Childhood Poverty Essays (639 words) - Poverty,

Childhood Poverty Childhood poverty has been an ongoing problem throughout history. Although America is one of the richest nations, poverty still exists. Poverty not only affects America but it is also a concern in others parts of the world. Although there may seem to be massive amounts of food in the world, there are people that are bound by poverty. Poverty not only constricts the children but every member of that household. It brings about an inadequate amount of monetary resources needed not only for their survival but the survival of their children. In a household of four, with two of those individuals being children, the federal poverty level is $23,550. Among the many nations of the world there are over 16 million children in the United States that live in homes where the incomes are far below the federal poverty level. A household must make at least twice the federal poverty level in order for basic needs to be met Between the years of 2006 and 2010 the childhood poverty level has increased in the state of Florida by thirty-five percent. The number of children in the state of Florida living in poverty has increased by 35 percent between 2006 and 2010. This increase has especially affected African American and Hispanic youth. It has been stated that one out of every four or about 924,000 children in Florida, now live before the federal poverty line. Two-thirds of African American children live in families classified as low-income, meaning they earn less than $44,100 a year for a family of four (Santich, 2012). Poverty puts many children at risk as soon as they are born. Millions of children die every year before they reach the age of five by reasons that could have most often been prevented. The lack of improper nourishment, water and immunizations has been a great cause of death. The results of poverty are devastating. Poverty not only brings about death but it so often robs the childhood of millions of children around the world. These children no longer have the means needed to survive, develop and thrive (unicef, 2005). Poverty brings about inequalities in the opportunities presented to these children. It makes children more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, violence, discrimination and stigmatization (unicef, 2005). Childhood poverty brings about an experience that shapes every aspect of a childs life. Poverty cannot be limited to just one area but we must understand that there are many dimensions of poverty mortality, morbidity, hunger, sickness, illiteracy, homelessness and powerlessness (unicef, 2005). Safe drinking water, adequate amounts of food to meet body requirements, sanitation facilities, health care, safe housing and education are being deprived from these children due to poverty. Research indicates that poor children are disproportionately exposed to factors that may impair brain development and affect social and emotional development. These risks include environmental toxins, inadequate nutrition, maternal depression, parental substance abuse, trauma and abuse, violent crime, divorce, low-quality child care, and decreased cognitive stimulation (stemming in part from exposure to a more restricted vocabulary as infants), (National Center for Children in Poverty). The high rates of poverty not only affect individual families but it brings about severe cost to society. Due to the effects of poverty on society it has brought about social problems that have become more difficult to solve. Our nation has been ranked as one of the highest nations in childhood poverty. Poverty still exists, but why is it in America? Within the last six years the wealth of America has grown by 60 percent which brings us to a striking $30 trillion but yet we also have grown by 60 percent in the number of homeless children. Why are we so blinded and calloused to the fact that poverty is detrimental and it needs to be dealt with.

Edmontonia - Facts and Figures

Edmontonia - Facts and Figures Name: Edmontonia (from Edmonton); pronounced ED-mon-TOE-nee-ah Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (75-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and three tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Low-slung body; sharp spikes on shoulders; lack of tail club About Edmontonia Edmonton in Canada is one of the few regions in the world with two dinosaurs named after itthe duck-billed herbivore Edmontosaurus, and the armored nodosaur Edmontonia. However, you should bear in mind that Edmontonia was named not after the city, but after the Edmonton Formation where it was discovered; theres no evidence that it actually lived in the environs of Edmonton itself. The type specimen of this dinosaur was discovered in Canadas Alberta Province in 1915, by the swashbuckling fossil hunter Barnum Brown, and initially assigned as a species of the nodosaur genus Palaeoscincus (ancient skink), a classification that fortunately never caught on. Naming issues aside, Edmontonia was a formidable dinosaur, with its bulky, low-slung body, armor plating along its back, andmost intimidatinglythe sharp spikes jutting out from its shoulders, which may have been used to deter predators or to fight other males for the right to mate (or both). Some paleontologists also believe Edmontonia was capable of producing honking sounds, which would truly have made it the SUV of nodosaurs. (By the way, Edmontosaurus and other nodosaurs lacked the tail clubs of classic armored dinosaurs like Ankylosaurus, which may or may not have made them more vulnerable to predation by tyrannosaurs and raptors.)

SPSS exercises Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SPSS exercises - Assignment Example Measures to control false alarm should be put in place, considering the confidence intervals , if all the these intervals are independent at 5% there is a probalility that one event will be rejected at 99.4%. This error can be controlled by using Tukey HSD. As shown in the table 2.8 and 2.9 below. Vicky conducted a study to evaluate time fathers spend playing with there disabled children. The study was analysed on SPSS and a two – way ANOVA was conducted to evaluate their difference in groups, according to gender and disability, and the time spend playing with the kid by their fathers. The population set was 60, the average time spend was 4.63 and a standard deviation of 2.47 as presented in Table 2.2 above. Table 2.4 shows a F(2,54) = 27.140, p We have to control false alarm and setting alpha to .05 as presented on Table 2.9, there is no difference between the disabilities at p-value = .000 and as noted above there was a interaction between the gender and the disability. P-value < 0.001 an indication that the results are highly significant at .1% level (William Mendenhall III,

Austria's Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Austria's Politics - Essay Example The amendments have helped in increasing the political role of the president, as well as the process of election. Originally the president is elected by the members of the parliament. The amendments give the right of electing the president to the people instead. Austria is known to have a weak federal system. This is reflected upon the way that even though the constitution strictly states that each of Austria's nine provinces shall have jurisdiction over matters that is not under the federal government. These matters that should have been under provincial power involve the laws that are already decided by the federal government. These laws include education, financial and judicial legislation. The president as in many parliamentary system plays the ceremonial role. It is said that the president in Austria has the duty of constructing, guarding and dissolving governments. Since the president is elected by the people, it follows that the president is responsible and liable to the people. In such case, every action that the president does should promote the welfare of the people. In this view, the president is given the authority to assign members of the cabinet. In Austria, both the parliament and the government are under the pres... It happened in 1986 and 1971. The president is also granted with emergency powers. Emergency powers refer to the authority of the president during an emergency which gives him the right to act even without consulting the Nationalrat first. In such instances, the cabinet needs to give the president the right to conduct provisional laws. Nonetheless, such laws could either be void or implemented by the Nationalrat after four weeks. The chancellor which is in other parliament referred to as the prime minister is the real head of the government and the parliament. The chancellor is elected and can be dismissed by the president; nonetheless, the chancellor shall be the leader of the political party which holds the highest number of votes or seats in the so-called parliamentary election. The chancellor is the one who functions as the coordinator of the cabinet. However this does not give him the right to force or order other minister to act or conduct personal orders. The president has the power to appoint members of the cabinet and also to dismiss the cabinet as a whole. On the other hand, if the president would dismiss only one member of the cabinet, there must be a recommendation that comes from the Chancellor. The Nationalrat or National Council holds the power that is necessary to create National Legislations. Aside from the president, the NAtionalrat has the authority to remove the entire cabinet by means of a "vote of nonconfidence". Unlike the president, the Nationalrat can remove an individual member of the Cabinet using the "vote of nonconfidence". Treaties, laws, amendments and other forms of legislation can only be approved or implemented by the Nationalrat. Also elections could only be legitimate if one-third of

Pattern and Sequences of Child Development

Pattern and Sequences of Child Development Introduction Before birth, after and until adulthood children grow and develop continually. They follow an expected pattern of development to reach a stage to the next. However, we observe that each children develop at their own pace of time. With some children there may be delays in their pattern of development. In general, the pattern is seen in the growth of the body from head to toe, then the building of muscles to gain control on the body and then the formation of speech and the emotional responses are acquired. In order to describe the developmental process of the child, practitioners should base their observations on the following area of development; Physical Development This area of development studies how children acquire the below physical abilities to perform certain activities. Gross Motor Skills – These are movements made by