Standards and Testing Agency annual report and financial statements 2012-2013: (for the year ended 31 March 2013)

Enabling power: Education Act 1996, s. 537A (4) (5) (6). Issued: 29.05.2013. Made: 20.05.2013. Laid: 29.05.2013. Coming into force: 28.06.2013. Effect: S.I. 2009/1563 amended. Territorial extent and classification: E. General

Wisdom at Work: Retaining Experienced RNs and Their Knowledge: Case Studies of Top Performing Organizations

Presents seven case studies of top organizations in the healthcare sector and beyond and their proven and innovative strategies for retaining experienced workers. Identifies elements of success, best practices, and lessons for the nursing field overall

Searching for Standards: Disclosure in the Municipal Securities Market

Prokrastinering, eller att mot bättre vetande skjuta upp något, är ett stort problem i samhället i allmänhet och för studenter i synnerhet. I denna artikel beskriver vi en utbildningsmodul om prokrastinering som vi introducerat på två civilingenjörsprogram på KTH, varav denna rapport behandlar datateknikprogrammet där 466 studenter deltog. Utvärderingen hade 100% svarsfrekvens, och visar att 95% av studenterna hade problem med prokrastinering varav 43% hade stora eller mycket stora problem. 88% ansåg att prokrastinering var ett bra tema att ha med i utbildningen, och 57% ansåg att momentet haft positiva effekter på deras studievanor. Endast 7% ansåg att momentet inte hade gett några märkbara effekter på studierna. Då modulen endast kräver ca 8 timmars arbete från studenternas sida anser vi att fördelarna är så stora att denna eller en liknande modul borde ingå i samtliga utbildningsprogram.QC 20131216</p

An Analytical Study of the Reality of Electronic Documents and Electronic Archiving in the Management of Electronic Documents in the Palestinian Pension Agency (PPA)

The study aims to identify the reality of management of electronic documents and electronic archiving retirement in the Palestinian Pension Agency -analytical study, as well as to recognize the reality of the current document management system in the Palestinian Pension Agency. The study found the following results: that the reality of the current system for the management of documents in the agency is weak and suffers from many jams. Employee in the agency understand the importance and benefits of the management of electronic documents system, where the application of electronic document management system provide important features and benefits most of which reduce the loss of documents between departments, illustrates the flow path, the speed, accuracy, transparency, and reduce the proportion of damage and destruction of files. Furthermore, the electronic documents system cost will be less than the cost of the current system and it will reduce the tasks assigned for the staff. The existence of a clear adoption of the agency for the policies and procedures established for the application of electronic documents management system. There are weak plans for training and developing of staff in the agency to raise their efficiency. The study found a set of recommendations, including: increased interest and awareness of the need to implement policies, mechanisms, and procedures to ensure the success of electronic document management system through benefiting from the experiences of other organizations and the private sector. The agency need to increase and develop its services for retirees in order to encourage the private sector, universities, and institutions to join the agency, and open the way for all segments of society in Gaza and West Bank and enhance its competitiveness between international social security institutions. The need to focus its attention on developing and publishing appropriate clear plans and specific goals about management of electronic documents and the agency should be committed to apply them. The need to focus on the establishment of a public management of archiving in the structure dealing with all technical operations and having competent and qualified employees in the field of electronic document management. The need to focus on the Palestinian National Archives and the follow-up with the international standards by the International Council Archives (ICA)

International Research Project on Job Retention and Return to Work Strategies for Disabled Workers: Germany

[Excerpt] The International Research Project on Job Retention and Return to Work Strategies for Disabled Workers is an initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Global Applied Research and Information Network on Employment and Training (GLADNET). It reflects ILO and GLADNET joint aims of establishing a base for cross-national research and strengthening links between research analysis and policy reform in the field of employment of disabled people. The Project is a response to a combination of developments which highlight the need for more effective policies and practices in support of workers whose prospects of remaining in employment are jeopardised by work injury, illness or disability. Persons with disabilities are increasingly claiming rights to stay in work as well as to access employment. Pressures on state budgets, the rising costs of compensation claims and disability benefits, and changes in the structure of the labour market are strengthening policies in favour of job retention and return to work. Enterprises are developing their own strategies to minimise the costs of disability and to retain valued employees. Overall, the balance of responsibility is shifting from the state to the enterprise. Policies and practices to prevent disabled workers from leaving work unnecessarily, and to facilitate rapid return to employment if job loss cannot be prevented, are recent developments in many countries. The cross-national exchange of information on initiatives and their effects is limited. The first aim of this Project has been to gather information about what has been attempted, by whom, for what purposes, in which contexts and to what effects. The second, more ambitious, aim, is to examine the interaction between the various policies and practices, identify dysfunctions, and work towards more coherent and cost-effective strategies for job retention and return to work which might be applied in different national systems. The ultimate objective is to identify strategies which can be put into effect in the workplace

A Study of the Investment Policies and Practices of California Social Service and Advocacy Organizations

This research examines the investment policies and practices of California social service and advocacy organizations by investigating the level of complexity of their investment activities and whether the mission of their organization is taken under consideration, as a social investment screen, when making investment decisions. The nonprofit sector is an essential and influential part of our society as well as our economy. The management of this sector\u27s growing assets is of key importance to its long-term financial stability. With the growing popularity of social investment and the increasing diversity of social investment strategies, it is also a valuable time to examine whether the organization\u27s own social purpose is being incorporated into its investment strategy. The study concludes that among California advocacy and social service organizations, the majority are seeking a return on their investments and a large portion have fairly complex investment portfolios. The research also concludes that approximately half of California social service agencies and approximately 63 percent of advocacy organizations considered the organization\u27s social mission when making investment decisions. However, the majority of these organizations were investing their funds in money market accounts, certificates of deposits and checking accounts. Only 28.5 percent of California social service agencies and only 40 percent of advocacy organizations which indicated that they considered the organization\u27s social mission when making investment decisions were using more complex vehicles of investment, such as mutual funds, individual stocks or bonds. The study also identified an area of deficiency in the financial management of investments for these organizations. Written investment policies were infrequent among advocacy organizations and social service organizations, even among those organizations which reported having very sophisticated investment strategies. An appendix to this study includes sample policies from several organizations which did have investment policies, and is offered here as a source of information and inspiration for financial managers

Financial Innovations Roundtable: Developing practical solutions to scale up integrated community development strategies

Essays from experts affiliated with the “think-do” tank , the Financial Innovations Roundtable, housed at the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire