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Ecology is taken to mean the mutual co-existence between the organisms and the environment
Ecology is taken to mean the mutual co-existence between the organisms and the environment. This relationship should be maintained for the two entities to co-exist harmoniously. Public administration on other hand has a whole lot of definitions that vary in accordance to the intended use. The most important thing is to create a public service that will not become a bureaucracy dangerous to the society by nay means and to the popular government chosen by the people. Ecology of public administration will thus be based on different environments of the roots of government functions, operational problems and civic attitudes. This will enable the creation of a bridge between the society and the public administration (Stillman 78).
The policy makers are entrusted with the need to create policies that will describe and interpret why particular tasks are undertaken through the government and the problems that result from such organization, management and policies. The described correlation will assist in coming up with better ways of dealing with the root problems that affect the public administration (Gaus 6). Bureaucracy is a concept that is used to refer to the way administrative execution and legal enforcement of rules is organized. Division of labor among personnel, a personnel system that has consistent and efficient recruitment patterns and stable linear careers, hierarchy among the offices provided and formal and informal networks that connect the companies through information flow are major features of a perfect bureaucracy.
Challenges facing this industry are mainly lack of transparency in recruitment exercises. Lack of accountability and stable recruitment patterns creates a big gap between the rich and the poor in the society, creating hatred between the two classes. Often, talents are not given a chance to flourish in these work areas due to nepotism that is rife in the organizations. Careers are offered on who-do-you-know basis that closes talented people out. Education is also not offered in a uniform way. The schemes followed are not similar within the states depending on which schools one attends. Officials in the originations are offered immunity and are thence immune from criticism from those being led as well as those directly or indirectly affected by the services offered (Gaus 7; Stillmann 81). These challenges can be managed by electing leaders that have the views of the common person at heart. People that value honesty and integrity will help reshape the public administration and offer hope of better future. Actions that are geared towards cleaning up the public service are always welcome since it creates transparency and accountability. Recruitments will be made in regard to talent, merit and experience as the core code of selection. This will create a sense of responsibility from those that gain entry into these offices. Work will be done in respect to the experience gained and efficiency will be readily achieved in the public sector.
A community that is ready to utilize catastrophe as a means of improving tragedies will have taken an analytical approach towards solving its problems. This ensures that the public is ready to make demands upon its powers to observe upon a sensitive awareness of changes and the willingness to face political basis of administration. This implies the creation of a public agency that will create a reason for its existence and a reason to attack it as well. This is another clear way of handling corrupt bureaucrats and increases the establishment of a better society (Stillman 83). This will assist in getting a remedy for the problems observed as the political elite take up their task of formulating laws geared towards fruitful understanding of the ecology of government (Stillman 84). Creating a society that is free for spoils and abuse of powers will only be achieved if the formulated policies are strictly followed and enforced.
Dr. Gayle is a renowned AIDS activist who has passed the test of time in her battle against HIV/AIDS and other contagious diseases in the whole world. Her accomplishments are mainly characterized by immense skills and talents that she has horned over the years. The aspect that keeps her abreast all the other leaders is of course her creative ability to strategically create policies that work. She has shown strong leadership skills in the external national and international communities for the fight against deadly diseases (Stillmann 91).
Among her strategies is that of collaboration with the relevant organizations that will create awareness among the people. She links and integrates the messages to assure effective coordination of resources in terms of costs and program effectiveness. Unlike Mayor Anthony Williams who represents the rot in the public service, Gayle represents an honest and clean working environment that accounts for every dime used. Mayor Williams does not support dialogue but an iron fist kind of rule. Dr. Gayle welcomes ideas and links with like-minded partners to come up with strategies that will enhance efficiency. Williams has no firm control of his docket whereas Dr. Gayle is firmly at the top of the organizations he has directed over the years. She does not yield to pressure but works out strategies that ease pressure in the working environment (Stillmann 92).
Therefore, as can be deciphered from the above, public administration requires dedication from the leaders and strong and firm stands even when under pressure. A leader is suppose to take care of the people he/she is representing but not cracking under pressure when faced with divisive decisions. The public good should come first before personal interest. With this, public administration will be dealt from the ground up to the top helm of administration.
Works cited:
Gaus, John, reflections of public administration, 1947, p.6-19, Alabama: Alabama University press
Stillman, Richard, Concepts and cases: public administration, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996, p.78-98
Ecology Experiment Simulation
Ecology Experiment Simulation
Introduction
The world is full of various species whose life and survival depend on the physical environment and whether. Different species are adapted to different living conditions respectively. Some living organisms are adapted to live in hot and dry conditions while other can survive in extremely cold climatic conditions. This paper is a report based on lab experiments from a virtual field trip, specifically to the Scotland coast. The experiment involves the exploration of marine life along the coast. The aim is to experiment on Chthamalus and Semibalanus, which comprise of two kinds of barnacles. The report shows how the two species live and why they live in different depths characterized by different conditions.
