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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Audit of Information and Communications Technology Management (AR2006-166-04), 9 Mar 2007
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United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (UN OIOS) 9 Mar 2007 report titled "Audit of Information and Communications Technology Management [AR2006-166-04]" relating to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The report runs to 21 printed pages.Note
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UNITED NATIONS Office of Internal Oversight Services UNHCR Audit Service Assignment AR2006/166/04 9 March 2007 Audit Report R07/R005 AUDIT OF UNHCR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT Auditors: Leonard Gauci Ottavia Cova ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES Office of Internal Oversight Services UNHCR Audit Service AUDIT OF UNHCR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT (AR2006/166/04) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In June and July 2006, OIOS conducted an audit of UNHCR's Information and Communications Technology Management function at its Headquarters in Geneva. UNHCR's core ICT functions fall under the responsibility of the Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications (DIST). The core application system is MSRP (Management Systems Renewal Project), which is an Enterprise Resource Planning system. Overall Assessment � The audit did not reveal major weaknesses. Nonetheless, a number of measures should be taken to strengthen the governance and administrative structure of the overall ICT operations. In OIOS' opinion, the implementation of the recommendations set out in the report would bring the management of ICT more in line with best practices and would demonstrate management's commitment to ensuring proper control in this area. OIOS was pleased to note that the Director of DIST has accepted the recommendations made and is in the process of implementing them. Audit Findings and Recommendations � An ICT Governance Board was set up in May 2006, dealing with ICT initiatives. In OIOS' view, its roles and responsibilities should be extended to include the oversight and coordination of all ICT strategic and policy matters in UNHCR. There should be a mechanism for monitoring and reporting to the Board the actual costs and results of each project against the approved budgets and plans. � There are still ICT matters in UNHCR that do not fall under the mandate of DIST. OIOS recommended that DIST be assigned full responsibility for all ICT products and services. This would avoid duplication and inefficiency and make it easier to implement consistent ICT policies and methodologies. � UNHCR should clarify its position with regard to the application of ICT-related instructions issued by the UN Secretariat, and take the initiative to establish a framework for exchanging information and know-how. For instance, DIST could consider adopting a methodology for the development of new systems already in use in the UN and apply this on a consistent basis. � UNHCR should develop and implement an Information Management strategy. This will define mission-critical information and identify any businesses processes that need to be modified in order to take full advantage of the facilities afforded to UNHCR by its automated systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- � DIST should carry out a post-implementation review of MSRP to evaluate the investment made and ensure that users take full advantage of the facilities offered by the system. Lessons learned can be applied to on-going and future projects. � The budgeting process for DIST should be reviewed and linked to funding. DIST is already using the UN International Computing Centre's hosting services and should look at other areas where outsourcing may be advantageous, as well as opportunities for synergy within the UN system. There are no service agreements between DIST and the various user units in UNHCR. Linking funding to service agreements should bring about more accountability and transparency in the use of funds for ICT services and products. � DIST does not have the autonomy to use training funds for its staff with ICT functions, including those in field locations, and there are no established criteria for the allocation of such funds. DIST should be assigned a budget for training staff with ICT functions to meet the obligations contracted in service agreements, and should be allowed to apply the funds in line with a set of criteria approved by the ICT Governance Board. With regard to user training in IT skills, the Board has approved a business case for training that leads to European Computer Driving Licence certification and this should be implemented without delay. � The working group entrusted with developing a security policy for UNHCR should conduct a risk analysis and all policies and procedures and documentation should be compiled in a controlled security manual. This group should review the existing audit trails and security reports for improvement and implement a policy for their review. OIOS recommended the appointment of a Chief Information Security Officer to be the first point of contact for all matters related to computer security. In OIOS' opinion, this is an opportune time to evaluate the effectiveness of the system's security features and those of the network infrastructure by conducting penetration tests. � UNHCR does not have a comprehensive business continuity plan. OIOS recommended that the High Commissioner sets up a task force to deal with all matters relating to business continuity planning, including the categorization of mission-critical systems and data, and to draw up a project plan for its implementation. � DIST was not aware of all the systems and databases that have been developed by end-users and run on stand-alone PCs. This may result in duplication of systems and waste of effort while reports presented to management for decision-making may contain inaccurate data. An electronic register that would record details of all the ICT applications should be set up. DIST should periodically provide users with guidelines that will highlight the risks related to end user computing and provide guidance on safeguards and best practices to mitigate these risks. March 2007 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Paragraphs I. INTRODUCTION 1�3 II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES 4 III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 5�6 IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Governance 7 - 20 B. Planning and Organization 21 - 29 C. Financial Management and Human Resources 30 � 37 D. Implementation and maintenance of systems 38 - 43 E. IT Security and Safety 44 - 64 F. Management and Procurement of IT Assets 65 - 69 V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 70 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION 1. During June and July 2006, OIOS conducted an audit of UNHCR's Information and Communications Technology Management at its Headquarters in Geneva. The audit was conducted in accordance with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. 2. UNHCR's core ICT functions fall under the responsibility of the Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications (DIST). The Director of DIST who is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) reports to the Deputy High Commissioner. In 2002 UNHCR started to implement MSRP (Management Systems Renewal Project) which is an Enterprise Resource Planning system. The implementation of the Human Resources/Global Payroll modules in 2007 will complete the core aspects of this project. 3. A draft of this report was shared with the Director of DIST in November 2006. The comments, which were received in January and March 2007, are reflected in this final report. The Director of DIST has accepted most of the audit recommendations made and is in the process of implementing them. II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES 4. The main objectives of the audit were to: � Assess UNHCR's ICT governance and organizational structure � Determine requirements for the successful implementation of UNHCR's ICT strategy � Assess UNHCR's practices and plans for ICT against the global ICT strategy of the UN Secretariat � Identify areas of ICT that require the attention of UNHCR's management to bring them in line with best practice III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 5. The audit addressed the general management of ICT in UNHCR and focused on the relevant areas of Information Technology controls that fall under the responsibility of DIST. It did not examine the IT controls over individual application systems or the functionality aspects of such systems. 6. The audit was conducted in accordance with ISACAs' (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) Information Systems Auditing Standards, guidelines and procedures. OIOS obtained an understanding of the computer environment at UNHCR by using a structured questionnaire. Tailored audit programmes covering the audit objectives were developed on the basis of the completed questionnaire. During the audit, OIOS analysed applicable data and reviewed the available documents and other relevant records. Interviews were held with selected managers and staff. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Governance (a) ICT governance 7. OIOS welcomes the establishment of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Governance Board1 and sees this as an important step in strengthening UNHCR's governance structure over ICT. In particular OIOS notes that while ultimate responsibility remains with the High Commissioner, Board meetings are chaired by the Deputy High Commissioner who will be accountable for all decisions, and will decide where consensus cannot be reached2. This is a critical aspect of governance which in OIOS' experience with other organizations that when it was absent or not properly enforced has led to the failing of similar bodies. 8. OIOS notes that the terms of reference of the Board are focussed on the coordination of ICT investments and projects. During its first three meetings, the Board mainly dealt with the review and assessment of proposed ICT projects. While this is an important element of ICT governance, the ICT Governance Board also has an important role to play in the formulation and implementation of ICT policies. DIST would be expected to take the lead in the initiation of projects such as developing and implementing an information management strategy, security policies and business continuity plans, but these projects require an input from all user departments. If this is lacking, it is not likely that such policies will be effective. The ICT Governance Board is therefore the right forum for coordinating these matters. 9. Business owners groups provide an important forum where users can express their requirements with regard to their systems. They also help to coordinate ICT matters in particular with respect to security and system modifications. For MSRP, there are two such groups, one for the Finance and Supply Chain modules and another for HR/Global Payroll. Discussions with management indicate that the former is largely focussed on Headquarters and field operations are not sufficiently involved. With the implementation of MSRP, it is important that the business owners formally take over the ownership of an application once this has been delivered and they are satisfied it meets their requirements. There should be a mechanism that clearly defines the ownership of all the systems and data, and identifies the parties and their respective responsibilities to such systems and data. These details should be recorded on an electronic register as discussed under Section F of this report. 