Essay on Prestcom

Political–> Currently we are fairly stable politically which can help trade run smoothly. Energy Saving initiatives can help boost the sales of the Dyson Airblade if for example businesses receive a grant to help pay for the replacement of inefficient electrical appliances e. g traditional style hand dryers. Regulatory–> The product has to be safe to use as it involves electricity and water. Has to be easy to clean so hygienic. Also not damaging to the user e. g the airjets being too powerful.Economic–> Coming out of a recession so businesses may be less inclined to spend money on new appliances, especially ones with a premium price tag such as the Airblade. However it may mean companies are more likely to look into energy saving alternatives to products to try and save money on electricity. Social–> Socially people are more likely to want to protect the environment and may be more likely to look into energy saving options such as the Dyson Airblade. Socia lly companies may be pressurised into investing into environmentally friendly options. Technology–> The dyson Airblade uses cutting edge state of the art technology.Competitors–> Quite a lot of alternative products which offer very similar benefits but at a lower price such as the Xcelarator and the Airforce. Opportunities–> Dyson could release a cheaper product but carries the same dyson brand name, this could draw sales away from cheaper hand dryers as people may be attracted by the brand of dyson. Market–> One of the market leaders expensive but top of the range, may be seen as a premium product, carriers the dyson brand name which means it is highly thought of, however there are lots of cheaper alternatives availiable.

The Golden Lily Chapter 3

EVEN THOUGH EDDIE had told me not to worry about Angeline, the curious part of me couldn't help but prod him about it on the drive over to Adrian's apartment. â€Å"How are you going to handle it?† I asked. â€Å"Have a heart-to-heart?† He shook his head. â€Å"Mostly I was going to simply avoid her unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully she'll lose interest.† â€Å"Well. I guess that's one method. But, I mean, you're a pretty direct person.† If faced with a roomful of Strigoi, he would've walked in without hesitation. â€Å"Maybe you should try that kind of approach instead. Just confront her and tell her honestly that you're not interested.† â€Å"That's easy in theory,† he said. â€Å"Not so much in person.† â€Å"Seems easy to me.† Eddie was skeptical. â€Å"That's because you've never had to do it.† Going to Adrian's was a lot easier than it once had been for me. His apartment used to belong to Keith and was also the site where a Moroi named Lee and two Strigoi had died. Those were hard memories to shake. The Alchemists had offered the apartment to me, since I'd also taken on full responsibility for Palm Springs, but I'd yielded it to Adrian. I hadn't been sure I wanted to live there, and he'd been pretty desperate for his own place. When I'd seen how happy the apartment made him, I knew I'd made the right choice. Adrian opened the door before we'd barely had a chance to knock. â€Å"The cavalry! Thank God.† I hid a smile as Eddie and I stepped inside. The first thing that always hit me about this place was the sunny yellow paint Adrian had put up on the walls. He was convinced it helped the mood and had warned us not to question his â€Å"artistic sensibilities.† The fact that the yellow clashed pretty terribly with his secondhand plaid furniture was apparently irrelevant. Or maybe I just wasn't â€Å"artistic† enough to appreciate it. Nonetheless, I actually found the erratic style comforting. It bore little resemblance to Keith's decorating, making it a little easier to blot out the events of that awful night. Sometimes, when I looked around the living room, my breath would catch as visions of the vicious Strigoi attack and Lee's death haunted me. Adrian's stamp on the apartment was like light chasing away the gruesome shadows of the past. Sometimes when I was down, Adrian's personality had a similar effect. â€Å"Nice blouse, Sage,† he told me, deadpan. â€Å"It really brings out the khaki in your pants.† His sarcasm aside, he looked supremely delighted to see us. He had the tall, lean build that most Moroi guys did, along with their typically pale (though not Strigoi-pale) skin. I hated to admit it, but he was more good-looking than he had any right to be. He wore his dark brown hair stylishly messy and had eyes that sometimes seemed too green to be real. Adrian had on one of those button-up printed shirts that were trendy with guys lately, with a blue pattern on it I liked. He smelled like he'd been smoking recently, which I didn't like. Dimitri and Sonya were sitting at the kitchen table going over a bunch of papers with hand-written notes on them. The papers were kind of haphazardly scattered around, which made me wonder how much work they could really be accomplishing. I would have had those pages neatly stacked and organized by topic. â€Å"Glad you're back, Sydney,† said Sonya. â€Å"I've needed a little female support here.† The prettiness of her red hair and high cheek bones was tainted by the fact that she showed her fangs when she smiled. Most Moroi were taught early to avoid that, to prevent detection from humans. Sonya had no qualms about doing it in private. It still bugged me. Dimitri smiled at me. It made his already handsome face even more so, and I knew that â€Å"Zen master wisdom† wasn't the reason Rose had fallen for him. â€Å"I'm guessing you didn't take a nap.† â€Å"Too much to do,† I said. Sonya gave Eddie a curious look. â€Å"We've been wondering where you were.† â€Å"Busy at Amberwood,† said Eddie vaguely. He'd mentioned in the car that it might be best if Angeline's indiscretion and his forced shopping weren't mentioned. â€Å"You know, keeping an eye on Jill and Angeline. Besides, I was waiting until Sydney came back since she wanted to see what we were doing.† I let the white lie slide. â€Å"How is Angeline?† asked Dimitri. â€Å"Is she improving?† Eddie and I exchanged glances. So much for avoiding her indiscretions. â€Å"Improving how exactly?† I asked. â€Å"In combat, in following the dress code, or in keeping her hands to herself?† â€Å"Or in turning off caps-lock?† added Eddie. â€Å"You noticed that too?† I asked. â€Å"Hard not to,† he said. Dimitri looked surprised, which was not a common thing. He wasn't caught off guard very often, but then, no one could really prepare for what Angeline might do. â€Å"I didn't realize I needed to be more specific,† said Dimitri after a pause. â€Å"I meant combat.† Eddie shrugged. â€Å"There's a little improvement, but it's hard to get through to her. I mean, she's absolutely dead set on protecting Jill, but she's also convinced she already knows how. She's got years of that sloppy training drilled into her. It's hard to break that. Plus, she's†¦ easily distracted.† I had to swallow a laugh. Dimitri still looked troubled. â€Å"She has no time for distraction. Maybe I should talk to her.† â€Å"No,† said Eddie firmly, in a rare show of contradicting Dimitri. â€Å"You've got plenty to do here. She's my responsibility to train. Don't worry.† Adrian pulled up a chair, turning it backwards so he could rest his chin on its back. â€Å"What about you, Sage? I know we don't have to worry about you violating the dress code. Did you have fun at your Alchemist spa this weekend?† I set down my bag and walked over to the refrigerator. â€Å"If by spa, you mean underground bunker. And it was just business.† I made a face as I looked inside. â€Å"You promised to get me diet pop.† â€Å"I did promise that,† said Adrian, no remorse whatsoever. â€Å"But then I read some article that said those artificial sweeteners aren't good for you. So, I figured I'd watch out for your health.† He paused. â€Å"You're welcome.† Dimitri said what we were all thinking. â€Å"If you want to start tackling healthy habits, I could suggest a few.† If Eddie or I had said that, it would have rolled right off Adrian – particularly since it was completely valid. But coming from Dimitri? That was different. There was a huge amount of tension between the two men, tension that had been building for a long time. Dimitri's girlfriend, a notorious dhampir named Rose Hathaway, had briefly dated Adrian. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she'd been in love with Dimitri the whole time. So, there was no way that situation could have ended well. Adrian still carried a lot of scars from that and was particularly bitter toward Dimitri. â€Å"Wouldn't want to inconvenience you,† said Adrian, a bit too coolly. â€Å"Besides, when not hard at work with this research, I'm actually conducting a side experiment on how cigarettes and gin increase charisma. As you might guess, the results are looking very promising.