The experiment has the tidal movement of seawater altering the water depth, as the control experiment. Low tides lead to the exposure of barnacles especially on the rock’s upper part to the air. It thus becomes difficult for the barnacles to endure on this rock’s upper part. It is also very challenging for the barnacles to be submerged within a longtime under the water. This aspect shows that barnacles are affected negatively in extreme conditions. Competition is also another source of threat to their survival. In this case, a large barnacle could settle on top of another but stationary and adult barnacle or next to it reducing the chances of survival of the affected barnacle. Still on their challenges, barnacles could result to the death of their neighbors through poisoning or any kind of fighting. All these challenges could be the key reason why there are two species of barnacles, as found on the simulated rock wall during the experiment. These two species are Chthamalus and Semibalanus, which live high on rocks and low down the rock, respectively (Velayudhan, 1987).
Research Questions
What does the experiment establish about the differences between the two species of barnacles different with respect to where they live?
What factors dictate their living environments?
Why is there a difference in where each of the two species live?
Research Objective
The study was conducted to find out how the two species of barnacles differ, where each of the species live, and the reason why each of the species live in their respective environments under the respective conditions.
Hypotheses
The hypotheses are based on the assumptions and facts made about each of the two species and why they live within their respective conditions. The hypotheses are made up of the null hypothesis for each species and an alternative hypothesis for each species as well. The hypotheses are as follows:
H0: Both the Chthamalus species and the Semibalanus species live high on the rock within their entire reproductive age.
H1: The two species, the Chthamalus species and the Semibalanus species do not live high on the rock through their entire reproductive age.
The Experiment
The experiment was based on an actual field trip of exploring marine life of the Scotland’s coast. Along the Scotland’s shore, it was expected that the research encounters a large rock’s side upon which Chthamalus and Semibalanus were to be found. Chthamalus and Semibalanus are the two species of barnacles to be studied through a simulated system, in which the water depth was bound to decrease whenever sea tides went out. The decrease in water depth leads to the exposure of barnacles found on the rock’s upper part, to the air. The barnacles on the lower section of the rock would alternatively be submerged for a long period before the low tides expose them to some favorable conditions such as light and air. In the experiment, it is could be established that the barnacles on the two sides face some level of extreme conditions, which place challenges to their healthy living.
Findings
The experiment results show that barnacles are faced with many challenges. These challenges affect the barnacles different given the fact that some barnacles would adjust to the prevailing harsh conditions while other would not survive such extreme conditions. Some barnacles would die during low tides after being exposed to the air for too long. Other barnacles would hardly survive in the low rock part where they face extreme conditions caused by being submerged for a very long time. This happens especially when the low tides can hardly reach the barnacles within the low part of the rock. Most of the barnacles would be concentrated within the part where extreme conditions hardly exist. This would often be the section between the high rock part and the low section of the rock. The way the barnacles exist depends on their ability to adapt the two different conditions, which result from the water depth. The Semibalanus species was found to be living low down the rock while the Chthamalus species was found to be living high on the rock. In either case, the number of barnacles is found to be lowest in both extremes. This could be shown in the table below:
Table 1: Average weight and number of barnacles at different depths (Velayudhan, 1987)
Depth (m) Dominating Barnacle Species Average Weight of barnacle Number of barnacles Algae (as food) in grams/3200cm3
1 (High on the Rock) Chthamalus 26.70 149 1.09
2 (High on the Rock) Mostly Chthamalus 36.24 302 0.15
3 Almost equal number of the two species 34.03 346 0.01
4 (Down the Rock) Semibalanus 18.40 263 –
5 (Low down the Rock) Semibalanus 16.37 116 –
EMBED MSGraph.Chart.8 s
From the graph, population of barnacles is least in both extremes but lowest towards the lower side of the rock. This would be affected by limited food due to cold conditions for the growth of food substances such as algae. At the highest side of the rock, drying out could be the main cause of the low population. Only the few surviving barnacles have adapted to these different conditions (Velayudhan, 1987).
Discussion
Barnacles developed into two distinct species because of their lives in different living conditions. Environment plays a critical role in altering the genetic characteristics of organisms. An organism would adjust to its immediate environment in order to survive. This aspect applies to the barnacles as well, in which the barnacles living high on the rocks have to adapt in a way that would increase their chances of survival during periods of low tides. They develop genetic and physical traits that enable them to withstand the harsh conditions such as being exposed to the air when the tides are low (Velayudhan, 1987).