10. The Department of International Protection Services and the Division of Operational Support operate non-MSRP systems. Both the Directors of DIPS and DOS are represented on the ICT Governance Board. This is a welcome move towards improving governance over ICT within the whole of UNHCR. There is still a risk however that an ICT project is initiated by one of these entities without DIST being given the opportunity to review the technical specifications for compatibility with existing systems and application of appropriate methodologies for project management and delivery. DIST indicated that this had led to incompatibility of systems in the past. Furthermore, neither DIPS nor DOS has a business owners group, and there is room for more synergy; for example with DIPS and DOS adopting the change control procedures operated by DIST. 1 ADM-01-01 and IOM/FOM 57/2006 of 28 June 2006 2 ibid. para. 8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Recommendation: The UNHCR's ICT Governance Board should: (a) Extend its role and terms of reference from the approval of business cases for ICT initiatives to include the oversight and coordination of all ICT strategic and policy matters throughout UNHCR; and (b) Ensure that the ownership of systems and data is clearly defined and reflected in the electronic register (Rec. 01). 11. DIST agreed with the recommendation. The electronic register will be included in DIST's Strategic Plan for the coming biennium. DIST stated that the scope and timing of project to implement would this be defined by June 2007. OIOS will close the recommendation once the role and terms of reference of the ICT Governance Board are extended. 12. OIOS noted that the discussions at the first three ICT Governance Board meetings strongly indicated the need for pre-screening to review business cases to make sure that the scope of projects is properly defined, the benefits are clearly set out and all the cost elements have been captured. OIOS recommended setting up a task force for reviewing the business case for ICT initiatives on a project-by-project basis to ensure the accuracy of the functional aspects prior to the business case being presented to the ICT Governance Board. OIOS was pleased to note that DIST Client Managers work with units preparing business cases for projects to ensure robust submissions reach ICT Governance Board. 13. The ICT Board's terms of reference state that it is the responsibility of the business units to prepare the business case outlining how the project supports the organization's strategic objectives, the costs/benefits, the resource requirements and the funding sources.3 It is not yet clear what will happen after the business case for the project has been approved, and whether there will be regular up-dates on the actual costs vis-�-vis the approved budgeted amount. It is important that the Governance Board is kept informed if the final product does not meet the original objectives or if cost overruns are incurred. Recommendation: The UNHCR's ICT Governance Board should request that the Chief Information Officer establishes a mechanism for monitoring and reporting to the Board the actual costs and results of each project against the approved budgets and plans (Rec. 02). 14. DIST agreed with the recommendation and stated that there is a proposal to create a Project Management Officer in DIST to monitor expenditure on projects, technical issues and report on return-on-investment. This will be included in DIST's Strategic Plan for the coming biennium. OIOS will close the recommendation on confirmation that a mechanism has been established to monitor and report to the Board on the actual costs and results of the approved projects. 3 ibid. para. 6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 15. The current regulatory definition of the term "UN Secretariat"4 includes UNHCR. However UNHCR has operated independently of the ICT governance structures set at the UN Secretariat level, such as the Information and Communications Technology Board. A number of official documents5 have been issued by the UN Secretariat with the aim of ensuring coherent and coordinated global management ICT initiatives across departments and duty stations. The UNHCR Electronic Mail Policy issued in June 2006 clarifies how the Secretary-General's Bulletin on the "Use of Information and Communication Technology Resources and Data"6, applies to e- mail and related services and facilities. Other than this, UNHCR has not followed the instructions set out in these documents and neither has there been an approach on the Secretariat's part requesting UNHCR do so. The lack of coordination on ICT matters can lead to divergent policies, while failure to take advantage of the investment already made to develop strategies and policies could result in a waste of resources. 16. In OIOS' view, UNHCR should clarify its position with regard to compliance with ICT regulations and rules issued by the UN Secretariat. If UNHCR remains outside the UN Secretariat's ICT governance structure, OIOS still sees plenty of opportunity for benefits to be gained through close cooperation between it and the UN Secretariat. For example, the UN's Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) has specialized units for the undertaking of ICT risk analysis that would form the basis for security and business continuity plans. Earlier this year, this Division obtained ISO 27000 certification covering the network systems at UN Headquarters and is now providing training and guidance to ICT offices in duty stations to help them achieve certification. On its part, UNHCR can provide advice based on its experience in implementing a global ERP system. The two parties should also collaborate towards the establishment of a common chart of accounts in compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards. Recommendation: The UNHCR's Deputy High Commissioner, as Chairperson of the ICT Governance Board should liaise with the Chairman of the Secretariat's Information and Communications Technology Board and clarify UNHCR's position with regard to the application of ICT-related instructions issued by the Secretariat and seek to establish a framework through which both parties will benefit through the exchange information and know-how (Rec. 03). 17. DIST agreed with the recommendation. UNHCR is clarifying its position vis-�-vis ICT- related instructions issued by the Secretariat. As a programme of the Secretary-General, UNHCR (the DHC) cooperation with the Secretariat takes place through the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) ICT Network. OIOS will close this recommendation on confirmation that UNHCR's position with regard to the application of ICT-related instructions issued by the Secretariat is clarified and a framework, at the Director level, is established for the exchange of information. 4 ST/SGB/2002/11 5 These include: GA Document A/55/780 "Information Technology in the Secretariat: a plan of action", GA Document A/57/620 "Information and Communication Technology Strategy", ST/SGB/2003/17 "Information and Communications Technology Board", ST/SGB/2004/15 "Use of Information and communication technology resources and data" and ST/AI/2005/10 "Information and communication technology initiatives". 6 ST/SGB/2004/15 of 29 November 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 (b) The role of the Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications 18. Over the past four years, UNHCR's ICT resources have been focused on the implementation of MSRP. With the rolling out of the HR/Global Payroll modules, the role of DIST will shift from that of developing, project managing and implementing core systems to that of a service provider. The latter role will be aimed at maintaining and running systems that will allow users easy access to data that is complete, up-to-date and reliable. DIST also has the responsibility for ensuring that the investment made in the new systems is exploited to the full. The current structure and the ICT roles and responsibilities within DIST will need to be redefined. Some posts will no longer be required and there will be a need to re-allocate and re-train some staff. 19. Unless DIST has full responsibility for all ICT products and services within UNHCR, it will be difficult to coordinate ICT matters, including the funding of ICT resources. This may lead to duplication, inefficient provision of services to users, failure to anticipate the needs of UNHCR, and possibly a lack of accountability and transparency. On the other hand, full responsibility for all ICT products and services within UNHCR will make it easier for DIST to adopt a client- oriented approach. It will also give UNHCR the opportunity to rationalize the budgeting and funding of ICT resources. Recommendation: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should be assigned full responsibility for all ICT products and services within UNHCR (Rec. 04). 20. DIST agreed with the recommendation. This is being implemented through the office of the DHC, the CIO, the ICT GB and is reflected in current ORB procedures. Appropriate doctrine continues to be disseminated to the Organisation in the form of IOM/FOMs (policies) and memoranda on important issues pertaining to this. OIOS will close this recommendation on confirmation that full responsibility has been assigned to DIST. B. Planning and Organization (a) Information Management strategy 21. UNHCR does not have an Information Management (IM) strategy. The Joint Inspection Unit, in their 2002 report7 listed their observations concerning Information Management within the United Nations System Organizations, noting that: Managing information resources effectively is not only a major organizational challenge but also provides an opportunity for enhancing efficiency. The first step towards effective management of information resources is to develop an organization-wide information management strategy. The information management strategy is distinct from an information technology strategy in the sense that information technology are tools for an effective information management process; the information-management strategy should focus on identifying mission-critical information as well as system(s) required for effective 7 JIU/REP/2002/9 Managing Information In The United Nations System Organizations: Management Information Systems ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 information management. Many organizations developed various IM systems without due regard to their integration into an organization-wide system designed to facilitate improved management. In view of the fact that implementation of projects for IM systems, in particular ERP systems, is a resource-intensive undertaking, effective project management is critical to successful development and introduction of such systems. Many UN system organizations have failed to meet the necessary and sufficient prior conditions required for cost-effective implementation of an ERP system, including streamlining existing work processes, putting a management structure in place and establishing an operational plan, as well as identification of requirements and in- depth review of functionality that ERP applications provide. 