† Dimitri arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Wait, go back. Did you say hard at work?† Dimitri's tone was light and playful, and again, I was struck by the double standard here. If I'd made that comment, Adrian's response would've been something like, â€Å"Absolutely, Sage. I'll probably win the Nobel Prize for this.† But for Adrian, Dimitri's words were a call to battle. I saw a glint of something hard in Adrian's eyes, a stirring of some old pain, and it bothered me. That wasn't his way. He always had a smile and a quip, even if they were often irreverent or inappropriate. I'd gotten used to that. I kind of liked it. I glanced at Adrian with a smile that I hoped looked genuine, rather than a desperate attempt to provide distraction. â€Å"Research, huh? I thought you were a gambling man.† It took Adrian a few moments to drag his gaze from Dimitri and fix it on me. â€Å"I've been known to roll the dice now and then,† he said warily. â€Å"Why?† I shrugged. â€Å"No reason. Just wondering if you'd put your charisma research on hold and step up for a challenge. If you went twenty-four hours without cigarettes, I'd drink a can of pop. Regular pop. The whole can.† I saw the glimmer of Adrian's earlier smile returning. â€Å"You would not.† â€Å"I totally would.† â€Å"Half a can would put you into a coma.† Sonya frowned. â€Å"Are you diabetic?† she asked me. â€Å"No,† said Adrian, â€Å"but Sage is convinced one extraneous calorie will make her go from super skinny to just regular skinny. Tragedy.† â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"You think it'd be a tragedy to go an hour without a cigarette.† â€Å"Don't question my steel resolve, Sage. I went without one for two hours today.† â€Å"Show me twenty-four, and then I'll be impressed.† He gave me a look of mock surprise. â€Å"You mean you aren't already? And here I thought you were dazzled from the moment you met me.† Sonya shook her head indulgently at the two of us, like we were adorable children. â€Å"You're missing out, Sydney,† she remarked, tapping the open pop in front of her. â€Å"I need about three of these a day to keep me focused on all this work. No detrimental effects so far.† No detrimental effects so far? Of course not. Moroi never had any. Sonya, Jill†¦ they could all eat whatever they wanted and still keep those amazing bodies. Meanwhile, I labored over every calorie and still couldn't reach that level of perfection. Fitting into these size four khakis had been a triumph this morning. Now, looking at Sonya's slender build, I felt enormous by comparison. I suddenly regretted my comment about drinking a can of pop, even if it had succeeded in distracting Adrian. I supposed I could rest easy knowing that him skipping cigarettes for a day was impossible. I'd never be called to pay up on my sugary wager. â€Å"We should probably get to work. We're losing time.† That was Dimitri, getting us back on track. â€Å"Right,† said Adrian. â€Å"This is five minutes of valuable research wasted. Up for more fun, Castile? I know how much you love sitting around.† Because they were trying to find something special about Dimitri, Sonya and Adrian would often sit the two dhampirs side by side and study their auras in fine detail. Their hope was that Dimitri's Strigoi conversion had left some sign that would help explain the immunity to being turned again. It was a valid idea, though not something that someone as active as Eddie enjoyed. He didn't complain, of course. Eddie wore a look as tough and determined as Dimitri. â€Å"Tell me what you need.† â€Å"We want to do another aura study,† said Sonya. Looked like poor Eddie would be doing some more sitting around. â€Å"Last time we focused on any sign of spirit. This time, we want to show both of you some pictures and see if they trigger any color changes in your auras.† I nodded in approval. A lot of psychological experiments attempted similar techniques, though they usually monitored physiological responses instead of mystical auras. â€Å"I still say it's a waste,† said Adrian. â€Å"They're both dhampirs, but that doesn't mean we can assume any different reactions they have are because Belikov was a Strigoi. Everyone's unique. Everyone's going to respond differently to pictures of kittens or spiders. My old man? He hates kittens.† â€Å"Who could hate kittens?† asked Eddie. Adrian made a face. â€Å"He's allergic.† â€Å"Adrian,† said Sonya. â€Å"We've already been over this. I respect your opinion but still think we can learn a lot.† I was actually impressed that Adrian had an opinion. So far, I'd kind of felt like he was just going along with everything Sonya and Dimitri told him to do and that he didn't give these experiments much thought. And, although I wasn't familiar with the auras that surrounded all living creatures, I could understand his point that individual differences would throw off their research. â€Å"All data is useful in this case,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Especially since we haven't found anything so far. We know there's something different about former Strigoi. We can't rule out any chance to observe it.† Adrian's lips tightened, and he made no further protest. Maybe it was because he felt overruled, but I had a feeling it was because he just didn't want to engage with Dimitri. With the attention off me, I settled into the living room with a book and tried to stay awake. They didn't need me. I'd simply come to keep Eddie company. Occasionally, I'd check the others' progress. Dimitri and Eddie watched as Sonya flipped through different images on her laptop. In turn, Adrian and Sonya watched the dhampirs closely and made notes on paper. I almost wished I could see the bands of color and light and wondered if there really were any noticeable differences. Studying Eddie and Dimitri, I sometimes would notice a change in facial expression when particularly cute or horrific images showed up on the screen, but for the most part their work remained a mystery to me. Curious, I walked over to Sonya when they were about halfway through. â€Å"What do you see?† I asked in a low voice. â€Å"Colors,† she said. â€Å"Shining around all living things. Eddie and Dimitri have different colors, but they have the same reactions.† She changed the picture on the screen to one of a factory spilling black smoke into an otherwise clear sky. â€Å"Neither of them like this. Their auras dim and turn troubled.† She flipped to the next image, a smile on her lips. Three kittens appeared on the screen. â€Å"And now they warm up. Affection is very easy to spot in an aura. So far, they react in normal ways. There's no sign in Dimitri's aura that he's different from Eddie.† I returned to the couch. After a couple of hours, Sonya called a halt. â€Å"I think we've seen what we needed to. Thank you, Eddie.† â€Å"Happy to help,† he said, rising from his chair and stretching. He seemed relieved both that it was over and that it had involved something slightly more interesting than staring off into space. He was active and energetic, and didn't like captivity. â€Å"Although†¦ we've got a few other ideas,† she added. â€Å"Do you think you guys can power through a little longer?† Naturally, she asked just as I was yawning. Eddie regarded me with sympathy. â€Å"I'll stay, but you don't have to. Go sleep. I'll get a ride home.† â€Å"No, no,† I said, stifling a second yawn. â€Å"I don't mind. What are your other ideas?† â€Å"I was hoping to do something similar with Eddie and Dimitri,† she explained. â€Å"Except this time, we'd use sounds instead of images. Then I'd like to see how they respond to direct contact with spirit.† â€Å"I think that's a good idea,† I said, not really sure what that last one would entail. â€Å"Go for it. I'll wait.† Sonya glanced around and seemed to notice I wasn't the only one who looked tired. â€Å"Maybe we should get some food first.† Eddie brightened up at that. â€Å"I'll go,† I offered. It was a sign of my progress that vampires talking about â€Å"food† no longer made me hyperventilate. I knew she didn't mean blood, not if the dhampirs and I were being involved. Besides, there was no feeder around. Feeders were humans who willingly gave blood to Moroi for the high it produced. Everyone here knew better than to even joke about that around me. â€Å"There's a good Thai carryout place a few blocks away.† â€Å"I'll help,† said Adrian eagerly. â€Å"I'll help,† said Sonya. â€Å"The last time you ran an errand, you were gone two hours.† Adrian scowled but didn't deny the charge. â€Å"Our aura observations have been identical anyway. You can get them started on the sounds without me.