be the largest part of your paper. Refutation: Presents examples of opposing views to your position, the validity of which you have to refute. Conclusion: Summarizes each of the paper’s main points and explains why the position you have chosen is the best one. Rogerian argument: A Rogerian strategy of argumentation implies striving to persuade a reader through finding points of agreement. This method is usually used in such debates where both sides of an argument do not want to listen to one another. Your task here is to find an intermediate position so that it would be appreciated by each of the sides. The outline for the argumentative essay should look in the following manner: Introduction: Presents the issue and explains the necessity of addressing it. Description of opposing views: This section is supposed to show your desire to understand both sides of the argument since here you should objectively discuss in which cases the opposing views can be valid. If you manage to prove that you are open-minded and devoid of prejudice, then you will achieve the attention of the opponents. Claim: Unlike the previous type of argument, here your task is not to state why your position is correct, but instead, merely describe situations in which your point is valid. Convincing: This part ought to show what the advantages of accepting your position are. It should describe benefits for the people who would change their mind. However, a Rogerian argument is rarely used, and the preference is usually given to classical strategy due to its more practical and easier implication. Finding Topics for Your Argumentative Essay There is a wide variety of topics to choose from, but you should ask yourself whether your issue is controversial enough to be covered in an argumentative essay. For instance, the subject of your research must be dual, which would allow you to take a position either for or against it. Besides, you must be sure that your topic is still relative to the modern realities. If it is not accurate anymore, then there is no point in arguing. You can search for topics online, or even listen to conversations in public places and understand which issues are critical for people. In fact, every topic that suggests both possible answers, yes and no, implies that there is a debate over it. Here is a list of topics that always find both their supporters and opponents, and therefore are perfect for making your own argument: Should Tobacco Production Be Made Illegal? Should the Death Penalty be Introduced in Every Country of the World? Is Artificial Intelligence a Doom for Humankind? Should Euthanasia be Allowed? Should Education be Free for Everyone? Does the United States Need Better Gun Control? Do Video Games Have an Adverse Impact on Children’s Mental Health? Should Abortions be Illegal? Is There Life After Death? Should We Vaccinate Our Children? Pre-writing Tips from Our Academic Writers Determine your position: As you see, all the topics mentioned above are still open and do not advocate any specific position. Your task is to decide which side of the argument you would like to defend. For instance, are you for or against euthanasia? Besides, remember that in your argumentative essay you should consider each aspect of the argument. This means that you also have to mention several objections to your choice, and try to disprove them if it is possible. At least two objections should be refuted in order to show that only your position is correct. Do not forget about your audience: The most significant aspect of an argumentative essay is persuasion. This means, however, that you must not only create a persuasive piece of text, but you also should know whom you want to persuade. Defining the audience is a fundamental part of writing an argumentative essay. You should consider whether your readers are already acquainted with the topic under discussion, or is it new to them? If your audience consists of specialists, then you must get straight to the point of the debate, omitting the background information. However, if your potential audience is still not familiar with the topic, then you should provide general introductory information to â€Å"plant a seed† of awareness and only after this, proceed to make an argument. Find evidence: It is also necessary to back up the persuasiveness of your essay by incorporating certain pieces of evidence from credible sources. The argumentation should not be based purely on your own opinion, but instead, you should provide ideas of eminent researchers to support your position. In the paper, refer to different scholarly books or scientific articles since it will promote the success of your argumentative essay. You can search for sources online on such a platform as Google Scholar. Formulate an effective title: In order to create an effective title, you should change and shape your topic into something more specific, so that it would show what side of the argument you support. The title should give a reader some hint about the content of your argumentative essay. For instance, the title â€Å"Do video games have an adverse impact on children’s mental health?† is not effective for argumentative essay since it is not a statement. In turn, your title might be like the following: â€Å"Video games have an adverse impact on children’s mental health.† In this manner, you are defined in your position and have to prove that video games have a bad influence on a child’s well-being. This title will inevitably attract both people who support this point since they would like to know more about it and those who are against a harmful effect of video games because they would want to argue with you. Nonetheless, your title did its job if it m anaged to attract readers, regardless of their intentions. Create an outline: Sometimes you might feel stuck in the middle of the writing process like you are out of ideas to continue the paper. That is why it is better to have at least a simple outline of the essay. Put your thoughts into several points and try to give them a few words of description. If you do it, you will notice how easier it is to write when there is a plan of the paper in front of you. The examples of outlines of simple but effective outlines you can see in the sections above. The Beginning of Writing – Introduction The introductory paragraph is the first section of your argumentative essay, and just like the book’s cover, this paragraph determines the first impression that a reader will get. Here you have to provide an attention-grabbing sentence, some general information connected to your topic, and a strong thesis statement. Hook: The first sentence of your introduction should hook readers’ attention. It may be some fact, statistical information, or quotation regarding your topic. Background information: Introduce your topic to readers because some of them might be not familiar with it like you are. Provide general information or the history of the subject under consideration. For instance, if you are writing an argumentative essay about gun control in the United States, and advocating on the need of its enforcement, you may mention several major events of gun usage that occurred due to the inefficiency of law. Thesis statement: The most significant part of an introduction is the thesis statement since it is the reader’s guide to the entire argumentative essay. In one or two sentences, you should manage to gather all the crucial ideas of each of the following paragraphs. Remember that a good thesis statement should consider both sides of an argument. Here is an example of an incorrect thesis statement: â€Å"This essay will consider legal, ethical, and philosophical advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of euthanasia.† This thesis is too broad, does not indicate the structure of the paper, and does not claim anything specific. In turn, the correct version of the thesis statement for an argumentative essay about euthanasia should look like in the following manner: â€Å"While the opinion of American Medical Association concerning the rights and obligations of doctors opposes the medical implementation of euthanasia, it is immoral to ban euthanasia since it contradicts the humanitarian grounds and undermines the fundamental human right of choice.† As you see, this thesis statement implies a definite position that will argue the importance of the introduction of euthanasia. Body Paragraphs The body of your essay is the most substantial part of the paper. Each body paragraph should express only one specific idea. At the beginning of such section, you must provide your claims in a topic sentence, support them with relevant evidence, and strive to make the information readable. Topic sentence: The first sentence of each body paragraph should allow a reader to grasp the idea of the whole section. For instance, if you are advocating for possible dangers connected with the appearance of artificial intelligence, you may start your paragraph by mentioning a certain imperfection of the laws of robotics. Supportive evidence: Always try to support your statements with credible sources or opinions of qualified researchers, since mentioning an authoritative figure will significantly contribute to the persuasiveness of your argument. However, do not forget to cite all the used sources because otherwise, it will be considered as plagiarism. Linking structures: Use specific words that will contribute not only to the cohesion of a body paragraph but will also provide it for the whole essay. It may be hard for a reader to keep track of the flow of your argumentation, and linking words are supposed to be an insurance against being lost in new information. Conclusion In the concluding paragraph of your argumentative essay, you should summarize every important piece of knowledge that you expressed in the body section. It is a final result of your work, so ask yourself a question: â€Å"What have I achieved while writing this essay?