22. Although ideally an IM strategy should have been formulated before embarking on the development of different information systems to capitalize on the efficiencies afforded by the new systems and infrastructure, an IM strategy would define the role of ICT in information management and clarify, for example, the linkages between MSRP and other systems. In addition, the IM strategy would be a key reference for governance and oversight. 23. On the other hand, the absence of an IM Strategy could defeat the objective of consolidated and integrated data management systems. There is a risk that management and users will push for modifications to the system to accommodate existing processes. This would result in inefficiencies and would invalidate the investment made in MSRP. 24. The responsibilities called for by this task are wider in scope than those that fall within the duties of the CIO, and should be directed by the ICT Governance Board. The Board can appoint a working group to prepare a detailed work plan with timelines, benchmarks and resources for developing and implementing an IM strategy. The strategy would include a definition of mission- critical information, and the identification of any business processes that need to be changed in order to take full advantage of the facilities afforded by UNHCR. While OIOS is pleased to note that the ICT Governance Board has already tasked the Director of DOS to constitute an Extranet Task Force to help guide and integrate the development of information management initiatives, the ICT Governance Board should ensure that UNHCR's ICT strategy is updated to reflect the conclusions deriving from the IM Strategy. Recommendation: The UNHCR's ICT Governance Board should establish a working group to draw up a detailed work plan with timelines, benchmarks and resources required to develop and implement an overall Information Management strategy. The ICT strategy should be updated to support the objectives defined in the IM Strategy (Rec. 05). 25. DIST agreed with the recommendation. The DHC has assigned the Director of External Relations to prepare TORs and chair a task force that will develop and implement an organisationwide Information Management strategy. DIST will be an important member of this task force. OIOS will close this recommendation once the Information Management strategy has been established. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 (b) Post-implementation review of MSRP 26. UNHCR has heavily invested in the implementation of MSRP. While labour cost-savings will materialize over a period of time, the efficiencies gained through the streamlining of processes should be immediately visible in a number of areas: for example, the ability to track funds through UNHCR and accurately report on expenditure and facilitate decision-making, and to increase the speed and accuracy with which goods can be purchased and tracked from supplier to beneficiary. 27. Once the HR/Global Payroll modules are implemented during 2007, DIST should carry out a post-implementation review (PIR) to evaluate the investment made in MSRP, assess the benefits � both to UNHCR staff and the recipients of UNHCR's services � and compare the original claimed benefits and costs to actual ones. Also, if the information is available, such a review can determine with some accuracy the real cost of the MSRP project, including the true cost of user time in terms of business disruption, training, learning curves and the rise in IT support immediately following implementation. The review would also help to identify lessons learned, which in turn can be applied to on-going projects such as the Treasury Management System. 28. Apart from the accountability aspect, it is important that any problems are immediately addressed, otherwise users may not take full advantage of the features offered by the system. A typical risk area is that of report generation, where users may end up creating their own spreadsheets to calculate data, with the inefficiencies and risks to the reliability of the data that this brings with it, when the system provides the facilities to extract the reports in question. The best way to address these risks is to conduct a User Satisfaction Survey specific to MSRP to assess the system's "functional fit". This would help to assess users' preparedness and their level of acceptance of the system, ascertain the extent to which users are utilizing the functionalities provided by the various modules of the system and consequently the extent to which UNHCR is gaining from the investment made. Recommendation: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications with the Business Owners should carry out a post-implementation review of the MSRP project to evaluate the investment made and identify any aspects that need to be addressed to ensure that users take full advantage of the facilities afforded by the system. Preferably the Deputy High Commissioner, as the chairperson of the ICT Governance Board, should initiate and sponsor the review. The review should also determine what went well and what did not, and any lessons learned should be applied to on-going and future ICT initiatives (Rec. 06). 29. DIST agreed with the recommendation. The review will be included in DIST's Strategic Plan for the coming biennium. The overall plan would be that the Business Owners execute the evaluation with input from DIST with a view to completing the review in 2008. OIOS will close this recommendation on the completion of the evaluation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 C. Financial Management and Human Resources (a) Funding of ICT resources and Service Agreements 30. With the MSRP project nearing completion, the budgeting process for DIST should be reviewed. In the opinion of the CIO, there should be a three-tier costing structure, namely, operational costs to incorporate the costs necessary to keep things going as they are; fixed costs, such as contracted costs for hosting and other services; and the costs of investing in ICT initiatives. OIOS agrees with this structure in principle. Investment in new systems is now covered by the procedures set by the ICT Governance Board. DIST should continue to seek ways of optimizing the fixed ICT costs through the outsourcing of certain services, in particular within the UN Common System. OIOS notes that the UN International Computing Centre (ICC) is used for hosting services and UNHCR has recently entered into a contract for VSAT. Additionally other areas, such as the outsourcing of the provision of help desk services may be advantageous. 31. It is also important that the budgeting and funding aspects are directly based on the ICT strategy and on service agreements between DIST and the user units. At present there does not seem to be a proper link between the budgeting and funding processes. Therefore with operational costs, OIOS sees scope for conducting a study to determine the criteria and the funding each unit should contribute towards the maintenance of existing systems. Criteria may include the number of workstations and users. 32. The CIO told OIOS that DIST will be nominating a number of product managers to be responsible for seeing that the particular product or service will continue to support user requirements but as yet there are no service delivery or service level agreements between DIST and UNHCR's various user units/sections. Unless the standard of all services expected of DIST are clearly defined and formalized in a service catalogue between DIST and the individual user units (with any additional services being defined in a bilateral agreement), there is a risk that the roles and responsibilities of both the providers and users of ICT services will not be properly understood. This may lead to a lack of accountability and situations where users expect and demand certain services that DIST is unable to deliver or arrange to be outsourced in time. On the other hand, a move towards activity-based budgeting and the linking of funding to service agreements should bring about more accountability and transparency in the use of funds for ICT services and products. Recommendations: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should conduct a study to determine the criteria and the amount of contribution each unit should make towards its operational costs (Rec. 07). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should identify all those ICT services that it is mandated to provide to each user unit and have these services and respective responsibilities defined in a service catalogue, a copy of which should be made available on the intranet. Any services additional to those in the catalogue should address the resource implications and be defined in a bilateral service agreement between DIST and the user unit concerned (Rec. 08). 33. DIST agreed with the recommendations stating that these principles will be included in DIST's Strategic Plan for the coming biennium. OIOS will close these recommendations on confirmation that appropriate principles have been established for the provision of ICT services to user units and subsequent funding of the services. (b) Training 34. DIST does not have the autonomy to use training funds to ensure that staff in ICT functions have the necessary skills. ICT training funds should be used for specific and well- targeted actions, but at this stage there is no established criteria for the allocation of training funds. Examples of such criteria may include: evidence of demand, direct application of acquired knowledge/skills, duration, cost and willingness to cost share. Management could set up a points system based on these criteria and utilize the training funds accordingly. This use of criteria would also show more transparency in the allocation of funds. Recommendation: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should be assigned a budget for training DIST staff in ICT functions to enable it to meet the ICT strategy objectives and the obligations contracted in service agreements. DIST should have full autonomy in the use of these training funds, based on a set of criteria approved by the ICT Governance Board (Rec. 09). 35. DIST agreed with the recommendation. DIST elaborated that a training budget is being included in DIST's Strategic Plan for the coming biennium. DIST will work closely with Budget and Staff Development Section to devise criteria. OIOS will close this recommendation on confirmation that a budget for training staff in ICT functions has been made available to DIST. 36. In addition to technical staff, system users should also be provided with a basic level of training in the use of IT systems. This would help them better utilize the facilities afforded by the systems and appreciate the risks and measures that should be taken with regard to computer security. It would make users more self-sufficient to a certain degree and reduce the demand on DIST's resources. These objectives can be achieved through a UNHCR-wide training programme under which users of IT systems will participate and obtain the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) certification. 