On the other hand, barnacles living low down the rock are forced by such environmental conditions to adjust to the extreme conditions of being submerged for long and having limited sources of air, sunlight, and warmth. The medium level of the rock seems to be the most suitable part with living conditions that would favor the two species. This part would in contrary be too congested to enhance a healthy survival. Due to increased completion in this part, barnacles tend to look for free space in the extreme sections (Velayudhan, 1987). The Chthamalus species would find it easier to live high on the rocks while the Semibalanus species would be adapted best to live low down the rock. These adaptations explain why the two species are different and live in different conditions within the rock.
Conclusion
Barnacles are marine crustaceans with feathery food-catching appendages. They free-swimming as larvae but their level of movement and survival are limited by the prevailing environmental conditions. They are faced with the need to change genetically if they have to survive the three major challenges they face during their life. These challenges include exposure to air during low tides, being submerged for too long and high survival competition. The high competition places pressure on the barnacle to move either high on the rock or low down the rock to enhance their survival chances. They are faced with different extreme conditions, which make them adapt accordingly in order to survive. These adjustments contribute to the formation of the two different species of barnacles. Those living low down the rock have shells that open for its feathery legs to filter water for food substances (Velayudhan, 1987).
Those living high on the rock have shells, which closes to hold water that protects them from drying out. The young ones are free and mobile, a factor that helps them to decide where they would live their adult life. Their choice would be controlled by the existing competition within their environments. From this aspect, it can be concluded that barnacles have their species determined by the prevailing environmental conditions, breading, and competition (Velayudhan, 1987). The alternative hypothesis that the two species, the Chthamalus species, and the Semibalanus species do not live high on the rock through their entire reproductive age is accepted. The null hypothesis that both the Chthamalus species and the Semibalanus species live high on the rock within their entire reproductive age is rejected.
References
Velayudhan, T. S. (1987). Studies on the Settlement of Barnacles at Different Depths in the Pearl oyster Farm at tuticorin. CMFRI bulletin, 42(2) , 300-305.
Ecological Model. Strategies and Tactics
Ecological Model – Strategies and Tactics
Name of Student
Name of Institution
Ecological Model – Strategies and Tactics
Public health analysts and prominent scientific organizations have advocated the adoption of the ecological approach in supporting interventions that are more effective and aimed at the promotion and maintenance of health for populations. Being a crucial aspect of modern health promotion movement and public health, the ecological approach stresses the need to act on a number of health determinants (Weiner et al., 2009). Most literature on the ecological approach have tended to focus on defining it and outlining its central tenets. All the same, the procedures for planning and evaluating programs based on this approach have been developed too. On the professional practice front, samples of ecological programs and various uses to which the approach has been put exist. These include tobacco control, diabetes, nutrition, and physical activity (Richard et al., 2011). Planners and practitioners have received calls from all angles urging them to adopt the ecological approach. This paper examines the application of the ecological approach in controlling tobacco use in Quebec through the lens of the Scheirer model.
Richard et al. (2004) their article Implementing the ecological approach in tobacco control programs: results of a case study use Scheirer’s framework on program implementation as an ecological model. The model integrates a number of theoretical perspectives (political, psychological and organizational development). The framework has been used on many occasions successfully to study program implementation in various fields, including mental and dental health. According to Scheirer, an organization is an open system that is highly influenced by the broader social system in which it operates. Sub-systems exist within the organization system, including individuals and teams. The entire organizational context has to be involved whenever innovation is being implemented in the organization. Organizational context in this regard includes the external environment of the organization (Weiner et al., 2009). Scheirer hypothesizes that the scope of implementation could be higher if the organizational environment characteristics and the nature of the innovation are more similar. The authors proposed three levels for organizational analysis based on the Scheirer model – macro, intermediate, and micro. This paper will focus only on the macro and intermediate levels.
Macro Level
According to Scheirer, this level is all about analyzing the role of institutions and actors from a political perspective. Although the actors and institutions are not directly taking part in the innovation implementation process, they highly influence the organization and the team in charge of the program and whose contribution is key to the success of the program. A macro level analysis holds that the success of the ecological approach in tobacco control programs would depend highly on coherence between the ecological approach and:
political/legislative environment influence
community environment influence
broader organizational influences (mission, priorities, staff support)
Intermediate Level
Analysis at this level pays much attention to the organizational unit key to the process of implementation. For purposes of the program at hand, the tobacco control team is the organizational unit. This analysis looks into the coherence between the tobacco team structures, norms, and processes and the innovation sought to be implemented. Scheirer’s model proposes that success of the ecological approach implementation depends on coherence between it and:
the resources available to the tobacco control team
the team’s familiarity with ecological interventions
training opportunities open to the team
the organization of the team
collaboration of the team with external partners
the support given the team by the control unit supervisor
the established norms of the team
Canadian health services, as per the Constitution, are under provincial jurisdiction. Despite this requirement, a number of provincial governments such as Quebec have devolved decision-making on health matters to regional levels. For instance, Quebec set up 18 regional social and health service boards authorized to, among other things, provide health promotion to the population. This would be done through Public Health Departments, which are legally mandated to organize public awareness campaigns, support and promote health care practices among health professionals, promote the adoption of social policies, and establish mechanisms for inter-sectoral action. These departments are by law required to coordinate with other agencies in the field of health service provision such as local community health centers (Richard et al., 2004).
