Books

The term ‘book cover judgments’ bears only negative connotations. It’s widely accepted in the society that a person should analyze and synthesize all the available information before arriving at any decision. People who sometimes make book cover judgments are considered shallow and hypocritical. It’s often deemed to be a sign of narrowness and over-indulged self-opinion. Psychologists struggled to prove that the first impression is frequently the most lasting and important one, yet the society still keeps to the notion that superficial judgments are the greatest evil.

Upon careful investigation, it becomes evident that book cover judgments often provide the most relevant and accurate information, being an important way to organize information, which is especially relevant at the dawn of the Information Age. In many cases, book cover judgment can provide the most relevant and accurate information. It’s especially true about making up one’s mind about other people: it’s a well-known fact that the first impression can be formed from brief exposure to another, and it can last for years.

It can be proven by one of the new fads, speed-dating, organized by such companies as 8MinuteDating and HurryDate, when people meet with a dozen of people for up to ten minutes and then decide on their potential companions. Its concept rests on a simple belief that a couple of minutes can be plenty of time to understand a person up and judge compatibility. It’s not a top secret that everybody evaluates each other based on immediate intuitions.

Scientists are discovering that in many situations our social intuition is indeed astonishing, as we can sometimes collect a considerable amount of information about a person’s nature or abilities in just a few seconds. Initial encounters are emotionally intense events that can overwhelm us, therefore true and accurate judgments can be formed. Book cover judgments are not simple hardwired reactions, since people are also taught how to judge others, holding our first impressions up to the light of social stereotypes. Implicit attitudes that enter into our calculations are always in place.

As a consequence, sometimes book cover judgments are considered synonymous to such words as stereotypes and prejudices. Prejudices and stereotypes are schemes that assist us in comprehending the reality; when reality does not correspond to our prejudice it is easier for our mind to modify our interpretation of reality than to modify the prejudice. Prejudices help us to complement information when we do not posses at the moment. And here it’s of paramount importance to draw a line between these two concepts. From a psychological perspective, stereotypes are simply ways to organize information in your head.

Having stereotypes amount to having life experience to build upon. It’s necessary to use stereotypes to draw parallel with other similar cases in the past, to avoid mistakes or use the strong sides of some employees. Stereotypes consist basically in shared beliefs or notions about a certain group or event. A stereotype is a combination of characteristics that sums up this group or event. The goal of stereotypes is to simplify reality. Prejudices, however, are judgements we make about another person or group of people without trying to understand them.

They are divided into negative or positive in character, yet negative prejudices prevail. Prejudices often go along with ignorance, fear or hatred. When making judgments about groups of people, book cover judgments aren’t enough. It has been shown already that one can’t do without organizing information without help of stereotypes. This is especially true in the Information Age when people are receiving a huge amount of information every second. Information flows are continuously intensifying, and this tendency is projected to amplify in the future. In the past, people had enough time to allocate to such matters as judging and rethinking.

The decline of conventional philosophy at the beginning of the 21st century is the evidence of the diminishing value of in-depth analysis. While this analysis is sometimes performed for a variety of reasons, it’s conspicuously absent from our everyday life. It’s too early to blame modern men for laziness or ignorance – without making book cover judgments, it’s impossible to make sense of all the information we have to process every day. In other words, book cover judgments are necessary for many reasons. First of all, they can quickly provide much information about a certain person just after few minutes of initial contact.

Secondly, stereotypes have been proven to be an important way to organize information. Las but not least, book cover judgments are the only option available to the society living in the Information Age. The society should gradually change its negative perception of quick judgments. Psychologists have already started debunking many myths about the psychological mechanism behind making book cover judgments. Instead of trying to diminish the value of this essential psychological tool, people should be trained to handle first impressions effectively and derive maximum information possible from the first seconds of encounter.

The Booker Prize award is considered to be one of the most prestigious recognition of the literary world and it represents one of the most important international rewards for any writer, ne it a famous or a little known one. As any award of its king, it stands as a full acknowledgement of the efforts and endeavors of writers from different periods of time. Despite the fact that it does not have the same international impact as the Nobel Prize for literature, it is viewed as a major asset in the writing career of its winners.

However, it can be argued that the contribution of the award is two folded, as there are both advantages and disadvantages for winning the prize. Still, it is rather hard to determine the extent to which one of these two elements prevails. It may be that in the career of an already famous writer the role such a prize plays be rather limited as most often this award is solely a different acknowledgement of the literary merits in a series of awards. On the other hand, for emerging new literary talents or for little known fiction authors, it plays a significant role.

This is why, in order to have a better comprehension of the influence the Booker Prize has and the power of the award in itself, first and foremost it is important to take into account the history of the Prize and the tendencies it followed. Secondly, the actual advantages and disadvantages of the prize cannot be determined in general terms, but must be focused on particular examples. In this sense, the present paper aims at discussing “Vernon God Little” and “The Inheritance of Loss”, two of the novels which captured this award in 2003 and 2006 respectively.

In this context, a coherent analysis can be made in relation to their state prior to winning the award and afterwards. Finally, some conclusions can be drawn which may shed some light on the possible advantages and disadvantages of awarding little known authors the Prize, through the experience of the two writers. History and tendencies of the Booker Prize The Booker Prize or the Man Booker Prize at it is known since 2002 was fist established in 1968 and “aims to reward the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland” (The Booker Prize Foundation, 2008).

Through a process of astute selection, authors in the English speaking world are rewarded for their literary efforts in the area of fictional work and are given the possibility to claim worldwide recognition. The Prize was established by the Booker Company “but administered since 1971 by the charitable concern the Book Trust (formerly the National Book League), the Prize, first awarded to P. H. Newby (Something to Answer For) in 1969, soon grew into one of Britain’s most recognizable cultural institutions” (Huggan, 2001, 107).

From this point of view, the prize in itself is therefore viewed as one of the most important literary acclaims of the world. The early start of the award was directly related to the historical evolutions taking place especially in the Commonwealth but also throughout the world. The end of the 1960s represented not only a time of an increased literary activity but also a time of great political turmoil. In this sense, the decolonization proves was an important factor in outlining not only the national relations inside the former colonies, but also in determining the future contacts with the former colonial powers.

The issue of colonialism was raised quite often throughout the history of the Prize, taking into account the fact that the company which organizes and sponsors the yearly event was well known for its sugar plantations in areas such as the West Indies. In this sense, there were certain controversies which arose throughout the years in relation to this matter. In one occasion, in 1972 the winner of the Prize, John Berger, declared that he would support the black extremist movement, the “Black Panther” in defiance of what he labeled as being a colonial rule on the territory (The Book Prize Foundation, 2007).