37. OIOS is pleased to note that in October 2006 the ICT Governance Board approved a business case for improving the basic IT skills of UNHCR staff through training that leads to ECDL certification. OIOS recommended that this issue be followed up and a consistent plan for ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 funding and implementation be established. DIST indicated that it would be on the agenda of the Governance Board during spring 2007. D. Implementation and maintenance of systems (a) Methodologies for ICT projects 38. DIST does not consistently follow a standard methodology for the development of new systems or projects. These methodologies are important to ensure that major ICT initiatives are thoroughly planned, adequately staffed, and managed by suitably experienced project managers. Without a proper methodology there is a risk that the project will not be substantively aligned with UNHCR's goals and objectives. There is also a risk that a staff member in a field office who has implemented a computer-based application will depart without leaving sufficient documentation to enable continued maintenance of the system. 39. DIST stated that it is in the process of developing procedures to ensure that both UNHCR and user needs are properly defined and incorporated into the systems' designs. However there are no procedures to ensure that appropriate security and control features are incorporated in system design and that applications potentially vulnerable to fraudulent programme coding or data manipulation incorporate special security features and edit checks. The quality of system design, programming and documentation is not subject to quality assurance testing. 40. The UN Secretariat has adopted the Prince II methodology for all ICT project high-level evaluation. This methodology addresses the UN Secretary-General's four return indicators for ICT projects, namely: (a) service improvement through quicker access to information and/or higher quality services; (b) process streamlining by eliminating duplication and having the potential for redeployment of resources; (c) leveraging past investments by extending the life of current systems; and (d) a strong enabler in the decision making process. Once an ICT project has received the approval of the Project Review Committee, ITSD and DPKO's Communications and Information Technology Service have been using Rational Rose as a software development tool to ensure uniform architectural compliance. Recommendation: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should adopt a methodology for the implementation of new systems and apply this on a consistent basis. This methodology should include procedures aimed at ensuring that appropriate security and control features are incorporated within the system design as well as quality assurance testing (Rec. 10). 41. DIST agreed with the recommendation and considered it implemented, as processes are aligned and consistent with the ICT GB process/methodology established by UNHCR. OIOS appreciates the efforts made to create a common methodology and considers them a good starting point for methodology implementation. However, OIOS considers that the current methodology documentation is still not fully complete and further work is required as outlined in the recommendation above. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 (b) Change control 42. DIST maintains four separate system environments; one for development, two for testing, and the live (production) environment. After modifications have been tested and approved, the programme is transferred to the second test environment (referred to as support/test) to await transfer to production. A programme that has been tested and approved may remain in the support/test environment for up to a month before being transferred to the live environment while matters such as user training are finalized. 43. OIOS pointed out that with several moves between the environments there is a risk of unauthorized modifications being made to a programme before its transfer to production. DIST, however, is convinced that their procedures with technical and functional sign-offs to different environments mitigates such risk E. IT Security and Safety (a) Information systems risk analysis and security policy 44. The report of the UN Board of Auditors (BOA) to the General Assembly for the period ended 31 December 20058, includes a section titled "Information and communication technology fraud prevention and management". OIOS has taken note of the contents of this section and UNHCR's responses and therefore will not repeat the BOA's recommendations here. While the review undertaken by OIOS was at a high level and did not include detailed testing, we would like to draw management's attention to other matters concerning IT security. OIOS believes that the implementation of the respective recommendations will bring UNHCR more in line with best practices and reduce the risk of fraud through unauthorized access to its systems and data. 45. In response to the BOA's recommendations, UNHCR stated that DIST has formed a working group to develop an information security policy. In OIOS' opinion, the development of a security policy should be preceded by an information systems risk analysis to ensure all risk areas are addressed. This is particularly important where applications are linked through a network, since a fraudster could gain access to an important system via a minor one. The analysis would also prevent an overstatement of controls that would reduce efficiency unnecessarily. This risk analysis would be useful when developing business continuity plans. The UN Secretariat's ITSD has conducted ICT Security Risk Assessments at all Offices away from headquarters. DIST may wish to take advantage of the experience gained through these reviews and request ITSD to conduct a similar one at UNHCR. 46. The security policy will need to be supported by detailed procedures and instructions covering all aspects of computer security within UNHCR. These should be grouped in a security manual. Given UNHCR's operational and IT environments, it will not be practical to maintain close supervision over all users and it is important that staff are made aware of good practices with regard to computer security so that they will exercise self-discipline. Copies of the manual and its distribution should be controlled so as not to compromise security. A copy of the security policy and selected procedures should be made accessible to all staff over the intranet. Periodically, DIST should issue reminders to staff on the need to adhere to the security policy and procedures. 8 A/AC.96/1025 of 13 September 2006 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Recommendations: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should undertake an information systems risk analysis and consider requesting the UN Secretariat's Information Technology Services Division to perform an ICT Security Risk Assessment of its core application systems. The results of the risk analysis would serve as the basis for formulating a comprehensive security policy and procedures (Rec. 11). The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should group all documentation related to computer security in a security manual. Ownership and circulation of the manuals should be controlled. The security policy and those aspects of the manual that do not compromise the control over security should be made available over the intranet. Reminders to staff on the need to adhere to the security policy and procedures should be issued at least once a year (Rec. 12). 47. DIST agreed with the recommendations. DIST stated that UNHCR would conduct a risk analysis/quality assurance exercise. It is still to be determined whether it will be performed with in-house resources or through UN ITSD. DIST also informed OIOS that the security manual is under preparation. One of the first deliverables was the implementation of password security procedures (IOM/FOM/86/2006). OIOS welcomes the work already done by DIST and will record the recommendations as implemented on confirmation that a risk analysis has been conducted and the security manual is complete. (b) Security administration 48. The administration of security over UNHCR's automated systems is currently fragmented and not sufficiently independent. This function calls for coordination and should be detached from those of systems development and computer operations. OIOS is pleased to note that in June 2006 the Deputy High Commissioner circulated an Electronic Mail Policy to all staff members.9 In the event of breaches of the standards of acceptable use, the policy refers to the Staff Rules. OIOS, however, would like to see specific reference to the responsibility for monitoring compliance with the policy and the steps to be taken in the event of non-compliance. 49. A person who is sufficiently independent of day-to-day IT operations should be designated as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). This person would be responsible for the overall monitoring of compliance with the security policy and procedures. His or her duties would include keeping all security-related documentation up-to-date, performing periodic or cyclical reviews of access rights to ensure they conform with the policy, reviewing security reports and informing the CIO of any security breaches or unauthorized attempts to access data. 50. Given the nature and size of UNHCR's computer environment, the CISO will need to be supported by focal points within each business unit. Each of these units should designate two staff members as a Security Liaison Officer (SLO) and an alternate. The SLO will be the first point of 9 ADM-01-01 and IOM/FOM 57/2006 of 28 June 2006 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 contact for users for all matters that relate to computer security. Only those matters that cannot be resolved by the SLO would be escalated to the CISO. The SLOs would also be responsible for reviewing the security reports concerning their business unit and to take appropriate follow-up action. DIST proposed involving Inspector General's Office as a coordinator, in line of best practices to further separate execution from oversight. Recommendations: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should assign a person who is independent of systems development and maintenance as Chief Information Security Officer (Rec. 13). The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications, through the ICT Governance Board and possibly in cooperation with Inspector General's Office, should request each business unit to designate a Security Liaison Officer and an alternate who will be the first point of contact for all matters related to computer security within the unit. Details of these persons should be kept up-to-date on the intranet (Rec. 14). 51. DIST agreed with the recommendations. A proposal to appoint an Information Security Officer will be submitted to ORB in March 2007 as part of the 2008 Headquarters Plan of DIST. Implementation of the recommendation concerning the Security Liaison Officers is contingent on the appointment of the Information Security Officer. OIOS takes note of the positive steps taken and will keep the recommendations open pending confirmation that a Chief Information Security Officer has been assigned and Security focal points have been designated. (c) Audit trails and security reports 52. OIOS reviewed a DIST document titled "Application Security Strategy; Management Systems Renewal Project" dated 16 April 2003. The objective of this document is limited to the activities involved in the use and application of security software within the MSRP system and does not cover other areas such as databases, file servers or networks. Even within the MSRP system, the document does not make reference to security violation reports and audit trails. It does not specify the persons who will be responsible for seeing that the policies and procedures within the strategy are applied. 