† Sonya and I took everyone's orders and set out. I didn't really feel like I needed help, but I supposed carrying food for five people – even for a few blocks – could get unwieldy. I soon learned she had other motives for coming along, though. â€Å"It feels good to get outside and stretch my legs,† she said. It was early evening, with significantly less sun and heat – a condition the Moroi loved. We walked along a side street leading toward downtown, lined with cute apartments and small businesses. All around us, huge palm trees loomed, providing an interesting contrast to the eclectic urban setting. â€Å"I've been cooped up there all day.† I smiled at her. â€Å"And here I thought Adrian was the only one who got cabin fever from the work you guys do.† â€Å"He just complains the most,† she explained. â€Å"Which is kind of funny since he also probably gets out the most, between his classes and his cigarette breaks.† I'd nearly forgotten about the two art classes Adrian was taking at a local college. He usually kept his latest projects on display, but there'd been none in the living room lately. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I missed them. I might give him a hard time, but sometimes those artistic glimpses into the way he thought were fascinating. Sonya gave me a brief recap of her wedding plans as we walked the short distance to the Thai restaurant. Her relationship with dhampir Mikhail Tanner was kind of epic on a lot of levels, I supposed. First, dhampirs and Moroi didn't generally get involved in serious relationships. Usually, they were just casual affairs that resulted in the reproduction of more dhampirs. In addition to the scandal of even being involved, Mikhail had actually wanted to hunt down Sonya when she was a Strigoi to free her from that twisted state. Rose had attempted the same with Dimitri, believing death was better than being a Strigoi. Mikhail had failed, but their love had remained steadfast enough through the ordeal that when she'd defied the odds and been restored, they'd immediately gotten back together. I couldn't even begin to imagine love like that. â€Å"We're still deciding on flowers,† she continued. â€Å"Hydrangeas or lilies. I'm guessing I know what your vote is for.† â€Å"Actually, I'd say hydrangeas. I'm around too many lilies already.† She laughed at that and suddenly knelt near a flower bed filled with gladiolas. â€Å"More than you know. There are lilies sleeping in this bed.† â€Å"They're out of season,† I pointed out. â€Å"Nothing's ever out of season.† Sonya glanced around covertly and then rested her fingers on the earth. Moments later, dark green shoots appeared, growing taller and taller until a red trumpet lily opened up on top. â€Å"Ah. Red. Alchemists ones are white – oh, are you okay?† I had backed up so far on the sidewalk that I'd nearly walked into the street. â€Å"You†¦ you shouldn't do that. Someone might see.† â€Å"No one saw,† she said, getting to her feet. Her face softened. â€Å"I'm so sorry. I forget sometimes how you feel about this. It was wrong of me.† â€Å"It's okay,† I said, not sure that it was. Vampire magic always made my skin crawl. Vampires, creatures who needed blood, were bad enough. But being able to manipulate the world with magic? Even worse. That lily, although beautiful, took on a sinister edge now. It shouldn't have existed this time of the year. No more was said about magic, and we soon reached the main strip downtown, where the Thai restaurant was. We placed a giant carryout order and were told it would take about fifteen minutes. Sonya and I lingered outside, admiring downtown Palm Springs in twilight. Lastminute shoppers were out before the boutiques closed, and all the restaurants were hopping with those coming and going. Many of them had outdoor tables on the sidewalk, and friendly conversation buzzed around us. A large fountain, tiled in bright colors, fascinated children and inspired tourists to stop for photo ops. Sonya was easily distracted by the various plants and trees that the city used to beautify the streets. Even without spirit's ability to affect living things, she was still quite the gardener. â€Å"Hey you! Elder Melrose!† I turned and winced when I saw Lia DiStefano striding toward me. Lia was a fashion designer with a shop here in downtown Palm Springs. I hadn't realized we were standing directly across from her store. If I had, I would've waited inside the restaurant. Lia was short but had an overwhelming presence, enhanced by the flamboyant gypsy style she often chose for her personal attire. â€Å"I've been calling you for weeks,† she said, once she reached our side of the street. â€Å"Why don't you answer?† â€Å"I've been really busy,† I said straight-faced. â€Å"Uh-huh.† Lia put her hands on her hips and tried to stare me down, which was kind of amazing since I was taller. â€Å"When are you going to let your sister model for me again?† â€Å"Miss DiStefano,† I said patiently, â€Å"I've told you before. She can't do it anymore. Our parents don't like it. Our religion doesn't allow faces to be photographed.† Last month, Jill's runway-perfect build and gorgeous, ethereal features had attracted Lia's attention. Seeing as having your picture taken en masse was kind of a bad way to stay in hiding, we'd only agreed to let Jill walk in Lia's fashion show because all the models wore Venetian masks. Lia had been on me ever since to let Jill model again. It was hard because I knew Jill wanted to, but she understood as well as I did that her safety came first. Claiming we were part of some obscure religion had often explained away our weird behaviors to others, so I'd figured it would get Lia off my back. It hadn't. â€Å"I never hear from these parents of yours,† Lia said. â€Å"I've watched your family. I see how it is. You're the authority. You're the one I have to go through. I have the chance to do a major magazine spread for my scarves and hats, and Jill was born to do it. What's it going to take to get her? You want a cut of the pay?† I sighed. â€Å"It's not about the money. We can't show her face. If you want to put her in a Venetian mask again, then be my guest.† Lia scowled. â€Å"I can't do that.† â€Å"Then we're at an impasse.† â€Å"There must be something. Everyone has a price.† â€Å"Sorry.† There was no price in the world she could offer to get me to shirk my duty to Jill and the Alchemists. A restaurant clerk stuck his head outside and called that our order was ready, mercifully freeing us from Lia. Sonya chuckled as we loaded up on our bags and headed back down the street to make the walk to Adrian's. The sky was still purple with the last of the day's light, and street lamps made whimsical patterns on the sidewalk as they cast their light through the leaves of palm trees. â€Å"Did you ever imagine your job here would involve dodging aggressive fashion designers?† Sonya asked. â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"Honestly, I never foresaw half the stuff this job has – â€Å" â€Å"Sonya?† A young man appeared seemingly out of nowhere, blocking our path. He was no one I knew and looked to be a little older than me. He wore his black hair in a buzz cut and was staring curiously at Sonya. She came to a halt and frowned. â€Å"Do I know you?† He brightened. â€Å"Sure. Jeff Eubanks. Remember?† â€Å"No,† she said politely, after a few moments of study. â€Å"You must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No, no,† he said. â€Å"I know it's you. Sonya Karp, right? We met in Kentucky last year.† Sonya stiffened. She'd made Kentucky her home while she was a Strigoi. I knew those couldn't be pleasant memories. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she repeated, voice strained. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† The guy was undaunted, still smiling as though they were best friends. â€Å"You've come a long ways from Kentucky. What brings you out here? I just transferred for work.† â€Å"There's some mistake,† I told him sternly, nudging Sonya forward. I didn't know what that mistake could be exactly, but Sonya's attitude was all I needed. â€Å"We have to go.† The guy didn't follow us, but Sonya remained silent for most of the walk home. â€Å"Must be hard,† I said, feeling like I should say something. â€Å"Meeting people from your past.† She shook her head. â€Å"He's not. I'm certain of it. I've never met him.† I'd figured she just wanted to avoid all associations with being a Strigoi. â€Å"You're sure? He wasn't just some casual acquaintance?† She shot me a wry look. â€Å"Strigoi don't have casual acquaintances with humans. They have them for dinner. That guy shouldn't have known who I was.† â€Å"He was human? Not dhampir?† I couldn't tell the difference, but Moroi could. â€Å"Definitely.† Sonya had stopped again and was glancing back at the guy's retreating figure. I followed her gaze. â€Å"There must be some reason he recognized you. He seems pretty harmless.† That got me another smile. â€Å"Come now, Sydney. I figured you'd been around us long enough to know.† â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"Nothing's ever as harmless as it seems.†