Therefore, it was important especially for Great Britain to undergo all sorts of programs that would allow it to maintain a good and strong relation with its former colonies. In this sense, the Prize represented a connection between the artistic environments of different countries from the Commonwealth, Ireland, or South Africa. It was yet another element that placed these countries together and defined their common cultural heritage from the past.

Therefore, it can be argued that, aside from its literary value, the Prize played a particular role in forging and rewarding the essence of culture and literature in particular from the Commonwealth countries. Despite constant controversy and discussions over the merits and awards given along the years, there have been some important names which have claimed the award, and at the same time, there were impressive newcomers which burst on the literary scene after winning the award. The first winner of the prize was in 1969 P H Newby for “Something to answer for”.

Taking into account the fact that it was the first edition of the awards, it raised without a doubt certain controversies. This was largely due to the fact that the winner was known beforehand and it was considered that a free competition and fairness had not yet been set in place. Still, the author remains in the annals of the Booker Prize as the first winner of the award. There are resounding names which have claimed this literary recognition. Among them, William Golding in 1980 for Rites of Passage, in 1982 Thomas Keneally for Schindler’s Ark, or 1989’s Kazuo Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day.

All these authors and many more considered the prize as being an important asset in their literary careers and remain to this day reference points of the English speaking literature. However, there are little known writers who claimed the prize and soon after, emerged as rising stars of the literary world. Some of the names include 1985 winner Keri Hulme with The Bone People. The winner was on his first novel which, following the prize, came to experience incredible success (The Booker Foundation, 2007).

Throughout the history of the prize, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the system of awarding the prize, and even the ceremony in itself. However, as the years went by, the format of the prizes, including the actual event in which the prize was given would adapt to the rigors of an emerging global entertainment society. More precisely, if in the beginning the event did not enjoy the spotlight in the literary and television society, in 1976, “Melvyn Bragg presented the first ever TV broadcast of the Booker Prize, live on BBC2” (The Booker Foundation, 2007).

This came to be an acknowledgement of the importance the prize came to have in the literary world and in the English society as well. At the same time however, due to the fact that the artistic part of the awarding ceremony became more and more important for the audience and the media coverage the event started to receive, the controversies surrounding the event took an ascending trend. In this sense, “many have accused the prize committee of catering to either the needs of otherwise unknown authors in the right place at the right time or to the same few authors each year.

Political agendas and profit motives have also received much attention in recent years, further fuelling the controversy surrounding the prize” (Jacobson, 1997). From this point of view, one can argue that the controversies surrounding the prize have in most occasions shifted the focus from the literary event it was meant to be in the beginning to a marketing occasion it is now considered to be. The tendency nowadays is rather hard to determine due to the different points of view shared by analysts.

In this sense, while the organizers and part of the media considers it to be “the world’s most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers” (The Booker Prize Foundation, 2007), others view it as “an enormously successful marketing vehicle for nominated authors and their publishers alike” (Jacobson, 1997). Yet, for some of the winners, these two perspectives can find a worthy combination which can acknowledge the quality of their work and promote the sale of their books at the same time. The Booker Prize: young writers and first time novelists

One of the most important aspects of the Booker Prize is given by the possible impact it has on the actual winners. While there is little discussion on the advantages well known authors draw from winning the prestigious prize, a more relevant discussion would be on the effects it has on first time novelists who are awarded the prize. In this context, the effects can be seen more in the careers of first time novelists due to the fact that it represents the first recognition of their work and therefore its impact can be better assessed. Indeed, the biggest impact the prize has is on the author who actually wins the award.

In this sense, D B C Pierre won the award in 2003 with “Vernon God Little”. His won of the prize is considered to be one of the most interesting surprises of the event. According to the most reviews at the time, the writer was considered to be an underdog in comparison to his rivals, as “It beat a shortlist including the first novel by Monica Ali, Brick Lane, which was the bookmakers’ favorite and has been the biggest seller in the shops, and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the only established author to make it to the final round of judging” (Jury, 2003).

From this first perspective, it can be seen the fact that in the judging process the focus of the jury tried to be on first time novelists as well as on established ones. This approach tends to give certain equilibrium to the awarding process and to take into account a wide variety of literary submissions. The choice of the jury at the time was unanimous; therefore there was little doubt on the potential winner. The unity of the choice was considered to be justified due to the important message the text tried to convey.

The story of a young teenager from Texas whose life evolves as he tries to face up the challenges of poverty, violence, and family misery was impressive for the panel of the judges who claimed that the book is a “coruscating black comedy reflecting our alarm but also our fascination with modern America” (Jury, 2003). Indeed the emotional touch on the novel came from the author’s own personal experience as a drug addict in search for his own identity and individual recognition of the self.

There are certain objective elements which drew the attention on the novel itself. Firstly, there was indeed the personal affection of the author which transformed the book into an impressionable work. Secondly, there was the subject which dealt with a serious issue affecting America at the time. High school shootings and violence among teenagers were considered, and still are viewed as being an essential challenge facing the society due to the questions it actually raises on the values driving the society forward.

In this sense, critics considered that “”the storyline for this book is one that you would as much see played out today on the six o’clock news as read in a novel and has for this reason struck a chord with book lovers” (Jury, 2003). Therefore, the actuality of the story combined with the drama of the personal history of the author made the novel receive the most acclaimed British literary award. The reviews were however split following the award ceremony as not everybody considered such a literary work to be worthy of the prestige of this prize.

In this sense, “picking up on Finlay’s notorious past, The Daily Telegraph described his win as “highly embarrassing” for the prize’s organizers and sponsor, the Man group. The Guardian called him the “oddest and most controversial character” to have won the award, while The Independent’s literary editor, Boyd Tonkin, said he was a “novelist whose background makes the antics of most young writers look tame in the extreme” (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2003). Therefore, the cutting edge of the novel was not fully appreciated by traditional literary reviews who considered it to be a choice too daring for the conservatory nature of the award.

However, despite the criticism that surfaced after the award ceremony, another element was introduced in the justification for rewarding Finlay’s artistic effort with the prize. Therefore, it was considered that taking into account such a novel and the fact that the winner was in fact a debutant on the literary scene, the focus of the Booker Prize may have shifted from the well acclaimed authors to the ones that have not been top of the selling lists. In this way, the Booker Prize Foundation would engage itself in an endeavor meant at promoting the new talents and at reintroducing young literature to the public.

Another important presence on the list of the winners of the Booker Prize is the 2006 jury’s choice in the person of Kiran Desai and her novel “The Inheritance of Loss”. At 35, she was the youngest female writer to receive the award and this element, along with the quality of her work, attracted the attention of both the jury and the public worldwide. She contested the prize with other five writers, including her mother who had been nominated before for the award, yet never won it (BBC, 2006).