large limbs such as kicking a ball, pulling a heavy object or throwing an object. Fine Motor Skills – These are fine and precise movement shown when holding a pencil correctly, retrieving a tiny object from the floor. Locomotive Skills – These are skills for balancing the body such as walking on a line, standing on one foot for a few minutes. Cognitive Development This area of development describes the intellectual development of the child. Children show a profound development in receiving, retaining, processing information. They are learning to think logical and understand. They are able to form imagination and learn problem solving skills. Communication Development This area of development considers the ability to communicate information in the form of speech, verbal and non-verbal, reading and writing, asking questions, discussing and gestures through body language. Social and Emotional Development This area of development deals with children’s ability to express their feelings and emotions. It also includes forming relationships, self- identity, social behaviour as how to speak courteously, caring for oneself and others and also how to deal with their emotions. Moral Development This area of development is closely related to the Social and Emotional Development. Here children are able to learn how to distinguish between right or wrong activities, how to react and behave towards others, how to make the right choices and they develop abstract moral reasoning. Researchers have observed that the development of children follows an expected stage in the form of time spans. This is referred to as Four Stages of Development according to Maria Montessori. First Plane of Development (0-6 Years) – The Period of Infancy 0-3 Years The human baby is fully dependent on the adult for its movement and interpretation of his needs, unlike other species of beings that are able to walk or make same kind of noises like their adults, almost immediately after they are born. The human child can only express by crying. Physically the child is disproportionate, for example, the child’s head is much larger in proportion to the whole body. By the age of three the child is significantly more independent and although physically still disproportioned the child has acquired movements, if not perfect but reasonably coordinated. 3-6 Years During this period the child of three although more physically proportionate than the child between birth to three, the child is still perfecting his coordination of movements. The Absorbent Mind along with the Sensitive Periods is still functioning, the child is absorbing all the impressions that surround his environment; however he is now able to question and reason before he accepts what he sees. The period between three to six marks the period of expansion, consolidation and completion. The child during this period is attracted to more challenging activities and his hands, Maria Montessori refers to as â€Å"the instrument of his intelligence† aids him to explore his environment sensorially. The child is ready for an environment outside his home; however â€Å"Help me to help myself† is his exclamation. Second Plane of Development (6 – 12 Years) – The Period of Childhood At this stage the child is physically independent and is stronger. The child constantly engages in activities to test how strong, fast, daring and challenging he/she is. The infant soft hair disappears and the first tooth falls. The child becomes slim, lean, limbs become larger showing proportion of an adult. There is mental and physical stability, a uniform growth. The period is characterised by reasoning and imagination. The child builds a bridge towards abstract thinking. The child seeks for intellectual independence. The motto here is â€Å"I can think it myself.† This is the period when the child is attracted to peer groups, what Dr Montessori refers to as the â€Å"Herd Instinct†. Normally, this group is of same sex. The group gives sense of belonging and tend to dress alike. They develop a feeling of loyalty. There is constant seeking of approval for their actions. The group consists of a leader, person second in command and the followers/doers of tasks, what is termed as â€Å"dog’s body†. They form a mini-organisation and establish strict rules and maintain intimate secrets. Dr Montessori believes that influence of such group is so essential that it prepares a child to perform grown up tasks efficiently, it develops the spirit of integrity, power of will and reasoning, able to make decisions, deduce, organise, plan and acquire problem solving skills. The child is also able to experience responsibilities to the group and its functions. Third Plane of Development (12 – 18 Years) – The Period of Adolescence Arrival of puberty marks the end of childhood and is the beginning of adolescence. Enormous changes occur both physically and mentally. Physically, between the ages 12 – 15, the body is disproportionate, example the boys develop longs arms and they become conscious of their appearance and clothing. The body reaches full maturity between fifteen and eighteen. The period is aimed at constructing a social self. It is characterised by self concern and self assessment. By