Cultural Geography Modeling and Analysis in Helmand Province

HELMAND 1. PROVINCIAL PROFILE Source: UNDSS Provincial Assessment provided by UNAMA I. GENERAL INFORMATION A. Geography Helmand Province is located in the south-west of Afghanistan, bordered by Paktya, Ghor, Daikundy, and Uruzgan in the North-East, Kandahar in the East, Nimroz in the West, and Farah in the North-West. It also has a southern border with Pakistan. The Helmand River is the largest river running through the province, from Baghran district in the north of the province to the fishhook of the Helmand River running west into Nimroz province then into Iran.Except for the mountainous northern reaches of the province which experience heavy snowfalls in winter, Helmand is a desert plateau with rocky outcrops of up to 1,000 metres. The province covers an area of 61,829 km2, representing about 9% of the total Afghan territory. More than a quarter of the province (28. 9%) is mountainous or semi mountainous terrain while above three-fifths of the area (61%) is made up of flat land, as the following table shows: Topography Type by District District Flat Mountainous Semi Mountainous Semi Flat Not ReportedPage 1 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile Total 61. 0% 15. 8% 13. 1% 9. 7% .4% Source: CSO/UNFPA Socio Economic and Demographic Profile The province is divided into 13 districts. The provincial capital is Lashkargah which has a population of about 201,546 inhabitants. B. Demography and Population Helmand has a total population of 1,441,769. There are 189,552 households in the province and each household on average has 9 members. The following table shows the population by district: Population by DistrictDistrict Lashkargah-Helmand Centre Nahr-i-Saraj Nad Ali Nawa-i-Barikzayi Garm Ser Sangin Qala Kajaki Baghran Musa Qala Nawzad Washeer Reg-i-khan Nishin Dishu Total Total Population 201,546 166,827 235,590 89,814 107,153 66,901 119,023 129,947 138,896 108,258 31,476 17,333 29,005 1,441,769 Source: CSO/UNFPA Socio Economic and Demograph ic Profile Around 94% of the population of Helmand lives in rural districts while 6% lives in urban areas. Around 51% of the population is male and 49% is female. The population is largely Pashtun, although there is a significant minority made up of Balochi tribes.Pashtu is spoken by 92% of the population. The second most frequent language is Dari, spoken by the majority of residents in 75 villages representing 4. 4% of the population, followed by Balochi which is the majority language in 28 villages. Helmand province also has a population of Kuchis or nomads whose numbers vary in different seasons. In winter 95,325 individuals, or 4% of the overall Kuchi population, stay in Helmand living in 49 communities. Nearly one in five of these (17%) are short-range partially migratory, and more than three in five (63%) are long-range partially migratory.Overall, for both categories, 20% of the community is settled. In the winter the long-range migratory Kuchi stay mostly in one location and don’t move around during the season. In the summer season, all of the short-range migratory communities that move to Garm Ser, Nishin, and Lashkargah districts belong to the Balochi tribes, while the Pashtun tribes are predominantly long-range migratory and travel mostly to Ghor, Ghazni, and Zabul provinces. Page 2 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile C. Institutional framework In total the government employs 4,363 people in Helmand province.As the table below shows, 66% of these are employees and 34% are contract workers, 94% of government workers are men and 6% are women: Number of Government Employees Male 1,345 Contract workers 2,764 Employees 4,109 Total Workers Source: CSO Afghanistan Statistical Yearbook 2006 Female 118 136 254 Total 1,463 2,900 4,363 In addition, each province has a Provincial Development Committee (PDC) which is responsible for overseeing the progress made on implementation of the Provincial Development Plan, and which wil l lead the provincial development planning process in the future.The PDC involves all government line departments and other key stakeholder groups involved in development activities in the province. It also has a number of working groups devoted to different sectors, each of which should be chaired by the director of the core responsible line department. The structure of the PDC and its associated working groups approved by the Ministry of Economy for use in all provinces is shown in the diagramme below: Provincial Development Committee Structure endorsed by Ministry of Economy Governor/D. Gov PDC Central office Ministry of Economy Secretariat Department of EconomyEconomic Governance & Private Sector Development Economy (DEc) Dep of Finance Chamber of commerce Banks Youth and Culture Donors AISA UN Agencies Private sectors Provincial Council (PC) Social Protection Agriculture & Rural Development Health & Nutrition Education Infrastructure & Natural Resources Governance, Rule of Law & Human Rights Courts Attorney General Department of Justice Women’s Affairs Civil Service Commission Human Rights Commission Audit & Control Office Anti corruption (GIACC) Provincial Council (PC) PRT UN agencies NGOs( N &Int)Security Labour and Social Affairs (DoLSAMD) Women’s Affairs Rural Rehabilitation and Development Refugees and Repatriates Border Affairs Tribal and Kuchi Affairs Red Crescent Provincial Council (PC) UN agencies PRT NGOs (N & Int) Agriculture (DoAIL) Rural Rehabilitation and Development Counter Narcotics Environmental protection Provincial Council (PC) PRT UN agencies NGOs (N &Int) Public Health (DoPH) Urban Development Municipality Red Crescent Water Supply Private sector Environmental protection Provincial Council (PC) UN agencies NGOs (N& Int)Education (DoE) Higher Education Women’s Affairs Labour and Social Affairs, Martyrs and disabled Youth and Culture Border Affairs Tribal and Kuchi Affairs Provincial Council (PC) UN agencies PRT NGO s (N &Int) Public works (DPW) Urban. Development Transport Rural Rehabilitation and Development Municipality Communications Mines& industries Water& Power Agriculture Environmental Protection Provincial Council (PC) Private sector Banks PRT UN agencies NGOs (N &Int) National Security Council National Police.National Army National Security Border Affairs Demining Counter Narcotics Foreign Affairs Provincial Council (PC) UN agencies PRT Source: Ministry of Economy The Provincial Development Committee in Helmand province was formed in late 2005. In April 2007 UNAMA made the following assessment of the PDC in Helmand : UNAMA assessment of Provincial Development Committee in Helmand province Supporting Agencies Functioning Status of PDC meetings PRT and DFID support. UNAMA requested to train PDC members Meetings take place regularly once a monthPage 3 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile Source: UNAMA, April 2007 Helmand also has a number of other bodies which play an active role in development planning at the local level. There are 14 District Development Assemblies active in 14 districts of the province, involving 435 male members and no females. Each DDA has its own District Development Plan. There are also 487 Community Development Councils in the province which are active in development planning at the community and village level.The following table shows the number of CDCs active in each district: CDCs by District District Lashkargah Nahr-i-Saraj Musa Qala Baghran Nawzad Nawa-i-Barikzayi Garm Ser TOTAL Number of CDCs 80 152 32 1 72 38 112 487 Source: MRRD, National Solidarity Programme (NSP) D. Donor Activity In addition to the activities of government agencies, a number of national and international organizations play an active role in promoting development in the province. For example, 8 UN agencies are currently involved in reconstruction and development projects in different parts of the province.These are shown in the following table: UN Operations in Helmand Activities Governance, follow up on DIAG, human rights UNAMA and capacity building in government. WHO Health and vaccination programmes WFP Work for food, school feeding, emergencies UNICEF Education, health, WATSAN UNOPS Infrastructure development UNDP Support to MRRD UNHCR Muhktar IDP Camp UN Habitat City profile Source: UNDSS Provincial Profile provided by UNAMA Agency Location Lashkargah All Districts All Districts All Districts All Districts All Districts Muhktar IDP Camp LashkargahThere are also at least 7 national