Among the other writers from the short list, there were authors with more experience and with more public consideration such as Sarah Waters or Kate Greenville. Still, she became the youngest winner of the award. This was due in part to the new attempt of the Booker Prize Foundation to try to promote new talents and in part to the emotional story Desai’s novel portrayed, a story of “globalisation, multiculturalism, inequality and the different forms of love” (Pryor, 2006).

From the perspective of Finlay’s experience with the Booker Prize as well as Kiran Desai’s, it can be said that there are both advantages and disadvantages in winning the award. Firstly, one of the most important advantages of the award is the financial aspect. On being awarded the prize, the winner receives ? 50,000 and the tacit commitment of the Foundation to continuously promote the novel. In the case of Finlay’s personal history, in the conditions in which he lived a life of poverty following the loss of his family fortune, the financial aspect can be seen as being of considerable importance (Greer, 2003).

Secondly, another advantage of young or debutant writers receiving this prestigious award is the wide recognitions they receive following the ceremony. Before the award, Finlay was far from being an award winning character. His life of drugs, alcohol, and misery would not have presented himself as a possible valuable mind for the literary world. Even more, his past has often been invoked as being unworthy of a Booker Prize winner. Yet, after the recognition he received from the Booker Foundation, many of his critics turned to admit his literary merits in presenting a new face of everyday life in America.

In this way, aside from the fact that he managed to draw the attention on the misery and distress affecting local societies in America, he also succeeded in underlining the effects of an abuse led life. Similarly, in Desai’s situation, the award represented both a personal recognition of her young talent, as well as a proof of the the attention the issues addressed by her book received following the award. In this sense, “the judges hailed “The Inheritance of Loss” as a magnificent novel of humane breadth and wisdom, comic tenderness and powerful political acuteness” (BBC, 2006).

Thus, another advantage of the award received by a young talent is the fact that by recognizing the value of the book, the jury also acknowledges both the new perspective given to certain elements such as cross culture issues and, at the same time, underlines the importance of the issues under discussion for the contemporary society. Probably one of the most important advantages young winners and first time novelists benefit from is the increase in sales of their books. Most winners received not only wide acclaim from the critics, but also from the public.

For instance, “the 1978 winner, Iris Murdoch’s ‘The Sea, The Sea’ (…) has a rate of continuing popularity which almost all of today’s authors would give their eye teeth to equal” (Ezard, 2004). Therefore, most authors du find fame and fortune following the award winner status. Kiran Desai ensured the Penguin fiction division a rise in sales of two percent immediately after winning the Booker Prize award. Thus, the success of her book was also viewed in the choice of the readers. Still, one of the most important elements which drew the attention of the public was precisely the label of Booker Prize winner.

Similarly, Fanley’s story was proposed for a film adaptation as a result of the critics’ acclaim (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2004). Hence, each in his or hers own way managed to reach success as a result of the Booker Prize. Aside from the various, especially financial advantages, there are also considerable disadvantages of the Prize being given to young or first time novelists. One of the most important however is the eventual commercialization of the literary content in an attempt to win the prestigious prize.

In this sense, “because of the marketing potential and the industry-renowned judges, the Booker Prize now is a very high stakes award. Authors, in turn, have more reason to tailor their work to the expectations of the Booker arbiters” (Jacobson, 1997). As a result, the quality of the works may decrease in the attempt to write attractive novels for the judges in the panel rather for the public. Hence, the prize has come to be a goal in itself, rather than an actual recognition. Young artists and first time novelists tend to fall in this trap most often due to the lack of experience and a limited identification of their own personal style.

Moreover, due to the increased media attention on the prize, the entire process becomes more focused on the financial aspect, rather than on the artistic value of the recognition in itself. It is considered thus that “all in all, there can be little doubt that the Booker, more than any other literary prize in recent history, has blazed a trail in the commercialization of English-language literature” (Huggan, 2001). Overall, it can be said that the Booker Prize has had an important influence on its winners, but also on the new tendencies it rewards through the acknowledgement of certain artists.

However, another true element is the fact that the commercialization of the entire process has led to the dilution of the value of such a prize. This is why it is important that the Booker Prize award new talents or even little known artists, without regard to their personal or ethnical background because it would prove that the most important element the Booker Prize takes into account is talent and literary achievement, rather than fame and public notoriety. Bibliography BBC. “Kiran Desai claims Booker title”. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 <http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/entertainment/6038418. stm> Desai,Kiran.

The Inheritance of Loss. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005. Ezard, John. “Booker prize’s long-term fame lottery”. The Guardian. 2004. 6 January 2008 <http://books. guardian. co. uk/bookerprize2004/story/0,,1332122,00. html> Greer, W. R. Book Review – Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. 2003. 6 January 2008 <http://www. reviewsofbooks. com/vernon_god_little/review/> Huggan, Graham. The Postcolonial Exotic: Marketing the Margins. Routledge. : New York, 2001. Jacobson, Warren. The Booker Prize. 1997. 6 January 2008 <http://www. english. emory. edu/Bahri/Booker. html> Jury, Louise. “Debut novelist defies odds to win Booker prize”.

The Independent. 2003. 6 January 2008 <http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20031015/ai_n12730627> Pierre, D. B. C. Vernon God Little. London: Faber and Faber, 2005. Pryor, Fiona. “Review: The Inheritance of Loss”. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 <http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/entertainment/5413704. stm> The Booker Prize Foundation. About the prize. 2007. 6 January 2008 <http://www. themanbookerprize. com/prize/about> The Booker Prize Foundation. Hitting the headlines. 2007. 6 January 2008 <http://www. themanbookerprize. com/perspective/articles/1017> The Booker Prize Foundation. The Booker Prize. 2008. 6 January 2008

In the book originally written by Miguel Leon-Portilla, mirroring the event way back in 1519 when Hernan Cortes sailed from Cuba to Mexico and entered the capital of the Aztecs, there were accounts that he gathered from the basic viewpoint of the Aztec tribe. ‘The Broken Spears’ talks about the conquest of Cortes, although it dates back ten years before his arrival in the east coast of Mexico, in a place called Tenochtitlan. From the voices of the tribes, there was defeat and destruction with the arrival of the Spaniards… years after they saw eight omens that, for them, were warnings by the gods on the end of the world.

Main Body They first heard the invasion from a common man who reported to King Motecuhzoma: “Our lord and king, forgive my boldness. When I went to the shores of the great sea, there was a mountain or small mountain floating in the midst of the water, moving here and there without touching the shore” (13). Moctezuma, then, sent people to inspect, and when he received word on the beings that appeared on the shores of his land, he was terrified and was sure that this was the god Quetzalcoatl, who had come back from his journey.

