Saturday, November 9, 2019

Managing Employee Performance Essay

In the article under review, Hoogenboezem and Hoogenboezem (2005) discuss the introduction of performance measurement in the Dutch Police service since 2002. This phenomenon followed radical changes in Dutch political organization largely precipitated by the rise of politician Pim Fortuyn who had government performance on top of his political agenda. The Dutch government, like most of its Western counterparts had been cited for underperformance with regards to public service delivery. The government had frequently shifted this blame on non-performance of its civil servants. This was taken as a key political agenda in the run up to the 2002 elections in the Netherlands. Fortuyn’s argument was that government had refused to exercise control by holding public sector managers accountable and setting targets for them. The authors examine the Dutch political system. Traditionally, the system has thrived on consensus building. This had affected efficiency in performance within the public sector which gave rise to a ‘’political attention for performance measurement’’ (2005:571). They also investigate the collapse of the Dutch pillars of society, the nature of policing and the community policing approach in the Netherlands and conclude that performance measurement will eventually become ineffective as a performance enhancing instrument. This they ascribe to the fact that the whole process of targeting in the Dutch Police administration does not have a firm philosophical base. It is based on loose arguments of a loud politician and an electorate that wanted change at all cost. Importing management practices like performance targeting from the private sector to the public sector comes with complexities (Adcroft and Willis, 2005). This is manifest in the struggle to cope with t argets by the Dutch Police. Effect of Targets on Performance Measurement The consequence of the political waves in the Netherlands in 2002 was the setting of quantitative law enforcement targets for political heads of the Police force. Specific figures for the number of suspects to be prosecuted for public violence and juvenile crime, for example were set. It appears to me that the targets are the result of undue political pressure rather than a carefully thought through system of performance management. Performance management systems are implemented to produce tangible results for organizations based on their mission statement and strategic objectives. Performance measurement is only one component of a performance management system. There is no indication, at least from the journal article, that the due processes for establishing a performance management process, namely prerequisites, planning, execution, assessment, review and renewal/recontracting (Agunis, 2009:32) are followed in the Dutch Police example. The effect is the general cynicism towards tar geting by the Police and the public. Again, employees react differently to performance measurement. This requires that organizations must be able to predict employee reaction to targets and factor these reactions into the management process (Selden and Sowa, 2011). Feedback from the parties involved in the Dutch Police targeting differs hugely. Whilst one group (senior management) appear enthused about the targets, another group (the operational policemen) are aggrieved. This suggests lack of consultation of all stakeholders which is a key component to successful performance management; especially in the setting of targets and measurement criteria. The essence of policing is to make society safer. Any ‘’†¦system that will not make the Netherlands safer†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Hoogenboezem and Hoogenboezem, 2005:573) is doomed to fail ab initio. Such a system lacks strategic congruence and becomes a public relations gimmick. This is the position expressed by some in Police leadership. However another group are inspired about getting more money ((Hoogenboezem and Hoogenboezem, 2005:573). The ‘’more money’’ factor will tend to obscure an impartial assessment of the scheme. This is also the case with Police chiefs expressing some support for targeting, with targets linked to reward in their case. Policemen at the operational level have problems with the targets because they make their jobs a routine; leaving them with few choices in the maintenance of law and order. The exercise of discretion appears to be of intrinsic value to the operational policeman. Where targets have placed a strict regiment on the use of discretion the intrinsic motivation in being a Policeman gets lost. An unmotivated Policeman could be a danger to society. Although officers in lower and middle management appear inspired about targets and their alignment to rewards, this is not necessarily a motivator for performance. Job enrichment and job enlargement have been recognised as essential motivators in the not-for-profit organizations (Selden and Sowa, 2011) and the Dutch politicians must recognise this. Any perception of unfairness in the Performance management system could lead to decreased employee commitment (Aguinis, 2009) and eventually undermine the whole system. In this regard the conclusion of the authors that the performance measurement in the Netherlands Police is a mixture of cynicism and a public relations ritual of signing contracts is validated. This is largely the result of it being a knee jerk reaction not involving employees in the determination of the entire process. Employee involvement helps translate targets into operational language that is understood by all participants in the process (Chamberlain, 2011) and bought into. Employee buy-in is essential for the success of every performance management system. Worst still is the fact that the new requirements of the Dutch Policeman under the present circumstance has not come with any training package. It is also not evident that systems of recruitment and selection have been amended to reflect the expected outcome in view of the radical changes in nature of the job. Conclusion In my opinion performance of Policemen should not be measured against outcomes. It should be exhibited in various agreed behaviours and programmes. Take the example of Washington State in the US where pperformance data indicated an increase in motorcycle accidents. Several Agencies like the Department of Licensing, Washington State Patrol, Traffic Safety Commission and the Department of Transportation, worked together to provide more education for motorcycle operators and manufacturers as well as stricter licensing. These measures (programs and behaviours) resulted in fewer accidents (http://www.agacgfm.org/research/downloads/CPAGNo23.pdf). The case for quantifying performance outcomes for the public sector does not have much merit in my opinion. References Aguinis, H. (2009) Performance management. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Chamberlain, L (2011). ‘Does your performance management need a tune-up?’ Strategic Finance. November. pp.18-20. Available at: http://content.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/pdf27_28/pdf/2011/5Y6/01Nov11/67179179.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=67179179&S=R&D=buh&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLe80SeprY4wtvhOLCmr0mep69Ssam4SrWWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOzprkmvqLJPuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA . Accessed on: 7 December 2011) Hoogenboezem, J. A., & Hoogenboezem, D. (2005) ‘Coping with targets: performance measurement in The Netherlands police’, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 54 (7), pp. 568–578. http://sfx7.exlibrisgroup.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/lpu?title=International+Journal+of+Productivity+and+Performance+Management&volume=54&issue=7&spage=568&date=2005&issn=&eissn Seldon, S., & Sowa, JE (2010) ‘Performance management and appraisal in human service organizations: management and staff perspectives.’ Public Personnel Management. 40(3), pp. 251-262. Available at: http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8b3e34b3-2e4c-4ffe-bcb5-f57ceb9d50f7%40sessionmgr113&vid=4&hid=120 (Accessed on: 7 December 2011) Adcroft, A., & Willis, R., (2005) ‘The (un)intended outcome of public sector performance measurement’ International Journal of Public Sector Management, 18(5) pp. 386-400. DOI 10.1108/09513550510608859. Available at: http://www.alternativeminds.co.uk/AA4.pdf. (Accessed on: 28 December 2011)