and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) supporting development projects across a range of sectors in the province, as the following table shows: International and Non-Governmental Organizations in Helmand Organization BRAC USAID/Communics Ibnesina Activities NSP and micro-finance activities Alternative Livelihood Programs Health activities Location Lashkargah Lashkargah Lashkargah Page 4 of 13Provincial Development Pl an, Helmand : Provincial Profile Mercy Corps CADG PEP Emergency Agriculture Agriculture Poppy Eradication Program Health Lashkargah Lashkargah Lashkargah Lashkargah Source: UNDSS Provincial Profile, provided by UNAMA In addition the following Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operates as a facilitating partner (FP) for the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) in different districts in the province, as shown below: NGOs Facilitating NSP by District Facilitating Partner Garmser BRAC Lashkar Gah BRAC Musa Qala BRAC Nahri Sarraj BRAC Naw Zad BRAC Naway i Barakzayi BRAC Reg Source: MRRD,National Solidarity Programme (NSP) District II. CURRENT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROVINCE A. Infrastructure and Natural Resources The provision of basic infrastructure such as water and sanitation, energy, transport and communications is one of the key elements necessary to provide the building blocks for private sector expansion, equitable economic growth, increased employment and accelerated agricu ltural productivity. In Helmand province, on average only 28% of households use safe drinking water.About 94% of households have direct access to their main source of drinking water within their community, and the remainder 6% of households has to travel for up to an hour to access drinking water, as the table below shows: Time required accessing main source of drinking water In Community 94% Source: NRVA 2005 Less than 1 hour 6% 1-3 hours 0% 3-6 hours 0% On average only 5% of households in the province have access to safe toilet facilities.The following table shows the kinds of toilet facilities used by households in the province: Toilet facilities used by households None/ Dearan / Sahrah (area in compound bush but not pit) open field 7% 12% Source: NRVA 2005 Open pit Traditional covered latrine 64% Improved latrine 5% Flush latrine 12% 0% In terms of meeting the basic requirements for energy, on average 21% of households in Helmand province have access to electricity with more tha n two-thirds of these having access to public electricity. Page 5 of 13Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile The transport infrastructure in Helmand is reasonably well developed, with 62% of roads in the province able to take car traffic in all seasons, and 32. 5% able to take car traffic in some seasons. However, in 5% of the province there are no roads at all, as shown in the following table: Road Types District Lashkargah-Helmand Centre Nahr-i- Saraj Nad Ali Nawa-i-Barikzayi Garm Ser Sangin Qala Kajaki Baghran Musa Qala Nawzad Washeer Reg-i-khan Nishin Dishu Total Cars all season 62. % 51. 5% 78. 0% 91. 8% 90. 5% 60. 8% 78. 2% 19. 0% 98. 1% 66. 9% 45. 3% 42. 9% 32. 8% 62. 0% Cars some seasons 37. 3% 36. 9% 21. 3% 7. 5% 8. 8% 37. 3% 12. 4% 68. 6% . 9% 33. 1% 39. 1% 50. 0% 67. 2% 32. 5% No roads . 0% 11. 2% . 0% . 0% . 0% 2. 0% 8. 8% 11. 7% . 0% . 0% 15. 6% 4. 8% . 0% 5. 0% Not Reported . 0% . 5% . 6% . 7% . 7% . 0% . 6% . 7% . 9% . 0% . 0% 2. 4% . 0% . 5% Sourc e: CSO/UNFPA Socio Economic and Demographic Profile (AIRD analysis)The following table indicates road travel times between the provincial capital, Lashkargah, and the major district centres in the province, and other key provincial centres in the region: Road Travel Times Time Approximately 2 hrs–200 Lashkargah Kandahar City km Approximately 45 minutes– Lashkargah Grishk 80 km Approximately 2 hrs–150 Lashkargah Sangin km Approximately 2 hrs–150 Lashkargah Musa Qala km Approximately 2 hrs –150 Lashkargah Garm Ser km Approximately 4 hrs–300 Lashkargah Baghran km Source: UNDSS Provincial Profile, provided by UNAMA From To Road Condition Excellent/good (Route 1-bitumen road) Good (hard-packed gravel) Poor/Good (mix of desert and hard-packed gravel) Poor/Good (mix of desert and hard-packed gravel) Poor/Good (mix of desert and hard-packed gravel) Poor/Good (mix of desert and hard-packed gravel) As far as telecommunications is concerned, both the m ain mobile telephone operators, Roshan and AWCC, are present in the province.The signal of these two mobile operators covers mainly the provincial capital, Lashkargah, and Route 1 from Lashkargah to Khanadahar City. Page 6 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile B. Economic Governance and Private Sector Development Creating the conditions in which a dynamic and competitive private sector can flourish, is key to promoting economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction. Helmand is mainly an agricultural province. There are two industrial crops grown in the province, Cotton is produced in 57% of villages, mainly in Nad Ali, Nawa-i-Barikzayi, and Garm Ser districts. Tobacco is produced in 24% of villages, mostly in Garm Ser, Kajaki, Baghran, Nad Ali, and Nahr-i-Saraj.To a smaller extent, sesame is produced in 10% of villages, mainly in Kajaki, Garm Ser, and Nad Ali; and sugar extracts in 6% of villages, again in Kajaki and Nad Ali mostly. The majority of commercial activity in Helmand is related to agriculture, animal husbandry, transport companies for import and export as well as the production and trafficking of narcotics. Agriculture is a major source of revenue for 69% of households in Helmand province, including 70% of rural households. Sixty seven percent of rural households own or manage agricultural land or garden plots in the province. However, more than one quarter of households (26%) in rural areas derive income from trade and services. A fifth of households (20%) earn some income through non-farm related labour.Livestock also accounts for income for a quarter of rural households (25%) as the following table shows: Sources of income reported by households Source of Income Agriculture Livestock Opium Trade and Services Manufacture Non-Farm Labor Remittances Other Source: NRVA 2005 Rural (%) 70 25 41 26 0 20 2 1 Urban (%) Total (%) 69 26 41 26 0 20 2 2 In 2005 there were 29 agricultural cooperatives active in Helmand in volving 5,266 members. This was an increase of around 15% in membership over 2003 when the figure was only 4,616 members. In 2005, agricultural cooperatives controlled a total of 20,063 Ha of land and achieved a surplus of produce for sale of 10,000 tons. As a result of this, each member held a share in the capital of the cooperative to the value of 825,900Afs.To all extents and purposes small industry is absent in Helmand and there is only a small production of handicrafts mostly related to jewelry, mainly in Nad Ali, Nawzad, and Garm Ser districts, and rugs in Nad Ali, Baghran, and Nawzad. Honey is also produced in 16 villages of 693, and karakul skin in seven. In 2005 23% of households in Helmand reported taking out loans. Of these loans, a small percentage was used to invest in economic activity such as buying land (1%), agricultural inputs (10%) and business investment (1%). C. Agriculture and Rural Development Enhancing licit agricultural productivity, creating incentives for non-farm investment, developing rural infrastructure, and supporting access to skills development and financial services will allow individuals, households and communities to participate licitly and productively in the economy.As agriculture represents the major source of income for more than two-thirds of the households in the province, rural development will be a key element of progress in Helmand. The most important field crops grown in Helmand province include wheat maize, and melon/water melons. The most common crops grown in garden plots include fruit and nut trees (67%) and grapes (26%). Wheat is also frequently gown in garden plots in the province (4%). Page 7 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile Almost all of the households with access to fertilizer use this on field crops (95%) and to a much lesser degree on garden plots (1%), although 4% of households use fertilizer on both field and garden.The main types of fertilizer used by households in the province are shown in the following table: Main types of fertilizer used by households Human % Animal % % 93 Urea Average Kg per Household 466. 3 Kg % 86 DAP Average Kg per Household 268. 