exploring wider cultural issues, in relation to society at large, the adolescent is capable of critical thinking and re-evaluation. Studies show that they are susceptible to anorexia, bulimia. Psychologically they become more aware of the social being and therefore are ultra sensitive, antagonistic to authority, easily discouraged, experience emotional highs and lows, emotional doubts, experience a decrease in intellectual activities. The adolescent becomes interested in music, drama, dance and other creative acti vities, because these activities allows them self-expressions and begins to idolise people and organisations, which can lead to appreciate social values or engage in anti-social behaviours. This is the period when the child seeks to gain financial independence with the motto, â€Å"I can get it myself†. Montessori envisioned this period as the â€Å"Erd Kinder† or â€Å"Children of the Land†. Fourth Plane of Development (18 – 24 Years) – The Period of Maturity or Adulthood The fourth plane of development is similar to the first plane, in that it is the period of consolidation and expansion. This plane depends on how the child has passed the earlier planes of development. If all the needs in the above planes have been fulfilled the child will feel secure and well adapted to his environment, is more able to make decisions on how life should be and how to contribute to the human values. This period is characterised by construction of self-understanding and spiritual development. The person is seeking to know one’s own place within the world. The personality seeks to enhance emotional independence and the motto is, â€Å"I can stand on my own†. Influences of Development Young children are easily influenced by various factors in the environment which affects their learning and behavioural process. They can be affected by various social, environmental, economic and biological factors. Studies are conducted as to how the development of children is affected by both personal and external factors. Personal Factors Personal factors are those that are influenced by nature or genetic formation such as, Problems during pregnancy and at birth An embryo is made up of 46 chromosomes which carried the genetic information of both male and the female partners. An embryo may not survive if there are changes in the number of chromosome. If the embryo does survive, the extra or the missing chromosome will cause an effect in the learning and development of the child. For example, Down Syndrome is caused due to an extra chromosome. The foetal development of the child can be also affected due to mother’s behaviour towards health. If the mother continues to smoke and consume drugs during pregnancy can harm the child.Children with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) have distinct facial features including small and narrow eyes, a small head, a smooth area between the nose and the lips and a thin upper lip. They also show symptoms such as hearing, facial, immune system problems, epilepsy etc. Children can also be affected if they are born prematurely whereby there development can be delayed Health The development of the child can be affected due to genetic disorders. For example, a blood disorder such as sickle cell disease can be a barrier for development, as the child may not be able to fully participate in any physical activities which require gross muscle movements. Disabilities Children with disabilities are challenged with cognitive abilities and physical growth. Many disabilities are caused due to genetic conditions at birth, for example Down Syndrome. External Factors Many external factors are also reasons affecting children’s development. They can be broadly divided into, Poverty In the United Kingdom many children are experiencing adverse poverty levels causing physical, social, emotional and psychological distress. It has been observed that they are mostly due to Relative Poverty rather than Absolute Poverty. â€Å"Relative Poverty is a comparison of income compared to the average. It is concerned with the material things and personal possessions that society sees as requirement to live daily life.† â€Å"Absolute Poverty is a lack of basic human needs including food, shelter, warmth, sanitation, health care and education.† Children affected by poverty are seen to lack necessities such as; a) Diet A balanced diet consists of right amount of vitamins and minerals in the food, important for the growth and development of children. Families experiencing poverty tend to purchase cheap and highly processes food. These foods contain high levels of saturated fat, sugar and salt causing obesity and malnutrition, the factors largely affecting the social and economic condition of the society among young people and adults. Imbalanced food further affects the diet leading to lethargy and hyperactive conditions which further cause behavioural problems among children in their physical, social and emotional factors. b) Housing Families experiencing poverty or those who fall under the lower income group may have insufficient housing facilities, with inadequate ventilation and heating problems causing colds and asthma. Children living in crowded houses may not have