The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a draft report — and a commenting opportunity the repport — that details a high-level technical overview of blockchain technology, its architecture, and how it works as the foundation of modern cryptocurrencies. NIST requested feedback from the public and private sectors, national and international, for the final publication. The document, Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 8202: Blockchain Technology Overview, provided an in-depth look at the technologies that compromise blockchain systems and breaks down how blockchains can best be utilized, and how blockchain technology can be an asset to a business and its products.
“We want to help people understand how blockchains work so that they can appropriately and usefully apply them to technology problems,” said Dylan Yaga, a NIST computer scientist and co-author of the report. “It’s an introduction to the things you should understand and think about if you want to use blockchain.”
The report appears to have integrated public comment and now a landing page for NIST work in this area — as well as contact information for project leaders — is linked below
Blockchain technology is a standing item on our Blockchain and Finance colloquia; open to everyone. Keep in mind that blockchain is a nascent (or “pre-adoption”) technology.
As the adage goes: “The cure for high prices, is high prices”.
Today we explore fiscal runaway in the US education “industry” with particular interest in the financing instruments for building the real assets that are the beating heart of culture in neighborhoods, cities, counties and states. How these projects get sold to the public — and how the loans are paid off — provides insight into the costs and benefits of this $100 billion industry; the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States.
We cannot do much to stop the hyperbolically rising cost of administrative functionaries but we can force the incumbents we describe in our ABOUT to work a little harder to reduce un-used (or un-useable) space and reduce maintenance cost. Sometimes simple questions result in obvious answers that result in significant savings.
More recently hybrid teaching and learning space, owing the the circumstances of the pandemic, opens new possibilities for placing downward pressure on cost.
After Architect-Engineers and Building Construction Contractors (many of whom finance election advocacy enterprises) the following organizations are involved in placing a bond on the open market:
School Districts: Individual school districts issue bonds to fund construction or renovation of school facilities, purchase equipment, or cover other educational expenses. Each school district is responsible for managing its own bond issuances.
Colleges and Universities: Higher education institutions, such as universities and colleges, issue bonds to finance campus expansions, construction of new academic buildings, dormitories, research facilities, and other capital projects.
State-Level Agencies: Many states have agencies responsible for overseeing and coordinating bond issuances for schools and universities. These agencies may facilitate bond sales, help ensure compliance with state regulations, and provide financial assistance to educational institutions.
Municipal Finance Authorities: Municipal finance authorities at the state or local level often play a role in facilitating bond transactions for educational entities. They may act as intermediaries in the bond issuance process.
Investment Banks and Underwriters: Investment banks and underwriters assist educational institutions in structuring and selling their bonds to investors. They help determine bond terms, market the bonds, and manage the offering.
Bond Counsel: Bond counsel, typically law firms, provide legal advice to educational institutions on bond issuances. They help ensure that the bond issuance complies with all legal requirements and regulations.
Rating Agencies: Rating agencies, such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings, assess the creditworthiness of the bonds and assign credit ratings. These ratings influence the interest rates at which the bonds can be issued.
Investors: Various institutional and individual investors, including mutual funds, pension funds, and individual bond buyers, purchase school and university bonds as part of their investment portfolios.
Financial Advisors: Financial advisory firms provide guidance to educational institutions on bond issuances, helping them make informed financial decisions related to borrowing and debt management.
Regulatory Authorities: Federal and state regulatory authorities, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state-specific agencies, oversee and regulate the issuance of bonds to ensure compliance with securities laws and financial regulations.
These organizations collectively contribute to the process of issuing, selling, and managing school and university bonds in the United States, allowing educational institutions to raise the necessary funds for their capital projects and operations. The specific entities involved may vary depending on the size and location of the educational institution and the nature of the bond issuance.
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Abstract. Stray voltage is caused by voltage drop and ground faults and may have its origin on the primary electrical distribution system or on the customer’s secondary electrical system. The rms value of the neutral-to-earth voltage along a primary distribution line may be at a value of zero some distance from the substation depending on the condition of the conductor resistances, grounding resistances, and the amount of load. Neutral-to-earth resistance is not the cause of stray voltage; however, the value of this resistance to earth at a particular location will affect the level of stray voltage. A four-wire single-phase feeder system supplying farm buildings from a single metering point is effective in preventing on-farm secondary neutral voltage drop, provided the four-wire system is extended to all farm loads, and provided no high-magnitude ground faults are present. Isolation of the primary and secondary neutral systems at the distribution transformer is effective in preventing off-farm sources from entering the customer’s system. This separation may be accomplished using a number of commercially available devices.
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Today we dwell on titles that inform management of the education industry in the United States specifically; but also more generally in global markets where the education industry is classified as a Producer and a User of human resources. It is an enormous domain; likely the largest.
Human Resources 100 covers skilled trade training in all building construction disciplines.
Human Resources 200 covers the range of skills needed to manage an educational setting — school districts, colleges and universities
Human Resources 300 covers higher level management of these settings. (Representative Organization Charts)
Famous People Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante | CLICK ON IMAGE
The American National Standards Institute is the Global Secretariat for ISO Technical Committee 260 (ISO/TC 260); organized to develop policy templates for standardization solutions that improve management of the workforce in any nation; in any sector or industry. These human resource management standards offer broad, evidence-based guidance to individuals with people management responsibilities, whether formally or informally assigned, in organizations for the benefit of both internal and external stakeholders.