4 Kg 31 46 Source: NRVA 2005 On average 97% of households in the province have access to irrigated land, and 5% of households have access to rain-fed land. Households (%) access to irrigated and rain-fed land Access to irrigated land Access to rain-fed land Source: NRVA 2005 Rural 97 5 Urban Average 97 5 Seventy six percent of rural households and 97% of Kuchi households in the province own livestock or poultry.The most commonly owned livestock are poultry, sheep, cattle and goats as the following table shows: Households (%) owning poultry and livestock Livestock Cattle Oxen Horses Donkey Camel Goats Sheep Poultry Source: NRVA 2005 Kuchi 6 0 0 88 31 97 94 91 Rural 57 6 2 21 0 45 57 71 Urban 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Average 56 6 2 22 1 45 58 71 D. Education Ensuring good quality education and equitable acces s to education and skills are some of the important ways to raise human capital, reduce poverty and facilitate economic growth. The overall literacy rate in Helmand province is 5%, however, while 8% of men are literate, this is true for only 1% of women. In the population aged between 15 and 24 the situation for men is not much better with 9. 1% literacy, whereas for the women there is no improvement 0. 9%).The Kuchi population in the province has particularly low levels of literacy with just 0. % of men and no women able to read and write. On average only 6% of children between 6 and 13 are enrolled in school, however the figure is higher for boys at 11%. Furthermore, amongst the Kuchi population in Helmand, no boys or girls attend school during the summer or winter months. Overall, there are 225 primary and secondary schools in the province catering for 80,121 students. Boys account for almost 94% of students and about 99% of schools are boys’ schools. There are 1,452 teach ers working in schools in the Helmand province, about one of ten of whom are women (12%). Page 8 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile Primary and Secondary EducationStudents boys girls 70,761 4,992 Primary 4,243 125 Secondary 75,004 5,117 Total 225 80,121 Source: CSO Afghanistan Statistical Yearbook 2006 boys 164 58 222 girls 1 2 3 Schools Teachers Male female 1,280 172 1,452 Primary schools exist in only 101 of the total 1,705 villages which are home to 9% of the population. Fourty three percent of students must travel more than 10 kilometres to reach their closest primary school, while 29% must travel up to five kilometres. Secondary schools exist in only 45 villages, which are home to 2. 9% of the population. To reach their closest secondary schools 57% of students have to travel more than 10 kilometres, and more than one in five have to travel at least five kilometres. Access to high schools is even more difficult.They exist in only 17 villages in the province, and almost seven out of ten students must travel more than 10 kilometres to reach their high school, while another 12% must travel at least five kilometres. Helmand province also has a number of higher education facilities, although there is currently no governmental or private university in the province. There is an Agriculture Vocational High School with 2 teachers catering for a total of 146 students, all of whom are men and a Mechanics High School with 8 staff and 117 male students. In 2005, 14 students graduated from the Agriculture School and 8 from the Mechanics School. There is also a teacher training institute which had 134 students in 2005, 75% of whom were men and 25% women.Seventy two new teachers graduated from Helmand Teacher Training Institute in 2005, of which 67% were women and 33% men. E. Health Ensuring the availability of basic health and hospital services, and developing human resources in the health sector is essential to reduce the incidence of disea se, increase life expectancy and enable the whole population to participate in sustainable development. A basic infrastructure of health services exists in Helmand province. In 2005 there were 31 health centers and 2 hospitals with a total of 172 beds. There were also 60 doctors and 120 nurses employed by the Ministry of Health working in the province, which represented a decrease of about 15% in the number doctors and 14% in the number of nurses compared to 2003.The major health facilities in the province are shown in the following table: HEALTH CENTERS District Lashkargah Reg-i-khan Nishin Nahr-i-saraj Sangin Qala Musa Qala Kajaki Nawzad Washeer Garm Ser Nad Ali Nawa-i-Barikzayi Baghran Basic Health Center 3 1 2 2 1 2 3 1 4 2 3 3 Comprehensive Health Center 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 2 Provincial/District Hospital 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Page 9 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile Dishu 0 0 Source: UNDSS Provincial Profile, provided by UNAMA 0 The province al so has 205 pharmacies of which 203 are owned privately and 2 are run by the government. The majority of communities do not have a health worker permanently present in their community.Eighty five percent of men’s shura and 73% of women’s shura reported that there was no community health worker present, and both groups most commonly said that their closest health facility was a Basic Health Center clinic without beds. Out of the total 1,705 villages, only 39 have a health center within their boundaries, and only 64 have a dispensary. Access to health care is very difficult for many people in the province with more than half of the population having to travel over 10 Km to get medical attention – 62. 4% for health centers and 56% for dispensaries. F. Social Protection Building the capacities, opportunities and security of extremely poor and vulnerable Afghans through a process of economic empowerment is essential in order to reduce poverty and increase self-relianc e.The level of economic hardship in Helmand is reasonably high. A quarter of households in the province (25%) report having problems satisfying their food needs at least 3 – 6 times a year, and a further almost third of households (31%) face this problem up to three times a year, as the following table shows: Problems satisfying food need of the household during the last year Never Households 39 (%) Source: NRVA 2005 Rarely (1-3 times) 31 Sometimes (3-6 times) 25 Often (few times a month) 5 Mostly (happens a lot) 1 Nearly half of the population in the province (49%) is estimated to receive less than the minimum daily caloric intake necessary to maintain good health.Almost two thirds of the population (64%) has low dietary diversity and poor or very poor food consumption as shown below: Food consumption classification for all households Households Very poor (%) food consumption 21 Rural 20 Total Source: NRVA 2005 Low dietary diversity Better dietary diversity Poor Slightly bet ter Better food consumption food consumption food consumption 43 35 1 44 34 2 In 2005, 30% of the population of Helmand province received allocations of food aid, which reached a total of 428,608 beneficiaries. In addition, of the 23% of households who reported taking out loans, 58% said that the main use of their largest loan was to buy food. A further 14% used the money to cover expenses for health emergencies.In the same year, nearly a quarter of the households in the province (23%) reported feeling that their economic situation had got worse compared to a year ago, and a third (34%) felt that it had remained the same, as the following table shows: Comparison of overall economic situation compared to one year ago Much worse 7 Households (%) Source: NRVA 2005 Worse 16 Same 34 Slightly better 35 Much better 9 Page 10 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile In 2005 two in five of all households in the province (40%) report having been negatively affected by s ome unexpected event in the last year, which was beyond their control.Households were most vulnerable to shocks related to agriculture, followed by problems related to drinking water, natural disasters and insecurity as the following table shows: Households experiencing shocks in the province (%) Types of shocks Drinking water Agricultural Natural disaster Insecurity Financial Health or epidemics Source: NRVA 2005 Rural 27 86 24 22 3 3 Urban Average 27 83 25 21 3 3 Of those households affected, over a third reported that they had not recovered at all from shocks experienced in the last 12 months (37%), and three in five said they had recovered only partially (61%). G. Governance, Law and Human Rights Establishing and strengthening government institutions at the central and sub-national levels is essential to achieve measurable improvements in the delivery of services and the protection of rights of all Afghans No relevant data analysed at provincial level available from national sou rces has been identified in this area. H. SecurityEnsuring a legitimate monopoly on force and law enforcement that provides a secure environment for the fulfillment of the rights of all