Thus, he sent gifts of turquoise and gold to the Spaniards to pay homage to the returning gods. When Cortes recognized this, he frightened the messengers by firing off a canon, and then ordered them to fight in combat to prove their bravery. Cortes announced that he wanted to see Moctezuma. When Cortes, together with hundreds of soldiers, arrived at Tenochtitlan, King Motecuhzoma told Cortes: “Our lord, you are weary / The journey has tired you, but now you have arrived on the earth / You have come to your city, Mexico / You have come here to sit on your throne, to sit under its canopy” (63).

Motecuhzoma was frightened and even thought of escaping, which led him to offer human sacrifices with the coming of the gods, against the advice of his counselors, and to the disdain of the Spaniards. He held a meeting with his nephew Cacama, his brother Cuitlahuac, as well as the other lords and leaders of the tribes on whether or not they should open their doors to the new arrivals in their land. In the end, Motecuhzoma decided to make friends with the Spaniards, and it led to the destruction of his throne, land, wealth, and his people.

It is evident that this book should be required for Latin-American Studies, since it gives a very detailed description of the events. Most of the materials used are on the side of the Spaniards. To present a material that would reveal the side of the Aztecs, and how they viewed the event, would be very helpful because it will dramatize how the Aztecs took the invasion in the light of their beliefs, their culture, and their tradition. The style of writing is not really biased.

In fact, more of the negatives could be drawn on the description of their king, Motecuhzoma—what his weaknesses were, and which mistakes made him lose his throne and his land. The Spaniards, however, were taken as greed, ruthless men who craved for gold and treasures. It would be best to include this book in Latin-American Studies, but together with the other versions that were written on the side of the Spaniards. This would paint the picture from all sides… for a good sense of balance. Conclusion The story is presented more as a work of literature, with the use of imagery and figures of speech.

Having been arranged in chronological order, it presents history from the side and beliefs of the ancient Aztecs. It is well written and easy to understand, which ends up being really fascinating because of the descriptions of things that would relay how ancient human beings view things and people, which they have not seen in the past. Having used a constricted point of view, though, it should be regarded more as literature than as history. Works Cited Leon-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

Of all of the events in American history, few would argue that the Civil War is the most debated, written about and discussed event. While it is beyond the scope of this research to pinpoint the all of the reasons why the Civil War still captures the imagination of historic scholars to this very day, but it is possible to take one of the many books written on the topic and provide a thorough review. In this research, Shiloh-In Hell before Night by James L. McDonough will be the work reviewed from several different vantage points. McDonough’s Purpose in Writing the Book.

It would be easy to simply say that McDonough’s purpose in writing his book was to depict the people and events of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, which took place in the Tennessee Valley on April 6, 1862, when hundreds of thousands of Union and Confederate troops clashed, fought and died (McDonough, 1977). Upon a closer reading of the work, however, a larger purpose becomes apparent. Within the pages of the book, McDonough uses the writing style of the great fiction writers of all time to create an historic account that reads like a novel.

Moreover, through the use of quotes from many of those who were involved in the battle, these people come back to life in a way and tell their own story, lending credibility and accuracy to the work. The Main Argument of the Work James L. McDonough’s main argument in this work is that the Civil War was not just a series of battles, wins and losses, but rather was a struggle for opposing people to try to direct a way of life for everyone to follow. He does this by using actual quotes from the main individuals involved in the battle of Shiloh which show how they felt and what lengths they would go to in order to put forth those beliefs.

Was the Goal of the Book Accomplished? Generally speaking, the goal of the book was accomplished in that McDonough was able to make the point that even in defeat, there is honor to a certain extent, and also that the cause of the Confederate States of America was as much a commitment to the preservation of a way of life that had existed for generations and hundreds of years as much as it was a fight to break away from a government that was seen as oppressive and dictatorial.

McDonough, in his vivid characterizations and flowing style, makes the point that even when a decisive victory is not gained, even the act of fighting for one’s beliefs is in itself a form of victory. By doing this, McDonough shows that the Civil War was a far more complex event in American history than simply two sides fighting to win battles.

This most certainly contributes to the ongoing fascination with the Civil War that was mentioned as this research began, and it is authors like McDonough that both satisfy the reader’s thirst for more information about the Civil War and sparks additional interest at the same time, which is quite a feat for any book about any historic period. Strengths/Weaknesses of the Book In fairness, McDonough’s book has its share of relative strengths and weaknesses which became clear in reading the book and are worthwhile to present and discuss in this review.

An overall strength of the book which became apparent from the very first paragraph was the realization that this was not the usual, dry historic text. Rather, McDonough took on a narrative style that made the presentation of the necessary elements of any historic account something that the reader would in fact look forward to reading, and as such, the more that was read, the more that was learned. In this sense, it could also be cited as a strength that this book serves to educate, as well as entertain the reader. Weaknesses also exist in the book.

Understandably, McDonough wrote the book from a southern point of view, and while there is no way to ethically change the result of the battle- a Confederate retreat which can fairly be seen in retrospect as a defeat- it is fair to say that McDonough’s narrative style and attempt to make the key players in the battle come to life tends to glorify even those who ultimately failed to perform up to standards in the battle, and of course, in the end, were not victorious. This is not to say that McDonough distorted any facts, but he did tend in some ways to over dramatize unsuccessful leaders like Beauregard and others.

Is McDonough’s Book a Valuable Contribution to the Study of the American Civil War? In conclusion, the remaining point to be discussed is whether or not McDonough’s book is a valuable contribution to the study of the Civil War. The point has already been made that the book is able to both provide information and spark a desire to learn more, all in an entertaining and vivid style. Also, it was discussed that McDonough was able to convey something far beyond history- the mindset and tradition which led to the Civil War and inspired thousands on both sides of the conflict to make the ultimate sacrifice for their beliefs.

Based on all of this, it can fairly be said that this book is a valuable study of the Civil War, for anytime that facts and figures from the past can be brought to life and spark the imagination of the reader, the work is most worthwhile, and this work is no exception. Therefore, in closing, let it be said that Shiloh-In Hell before Night, decades after its publication, is still deserving of high continued review.

Works Cited

1. McDonough, James Lee. 1977. Shiloh: In Hell before Night. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press.

a. Marketing philosophy with target awareness
b. Market Analysis

1. Target Market

The main target markets of Bookworm Company are the student of every school here in Aklan. That every books that they looking for are in the Bookworm. The bookworm provides the most effective needs of student while they seeking their books.

a. Demographics

We can divide our target market according to age, occupation, civil status, nationality, and gender.

b. Psychographics

The Bookworm focuses on interests of customer, their activities, and also the opinions of every customer so that were going to conduct a marketing survey for our target market. It focuses the attitudes, personality formation, and cultural touchstones.

c. Niche Markets

The bookworm company determine the target audience and find what the customer wants. The bookworm sells retail book items for the consumer.

2. Competition
3. Market Trends

a. Product Life cycle

We introduce our company by launch our product. We make advertising to radio and television so that the customer can know that there is an opening of book store here in Kalibo, Aklan. The bookworm company make a promotion to make consumers aware that the product is now available on the market and what its purposes. Market Growth Demand begins to accelerate and the size of the total market expands rapidly. Maturity demand is the level of Bookworm when the customer are not satisfied and they replacement and new family formation rate and finally the product goes into decline as sales fall.

b. Type of consumer goods

Market Strategy
-Method of Sales & Distribution
– Packaging
When it comes in packaging the Bookworm Company use papers bags

because as of now using plastic materials is not good to our environment. Using paper bags as a material is very environmental friendly and we can reuse it. We attached our company logo and tag line into paper bags so that the costumer will know and to advertise also our products. -Pricing

– Branding
-Database marketing
– Sales Strategy
– Sales Incentive or Promotion

The Bookworm use a strategy like Sales promotion, advertising, and salesmanship because this three are the major techniques used in merchandising products to the public. In Salesmanship the company need to know the customer face-to-face so that the seller convinces the customer that the books on sale are essential to their satisfaction. The bookworms use the sales promotion strategy to persuade the consumer and customer to purchase immediately by providing special incentives such as discount items, promo sale and freebies.

– Advertising Strategy
– Public Relation
– Networking

Cookies Filled with Ice Cream Feasibility Study

Food is very essential for us. It is our need in order for us to live. There are many kinds of food that best suit on our taste buds. One of it is cookies. Cookies is the type of food that most of all like to eat because of its taste. Cookies is the kind of food that kids are attracted to eat. What with cookies that many, like to eat? We as student researchers delved into topic to find out what are the advantages of cookies that is filled with ice cream specifically in Bacolod City. Our study focused on advantages of cookies filled with ice cream.

We choose Bacolod City people as our participants because related indication shows that many business creations are in the place that most people are present. We will present this research paper in order for us to know the taste and effect of cookies that is filled with ice cream in the consumption of people, reasons for eating, effects and the overall impact of eating cookies filled with ice cream in their daily lives. Our findings will be beneficial in both school and establishments’ in better understanding the advantages of cookies filled with ice cream.

And we also offers different flavors of ice cream such as vanilla, mango, chocolate, and ube. Selecta is our choice from where we should get our ice cream to pair with the cookies. Significance of the Study: We conducted this research to find out the consumers’ reaction in the cookies filled with ice cream and the impact of it to different status quo. This will benefit various businesses and establishments on finding out the trend of consumers to better improve and innovate their products with an increase in profit.

Our study can also help establishments that sell cookies to improve their relationship with their customers by satisfying them with irresistible taste and worthy service. Scope and Limitation: 1. Area of locality- Our study will focus on areas in the vicinity of Bacolod city 2. Subject or population- subjects will consist of people within Bacolod City. 3. Duration or Period- the study will be conducted in the months of August to October 2013. Logo: Chapter 2 Management Aspect Study Objectives: The primary reason for this study is to know weather the cookies filled with ice cream will hit the market.

This is also to make a twist between eating a cookies with ice cream. This is also a solution for the hot weather here in the Philippines. Form of Business Organization: This busines is a PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS, consist of 6 partners. These 6 person will help each other to make their customers happy. Rules and Regulations: a. To be truthful and honest in all his/her endeavors particularly in his/her dealings. with a customer and to the business partners. b. To strictly observe all the rules and regulations enforced by the partners and not to violate them. c.

To refrain from directly or indirectly misleading customers or verbally or nonverbally misrepresenting the company. d. To properly behave at all times and not to commit any act which may put his/her dignity and the business reputation. Duties and Responsibilities: a. All the 6 membersof this business is not only the owners of the business. They must also act as an employee and serve the guest well. b. All employess should maintain cleanliness within the area for food sanitation and safety. c. Owners and employees should treat each other regardless of what position the other one has to maintain peace and harmony in the company.

Chapter 3 Product Description: Our signature cookies filled with ice cream is specially made for those who wants to eat cookies and ice cream at the same time. All of our products include a complimentary note card with your personal message whether it’s for your parents, friend or even your partner in life. Production Process: First, all the ingredients are fed into a large batch tank. Instead of eggs and milk, dry egg powder and dry milk are most likely used. After everything is well-mixed, the dough is transferred to a machine with two feed rollers.

The feed rollers turn to pull the dough into the machine and push it out through several openings of the proper shape/size (in this case likely a 2 inch diameter circle). As the product is going through the opening, a wire comes across and slices the cookie pieces off so that they land on a tray. The trays are then transferred to a large oven and baked in batches. Alternatively, the cookie pieces might transfer onto metal trays and travel through an oven continuously. After a cooling stage, the cookies are ready to serve with ice cream.

Feasibility Study Proposal Example

Business Proposal for Al Bustan Retail Facility (ARF) Prepared By: Dr. Munir Hourani Introduction Al Bustan Retail Facility (ARF) Business Proposal will define broad city-wide goals for sustainable development into focused, actionable, area-specific strategies to ensure the vitality of the central area of Abu Dhabi city and enable us to achieve our community vision Abu Dhabi 2030. The planning process will place an emphasis on ways to promote and improve mixed uses and quality future concept of a retail facility, service-oriented and affordable, transportation and parking management, and the quality and capacity of public infrastructure.

Our intent is to identify, understand, and address current strengths and barriers to the creation of new futuristic retail facility development. At the same time we need to make the hard decisions necessary to facilitate the continued evolution and maturation of this vital and dynamic mixed use (ARF) facility. We will hire specialized retail consultant to help produce and accomplish this study and put it in force. Feasibility Study Methodology Our Study will serve the objectives by addressing the future retail marketing concepts through utilizing and studying of the following trends: 1.

Successful in international retail trends and retailing trends to attract the ‘new consumer’. 2. Creating new store (Future Stores) designs and concepts to engage consumers and drive profits. 3. Utilizing the latest in-store technology platforms to effectively create, manage and measure the in-store shopper experience. 4. Harnessing the power of innovative multichannel solutions to engage with new customers and increase the shopper experience 5. Maximizing the potential of social media to engage with the new consumer 6.