53. In the case of ERP systems in particular, the focus should be on having in-built security features to prevent any attempt at unauthorized access to systems and data. However it is still advisable to have a robust system based on audit trails and security reports for detecting such attempts. If this is absent, there will be a risk that successful unauthorized attempts at data access will remain undetected. 54. It is unclear whether the current audit trails and security violation reports are adequate. These reports should not merely serve as events logs, but should provide enough detail to trace the origin of the violation. To be feasible for control purposes, these reports should be designed to record exceptions. For example, the report that would show unsuccessful login attempts and needs to be designed in a way so that only instances of repeated failed access attempts are reported for investigation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 55. There is a need for formal procedures covering the generation, review and follow-up action on audit trails and security reports. At present, audit trails are normally reviewed on an exceptions basis. Reports relating to security violation are not printed and reviewed as standard practice, and the analysis of the audit trail information and the security violation information is not taking place. 56. DIST should therefore implement a clear policy covering on-line access to security reports, the frequency of their generation and their distribution, as well as responsibility for their review and follow-up action. These tasks would be assigned to the Chief Information Security Officer and the Security Liaison Officers. Recommendation: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications working group that has been entrusted with developing a security policy for UNHCR should, in cooperation with business units and possibly with the Inspector General's Office: (a) Review the existing audit trails and security reports for adequacy and make recommendations for improvement; and (b) Implement a policy for the generation and review of security reports and follow-up action (Rec. 15). 57. DIST agreed with the recommendation. DIST informed OIOS that work on information security policy has already commenced and completion is anticipated by the end of 2007. OIOS takes note of the work done and will keep the recommendation open pending the issuance of the security policy. (d) Penetration testing 58. An ERP system such as MSRP has inherent security risks due to the large number of users accessing the system, the large volume of transactions per employee, and the decrease in the paper trail. There are also risks associated with the sharing of information with third parties such as suppliers by the linking of systems. Within certain modules (e.g. accounts payable), the system might allow a user to modify static data temporarily and change it back shortly afterwards with no audit trail. 59. As a result of the above, ERP systems, while bringing about increased efficiencies through the streamlining of business processes and the significant reduction or elimination of manual processes, provide an increased opportunity for fraudsters, especially for insiders. Management therefore needs to implement effective security mechanisms to address the risk of fraud. It will not be able however to obtain assurance regarding the effectiveness of these mechanisms unless they are subject to rigid testing. The best way to evaluate the effectiveness of the system's security features and identify any weaknesses would be by conducting penetration testing by an independent party. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Recommendation: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should evaluate the effectiveness of all systems security features and those of the network infrastructure by conducting penetration tests (Rec. 16). 60. DIST agreed with the recommendation stating that implementation is contingent on the appointment of an Information Security Officer. If this would not be feasible then DIST shall seek external resources, e.g. consultants. OIOS takes note of DIST's response and will keep the recommendation open pending conformation that penetration tests have been conducted. (e) Disaster recovery and business continuity planning 61. UNHCR does not have a formal plan aimed at ensuring that in the event of a major disaster affecting its computer facilities, management would be able to mobilise alternate arrangements for processing data and continue to provide its core services efficiently while the facilities are properly restored. While effective backup procedures and power supply protection provide a measure of insurance against system failures, in the event of a major disaster such as a fire, it is unlikely that the damage will be restricted to the computer equipment but will also affect other areas. Such a plan would also detail the stages to be followed to ensure that UNHCR's critical functions are properly recovered and become operational within acceptable timescales. 62. Business continuity planning is wide in scope and requires input from all user units. An effective business continuity plan will need to be preceded by a risk assessment to define the mission-critical functions and data, the systems supporting them and the impact that their unavailability will have on UNHCR. It also requires coordination with external parties such as the suppliers of hardware, software and communications service and equipment. In the case of UNHCR, this means close coordination with ICC with which it has an agreement for hosting services covering MSRP. 63. The conduct of such an exercise is demanding on resources and OIOS suggests that UNHCR takes advantage of the work that has already been undertaken in this area by other entities within the UN system, especially those like UNDP and UNICEF who have also implemented ERP systems. The UN Secretariat's ITSD is working on a plan for Global Business Continuity while DPKO has consolidated planning for business continuity, utilizing its Headquarters in New York, the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi and the United Nations Office in Geneva as disaster recovery sites. Recommendation: The UNHCR High Commissioner should set up a task force to deal with business continuity matters throughout UNHCR. This task force should: (a) Hold workshops for senior managers to advise and agree upon the categorization of mission-critical systems and data; (b) Seek the advice and collaboration of other UN entities that have already formulated business continuity plans or are at an advanced stage in the process; and (c) Draw up a project plan for the implementation of a business ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 continuity plan for UNHCR (Rec. 17). 64. DIST agreed with the recommendation stating that implementation is contingent on the appointment of the Information Security Officer. If this would not be feasible then DIST shall seek external resources, e.g. consultants. OIOS appreciates the efforts UNHCR has done in producing a Contingency Plan for UNHCR Headquarters in case of a pandemic (avian flu) and considers this a good starting point for a more comprehensive business continuity plan. F. Management and Procurement of IT Assets (a) Monitoring end-user developed applications 65. DIST appears to have full visibility of MSRP and other application systems that are used centrally by multiple divisions, and has control over which systems are allowed to run over the networks. However from our discussions it emerged that DIST is not aware of all the systems and databases that are developed by end-users and run on stand-alone PCs. This applies to units/sections at Headquarters and even more so to field offices. 66. If UNHCR is not aware of existing applications there can be duplication of systems and a waste of effort. There is also a risk that reports presented to management for decision-making will contain inaccurate data derived from end-user developed applications such as spreadsheets that have not been subject to quality assurance. 67. Details of all UNHCR's ICT end-user applications, including reference to licence agreements, should be recorded in an electronic register. This exercise will require substantial effort and a designated person within each office should be responsible for updating the register with details of the ICT applications located in that office. Application systems should be categorized by their significance or criticality, and there should be an indicator to show the status of an application, i.e., whether it is in use, being developed or approved but not yet underway. DIST should have a monitoring role to ensure that the register is being kept up-to-date, and should perform checks on the completeness and accuracy of the data. A complete and up-to-date register of ICT applications will provide a basis for control and, in the longer-term, help UNHCR save money through rationalization. 68. DIST should also provide users with guidelines on best practices to safeguard the integrity of data in reports that are generated from user-developed spreadsheets, security of back- up media, and the installation and upgrading of virus-detection software on laptops. Recommendations: The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should set up an electronic register to record details of all the ICT applications that belong to UNHCR. Each office should appoint a focal point with responsibility for updating the register while DIST should monitor the currency of the register data and perform checks for its completeness and accuracy (Rec. 18). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 The UNHCR Division of Information Systems and Telecommunications should periodically provide users with guidelines that will highlight the risks related to end user computing and provide guidance on safeguards and best practices to mitigate these risks (Rec. 19). 69. DIST agreed with the recommendations. The electronic register will be included in DIST's Strategic Plan for the coming biennium. For the guidelines DIST elaborated that these would be included in the information security guidelines. OIOS takes note of DIST's response and will keep the recommendations open pending the development and implementation of an electronic register and the dissemination of information security guidelines highlighting the risks associated with developing ad hoc systems. V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 70. I wish to express my appreciation for the assistance and cooperation extended to the auditors by the staff of UNHCR. Eleanor T. Burns, Acting Chief UNHCR Audit Service Office of Internal Oversight Services -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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Sharpen Your Skills And Knives With Prima Kailua's Kevin Lee
Why pay to have your knives sharpened when you can do it yourself?