Thursday, November 7, 2019

a world out of time essays

a world out of time essays A vermin is a terrible thing to think of yourself. A bug is a slimy, stinky, and disgusting creature that eeks its way through life. In the novel, the Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor finds himself changed into a vermin one ungrateful morning. I find this irrational occurrence hard to believe. Gregor never changed into a bug physically but mentally is another story. Lets say that a person was to wake up one morning changed into a bug. Would that make any sense in our society? The logical way to look at it is to say he was changed mentally into a bug. For example, Gregor states in the book, Dont stay in bed being useless and I hope I dont miss the train to work. Would a human being transformed into a bug be worried about his job? Boil it down to the facts, and you can logically see that Gregor couldnt have changed into a bug, but he most certainly could have felt like a bug. The author of the book, Franz Kafka, had his share of problems with his father; the issues seem to match identically with Gregors problems in the Metamorphosis. It is an odd coincidence that drills the question; does the author project himself through the book? The answer to that question is yes. Once again, look at this issue logically; it would make perfectly good sense to write out your problems in a story to tell the world without really saying so. Why didnt Kafka just flat out say it was himself who was insane and suffering from a deep-seated destructive urge against the mother image (pg.157 of Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis as Death and Resurrection Fantasy by Peter Dow Webster)? All the problems he was feeling brought such insecurity that Gregor transformed into a bug; a mask that he wears in order to cover the true meaning. To understand the whole cover-up with the bug is to have common sense. Logic is what all human being have with...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Teaching, Reading and Writing for Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Case Study