Afghans is essential to ensure freedom of movement for people, commodities and ideas, and to promote social and economic development. A recent assessment made by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) reported that the prevailing security situation in Hilmand province remains extremely unstable, and is assessed by some security actors as being the most volatile province in Afghanistan. The prevailing security situation can best be considered by three distinct geographic areas; north, center and south. The north of the province, encompassing the Districts of Nawzad, Musa Qala, Sangin Qala, Baghran, Washeer and Kajaki is by far the most unstable area in the province, and perhaps the most volatile in the country.Throughout 2006 and 2007 insurgents and the International Security Ass istance Force (ISAF) experienced significant, unprecedented clashes, each suffering large numbers of casualties. It is assessed that both ISAF and the Government have no control in these areas. The center consists of the provincial capital, Lashkargah and four other districts. These are also assessed to be extremely volatile, although they are calmer than the northern and southern regions of the province. ISAF and the Government are also assessed to have little control of the area outside of Lashkargah, in particular because of constant attacks against Government targets in these areas.The south of the province encompasses the districts of Garm Ser, Dishu and Reg-i-khan Nishin, and the southern international border with Pakistan. ISAF assesses that the southern ‘frontline’ is an east-west line running parallel to the Hilmand river as it fishhooks to the west in Garm Ser District, South of that line Government and ISAF have effectively no control of the area. At times pa trols will enter the area for specific targeting and counter narcotics operations however there is no enduring presence. Garm Ser District Centre fell into the hands of insurgents on several occasions during 2006; ISAF forces remain in the District Centre and conduct operations through out the district. Page 11 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial ProfileThe UNDSS assessment highlights the following key factors of insecurity in the province: Factors of Insecurity Illegally Armed Groups (IAG) continue to operate in the province in a quasi-legitimate way, due to a lack of Government presence. Many groups are being referred to as â€Å"Reserve Police† or â€Å"Special Police† and are being deployed to the northern districts of Helmand and other problematic areas of the province for military operations. The Disarmament of Illegally Armed Groups (DIAG) programme is not currently operating in the province. The security situation within the province remains volatile with capable insurgent groups active, or at least present, in most districts.Criminality is no more significant in Helmand than in the surrounding southern provinces. Aside from drug-related crime, the Ring Road has been targeted by bandits as well as by insurgents. Property crime is also prevalent. Helmand is the largest opium producing province in Afghanistan.. Eradication efforts to date have not been successful. Although tens of millions of dollars have been spent and Ministry of Interior policemen have been killed carrying out eradication activities, in 2005-2006 the opium crop increased by 162%. Poppy cultivation is concentrated around the Helmand River with the bulk of production taking place in the Sangin Valley and surrounding areas.The quality and potency of the opium from these areas is renowned in the region. Involvement of Government officials in the drug trade is widespread in the province and beyond. Moreover, there are also clear linkages between the narcot ics trade and the insurgency, with the groups cooperating with each other for mutual benefit. The Afghan Eradication Forces (‘AEF’) sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior has been deployed to the province in order to undertake eradication and have met with fierce resistance. Illegally Armed Groups (IAGs) Anti-Government Elements (AGEs) Criminality and Organized Crime Narcotics Source: UNDSS Provincial Profile, provided by UNAMA Profile compiled by NABDP / MRRD Information SourcesAfghanistan Statistical Yearbook 2006, Central Statistics Office Geography: Area Demography and Population: Rural and Urban population Institutional Framework: Total Government employees Economic Governance & Private Sector Development: Agricultural cooperatives, members, land, surplus, capital Education: Primary and secondary schools, students and teachers, Higher education faculties, total students, first year students and graduates, Students in university dormitories, Vocational high schoo ls, staff, students and graduates, Teacher training institutes, students and graduates. Health: Number of Health centers, Hospitals, beds, Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacies.Social Protection: Allocations of food aid, Page 12 of 13 Provincial Development Plan, Helmand : Provincial Profile Socio Economic and Demographic Profiles (per province), 2003, Central Statistics Office/ UNFPA Geography: Topography, No of Districts, Provincial capital – population Demography and Population: Population by district, Number of households, Main Languages Spoken Infrastructure and Natural Resources : Road types (analysis by Afghanistan Institute for Rural Development) Economic Governance & Private Sector Development:– Industrial crops, small industries and handicrafts Education: Distance from educational services Health: Distance from Health ServicesThe National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 2005, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and the Central Statistics Office, June 200 7 Demography and Population: Average household size Infrastructure and Natural Resources : Use of safe drinking water, Travel time to drinking water, Access to safe toilet facilities, Toilet types, Household access to electricity, Access to public electricity Economic Governance & Private Sector Development:Source of household revenue, Households taking out loans, loan investment in economic activity Agriculture and Rural Development: Most important field crops and garden crops, Fertilizer use and type, Access to irrigated and rainfed land, Ownership of livestock and poultry Education: Literacy rate overall and for population 15 to 24, school enrolments Health: Availability of community health workers, closest type of health facility Social Protection: Problems satisfying food needs, Population receiving less than minimum recommended daily caloric intake, dietary diversity & food consumption, Comparison of economic situation with 12 months ago, Loan use for food and medical expenses , Vulnerability to shocks, Kinds of shocks , Recovery from shocks National Multi sectoral Assessment on Kuchi, Frauke de Weijer, May 2005 Demography and Population: Kuchi population Winter and Summer Education: Literacy rate for Kuchi, School attendance for Kuchi (summer / winter)UNDSS Provincial Assessments or UNAMA Provincial profiles, Supplied by UNAMA Geography: MAP , Location and description, Demography and Population: Major ethnic groups and tribes, Institutional Framework: Line Department offices, Donor Activity: UN agencies and projects, IO/NGO agencies and projects Infrastructure and Natural Resources : Road Travel times, Mobile Network Coverage Economic Governance & Private Sector Development: General economic profile, Major industries/ commercial activities Health: Health facilities Security: Assessment of the security situation, Factors of insecurity Information supplied by United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) Provincial Development, Provincial Budget ing and Integration of the Provincial Development Plans into the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS). Draft Discussion Paper for the ADF) Institutional Framework : Assessment of functioning of PDC Information supplied by Ministries Institutional Framework: PDC structure (Ministry of Economy), DDAs and CDCs (Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development) Donor Activity: NGO facilitating partners for NSP (Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development)

BUSINESS MODEL INTERROGATION & DEVELOPMENT Essay