In 1994, the Ministry of Health and Social Services for Quebec rolled out an action plan to remedy the smoking problem within the province. The plan had a budget of Can$ 20 million. Four strategies were identified for the implementation of the plan – prevention, protection, cessation and surveillance or evaluation. The plan targeted the youth and populations with low income. The plan encouraged collaboration various community partners in developing and implementing interventions. Moreover, the plan rooted for the use of a global ecological approach to controlling tobacco. The approach would include action on several personal and environmental determinants of initiating and maintaining smoking. The action plan was delegated to the Public Health Departments, which had to translate it into solid programs and interventions (Richard et al., 2004). It is out of this that that this paper seeks to analyze the performance of the ecological approach used by the Departments in tobacco control programming.
According to the study results as outlined in the article, the duration between 1994 and 1997 had a social and political climate suitable for adopting the ecological approach in Quebec. Factors that established the climate included the special ministerial initiative and financial resources alongside the action plan, which was focused on multi-target, multi-setting interventions. The same period also involved the implementation of new tobacco control legislation by the teams under study. New partners had to be recruited by the teams. Moreover, the teams had to intensify lobbying actions. The hot debate concerning tobacco necessitated much openness towards controlling tobacco.
Analysis of Site 1
Here, the ecological approach was integral to the organization’s mission. However, tobacco control was not a regional health priority at the time. Most professionals in the tobacco sector felt that the organization did not have sound mechanisms to support tobacco control interventions. However, the tobacco control team at the site had rich resources at their disposal, including finance, partners, and qualified personnel passionate about ecological interventions. This site assembled a variety of interventions portfolios by joining up smaller tobacco control teams already taking part in a range of actions. This resulted in great ecological programming. The coming of the ministerial action plan simply reinforced what was already in existence. The team’s planning process seemed less formal in comparison to that in Site 2 below. A possible explanation for this could be the availability of entrenched ecological programs and higher staff autonomy and experience.
Analysis of Site 2
The ecological approach was important to this organization’s mission as well. As opposed to Site 1, this site supported tobacco control interventions largely. The issue was among its key priorities. Its control team was not as large as the one in Site 1. Despite its professionals’ high qualifications in planning and intervention measures in public health, none had substantial experience in tobacco control. The ministerial action plan became an asset here because of two reasons. Firstly, the site had tobacco control interventions running as at the commencement of the study, but these initiatives were not as broad as the ones in site 1. The ministry guidelines streamlined these initiatives to include several settings and targets. The guidelines also were also resourceful to community partners. This helped set free the human resources at the tobacco control unit. The highly formalized planning processes here aimed mainly at ensuring the programming followed the guidelines in the action plan rather than going after existing programs as seen in Site 1. The relative experience of the team at this site could explain the foregoing aim. In addition, the fact that this site had delegated most functions of tobacco control to community partners meant that the ministerial guidelines were a close reproduction.
The ecological approach is a great step in the realm of health programs such as promotions. The Scheirer model is among many others that guide the implementation of the ecological approach. This paper has looked into the tobacco control interventions in Quebec through the lens of the Scheirer model. In as much as the control program was rolled out on large scale by the Quebec provincial administration, the ecological model on which it was built failed to take root in a number of places. Site 1 has been examined in stark contrast to site 2. The strategies and tactics used in both sites have revealed that the ingredients in the Scheirer model at both macro and micro level must be present before success of the ecological approach can be achieved.
References
Naaldenberg, J., Vaandrager, L., Koelen, M., Wagemakers, A., Saan, H. and Hoog, K. (2009).
Elaborating on systems thinking in health promotion practice. Global Health Promotion, 16(1), 39-47.
Poland, B., Krupa, G. and McCall, D. (2009). Settings for Health Promotion: An Analytic
Framework to Guide Intervention Design and Implementation. Health Promotion Practice, 10(4), 505-516.
Richard, L., Gauvin, L. and Raine, K. (2011). Ecological Models Revisited: Their Uses and
Evolution in Health Promotion Over Two Decades. Annual Review of Public Health, 32. 307-326.
Richard, L., Lehoux, P., Breton, E., Denis, J., Labrie, L., and Leonard, C. (2004). Implementing
the ecological approach in tobacco control programs: results of a case study. Evaluation and Program Planning, 27, 409-421.
Weiner, B. J., Lewis, M. A., and Linnan, M. A. (2009). Using organization theory to understand
the determinants of effective implementation of worksite health promotion programs. Health Education Research, 24(2), 292-305.