† This will help you to formulate a perfect conclusion. Besides, remember that your readers also want to revise everything that they learned after examining the paper. Concluding paragraph is the last chance to convince your reader if you have not done it so far. Start your conclusion from restating the thesis statement, and then move to the core ideas of the body paragraphs. Do you consider your argumentative essay successful? Did you manage to present the most reasonable position of the discussed topic? Do not be afraid to compliment your paper by summarizing the achievements of the argumentation. Post-writing Tips Keep in mind that passing your work before the deadline is not always rational since the post-writing process is also vital for the success of your paper. Try to manage your time so that you would be able to proofread and edit your essay. You might think that the document is already perfect because you reread it multiple times during writing, but a short fresh glance on it is more likely to make you change your mind. The most commonly made mistakes are connected with grammar and punctuation. Since a simple comma can drastically change the meaning of a whole sentence, be sure to proofread each part of your essay with proper attention. Then, revise your citations and works cited page. Did you follow the required formatting style (MLA, APA, or any other)? Do your quotes contribute anything to the paper? Have you explained them? In order to be sure that the quotes you use are successfully incorporated into the content of the essay’s paragraphs, follow the Quote Sandwich method of â€Å"opening-evidence-explanation.† If you give account to everything that was mentioned in this argumentative essay writing guide, then your argumentative essay ought to be successful in persuading its target audience. References Baggett, S. (2017). How to write a strong thesis statement [Blog]. Retrieved from easybib.com/guides/how-to-write-a-strong-thesis-statement/ Classical argument. (2009). Retrieved from https://writingcommons.org/open-text/genres/academic-writing/arguments/182-classical-traditional-argument Fleming, G. (2018). These compelling argumentative topics make great school essays. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/argument-essay-topics-1856987 How to write an excellent discussion / argument. Retrieved from literacyideas.com/argumentative-discussion/ Odak, S. Creating a Rogerian argument essay structure. Retrieved from https://www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-writing/104393-rogerian-argument-essay-structure/

Senior Citizen Population by State Per 2010 Census

Senior Citizen Population by State Per 2010 Census This article lists the United States senior citizen population (i.e. sixty-five years old and over) by state, as recorded in the 2010 Census. This data is relevant to national and state elections because historically, more senior citizens vote Republican than vote Democratic. In the 2008 presidential election, senior citizens nationwide heavily favored Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by a margin of 53% to 45%. Reported campaign strategists Democracy Corps about the 2008 election in comparison to 2004, According to the exit polls, while Obama made gains with nearly all groups compared to John Kerry, this did not happen with seniors. They, along with gay and lesbian voters, were the big underperformers for Obama. However, in the 2012 elections, voters sixty-five years old and over could be upset enough over Republican proposals to cut and/or change Social Security and Medicare benefits to opt to vote for Democratic candidates. States with high concentrations of senior citizens include 2012 battlegrounds Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and potential battleground states Missouri, Arizona, Montana and Iowa. State Resident Population65 Years Old and OverAccording to the 2010 Census Very High Level of Senior Citizen Population 1. Florida - 17.3% 2. West Virginia - 16.0% 3. Maine - 15.9% 4. Pennsylvania - 15.4% 5. Iowa - 14.9% 6. Montana - 14.8% 7. Vermont - 14.6% 8. North Dakota - 14.5% 9. Arkansas - 14.4% 9. Rhode Island - 14.4% 9. Delaware - 14.4% 12. South Dakota - 14.3% 12. Hawaii - 14.3% High Level of Senior Citizen Population 14. Connecticut - 14.2% 15. Ohio - 14.1 % 16. Missouri - 14.0% 17. Oregon - 13.9% 18. Michigan - 13.8% 18. Arizona - 13.8% 18. Massachusetts - 13.8% 18. Alabama - 13.8% 22. Wisconsin - 13.7% 22. South Carolina - 13.7% 24. Nebraska - 13.5% 24. New York - 13.5% 24. Oklahoma - 13.5% 24. New Jersey - 13.5% Median Level of Senior Citizen Population 28. New Hampshire - 13.5% 29. Tennessee - 13.4% 30. Kentucky - 13.3% 31. New Mexico - 13.2% 31. Kansas - 13.2% 33. Indiana - 13.0% 34. North Carolina - 12.9% 34. Minnesota - 12.9% 36. Mississippi - 12.8% 37. Illinois - 12.5% 38. Wyoming - 12.4% 38. Idaho - 12.4% 40. Louisiana - 12.3% 40. Maryland - 12.3% 40. Washington - 12.3% 43. Virginia - 12.2% 44. Nevada - 12.0% Low Level of Senior Citizen Population 45. California - 11.4% 46. Colorado - 10.9% 47. Georgia - 10.7% 48. Texas - 10.3% 49. Utah - 9.0% 50. Alaska - 7.7% Unemployment Rates by State Foreclosure Rates by State Top 20 Labor Union States Hispanic Population by State African-American Population by State U.S. Census Bureau , Table 16, State Resident Population by Age and State: 2010