opportunities for physical exercises thus leading to obesity and delay in physical development. c) Play and Leisure Opportunities Children require opportunities to socialise and make use of the various social clubs and settings to develop their physical and social skills and personal interests such as hobbies. Families who are unable to afford the finances may not be able to help their children to make use of these facilities, including transport to travel to and back from the social clubs. Family Environments and Backgrounds A healthy family environment and background is profound for children’s development. Families that are able to provide balanced diet, good housing and play and leisure opportunities contribute to the well-being of children’s development. However, some families are unable to do so due to poverty or lower income causing depression, usage of drugs and alcohol among parents affecting child development. Family Circumstances Stress is another major social issue among families. Conditions such as long term illness, bereavement or separation among parents and other family members creates adverse effect on children’s physical, social and emotional development. Personal Choices and Decisions As children grow older, they are faced to make decisions independently thus causing peer pressure in their societal conditions, leading to consumption of alcohol and drugs. Usage of such substances may cause depression, anxiety, behavioural problems and the development of the brain. When they are not able to make purposeful decisions young people suffer dietary issues leading to malnutrition and obesity. Education Parents are the first educators. The values and beliefs children learn at home are vital for early social and personality development. A good quality education support children’s ability in intellectual development which helps to form self-identity, self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence. Educational organisations such as schools, clubs, church should be provided such that children are supported in their social and moral development. Why Development May Not Follow the Expected Pattern The growth of children is observed to follow an expected pattern. They follow a successive developmental stage each supporting the other stage of development. At times there are delays in achieving this milestone which allows further investigation as to why the delay has been occurred. The following factors are outlined to describe the dilemma as to why the development may not follow the expected pattern; Emotional Influences Children are seen to thrive in a safe and happy environment. When children are able to develop attachment with their parents, other members of the family, peers and practitioners their emotional needs are fulfilled. Physical Reasons Children should be provided with appropriate environment such that their physical needs are fulfilled. If children experience delays in their growth, their physical development can be affected. Environmental Factors Family and outside environment such as school and clubs play an important role in children’s development. External influences have an immense effect on children’s physical, social, emotional and psychological well-being. Cultural Reasons Cultural differences influence the development of children. For example, cultures that give higher priority to male genders cause difficulties and missed opportunities for female children to thrive in their society, where statutory education or an inclusive practice in maintained. Social Influences Certain structure and lifestyle followed by families may not be appropriate for child’s growth. Parental separation, for example can cause negative effect on children, causing anxiety, stress and fear. Children may become without and find it socially challenging to communicate. Disability Children with disability may find it difficult to challenge the factors affecting their growth if parents, peers and practitioners do not provide the right kind of environment to support their developmental needs. Early Intervention When the child is seen to experience a certain delay or delays in his learning and developmental abilities, it is important to identify the appropriate ways to support the child in those needs and if need be, to bring it to the attention of other professionals for further support. Primary care and early intervention is necessary to reduce the effects of such delays in the developmental growth of the child. It is important for children in the long run. When early intervention is given, children are able to develop their skills and abilities required for further educational and other social needs, which in turn supports in their overall development by experiencing success as adults. The following emotional challenges are observed to be experienced, where delays affecting development are not given appropriate early intervention; Frustration Changes in Behaviour Fewer Opportunities The Role of the Childcare Setting in Early Intervention Early year educational settings can play an important role in identifying the special needs or conditions in children and providing appropriate resources and materials that support their learning and