Scorecard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Scorecard - Essay Example Promising results have been reported in the for-profit and governmental organizations already supporting the use of the balanced scorecard and its applicability. Keywords: Balanced Scorecard (BSC), Ministry of Education (MOE), National Center for Education Development (NCED), The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TMISS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) Applying a Balanced Scorecard to the Kuwaiti Government Education System: An Initial Approach for Reforming Education Introduction In the past few decades, there have been numerous calls and demands for reforming the educational system in Kuwait. Many decision makers in the education were under the belief that if they just tweak and implement new ideas in the system, then it would work. Unfortunately, the number of fragmented solutions toward reforming education did not help the situation in the least. The solutions and ideas presented were limitless and included such concepts as flash drives, new textbooks, special programs, new curriculum, bribing students to learn, more extensive examinations, and list goes on an on. Each new idea was initially supported and tossed around various academic circles, then quickly forgotten as a new and better idea for reform was presented, with more empty promises that this new strategy would really work this time around. The Kuwaiti educational system is sick, and the intention or pretense to improve is not enough. To achieve these lofty goals for reform, professionals in the field of education need to seriously regard what exactly needs improving, and then developing sound strategies about such improvement will be measured moving forward. The elements of reform within various levels of the educational system should be seen as a complete picture. This involves having a core target that must be focused and at the center of the system. Successful efforts at improving the education system should be measured by a clear set of goals t hat are linked to the needs of both parents and students (Stone & Dahir, 2006; Gysbers & Henderson, 2000). This drive for educational reform has focused attention on the measurement of student performance by various organizations existent in the system. This paper will focus, to a large degree, on the current discussion by researchers regarding the adaption of a new methodology aimed at reforming the education system in Kuwait. This is most commonly referred to as the Balanced Scorecard. This paper is further aimed to stimulate and provide an informative discussion about the reforms needed based on the conceptual framework of the balanced scorecard. It also outlines a vision for the future of education in the region and gives an overview of key challenges, and makes recommendations for future action. Literature Review Kuwaiti Educational System Kuwait has invested considerable amounts of its oil wealth into developing a comprehensive public education system. The system ranges from p reschool, starting at the age of four, to five years of primary, four years of intermediate level education, and three years of secondary schooling. The academic system in Kuwait is highly centralized. The Ministry of Education manages and regulates districts and their schools. It is also responsible for developing and providing curriculum, textbooks, and the hiring of teachers. The evaluation for student achievement in Kuwait, for

Investment Portfolio Implementation & Management Essay

Investment Portfolio Implementation & Management - Essay Example The following aspects have been considered before formulating the appropriate asset allocation strategy for the investor: An investment portfolio consists of a number of asset classes which have different levels of standard deviations, returns and yields. The assets that are to be included within an asset allocation model depend largely on the kind of return being expected by the investor and the risk that the individual is willing to bear (Market Watch, 2013). Therefore before preparing the asset allocation model, the first thing that needs to be identified over here is the latest investment benchmark figures of the different asset classes. Considering the above mentioned investment benchmarks, 8% of Dr. O’Hara’s investment should be made behind intermediate bonds as the investor wants to invest $30,000 in an asset that is considered safe and is associated with no expense, sales or early withdrawal charges. This will enable Dr. O’Hara that a guaranteed return is realized at the end of maturity thereby enabling the individual to pay for travel expenses without any inconvenience. Now, considering the fact that Dr. O’Hara wants to earmark $60,000 in an account with higher than current certificate of deposit or money market rates but minimal market volatility, 17% of the total investment sum should be invested in short term bonds. They have a standard deviation value of 0.68% indicates that this asset is less volatile. Therefore, keeping $60,000 earmarked for an investment in short term bonds will enable the investor to enjoy a return close to 0.71%, 1.23% and 2.74% respectively in bonds with 1 year, 5 years and 10 years maturity. The remaining 75% of the investment fund should be distributed appropriately between large cap stocks, small cap stocks, mid cap stocks and international stocks. 27% of the investment fund should be invested