Future Branding: Connecting your brand with today’s consumer 7. Engaging with the regional consumer: Successfully introducing customer loyalty schemes to increase repeat custom, brand visibility and profitability 8. Capitalizing on the soaring growth of the grocery and FMCG market in the Middle East. Retail Feasibility Analysis A retail market analysis will help to determine strengths, gaps and opportunities for retail development and retention of ARF. Bearing in mind the following feasibility understanding: Abu Dhabi downtown is home to one of the most dynamic small downtowns in the UAE. ARF is one of the centerpiece of the community from a retail, dining, and entertainment perspective and widely regarded as one of the most successful mixed-use area. The ARF vicinity provides a variety of office, residential, cultural, retail, and institutional uses and is the undisputed center of new Abu Dhabi. * Over the past several years, the retail climate in Abu Dhabi has evolved. Major retail developments, traditional retail competitors and malls have added worthy competitors to downtown Abu Dhabi. Retail business has benefitted from the climate dominating Abu Dhabi island ( humid and hot ) most of the years round, to create the culture of shopping and entertaining in indoor areas. * Downtown Abu Dhabi is now at a crossroads of development. The community has enjoyed marked success since the boom of 1990s and does not wish to rest on those accomplishments. The recent recession has “complicated” the market forces at work in the country, resulting in store closures, reduced profits, and traditional retail churn.

In Abu Dhabi all of this is happening at the same time that retail and dining destinations have expanded out of the traditional retail business. * As you know Abu Dhabi now is on the cusp of a new downtown master plan process that will provide detailed analysis of downtown and provide the chance to share this planned community expansion. Scope of Work We will be working on the following subjects or tasks to fulfill the Objectives of the study. The Scope of work will be limited to the following: 1. Review and understanding of prior Abu Dhabi retail market. 2.

Overview of local and ARF vicinity retail capacity including: * Market definition * Market segmentation and demographic analysis 3. Analyze the existing retail mix and growth for the ARF, and the assessment of visitor versus local traffic. 4. Identify potential retail voids in the ARF area. 5. Recommendations to capture retail market opportunities, and reinforce customer base. 6. Marketing recommendations: to develop a series of new retail brand allocation (Franchises), marketing, business retention, and recruitment recommendations for ARF. Specific Deliverables: 1. Review of prior Abu Dhabi retail market Report. . Local and ARF vicinity retail capacity Report. 3. The assessment of visitor versus local traffic Report. 4. Identify potential retail voids in the ARF area Report. 5. Marketing Recommendations and new retail brand Recommendation Report. 6. Al Bustan Retail Facility (ARF) Feasibility Study Final Report; detailing the results of the tasks mentioned above, also including an Executive Summary of major findings. 7. An annotated presentation for sharing findings easily with stakeholders. Project Phases Phase 1: Review of prior Abu Dhabi retail market task, and Local and ARF vicinity retail capacity task.

This phase will end with delivery of the mentioned tasks Reports. Phase 2: The assessment of visitor versus local traffic task. Identify potential retail voids in the ARF area task, nd Marketing Recommendations task. This phase will end with delivery of the mentioned tasks Reports. Phase 3: Feasibility Study Final Report; detailing the results of the tasks mentioned above, also including an Executive Summary of major findings. Project Duration This study will need 90 days for the purpose of executing all Business Proposal objectives.

Feasibility Study

What to Include in your Feasibility

In starting a new business venture, it is important to conduct a feasibility study to ensure that your business will be successful. Some things to be included are plan, cost, and sources of funding, manpower and personnel requirements, market and profitability. In the plan section of your feasibility study, State clearly the objectives and description of the project. Duration to complete the project is also included. It is usually answers the questions what, why and how about the project.

Indicate the cost of equipment and facilities needed for the project. The proponents should undertake reliable canvassing using at least two or three supplier and be particulars to models and capacities of equipment as well as the availability of materials. Also, it is important if there is budget for the project. If there is no sufficient budget for the project, a bank loan may be considered. In this case, the loan amount and its interest must be factored into the financial documents of the study. Realistic income targets from the venture should be projected.

As per personnel or manpower, it is important to determine the size and particulars of manpower as well as personnel’s job description, job titles and credential standards. Also, salary rates and allowance should be noted. In addition, the stability of the market determines the viability of the project. A survey should be conducted to know if there are sufficient clients or customers and to whom the commercial venture will cater. Of course, project should know if it is profitable. A ten or twenty percent return of investment (ROI) is usually regarded as profitable enough.

Vital Parts of Feasibility Study

Summary of Project

• Name of Firm
• Location – head office and plant site
• Brief description of the product
• Highlights of major assumptions such as market projections, share and prices, investment costs, method of funding

Summary of findings and conclusions on the following:

1. Market feasibility
2. Technical feasibility
3. Financial feasibility

General Information

Describe the pre-operating period, during the operating period, labor, and professional firms or consultants to be hired, if any. Also, includes status of timetable of the project and other information such as pending litigations, information regarding intangibles, etc.

Competitive position considering imported and/or substitute products.

• Marketing Program – description of the present marketing practices of competitors in the exports and domestic market. Projected export and proposed marketing program of the project. It includes the contribution to the economy, plant layout, structure, raw materials, utilities, and waste disposal.
• Financial Feasibility – Total project cost, initial capital requirements, sources of financing, financial statements, and financial analysis.
• Social Desirability – specific project contributions to the economy and society and social rate return.

Some Feasibility Study Mistakes

It is imperative to show your idea is feasible to attract investor and fund the project. No matter what is your offering whether a product or service, you need to convince other people to finance your ideas. I provide some feasibility mistakes which serve as guidelines to your feasibility study. Doing feasibility study without doing research. It is a wasting of time and money without preliminary research on validity of the idea. It is necessary to conduct initial research or pre-feasibility study before the start on of a full feasibility study.

• Incorrect data interpretation. Sometimes, the writer overestimates the market size as well as the opportunity for the new venture. For example, you will observe that the product has a large market place, but not realized the strengths of competitors and their customer’s loyalty.
• Incorrect cost estimation.
• Make sure to detailed the cost to avoid over-estimation or under estimation. Also, cost estimates should be studied carefully.
• Overlook indirect competitors. Make sure to investigate all products and services that deal to customers’ need.
• Surveys dependence. Don’t over rely to survey because people tend to answer “yes” for new product but when it comes to purchasing, they say “no”.
• Without expert Assistance. It is important to get expert views regarding the product, idea or services. What to include in your Technical Feasibility Product
• Description of product
• Economic uses of the product
• Manufacturing Process
• Detailed Flow Chart of the Manufacturing

Process including the material and energy requirement at each step and normal duration of the process

• Other processes and factors considered to determine the process to be adopted
• Processes used in existing plants and in similar projects Plant Size and Production Schedule
• Daily and annual production capacity of the plant
• Days per year the project operate
• Factors used in determining plant size
• Expected attainable annual production volume for the next five years considering start-up and technical factors.
• Machinery
• Machinery layout such as the number of specifications, rated capacities of major machineries, prices of equipment, and balancing of capacities of each major and auxiliary equipment and standby units
• Spare parts and repair service available
• Quotations from suppliers, machinery guarantees, delivery, terms of payments and other arrangements Plant Location and Layout
• Location map of the plant
• Plant Layout Suggested Outline for Feasibility Study
• One of the important steps in business development is a feasibility study.
• Feasibility study is used to determine the potential for success of a proposed business venture.