Teaching, Reading and Writing for Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) - Case Study Example According to Cornish (2011, p.20), high numbers of children in remote areas develop hearing loss, with some having no eardrums. It is however certain that children with hearing loss perform poorly academically. The basics of learning in kindergarten involve repeating what the teacher has said, however, for DHH students, this mission is close to impossible. The author adds that these children have a high chance of dropping out in school as they feel stupid, therefore developing behavioral problems, and hence at risk of being arrested or imprisoned. Nevertheless, there exist several forms of languages and communication used by deaf or hard hearing students. Forms of Communication Used by Instructors and DHH Students Teaching, Reading and Writing fluency American Sign Language (ASL) is a widely used language among the deaf in United States of America and in Canada; this sign language relies mostly on English. ASL is regarded as the first language for the deaf or hard of hearing students ; whereby, these students are expected to acquire this sign language first. It is a visual English language that has no written components, and involves symbolic terms; therefore, students must be capable of translating texts into an understandable format (White, 2011, p.21). It is considered an easier first language since it is mostly used at an early age for those born with DHH. Manually Encoded English is another communication system used by those with DHH; this system represents words in English sentences by signs from the American Sign Language. Cued speech use mouth movement to differentiate the sounds of the spoken language from one another, with an aim... This paper stresses that DHH students experience social difficulties especially around their hearing peers, however, when these two groups of students participated in similar activities, the level of interaction increased. Family involvement in DHH student’s social lives can influence the social outcomes, since parents act like coaches for their children. Therefore, they are able to discuss challenging issues that are facing their children, thus encouraging them to developing social interactions with their peers. This report makes a conclusion that there is limited research on oral reading fluency of DHH students; nevertheless, measures to improve reading skills for these particular students should be implemented. This research proves that DHH students continue to drag behind compared to their hearing peers academically. However, with the involvement of parents, DHH students are able to achieve confidence. Therefore, parents of such students should take the first step towards learning sign language in order to be effective in communication, hence capable of motivating their children. DHH students are affected by the challenge of achievements academically; however, graphic novels among other learning approaches have proved to be efficient in communicating to DHH students. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may encounter challenging issues that they cannot address because of the nature of their disability.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The curse of the super bug, have journalists created a scare story or Essay

The curse of the super bug, have journalists created a scare story or is there a special difficulty in preventing infections by Staphylococcus Aureus and Clostr - Essay Example Methcillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium Difficile have both been dubbed as superbugs one after the other, but differ in their media exposure. Issues on the first have been reported to be blown out of proportion2 while the importance of the second had not caught much public awareness.3 In terms of public safety, however, attempts to inform or educate the public underscore all the more the need to evaluate sources of information and education before they are believed, in light of the public scare that media have created about them. MRSA has been reported by media as a potentially killer ‘superbug’ which common antibiotics have not stemmed. For the 10 year period from 1995 through 2005 of newspaper coverage of MRSA that researchers4 analyzed, MRSA reporting came around with the notion of you-or-me to blame. Guardian5 summarized the MRSA hospital superbug story thus- A bloke with no microbiology qualifications in unaccredited garden shed â€Å"laboratory† finds MRSA on swabs given to him by undercover tabloid journalists for their â€Å"dirty hospital scandal† stories, but proper labs cannot find MRSA in the same places that this â€Å"leading MRSA expert Dr Chris Malyszewicz† (with his unaccredited American correspondence course PhD) has, and proper microbiologists have very good reasons for believing that the methods of this â€Å"expert† (who incidentally sells a range of anti-MRSA products) could not distinguish between harmless skin bacteria and MRSA6 It is noted that the blame centered on why it spreads – the lack of cleanliness in hospitals – and not on its origin.7 As a result, the National Health Service is seen as mismanaged. Nevertheless, in the Hansard files8 it is the credibility of source that is put into question: the tabloid, Evening Standard, covering the story, including the â€Å"expert† who is considered as the source of the tests - Lord Warner replied: â€Å"I entirely agree with you about the laboratory

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Analysis and interpretations of Glaxo Smithkline Beechem' financial Essay