BUSINESS MODEL INTERROGATION & DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example In other words, the company is not limited to selling of products nor is specifically related to the sale of products instead it carries out both buying and selling of goods. Tesco’s business model is composed of four fundamental activities: buy, insight, sell and move and these four activities collectively work to attain the objective of â€Å"we make what matters better, together† (Tesco Annual Report, 2014). At the same time, the business model encompasses other layers which consist of other strategic values and objectives which collectively make this entire business model work for the co Tesco’s business model is adequate to satisfy the strategic long term business objectives besides serving the short term objectives. For example, the model is composed of four core operations which highlight four different business areas which do not share similar activities instead they have different operational and strategic significance for the company. More clearly, Tesco’s business operations start from the purchase activity in which the company engages with the suppliers of different food products. In this activity, the company looks putting substantial amount of concentration and energy as quality of food products largely relies on the fresh food products which are mainly reflected through the market goodwill of suppliers and producers as well. In this regard, it is important to mention that this purchase activity is of paramount importance for the company as it has strategic implications and effects of the market perception of Tesco. For example, if the compan y provides low quality food items and customers regularly complain about various quality issues, this would put negative effect on the perception of the Tesco and if the negative perception continue to stay longer, the company would face serious strategic issues including drop in sales, drop in the volume of sales and other relevant

Features Of Australian Federal Budget 2011 Essay

Features Of Australian Federal Budget 2011 - Essay Example ies said that the inflationary pressure would further increase according to the profile of the budget and an anticipated fall in the unemployment rate. The HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham believes that the budget may have an adverse influence on the risk elements around the inflation outlook. He argues that the government’s increased spending on skills training and encouragement on skilled immigration may not help ease inflation. The impact of Federal Budget on unemployment The terms of the Australian Federal Budget 2011 indicates that the budget can significantly reduce the unemployment rate. The budget forecasts that the country’s real GDP growth would increase by 4 percent in 2011-12 whereas the exports in 2011-12 would rise by 6.5 percent; in addition, the budget expects that unemployment rate would fall from 5 to 4.5 per cent during the next two years (‘Australian high commission media release- 12’, 2011). Presently, some of the households have not a breadwinner. Although, the Australian economy is badly in need of employees, unwilling and unskilled workers become a great threat to the country. However, the economy has created over 3000,000 jobs over the past year and hence it is estimated that the unemployment rate can be further reduced in 2013 by creating more job opportunities. The budget has set aside over $3 billion over six years as part of its â€Å"Building Australia’s Future Workforce† policy. This policy focuses on â€Å"developing stronger relations between industry and training organizations, modernizing apprenticeship programs, and reforming the national training system† (‘Employment & income support’, 2011,). The budget has provisioned for a $674 billion for productive strategies including employment outcomes. In addition, there is a... The budget forecasts that the country’s real GDP growth would increase by 4 percent in 2011-12 whereas the exports in 2011-12 would rise by 6.5 percent; in addition, the budget expects that unemployment rate would fall from 5 to 4.5 percent during the next two years. Presently, some of the households have not a breadwinner. Although, the Australian economy is badly in need of employees, unwilling and unskilled workers become a great threat to the country. However, the economy has created over 3000,000 jobs over the past year and hence it is estimated that the unemployment rate can be further reduced in 2013 by creating more job opportunities. The budget has set aside over $3 billion over six years as part of its â€Å"Building Australia’s Future Workforce† policy. This policy focuses on â€Å"developing stronger relations between industry and training organizations, modernizing apprenticeship programs, and reforming the national training system†. The budge t has provisioned for a $674 billion for productive strategies including employment outcomes. In addition, there is a $526.6 million provision in the Federal Budget for some other purposes which include the creation of employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians. Additionally, the government has designed a $8.5 million package over the next four years; one of the main objectives of this package is to improve the operational effectiveness of Job Services Australia and Disability Employment Services.

Food Journal Reflections Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Food Journal Reflections - Lab Report Example I had one and a half serving of vegetables and one serving of fruit per day (organic content) which I considered too little. For foods with animal products, I took a glass of milk for each of the two days. Most of the foods I ate are local foods. Most of the foods stocked in the grocery and supermarket stalls in the country are local foods. It is important to prompt the local food industry by consuming more of the local foods than the imported ones (Wang,2014). The local foods are of an immense variety each containing specific nutritional requirements.The average American eats one serving of fruit and vegetable each day which is too little to provide the necessary organic requirements. There is also an increasing amount of meats consumption in American households while foods containing other essential animal products like minerals are on the decline. A healthy diet requires that an individual eats a balanced diet every day while striving to sustain a caloric intake of about 2000 calories per day. This requires cutting down on meat consumption to at least once per two days and increase the intake of foods with organic content like fruits and vegetables to at least once per day. Along with fruits and vegetables, individuals should also strive to have at least every meal providing essential animal products apart from meat (Wang, 2014). Such products include milk, eggs et cetera. Wang, D. D., Leung, C. W., Li, Y., Ding, E. L., Chiuve, S. E., Hu, F. B., & Willett, W. C. (2014). Trends in dietary quality among adults in the United States, 1999 through 2010.  JAMA internal medicine,  174(10),

Foreign market entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foreign market entry - Essay Example In case of companies, there can a variety of strategies to enter into a global market thus expanding the scope of operations. Globalization is always a positive sign for those who are striving for it (Causes and Effects of Globalization, 2012). But here it is important to be noted that expansion of the operations by entering into the foreign global market is not possible for all companies. The expansion actually depends upon the resource availability of the firm. It is crucial issue that either the firm has enough resources or not. Resources play an important role in all decision making of any firm. Before going across the boundaries in a foreign market the firm has to decide its strategy that either it would export the goods in the foreign market or may acquire a local firm in the host country to start operations. Another option might be a kind of joint venture with a famous local firm of the host economy. There will be a slight difference between the acquisition of a local firm of host country or doing a joint venture with that same local firm. Whether adopt any strategy, the important point is that the result will be growth of the firm in either case (Lynch, 2013). After consideration of all the resource availability and other strategies now the point comes that what will be the factors which may affect any firm’s decision of globalization. These factors include a long list of all the possible components which may affect a firm’s operations whether local or global. These factors may be country specific or even sometimes industry specific too. There may be certain Government rules and regulations which are not feasible for any small company. In such cases the company may not expand its operations though it may possess enough resources. Similarly there will be many other policies and rules which any firm must have to obey in order to enter into the local market. Though many economies are working on it and many of them have also revised their trade rules