Any cook knows that, when it comes to your kitchen, one of the most important ingredient in a recipe is the knife. And while the price of a good one can be overwhelming ($300 for a Henckel, $1,800 for an Azai), the truth is, no matter how much you pay for a knife, it'll be your best friend in the kitchen as long as you keep it sharp.
That's why Kevin Lee (formerly the chef de cuisine of Prima Kailua, now working on Prima's new hush-hush town-bound project) sees a need to educate the public on proper knife-sharpening technique.
"There are a lot of people from other restaurants who have come over to Prima to interview who either don't have sharp knives or the proper skills to sharpen their own," Lee says. "So I'm trying to educate young and upcoming professional cooks on how to properly sharpen knives, as well as home cooks interested in learning how to sharpen them."
He's scheduled two classes at CookSpace, in Ward Warehouse, on Thursday (and again on Saturday) that will teach 12 students in two hours the basics of sharpening western knives, or knives sharpened on both sides of the blade. After demonstrating the technique, he'll let you try it with your own knives. He asks that you bring your own knives; the sharpening stones, shipped from Japan, are included in the class fee and given to each student to take home.
Why worry about how sharp your knives are? Besides the obvious reason—it's easier to cut things—Lee says, "How you use a knife, how well you keep it, is a reflection of your personality. It's a positive or negative reflection of how you work. Aside from that, with a sharp knife, you don't need as much downward force, so it's less pressure on the ingredient. It's more respect for what you're preparing."
CookSpace classroom, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd. #2360, Thursday, March 20, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., or Saturday, March 22, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., $175. To register, visit cookspacehawaii.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Western Slope Obits 9-2-13
Wilma Ruth Rowland
Wilma Ruth Rowland, 91, of Rogers Mesa., Colo., passed away August 21, 2013.
The youngest of six she was born September 29, 1921 in Arma, Kan., to Anna and George Cvelbar.
She graduated from Arma High School in 1939 and attended Kansas State Teachers College.
She married Raymond Rowland August 14, 1941 in Iola, Kan., and they had just celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary and he survives.
Wilma worked at the Federal Census Bureau in Pittsburg, Kan., prior to moving to Elkhart, Kan., in 1966 when Raymond was superintendent of schools there. Upon Raymond's retirement they moved to Rogers Mesa, Colo., in 1978 and had a fruit orchard. She worked at Zack's BBQ where she was known for her pies. In 1993 they moved to their present home. Wilma became ill in 2008 and spent her last days enjoying watching the birds, the deer and the mountains, while she ate her fresh strawberries.
She is survived by five children, Vernon and Donna, Blue Springs, Mo., Kathleen and Don Hooper of Leawood, Kan., Ron of Denver, Colo., Barry and Donna of Bradenton, Fla., and Brian of Houston Texas., four grandchildren and one great grandson.
Wilma was preceded in death by sisters Mary and Ann and brothers Joe, Frank and Bill and her grandson Michael.
Her wishes were to be cremated. Services were held August 27, 2013 at the Hotchkiss Community United Methodist Church.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Hotchkiss Community United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 576 Hotchkiss, Colo., 81419. ❖
Ruth Sheridan
Ruth L. Sheridan, of Craig, Colo., passed away August 12, 2013, at The Memorial Hospital.
Ruth was born April 16, 1936 in Fruita, Colo., to Margaret Ruth Wilkerson and M.L. Marinas Laverne Mogenson.
Ruth's parents divorced and from age 3 she was raised by her stepmother Katherine Mogenson whom she affectionately refers to as "Mom". Ruth has one brother Jim Mogenson.
Ruth's Granddad Jenye Mogenson, is described by Ruth as the richest man between SLC and Denver. Most of his money came from selling land to the railroads being built across the west. He also raised sheep and cattle, from an early age Ruth was part of ranch life, which she dearly loved.
Ruth met the love of her life, Dewey Lamont "Monty" Sheridan, while working as a bartender at the Golden Cavvy in Craig, Colo. They married on December 9, 1973 in Rawlins, Wyo., planning to honeymoon in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; however plans changed and they had to return immediately back to the ranch in Red Wash to care for Monty's children. Both Monty and Ruth had been previously married and divorced and Ruth immediately became stepmom to Monty's six children. From that point there was very little future opportunity for travel or vacation.
Ruth worked as an airline stewardess from Frontier Airlines in the mid 1950s (1955-1957). She flew the route from SLC to Jackson, Wyo. She was chosen to become a recruiter for Frontier because of her ability to talk to and relate to people. Following her tour with Frontier she went to work for Senator Haskell of Colorado as a secretary. In this role she traveled extensively and met many influential people; learning much about politics. One of her many other jobs included modeling sweaters for the Jantzen, Co.
In the 1960s she traveled extensively in Europe with friends to Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.
Ruth Never met a stranger and loved to have old friends, new friends and friends to be, over. She loved to cook and visit, and crochet.
Ruth was buried next to Monty August 15, 2013, following a graveside service at the family ranch. ❖


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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — On Friday night, after No. 13 Seton Hall practiced for the final time before playing Georgetown on Saturday, the Pirates had a special guest — none other than former Pirates coach P.J. Carlesimo.
Carlesimo, who led Seton Hall from 1982 through 1994, was in town for a special 25th anniversary presentation honoring his 1992-93 Pirates team that won both the Big East regular season and tournament championships. He paid a visit to practice and spoke to the team.
"P.J's message was if you want to be good in March, you have to be good now," said Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard, after his team defeated Georgetown 74-61. "It was a really good message for my guys. It was good to be able to pick his brain and listen to the stories he tells. I can't measure what he's done for the school. I'm still waiting for us to put up a statue of him for everything he did."
The Pirates were very good Saturday, coming off a tough 20-point setback to Marquette on Tuesday.
"I thought they played hard against Marquette, but just didn't have it emotionally," Willard said. "I'm proud of the way we played today."
Desi Rodriguez and Myles Powell each scored 19 points to lead the Pirates. Powell was especially fired up after the team's sluggish performance against Marquette.
"I had a good week of practice," Powell said. "The four seniors (Rodriguez, Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado and Ismael Sanogo) all came to me and told me I had to shoot more, be aggressive, go to the basket. They wanted me to bring some energy and that's what I did."
The Pirates (15-3, 4-1 Big East), who remained undefeated at home (11-0), received 11 points and 13 rebounds from Delgado.