Analysis and interpretations of Glaxo Smithkline Beechem' financial statements - Essay Example ed his laxative pills business in England in 1842 Following its successful business, Beecham started the world’s first factory for manufacture of medicines at St Helens in England in 1859. In 1885, Thomas Beecham’s company became the first to get electricity in the area St Helens two years after the company set up its headquarters at Silver Street and Water Street in 1885. Beecham’s production of laxative pills reached 1 million per day by 1913. In 1945, it became Beecham Group Ltd with the merger of Beecham Pills Ltd and Beecham’s Estates Ltd. In 1972, Beecham’s scientists introduced its research product Amoxicillin, a widely used antibiotic till today in 1972 (GlaxoSmithkline). 4 Smithkline Allen and Handburys Ltd’s predecessor Plough Court Pharmacy was started by Silvanus Beevan in London in 1715. John K Smith started his first drugs store in Philadelphia in 1830 and his brother George joined him in 1841 to form John K Smith & Co which was later joined by Mahlon Kline as a bookkeeper in 1865 to become Smith and Shoemaker. He took additional responsibilities as a salesman and added many large businesses as its customers which resulted in the formation of Smith Kline and Company in 1875 in recognition of Kiline’s contribution to the business. The new company acquired French firm Richards and Company in 1891 garnering in a wide range of consumer brands. In 1929, it was renamed as Smith Kline and French Laboratories to mainly focus on research. In 1950s, the company introduced anti-psychotic drug chlorpromazine which revolutionized treatment of mental illness and became the first generation central nervous system drug. In 1952, the company brought out the time-released drug of dextoamphetamine sulfate (Dexedrine) and used it in Spansule which was novel... This research talks about Glaxo Welcome and Smithkline Beechem, the four companies whose histories date back to eighteenth century formally merged in 2000 to become GlaxcoSmithKline Plc (GSK). Thus, GSK was incorporated in December 1999 under English Law and shares were listed on the London Stock Exchange and the New York stock exchange. Eventually in December 2000, GSK acquired Glaxo Welcome Plc and Smithkline Beecham Plc.The synergy coming from their joining together since the year 2000 has been responsible for their growth ever since till today. The company has maintained the turnover at  £ 28.4 bn as in last year although earnings per share have sharply declined to 32.1 p from 109.1 p in last year. R & D expenditure was at 14 % of the company’s total sales. There has been 20 % growth in the sale of Horlicks in India, Sensodyne tooth paste has been the fastest growing toothpaste brand during the last five years, 1.4 bn doses of vaccines have been supplied to 179 countries and 24 % of the sales turnover comes from emerging markets excluding USA, Western Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Its business model has been â€Å"a balanced synergistic business with multiple growth drivers supporting a core pharmaceutical operation†. Vaccines for Malaria at the stage of phase III trials are ongoing in 7 African countries. It has been planned to supply 300 m doses of Synflorix, the vaccination for pneumococcal illness at a reduced price during the next decade to the developing countries in continuation of the supply of the vaccine to Kenya in the past.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Chapter 3 - Neurology Clerkship Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Chapter 3 - Neurology Clerkship - Thesis Example Taking into account the level of students in the course and the clinical nature of the course work, content that focused on practical clinical knowledge was made a priority for the eBook (M Nilsson, Nilsson, Pilhammar, & Wenestam, 2009). It was decided, however, that the content of the book must match the delivery of the content. Clinical students are expected to demonstrate proficiency through their ability to apply content learned in the classroom to patients themselves. Because of the nature of the medical profession, clinical students must demonstrate deep analytical skills in which the student must diagnose and provide treatment for such diagnosis (Malau-Aduli, et al., 2013). Therefore, since the eBook was developed for such student stakeholders, it was agreed upon to develop an eBook that delivered content through an explanatory and problem-based learning model. The development of the eBook occurred after the subject matter experts compiled the content of the eBook. The content was broken down into two main sections: 1) Neuroanatomy section and 2) Pathology section. The Neuroanatomy section of the book centered its content on the review of the anatomy of the brain. Subject matter experts provided multiple Computer Tomography Scans (CT Scans) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans (MRI Scans) of healthy brains. This information was essential for students to progress adequately through the book, for much of the terminology and the images throughout the eBook would refer back to this section (Cotter & Cohan, 2011). This section also served as a glossary for those who needed to review basic information. The Pathology section introduced students to neurological ailments. The content for this section provided students with the information required to learn specific neurological ailments they might experience in the clinical setting. Subject matter experts, understanding that this section prepared students for their clinical rounds, provided real world

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Partnering Construction Essay