developmental skills. A key worker for each child should be assigned such that the practitioner is able to observe the interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes special needs of the child. A close observation and assessment of the child’s development can be helpful to identify areas where the child feels challenged or faces difficulties in performing a certain activity. According to the EYFS, it is essential that a regular and formal review of the children’s progress is carried out in the early years settings in areas such as, Communication and Language Physical Development Personal, Social and Emotional Development A regular health check should also be followed to review the progress of children’s development such that they are given appropriate support by using effective resources and materials. Meena Sugandha SEN Level 3 Page 1 2014OSC51324

Canon in D Major

Canon in D Major I’m listening to Canon in D major by Johann Pachelbel; played by the London Symphony Orchestra who are from London, England. They’re all professional adult musicians; they're very good, in tune and together. The piece is unique and very famous. It’s Johann Pachelbel’s most famous piece, most often played at weddings. The piece is in 4/4 time and in D major. It has a slow tempo, smooth rhythm, and long, full bowing. They’re bowing sounds like it’s always together in each section; like they’re all going in the same direction.Dynamics stay about the same throughout the piece; in piano/mezzo piano. It starts in piano. Sometimes it’s in mezzoforte but it doesn’t sound like it gets louder than that, except for the nice, loud, and strong ending. As far as the intonation of the piece, it gets softer as the notes are longer/slower (whole and half notes) and then slowly crescendos as the notes are shorter/faster (q uarter and eighth/sixteenth notes). The melody is always louder than the other parts.The articulation and the intonation are very consistent and similar with the melody being louder than the other parts and the crescendos into faster parts and then the decrescendos into slower, even smoother parts. I like this piece a lot, it’s very pretty and I want to learn how to play it. I really like how sometimes it’s all in unison and sometimes every section has a different part. I also really like how it’s smooth and slow at some parts and then faster but still smooth at other parts. I really love how all of the parts harmonize together perfectly. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=s3RRQypEf4I=related

Dynamic Seal †Mba: Six Sigma / Operations Case Essay

Dynamic Seal, a precision parts manufacturer with a reputation for high quality, does not currently utilize a Statistical Process Control (SPC) system. However, United Airlines (UA), a major customer representing 14% of Dynamic Seal’s business, insists they implement an SPC system or loose United Airlines’ business. In addition Dynamic Seal do not have a sound preventative measure quality control system in place, preferring 100% inspection to cull bad quality, rather than building parts correctly from inception. Goal: Reduce product variance and the need for rework by implementing a company-wide quality control system that includes an element of Statistical Process Control. A secondary goal is to reduce waste by focusing on Lean engineering processes. Competitive Environment: Dynamic Seal are a successful manufacturer of mechanical components for aerospace, marine and military application. Their products require precision engineering, and the company has built an excellent reputation based on â€Å"high quality, innovative engineering and close tolerance manufacturing.† The company makes use of expensive superalloy materials manufactured to extremely tight tolerances, with many products selling for $10,000 to $50,000. A significant defective rate with such high cost materials / products will severely impact the company’s bottom line. The United Airlines production line operates under a separate department, with dedicated equipment and personnel. Dynamic Seal’s quality reputation is a result of highly skilled machinists and a 100% inspection policy. The company employs a workforce of approx. 400 people, in a 120,000 sq. ft. facility and has increased it’s sales ten-times over the last 10 years to $130 million. Key Facts: 1.Dynamic Seal does not have a company-wide Quality Management ethos. 2.There is a customer requirement to use SPC. 3.No SPC system is currently in place and equipment has not been tested for capability. 4.Quality is controlled by 35 quality inspectors and is not the responsibility of the workforce. 5.The Quality Control Dept. is overworked and underpaid – reports to the General Manager. 6.Machinists set informal equipment specifications, not the QC Dept. 7.The company operates a 100% inspection policy.  8.In-process inspection is infrequent, therefore origin of 25% of defective issues cannot be found. 9.Inspection and assignment of rework involves significant lag. 10.QC system generates significant volumes of paperwork: 80 defective reports (DMR) per week. 11.Product blueprints and Inspection Specs (IMS) often do not match and are not updated. 