Gleaned from inputs from human resource experts globally, these products are designed to provide guidance on key HR functions in support of its workforce and its management, and sustainable organizational performance. TC/260 is focused on the following tasks:
• Ensuring wide market relevance of its HRM standards. • Facilitating international business. • Providing guidance on professional standards of practice. • Facilitating measurement, comparability and consistency of HR practice with the aim of transparent benchmarking. • Improving internal processes. • Enabling organizations to better achieve optimal organizational outcomes with improved management of human capital
The original University of Michigan user-interest advocacy enterprise was participating member in this project* but that engagement was interrupted suddenly in October 2016 (See ABOUT). We have since picked up where we left off with the same people collaborating with Standards Michigan. ANSI remains the global Secretariat.
We maintain this project on the standing agenda of both our Global and our Human Resource colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
“I am sorry that my job is getting in the way of your learning. I hope that the time you gain can be productively used in employment so that you can pay for your college education”
Class Is Canceled Until Further Notice While I Do My Job – McSweeney’s https://t.co/TDhIsAkXau
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer, Lee S. Webster, Richard Robben
ANSI Contacts: Michelle Deane (mdeane@ansi.org)
US TAG Contacts: Lorelei Carobolante, Jim Lewis
*We left off just as the ISO/TS 30411:2018, Human resource management-Quality of hire metric (QoH) standard was rolling out. The QoH was, and still is a performance metric for talent acquisition teams, critical for determining the effectiveness of the recruitment process and has a consequential impact on an organization’s performance. The QoH structure is intended to be scalable to the needs of any organization regardless of size, industry or sector and is relevant to people with an interest in workforce planning, organizational design and development, talent management succession planning, recruitment, and human capital reporting. Read more about ISO/TS 30411:2018 on ISO’s news site, and access it on the ANSI Web Store.
Organizational charts are often considered internal documents, and the specific format can vary widely based on organizational culture, preferences, and specific needs. Organizations may develop their own standards based on industry best practices, legal requirements, and internal considerations. Depending on the industry, there may be associations that provide guidelines tailored to that particular sector. The HR sector has a few:
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): SHRM provides resources and best practices for human resource professionals, including guidance on organizational structure and charts.
Project Management Institute (PMI): PMI may offer insights into organizational structures, especially in the context of project management.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO develops international standards for various aspects, including some related to organizational structures. However, these standards are not specific templates for organizational charts.
There are generally accepted principles and standards for constructing organizational charts, but the specific format and details can vary depending on the organization’s size, structure, and industry. Here are some common guidelines for creating organizational charts:
Top-Down Hierarchy: The chart typically follows a top-down hierarchy, with the highest-ranking positions at the top and lower-ranking positions below.
Clear Reporting Lines: Clearly define reporting lines to represent the chain of command and authority within the organization.
Position Titles and Names: Include position titles and, if space allows, the names of individuals holding those positions.
Consistency: Maintain consistency in the layout, shapes, and formatting of boxes and lines throughout the chart.
Departments and Divisions: Use different colors, shading, or grouping to represent different departments or divisions within the organization.
Clarity and Simplicity: Keep the chart clear and simple to understand. Avoid unnecessary complexity that might confuse viewers.
Use of Lines: Connect positions with straight or diagonal lines to represent reporting relationships. Dotted lines are sometimes used for indirect or dotted-line reporting.
Position of Support Staff: Support staff (such as human resources, IT, etc.) may be placed in a separate section or integrated within the chart, depending on the organization’s preference.
Employee Information: Depending on the sensitivity of the information and organizational culture, include only essential information about employees (names, titles) or provide more details like photos and contact information.
Updates: Regularly update the organizational chart to reflect any changes in personnel, structure, or reporting relationships.
It’s important to note that these are general guidelines, and the specific requirements for an organizational chart can vary widely based on the organization’s needs and preferences. Some organizations may prefer a more detailed chart, while others may opt for a simpler representation.
A fully dimensioned exploration of human resource standards — and approaches to lowering cost — cannot be without an understanding of present practice, and prevailing opinion about present practice.
Pennsylvania State University — also known as Penn State — is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses that are spread throughout Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania and became the country’s only land-grant institution eight years later in 1863.
Though the university is not a member of the Ivy League, Penn State is a major research university and is sometimes referred to as one of the so-called “Public Ivies”, a publicly-funded research institution that provides a comparable quality of education to Ivy League institutions. In addition to its land-grant designation, Penn State also participates in the sea-grant, sun-grant, and space-grant; one of only four institutions (alongside Cornell, Oregon State, and Hawai’I at Mānoa) to do so.
Penn State is a “state-related” university and forms part of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth System of Higher Education. Although the university receives funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is connected to the state via its board of trustees, it is entirely independent and does not fall under the control of the state.
Human Resources, perhaps aptly, is a large domain, likely the largest and, for the most part, outside our wheelhouse. As we continue our journey explore ways to make the physical surroundings of educational settlements of all sizes safer, simpler, lower-cost and longer lasting. it is fitting that we understand the pathways the flow of money takes. Feel free to join us during our office hours any day to “take a poke at the HR dragon”
The Pennsylvania State University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Pennsylvania, USA. As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, here is a list of campuses in the Penn State system:
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