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Partnering Construction Essay Partnering can be a very efficient way to commission the design and build of construction projects, from the unique to the more common and repetitive build. This paper provides an overview of the cost, benefits and the potential drawbacks of partnering, also describing and comparing the three types of partnering (1) I.E Project partnering : objective driven, tactical and short term in approach used on a single project Strategic partnering: long term alliances that continue across a series of project opportunities Framework agreements: a hybrid, which packages a series of projects having a known life span. (2) Traditionally the construction industry had a structure based on the apparent status of various professions and trades. But it provided no explicit coordination or control. Clients dealt with an industry that appeared chaotic by using competitive tenders and tough contracts to protect their own interests.(1) The fact that partnering has become so popular in recent years construction has seen a variety of new contracts emerge and some expansions on the more traditional ones to accommodated partnering, this paper will also look into these. partnering is a management approach used by two or more organisations to achieve specific business objectives by maximising the effectiveness of each participants resources (Bennett and Jayes (1995) When looking directly into project and strategic partnering Research shows beyond reasonable doubt that, properly applied partnering reduces the price clients pay for a given building. At the same time consultants, contractors and specialists earn better than normal profits and the industrys workforce find their work more rewarding in every sense (1) Typical benefits from partnering would be Reduced exposure to litigation. Improved project outcomes in terms of cost, time and quality. Lower administrative and legal costs. Increased opportunity for innovation and value engineering. Increased chances of financial success. The cost of setting up partnering strategic, and the procurement issue is one to be addressed. This will need to increasingly addressed as the economies and levels of client satisfaction diminish if the lessons learnt and the benefits of a close working relationship on one project the learning curve cannot be carried across projects. The answer to this is move away from project partnering towards strategic partnering which sees partnering in use for many projects and gives significantly improved results including: Continuing cost reductions Tailored service provision Client satisfaction Repeat business Improved turnover and profitability Performance improvements over traditionally and management approaches by project teams using partnering successfully Construction Costs Construction times Traditional Approaches 100 100 Management Approaches 85 70 Project Partnering 70 60 Strategic Partnering 60 50 Strategic Collaborative working 50 20 (fig 1) source 1 Drawbacks of partnering Given the nature of change it can draw-out criticism from experts and academics and partnering is no different. The following criticisms identify by senior managers. Organizations trying to establish partnering culture for specific projects face severe problems when they have to use cut-throat competition to win other projects. Modern forms of decentralized decision-making undermine partnering as decisions by one department are contradicted elsewhere. Commercial realities that require firms to have alternative suppliers and many customers, inhibit the development of deep partnering relationships The open communication required by partnering is inhibited when one partner also works with anothers competitors. Partnering relationships inhibit firms from developing more profitable new businesses. These are just some of the drawbacks associated with partnering and senior managers and academics have many more criticisms but this should serve as a reminder that partnering is not easy and must be worked hard at by all involved, though the evidence is there to prove the massive advantages archived through successful partnering. costs An initial investment must be made before any benefits can be reaped by any party. These costs include time spent by senior management establishing the approach, careful team selection procedures, and training and partnering workshops. This is another reason strategic partnering is such an advantage though it makes sense for partnering relationships to develop on smaller projects in order to keep costs down. When entering into a partnering agreement all parties should discuss how the project should be run, they should all be positive and genuine about working cooperatively and any concerns should be discussed before entering into a partnering agreement. parties should all be clear on their own interests and concerns they may have, this may occasionally mean missing out on bad projects but by only being honest and clear from the outset can partnering be a success. When all parties are decided on a partnering workshop should be held, this is the basis for establishing cooperative relationship and teamwork. Any party that could have a bearing on the end result should attend these workshops. It should be held by a specialist partnering facilitator as it help to broaden view and focus on the projects overall success. A set of mutual objectives should be drawn up by all parties this helps to adopt a win win attitude, this encourages all involved to focus on hitting targets achiving goals and producing value for each other. Meaning all parties will make more profit and the client will pay less. Some mutual targets would be: Value for money Guaranteed Profits Reliable construction Costs