Alabama Department of Corrections Research Paper

Alabama Department of Corrections - Research Paper Example Introduction Alabama Department of Corrections is the agency responsible for the confinement of convicted inmates in the state of Alabama (Donal, 9). Throughout the history of the agency, it operated a farming system where the prisoners were deployed to the farms as laborers. This effectively ended in 1870, from when the prisoners were rendered idle. The agency seeks to confine, manage and rehabilitate the inmates, while providing them a suitable environment and eventually re-introducing them into the society (Donal, 11). Planning in this agency is made through the publication of monthly plans and statistical reports. Through planning, the department of planning and research produces an annual fiscal report, develops monthly management reports and prepares and analyses models for projections of the agency operations (Donal, 22). The agency evaluates the states and the national correctional standards and aligns their standards to these requirements. The agency has a research and plann ing division that oversees the planning functions of the agency. The accounting division is responsible for making the projections of the agency’s annual operational budget. These two divisions are the ones responsible for all the planning, publication and release of the reports prepared by the agency. All the reports have to be analyzed and approved by the higher departmental authority before they are released (Donal, 17). Discussion Problem solving and decision making in the agency follows a well pre-determined procedure. At the helm of decision making is the commissioner of the agency, who is responsible for most of the decisions affecting the agency, including the appointments to key positions of the agency (Donal, 34). It is the authority of the commissioner to determine the qualifications of the deputy commissioners, associate commissioners and other employees of the agency. Subject to the laws issued by the state and the federal government, the commissioner then appoin ts some individuals to fill in these positions. The commissioner is also bestowed with the decision making regarding the appropriate divisions that the agency should have (Donal, 45). Decisions regarding the operations of the divisions are made by the respective divisional directors. While the accounting division’s director determines the budget for the annual operations of the agency, the research and planning division determines the reports that should be published. However, all the decisions made by the divisions and their directors are subject to the approval of the higher office of the commissioner (Donal, 38). The agency follows well laid bureaucratic models of human relationships, where by one individual is answerable to the other depending on the position they hold in the agency. For example, an associate commissioner of the agency will serve in the positions as required by the commissioner of the agency (Donal, 50). Another example of such bureaucratic relationships is that of the deputy commissioners and the commissioner. The commissioner determines what role the deputy commissioners are to undertake in the agency. He also determines the roles that the employees of the agency should play (Donal, 52). Yet another demonstration of the bureaucratic nature of the relationships in the agency is the procedures that reports should follow before they are r

Personal health and safety at the construction site Essay

Personal health and safety at the construction site - Essay Example A high level of risk is inherent in the construction work. The heavy equipment, channels of electric supplies, and mechanical operations all make construction work very risky from the point of view of safety. Almost a third of all fatalities in the construction projects happen during the execution of a project (hes.gov.uk, n.d.). If the CDM coordination is not done appropriately, the finished structure might be unsafe for use and maintenance, and lack its potential to deliver good value for investment to the client. Ideally, the CDM coordinator is appointed while the project is in its conceptual stage before the completion of the initial design work of the project (hse.gov.uk, n.d.). This provides the CDM coordinators with an opportunity to decide the feasibility of the project and identify possible constraints related to client’s expectations and project’s execution. It is crucial to appoint a CDM coordinator before the commencement of the detailed design. The client h as to appoint a CDM coordinator when the duration of a project is more than 30 days or when the number of person days of work exceeds 500 (cdm-regulations-uk.co.uk, n.d.). This requirement also stands for the planning supervisor, though a CDM coordinator, unlike a planning supervisor, needs to help the client fulfill the duties, particularly the adequacy of arrangements of other duty holders. Before the appointment of a CDM coordinator, nothing more than the initial design work should be completed. The CDM coordinators that are appointed on the construction sites assume the responsibilities declared in the CDM 2007. These responsibilities include cooperating and coordinating with the organizations for the personnel’s health and safety benefits. The CDM coordinators need to ensure that their training is up-to-date and the work is done safely. They need complete briefing before doing work that is high in risk. The CDM coordinators should get appropriate certifications to do the work competently (newlifecleaning.com, n.d.). A CDM coordinator can provide a principal contractor with assistance in numerous aspects of health and safety including development and implementation of a documented plan and rules of the construction site, advice on the facilities of site security, evaluation of the appointees’ competence, and advice on the site induction training (SHERWOOD SURVEYORS, 2013). Evaluation of the duties and responsibilities of a CDM coordinator suggests that he assumes a major role in the entire project life-cycle starting from the concept of the project through to the feasibility studies, design, execution, monitoring and control, and the delivery of the project. As the name of this job suggests, the CDM coordinator ensures coordination between the design, construction, and management of the project. This includes all aspects that are directly or indirectly related to the work, such as management of health and safety of the personnel, protection o f environment, and flow of communication between the project parties. Analysis of these responsibilit