The Hoyas (12-5, 2-4) were led by Marcus Derrickson, who scored 18 points. Jahvon Blair and Jessie Govan scored 11 points each.
The Hoyas controlled the action early on, jumping out to a 12-3 lead, but the Pirates outscored the Hoyas 29-10 over the final 11 minutes of the first half to take a 44-31 lead.
"We got off to a good start, but then we started turning the ball over," Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing said. "We let them back into the game. We can't turn it over that way. We missed layups. We need to get easy baskets. Our offense needs to improve. As a team, we have to stop turning it over."
The Pirates led by as many as 16 in the second half, but the Hoyas cut the lead to 60-52 with 8 minutes left on a steal and a layup by Trey Dickerson.
But the Pirates got a power move from Delgado who pushed the lead back into double digits at 62-52 with 6:29 remaining.
Rodriguez made a driving shot in the lane with the shot clock set to expire that gave the Pirates a 69-54 lead with 3:28 left.
"I was really impressed with the way we played today," Willard said. "We had only one practice in five days. Defensively, we picked up our energy. I was impressed with the way they came back after a real sluggish week."
The 1992-93 Seton Hall team which won both the Big East regular season championship and the Big East tournament title was honored 25 years after achieving the rare double title feat, the only Seton Hall team to ever win both in the same year.
"It's a great day," said Terry Dehere, the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,494 points, the Big East Player of the Year that year and the MVP of the Big East Tournament. "I'm excited to see everyone. Some of the guys I haven't seen in 15 years. When you're playing basketball, you don't get the chance to enjoy the moment. I think it means a lot to the Big East to have Seton Hall relevant again."
"It's always emotional to be back here," said Carlesimo, who was teary-eyed when announced with his team during a media timeout. "It's always great to see these guys. The relationships I created over the years is what I miss the most."
Carlesimo, now an analyst for ESPN, was a coach in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Brooklyn Nets.
Also on that Seton Hall team and in attendance was Arturas Karnishovas, who is currently the general manager of the Denver Nuggets.
The Pirates and Hoyas have been playing each other since Dec. 10, 1909, with the Hoyas holding a 57-47 advantage in the series and a 41-21 lead since both teams joined the Big East. But the Pirates have won the last five meetings, including both of last year's contests by a total of five points, one in overtime.
The Pirates jumped from No. 21 to No. 13 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. It was the biggest jump in the poll since the Pirates won the Big East championship in 1991.
Georgetown assistant coach Louis Orr returned to familiar territory. Orr was the head coach at Seton Hall from 2001 through 2006, leading the Pirates to two NCAA Tournaments in his last three years and posting a mark of 80-63 during his time in South Orange. Orr was the first-ever former Big East player (Syracuse) to become a head coach in the league.
It was the 64th time in his Seton Hall career and the 14th time this season that Delgado collected double figures in points and rebounds, the top figure in the country.
Seton Hall: Carrington moved to within 17 points of Shaheen Holloway for 14th place on the all-time Seton Hall scoring list. Holloway is currently an assistant coach for the Pirates.
Georgetown: Before Saturday, Georgetown had a 10-5 record against teams ranked No. 13 in the country. The last time the Hoyas played a No. 13 team was Nov. 21, 2016, when the Hoyas defeated Oregon in the Maui Invitational.


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|AIDS Education Through Imams: A Spiritually Motivated Community Effort in Uganda (UNAIDS, 1998, 35 p.)
Controversy over the condom
Perhaps the most difficult issue has been sensitizing Islamic leaders to the important role that the condom plays in preventing transmission of the HIV virus.
Some religious leaders argued that condom education would promote sex outside marriage, which is against Islamic law. They refused to accept this topic in the project curriculum.
In order to encourage wide participation in the FAEPTI Project, IMAU took a cautious approach and removed the topic of the condom from the workshop curriculum in the first year. In its place, IMAU held a dialogue with Islamic leaders to listen to and address their concerns about condoms.
In this dialogue, IMAU stressed that the condom was only being promoted as AIDS protection after the failure of a first and second line of defence: abstaining from sex and having sex only within marriage.
IMAU argued that the third line of defence should not be ignored because human beings have their weaknesses, as witnessed by girls becoming pregnant before marriage and the many cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Married people who ignore condoms often leave orphans behind and this destroys communities.
IMAU argued further that knowing about condoms does not mean that people will use them indiscriminately. Muslims know about alcohol but that does not mean that they drink it.
IMAU emphasized that the condom not only protects against STDs but can be used for family planning by married couples. IMAU noted that several Muslim countries manufacture condoms for their own reproductive health programmes.
Although the Islamic leaders feared that knowledge of the condom would bring promiscuity, IMAU made it clear that many things used irresponsibly are harmful, even food. Using this analogy, IMAU made the important point that communities need to understand responsible eating so that they do not endanger their lives.
At the end of the dialogue, the Islamic leaders agreed that education on the responsible use of the condom was acceptable within Islamic teachings and necessary to defend communities against AIDS. The condom education component was re-inserted in year two.
Neema Nakyanjo
Sustaining voluntary spirit
Our work depends on volunteers in the field. A big hurdle is to sustain their spirit of volunteerism. Most volunteers stick with the project, but some move away. These are the ones that expect material rewards from IMAU. We encourage the Imams to train other volunteers to take over when these people leave.
It is surprising to see the dedication of our volunteers. Years after the initial training workshops, monthly field reports show that families are still being visited, every day. Our Muslim leaders understand that this AIDS education is benefiting their communities. And the volunteers know that their rewards will be in the life hereafter. Community participation in planning, implementation, and monitoring project activities, plus a sense of ownership of the project by the community, are necessary tools for sustaining project activities.
When communities see us carrying out supportive supervision in the field, they work harder. Supportive supervision is a big motivator for volunteers and helps them carry on. IMAU has gaps in funding and sometimes we cannot travel as much as we would like. This is a problem. We need more local and international collaborators.
Our projects do not screen blood for HIV or dispense food and medicine to families suffering with AIDS. This is another difficulty. People often say, We are already sick. What can you give us? or We want to know if we have HIV. We would like to help these families, but for now we can only refer them to TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) and other organizations like the AIDS Information Centre. Networking with other organizations is invaluable in the fight against HIV/AIDS.


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Starting in Summer/Fall
Orientation is your opportunity to experience what it's like to be a USF student, both in and out of the classroom. Over your Orientation, you will interact with current Bulls, hear about USF resources, speak with an academic advisor, and learn ways to get involved on campus.
We are committed to providing you the resources to become successful at USF!


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This is the latest edition of Who Goes There? a regular feature in which Lost City's Brooks of Sheffield cracks the doors on mysteriously enduring Gotham restaurants—unsung, curious neighborhood mainstays with the dusty, forgotten, determined look—to learn secrets of longevity and find out, who goes there.
Marco Polo Ristorante was founded in 1983, at which point most of the residents of Carroll Gardens had probably never seen a Yuppie. Today, long after the hipster horde has descended on the Brooklyn neighborhood, the eatery stands as a stolid reminder of the area's still-strong Italian-American roots. A block west from Smith Street's restaurant row—and wholly unconcerned with that high-falutin' noise—it is housed in a boxy brick building with a formal green awning. Though only two stories tall, it seems to dwarf everything in sight, and is certainly big enough to house all the ghosts of Carroll Gardens Red Sauce Joints Past.
The owners of fiercely local Italian places like this usually keep a low profile. But Marco Polo owner Joe Chirico, who was born in Italy, has a knack for landing in the papers. For several years he owned the legendary downtown Brooklyn restaurant Gage & Tollner (now sadly the newly shuttered home of an Arby's franchise). In 2003, to drum up publicity for his business' 20th anniversary, he flew over from Venice one Siro Polo Padolecchia, who purported to be the the last living relative of Marco Polo. And then there was that massive 2008 Federal indictment of Gambino associates, in which Chirico was a peripheral figure. (There are worse nicknames than Joe Marco Polo.)