within agreed budget Handover on time Cost reduction Excellent site facilities Safe construction Shared risks Improved efficiency for users No claims Effective meetings Shared use of computer systems Timely design information Shared Information Fast construction In order to maintain successful partnering throughout numerous projects its a good idea to hold workshops throughout the project and hold i final workshop that identifies problems and lessons learned by the previous project. Partnering case studies. Partnering for social housing refurbishment. Case study Reference: Housing Forum HF175 The London borough of Camden used partnering for the refurbishment of 2,500 properties, teaming up with Willmott Dixion and Llewellyn. The main befits were: The client saved over  £500,000 from a  £7.8m budget. Time scale was more accurate with 74% starting on time and 70% finishing on time. Tenants were a lot happier with less that 1% making complaints. There were no formal disputes or claims, unavoidable extensions of time and the costs of necessary additional work were agreed quickly in the spirit of partnering. The contractual risks are also reduced by partnering. Case study reference: 010 A high risk project for the construction of the Tunstall Western bypass was completed 10 weeks early within budget and to a high standard of quality thanks to strategic partnering. Claims as high as 6M were avoided by risk management and problem solving, Project was delivered nearly a 1m under budget and all final accounts were resolved within a few weeks of completing construction work, improving cash flow and budget control. Types of contracts. Since idea of partnering has become so popular in the UK contracting scene that there are now several standard form partnering agreements available, for single projects (project partnering ) as well as for multiple projects overtime (strategic partnering). An example of the former type is the ACA standard form of project partnering PPC 2000 (Mosey 2003). Here, the key stake holders of a project i.e. the client contractor, consultants and key specialists, sign only one single integrated contract ( no other contracts are needed, such as appointments of professionals or building contracts). Other standard forms for partnering, such as x12 of NEC 3, do not create a muti-party contract. Strategic partnering in contrast, involves developing long-term commitments from both parties in the contract. The aim is to move the focus of attention away from getting the cheapest or quickest solution for a particular job, and towards developing a longer term understanding of the purposes of the projec t, and understanding from both parties about what each other whats to get out of the project. These polices have their roots in widespread business practice where long term relationships enables buyers and sellers avoid litigious disputes because the relationship becomes an important part of the process. The essential feature of strategic partnering is that it provides a method of for selecting a contractor (or other supplier) other than the more traditional approaches of competitive tendering. Examples of a standard -form arrangement for strategic partnering are the JCT FA 05), NEC 3 framework Contract and the ICE Partnering Addendum. (Construction contracts: law and management by john Murdoch and will Hughes pg 95 Any contract used should be partnering bias, most standard contracts dont facilitate for the idea of partnering, traditional contracts require terms that need negotiating this often destroys partnering attitudes. Even so many firms require the protection a contract gives, if this is the case its reasonably well established that the project partnering contract (ppc2000) and the NEC engineering and construction contract with the partnering option are the best to go for. Framework Framework agreements are used by major clients, they provide a resource pool of competent consultants, contractors and specialist. They establish a foundation for negotiations over future contracts with a limited number of firms. These are standing offers that remain valid over the life time of the agreements. Framework agreements can take a variety of forms; they dont have to be binding and dont hold the promise of work for the firms in the pool. The offers can be terminated at any time but contractual agreements must be completed for any individual project already undertaken. If a contract has been entered to purchase a volume of goods or provide a service over a period of time then this must be honoured. Advantages Establish long-term relationships (advantageous for partnering) Allows specialist buyers to negotiate best value for money on goods that can be used over a number of projects, but used any time Gives firms better buying power Reduces time spent on procurement and tendering Makes reliable after-sales better Disadvantages FW agreements can be unresponsive to change, there may be a better solution developed after the agreement was set up. Often can be a one size fits all approach, however most FW agreements dont place any obligation on any parties so if their is a better deal to be had then there is nothing to stop them. This in turn can be another drawback as there is no guarantee of business so a lot of money may be wasted getting a company into the resource pool of the framework. (http://blog.tendersdirect.co.uk/2010/05/27/answering-your-questions-on-framework-agreements/) When the comparison of a partnering agreement and a framework is made a FW Agreement is a step toward partnering but no work is guaranteed its more of a root to secure a pool of reliable resources that are likely to gel once in a partnering agreement, this makes the tendering process faster giving more access. (may need changing)