12.Initial defective rate documents (DMR) are often produced post-rework. Analysis: Two sets of process data have been collected for initial analysis. Before specific SPC issues can be addressed the process and equipment should be assessed to see they meet the capability requirements laid out in the customer specs. The first process examined uses the Lablond Lathe machinery and requires a machined diameter of 7.7250, plus tight tolerances of + .0005 inches. A Process Capability Ratio (Cpk) analysis of the lathe’s data, results in a Cpk of .379 (exhibit A). A result of less than one indicates the machine is not capable of matching the tolerances laid out in the IMS spec. Therefore the Lablond Lathe is not suitable to handle the process it is being used for. Before a more suitable machine is selected, the Lablond Lathe should be checked for calibration, as should the measuring equipment used. If all fall within calibration specs, new machinery should be selected that is capable of handling such tight tolerances. Solving machine capability issues is a low-hanging fruit method of quickly improving quality control. The second data set refers to the Cincinnati Milling Machine. Initial analysis indicates the machine is capable of meeting the required specs, so X-bar and R-bar run charts were constructed to visualize output performance against the IMS specs. Positions 8 to 10 on the R-bar chart (exhibit B) clearly indicate the process is out of control. The X-bar chart (exhibit C) further supports this claim by showing the process is out of control at positions 9 and 10. Although a bigger concern is that all but one data point lies above the control line, indicating the process could be off-center and require recalibrating. As Dynamic Seal’s materials and production methods are so expensive, before machine recalibration occurs, a fish bone diagram should be used to trace the problem to its source. Alternative Options: There are four significant options open to Dynamic Seal. The can opt to do nothing and potentially lose the United Airlines contract, plus risk further losses as more customers begin to impose stricter quality control requirements. They can implement a company-wide Quality Management system such as Six Sigma that incorporates SPC analysis. They can implement an SPC system on one type of machine throughout the manufacturing plant. Or they can implement a Quality Management / SPC system within the United Airlines production cell alone. Recommendation Short-term: To reduce project scope, I recommend initially focusing on the UA facility only. Once procedures have been tested and proven, they can be rolled out company-wide. Gordon Jenkins is a good person to head up the Quality Management program, as his initial plan (exhibit D) includes many elements of DMAIC and his review of the problems seems accurate. However, he needs senior management backing (possibly a promotion) and further Six Sigma training, to combat negative views from Alan Schneider and Scott Palmer. Without the three of them on the same page, any new quality management system will fail. Initially Jenkins and the QC team needs to perform a UA Dept. X-ray, creating process-maps, checking equipment capability and taking base-line SPC data (exhibit E). Once data has been received a full DMAIC analysis using Histogram / Pareto charts should be done to identify the low-hanging fruit. Variance issues in the new SPC data can be tracked to their source using fishbone diagrams and House of Quality reviews. Equipment selection, process streamlining, reduction in paperwork and implementing work procedures are valid projects. Equipment settings and tool selection should be standardized, reducing the craftsmanship required. The responsibility to monitor quality should be moved to the machinists. Having them fully involved in the process design, and giving them responsibility to manage their own quality would achieve machinist buy-in. In addition tight controls need to be placed around the production and updating of product specs, requiring improved communication and a sign-off system between the Sales, Engineering and Production Depts. Finally a measure of improvement is critical to the success of any quality management system. Improved SPC data will be part of that, but the company can also track rework labor hours, improvements in process throughput time, inventory reduction, and reduction in cost-of-goods as critical measures. Recommendation Long-term: SPC by itself does not promote in-depth quality management, therefore long-term I recommend Dynamic Seal implement a company-wide Lean Six Sigma system, with SPC analysis. To set the right tone and get management buy-in, long-term implementation should begin with upper-management Six Sigma training, including the GM. A dedicated approach to quality management should infiltrate all aspects of the company, from engineering to administration, with the goal of promoting a quality-focused Kaizen culture. The current Quality Control Dept. should train as Six Sigma black belts and be mandated to train the workforce in Six Sigma techniques and to oversee on-going Six Sigma projects. Salary incentives should be implemented that reflect advancement in Lean Six Sigma training.