The sample outline below can be used to help you make your study. However, not all feasibility studies are alike because it depends to the type of business venture analyzed and the market.

The success of a feasibility study is based on the careful identification and evaluation of all of the important aspects for business success.

Identify the list of product(s) or services(s) to be marketed and the general business model such as how the business will make money.

Include the technical processes, size, location and kind of inputs. Also know the economic and social impact on local communities as well as environmental impact on the surrounding area.

• Market Feasibility. Determine the industry description, industry competitiveness, market potential, sale projection and the access to market outlets.
• Technical Feasibility. Find out the facility needs, suitability of production technology, availability and suitability of site, raw materials and others such as labor availability and qualified management personnel.
• Financial Feasibility. Include the estimation of total capital requirements, equity and credit needs, budget expected costs and returns of various alternatives Management Feasibility. Identify the business structure and business founders.

Conclusion

Include information that will be used for decision making whether to proceed the proposed business ventures.

Rules in Preparing a Good Project Feasibility

Study A project study or feasibility study contains several chapters. The proposed project must be financially, economically, technically and socially feasible. A consultant or researcher must possess not only the technical expertise on the project involved, but also the right analytical, interpretative and writing skills to be able to produce the desired studies. He must know all banking, institutional, and governmental rules and regulations on the particular projects he is to work on.

Study

Know the nature of the proposed project well. If you are not familiar with the topic or project, you must obtain the technical expertise from qualified experts to help you in researching the basic required technology and other sensitive aspects of the project.

1. Research well. Explore all resource related to your study. Your project study must be included with statistics, data documents, and all information needed from all available resources.
2. Must be a good analyst. You must know how to analyze, evaluate, interpret, use and discard unnecessary data.
3. Data must be accurate. Your estimates and projections must be close to realities. Avoid making guesses and statistical improbabilities.
4. Organize study. You must know how to put in order your study.
5. Write it well. You must know how to write it properly.

Sample of Management Study

Excerpt from the proposed telephone industry business. Management study includes the planning, organizing, staffing and directing of the project. Also it includes the external activities in starting the business. The means and procedure are undertaken before the operation of the business. The form of management is indicated identifying each of management and each personnel. The role and duties of each personnel is clearly defined, as well as practice and develop skills learned from this project Management Analysis Our business covers a system of services that can be determined in large scales. A corporation owns the ETHECOM. This kind of business has a very large management. The management and operation of the business are determined and constructed by the joint-forces and capabilities of the corporate members and staffs. Organization Chart ETHELCOM provides its organizational line chart, compose of personnel deployed within the business. Registration of business The registration of business is an act that is provided by the constitution. It is very important and must be implemented in order for the business to be legal and to perform well and freely. The following are the steps for registering a business in the Philippines.

1. Prepare the article of partnership/corporation.
2. Registration of the business name with the Bureau of Domestic Trade and Industry.
3. Apply the registration of the partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
4. Get the necessary permit from the office of the mayor and license to operate from the treasure of the city of municipality where the business will be located.
5. Secure a tax identification from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and a file VAT or Not-VAT permit.

Hiring Personnel

The following are the qualification for the interested job seekers. Electronics and Communication Engineer Preferably Male, 22-30 yrs. old – Licensed – At least 5 years of experience Technician – Preferably Male, 22-30 yrs. Old – BSECE or Electronics/ Electrical graduate – At least 3 years of experience in the related field Sales – Male or Female, 21-30 yrs. old

High School Graduate

• With pleasing personality
• Job Description and Responsibilities President Responsible in making final decision for every undertaking the business may encounter.
• Administer over all activities and for sees projects, forecast, and solve problems. Manager (Stockholders) To assist the President and his duties and responsibilities.
• Must be responsible in assigning different task of each personnel.
• Responsible for preparing financial statement of the business. Purchasing Personnel
• Responsible for good quality of purchased products – Responsible for purchasing low cost of product
• Responsible for scheduling of purchased product Technicians
• Responsible for repairing, servicing and installation Sales Personnel
• Responsible for the sales of product, operational reliability of services and provides customer care.

Tags: management study

Category: Feasibility Study

1. What is the name of the firm?
2. Where is the location of head office and plant site?
3. Give a brief description of the project.
4. What are the assumptions being made including market projections, share and prices, investment costs, and method of financing?
5. Mention the summary of findings and conclusions regarding the market feasibility, technical feasibility and financial feasibility.
6. How shall the project be managed during the pre-operating period such as the firms or persons involved or to be involved in studying the different aspects of the project?
7. How shall the project be managed during the operating period including the type of business organization, organizational chart and function of each unit management personnel, duties and time to be devoted to the project, qualification and compensation?
8. What skills and corresponding numbers of labor are required such as qualifications, recruitment and training program, compensation, fringe benefits and facilities?

Include the time table of the project.

1. Indicate the annual volume of the domestic demand for the past 10 year?
2. Who are the major consumers of the product?
3. What is the projected annual volume of the domestic demand for the next 5 years? Also indicate the method used and factors considered in preparing the projection.
4. Who are the current and potential buyers of the product and where are they located?
5. What is the annual volume of the domestic supply for the past 10 years?
6. Who are the major producers of the product?
7. What are the prevailing prices of the product?
8. What are the present marketing strategies and practices of competitors?
9. What shall be adopted in the project as to the selling organization, terms of sales, channels of distribution, location of the sales outlets, transportation and storing facilities?

Tags: Feasibility Study

Category: Feasibility Study | Comments Off Financial Study

It is important if the proposed project is financially feasible, meaning the project cost is afford by the board or the company. Also, it involves the thorough coverage of all the monetary information.

It covers the detailed information on the total project cost, initial capital requirements, sources of financing, financial statements and financial analysis. The profitability level of the project is also defined such as the net income after taxes to the total investment. The identification of sources of financing is an essential element of feasibility study including the currency, security, repayment period, interest, and other features. In addition, the financial health of the business is also assessed in the financial statements as well as the analysis showing the income, cash flow and balance sheets.

Other information such as break-even outputs, sales and prices, amount of sales required to earn a certain amount of profit and the cash payback period are also provided. Tags: Feasibility Study, financial study

Category: Feasibility Study | Comments Off Management Study

Management study involves the appropriate business organization such as the people who will be in-charge both before and after the operating periods of the enterprise as well as the function.

Factors to be determined in management study:

• pointing out the firms or personnel who will be involved in the operation of the project or enterprise
• type of business organization
• organizational chart
• functions of each unit management personnel
• skills and numbers of labor required as well the duties and time to be devoted in the project
• qualifications, compensations, and fringe benefits of the personnel involved
• facilities to be used
• recruitment and training programs of the personnel
• status and timetable of the project

The Economic Feasibility Study

The economic feasibility study of a project is an estimate of the potential profitability of that project, or a study that measures the expected benefits from a certain project relative to its cost (Johnson and McCarthy, 2001; Wong et al., 1999). Examples of construction projects include highways, tunnels, bridges, water mains, dams, sewage systems, water treatment plants, power generation plants and pipeline networks.

Infrastructure projects can be classified as large construction projects that utilize vast amount of resources in terms of money, materials, labor, equipment and time (Salman et al., 2007; Kulkarni et al., 2004; Morley, 2002). Economic feasibility studies need to be conducted prior to the construction of infrastructure facilities due to the ponderous disbursement on infrastructure projects which needs to be weighed against the expected benefits resulting from these projects to the public and the national economy.

However, Owner decision makers and financial institutions build their decisions to proceed with and/or finance any project based on the results of the feasibility study of that project (Abou-Zeid et al., 2007; Vancas, 2003)in other to ensurethat the validity of economic feasibility studies of infrastructure projects is a vital step in ascertaining decisions related to the construction of infrastructure facilities are based on consistent and standard procedures that avoid the use of misleading or inadequate information. Economic benefits include the profits the project owners earned, taxes that are paid to the governments, benefits to the clients etc.

Theoretical Framework

Theoretical framework for the study is based on cost-benefit analysis of a construction project. Inability of the quantity surveyor to properly ascertain if a project is viable can lead to loses or project failure. The analysis is to determine the success factor, risk assessment and management, repition of project scoping and scaling, estimate the financial return, and select possible project options through the use of cost benefit analysis. Therefore a major theoretical approach that will be used for the study is to examine the cost-benefit of a construction project.

Cost-Benefit of Construction Projects

The major cause of project failure is described as the variation or deviation from the original project plan. Project monitoring and control could only effect corrective actions to bring deviated project plans on course, but failed to be mindfulness of identifying and analyzing the root causes of such variations.

Also project monitoring and control are not final cost and time effective to implement. Therefore, this study intends to fill those gaps created by project monitoring and control. Oberlender (2000) in his reports states that there is proneness for some designers to make changes during design in order to please clients without regard to the effect on these changes on the project final cost and schedule.

He furthermore by saying that changes can be catalogued as either project development or scope growth. Project development relates to changes that are needed to give consideration to the scope as currently defined scope growth relates to changes that alter the projects original scope; the scope that was approved before starting the design process.

These changes, though inevitable usually add final cost and time to the original design. The usual practice is that the lead designers must develop a system of monitoring the design effort to ensure that work is progressing without excessive billable hours, but is still producing adequately defined plans and specifications for the contractors to execute the work during construction.

Though this will reduce the contractor’s complaints of pretty drawings in construction that are full of error and lack constructability, they will still add to final cost and time of the project. This study favors’ identifying the prominent factors responsible for scope growth and other variations in plans, address them accordingly before the final project design with a view of mitigation or eliminating the negative effects.

Therefore It is compulsory that every propose change must be subjected to a formal review and approval process that considers final cost and schedule implications as well as the quality specification and standards; plus consequential effects on other activities. The authority to approve changes during design must be limited. It is a fact of life that changes the variations in plans occur during the implementation stages of project and they might result to project failure if not properly rectified. nevertheless project managers need to be always ready to address the problems.

The earned-values system presented by Oberlender (2000) can be determined by multiplying the percent complete times the budgeted designed hours for each task. The earned-value can be compared to actual design-hours billed to the job and the planned design-hours to measure the performance of the design process.

• Earned-value = Percent complete x Budget for that account Percentage completion = Actual final cost or work-hours to date Forecast at completion
• For the determination of the overall project percent complete, therefore;
• Percent complete = Earned work-hours/Naira all accounts
• Budget work-hours/Naira all accounts
• Final cost performance index (CPI) = Sum of earned work-hours of task included
• Sum of actual work-hours of task include Schedule performance index SPI = Sum of earned work-hours to date Sum of scheduled work-hours to day
• Scheduled variance (SV) Earned work hours or naira-Budgeted work Hours or Naira
• SV = BCWP – BCWS
  Final cost Variance (CV) = Earned work-hours or Naira-Actual work-hours or Naira
• CPI = BCWP – ACWP
• Where BCWP = Budgeted final cost of work performed
• BCWS = Budgeted final cost for work scheduled
• ACWP = Actual final cost of work performed
• CPI = final cost performance index problems.

The original final cost estimate is the budget actual final cost (BAC) in the earned-value analysis. Therefore, if the original final cost estimate for the project is incorrect, then all progress measurements during execution of the project would be measured against an incorrect budget. The system of recording final costs charged against the job must be consistent to provide realistic comparisons from one reporting period to another.

Also the method of measuring work completed must be consistently applied from one reporting period to another, otherwise the predicted status of the job will vary widely. Each project must be assessed based on the unique circumstance and conditions that apply to the project in order to use the earned-value system to manage the project.

The partial list of items that can cause the final cost or schedule to vary from the original project plan are presented by Oberlender (2000) as follows: estimating errors, technical problems, design errors, test data problems, constructability and equipment problems, scope control (change orders), management problems, personnel skill level, resource availability organization structure, economic/inflation, delay material deliveries, delay equipment deliveries, poor production rates, subcontractors interference and delay, act of God (weather, fire, flood etc).

Telsang (2004) also observes that the following affects plan; non availability of materials due to shortages or late delivery, plant, equipment and machine breakdown, change in demand, design and rush orders, absenteeism of workers, and lack of communication among various functional areas of business.

In a similar vein, variation factors of quality plans are usually described as assignable variation. According to Stevenson (2002), unlike natural variation, the main sources of assignable variation can usually be identified (assigned to a specific cause) and eliminated. He further states that; tool wear, equipments that needs adjustment, defective materials, human factors (carelessness, fatigue, noise and other distractions, failure to follow correct procedures and so on) and problems with measuring devices are typical sources of assignable variation.

Some challenges faced by the analysis includes:

• The poor awareness of the importance of feasibility/viability analysis
• Benefits are not easily quantifiable in terms of social, economic and environmental benefit.
• The scope of feasibility/viability was poorly judged.