Chirico was there on a recent night, sitting down with a couple of sixty-something habitués who hugged and expressed their love as they left. Whatever welcome Chirico didn't provide for the other guests was more than made up for by the attentive waitstaff, some of whom have been there for more than two decades. Water glasses never get below the half-empty mark here. Bread baskets are replenished. The menu has many choices, but nothing is set in stone. Want to switch up the pasta (all homemade) on some entree? No problem. Crave something that's not on the menu? They'll see what they can do. And the food is surprisingly good. No rote work here. The pasta dish I had was savory, subtle and perfectly al dente, and I've heard the seafood and veal praised from many corners. The servings are hefty, and the prices, while not exactly cheap, aren't bad.
While you wait for the food, the surroundings offer substantial distraction. In chasing authenticity through brick, stone, brass, and murals (of the travels of the restaurant's namesake), Marco Polo has created an aesthetic almost superhumanly fake. And yet, the kitschy result is somehow strangely soothing; it's the opposite of haughty.
The clientele includes many longtime regulars and few newbies. Hence, the relaxed air in the dining room, with different tables chatting with one another and, sometimes, shouting pleasantries across the hall in thick Brooklyn accents. My waiter said the joint remains a steadfastly local haunt, drawing mainly from the immediate area. I'm sure that's the truth, but perhaps not the whole truth. For Marco Polo is one of the few area restaurants with valet parking, and those cars are coming from somewhere. Moreover, the place is popular for events. Weddings, birthdays, christenings. Once a week at least, a wedding party flows out of the second-floor banquet hall, tuxes and glossy bridesmaid dresses spilling onto Court Street.
—Brooks of Sheffield


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Finding Aid to the Eli Taylor Sheppard Papers, ca. 1858-1927
Finding Aid to the Eli Taylor Sheppard Papers, ca. 1858-1927
Collection number: BANC MSS 71/253 czThe Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
- The Bancroft Library.
- University of California, Berkeley
- Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
- Phone: (510) 642-6481
- Fax: (510) 642-7589
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu
- Processed by:
- The Bancroft Library staff
- Date Completed:
- January 1989
- Encoded by:
- James Lake
Miscellaneous family and other papers : Includes accounts of his father-in-law, Lewis Lewton, 1864-1889 (the earliest including accounts for the Ohio National Guard) and of the Lewton estate; records of the Glen-Ellen Viticultural Club (minutes, constitution and by-laws); account by Marguerite Brindley (E.T. Sheppard's daughter) of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.
Removed or Separated Material
- Pictorial materials have been transferred to the Bancroft Library's Pictorial Collections.
- Some published materials have been transferred to the Bancroft Library's book collection.
Outgoing letters, 1871-1927
Transcripts of outgoing letters, 1871-1879
Additional Note
Letters from his wife, Lida (Lewton) Sheppard, 1871-1928
Incoming letters
Single letters in an A-Z Miscellany
Miscellany, unidentified
Incoming, A-K.
Additional Note
Transcripts of miscellaneous letters
Letters, 1858-1880, written to Mrs. Sheppard by girlhood friends in Ohio, some of them concerning the Civil War
Calling cards and miscellaneous publications
Calling cards and miscellaneous publications
Diaries, accounts, and chitbooks
Diary, 1869: Begun in May when in Washington D.C., prior to beginning his consulship and kept during his trip across the country to the west coast.
Diary, 1873-1875: Kept as U.S. Consul in Tientsin, China
Diary, 1875-1876: Kept as U.S. Consul in Tientsin, China
Diary, 1877-1878: Describes return voyage from San Francisco to Tokyo and his duties as advisor upon international law to the Japanese Office of Foreign Affairs.
Diaries, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889: Madrone Vineyards, farming near Sonoma
Diaries, 1892-1895: San Francisco
Diaries, 1896-1898: Oakland
Diary, 1900: Washington, D.C.
Account book for U.S. Consulate at Tientsin, 1873-1875
Check stubs, 1874/5-1875/6
Chitbooks, 1886-1881
Miscellaneous papers and writings
Misc. papers
Certificates of appointments, passports, etc., relating to his military, consular and legal careers, 1862-1899
Accounts, 1872-1876, relating mainly to his consular service in China
Map of Mexico, annotated
Misc. relating to consular service including:
Copy of John A. Bingham's speech in support of General Grant, July 10, 1872, translated into Chinese and published in Tientsin, China.
Notice of the reception of the ministers of western powers by the Emperor of China. Printed, 1873.
Memorandum of an interview between E. T. Sheppard and the Toutai at Chefoo, May 4, 1874
Program for entertainment, Jan. 1875
Order of funeral procession for Benjamin Avery, Nov. 1875
Invitation for consular celebration of U.S. Independence in Tientsin, July 14, 1876
Program, printed on silk, for July 1876 celebration in Shanghai
Inventory of public property of U.S. Consulate at Tientsin, Sept. 30, 1876
Testimonial to E. T. Sheppard, Oct. 1876
Memo of articles proposed by Mr. Wade in settlement of the Yin Nan affair, n.d.
Sketch map of Tientsin, annotated
Invitation to reception in Tokyo in honor of General U. S. Grant, ex-president
Agreements with R. B. Mostyn, 1873, re rental of consular buildings
Communications in Chinese
Madrone Vineyards (Napa Valley): Account Book, 1884-1888, kept by Eli Taylor Sheppard.
Scope and Content Note
Accounts of Sheppard's father-in-law, Lewis Lewton, 1864-1889.
Scope and Content Note
Misc., including minutes, constitution and by-laws of the Glen-Ellen Viticultural Club, 1885; account by Marguerite Brindley, oldest daughter of E. T. Sheppard, of the San Francisco Earthquake and fire around the "Flag House," April 20, 1906.
Writings of Eli Taylor Sheppard - manuscripts, reprints, clippings
American Consular Service
An American Missionary Statesman
Korean War
The Future Of China
The Future of the Pacific Ocean
General Grant in the Orient
Ideals of American Diplomacy
Memoirs of Li Hung Chang
Our Relations with the Orient
The Pacific Ocean in the Twentieth Century
A Pilgrimage to Dai Butz
Port Arthur, The Tragic Monument to Li Hung Chang's Diplomacy
Prince Ito, The Maker of Modern Japan
Results of the War in the Orient
Russia and Japan
Russian Expansion in Asia
[Theodore Roosevelt]
A Traveler's Notes
Additional Note
Treaty Revision
Autobiographical; John A. Bingham; China; Japan; railroads and traveling; miscellaneous
Biographical material
Hilbert, Mrs. William E.: Fugitive Scraps and Patches
Scope and Content Note
Kellogg, Annie (Sheppard): [Reminiscences]
Scrapbooks and clippings
Scrapbooks containing clippings, programs, menus, calling cards, etc. relating to China and to Eli Taylor Sheppard, including some articles written by him
Scope and Content Note
Bachelor of law degree from Ohio State and Union Law college, 1865
Certificates of appointment as United States Consul to China
April 19, 1869
April 19, 1871
A-Z Miscellany
Balfour, Frederic Henry
Letter, March 16, 1875
Beard, James E.
Letter, n.d.
Bigelow, Samuel C.
Letter, March 25, 1899
California, University. President, written by secretary Victor Henderson
Letter, March 21, 1901
Campbell, John Allen, 1835-1880
Letter, June 19, 1876
Carr, Wilbur John, 1870-1942
Letter, April 3, 1902
Chipman, Norton Parker, 1838-1924
Letter, August 30, 1917
Davidson, George, 1825-1911
Letter, May 13, 1899
Deering, Frank Prentiss, 1855-1939
Letter, February 13, 1902
Delano, M. M., re his efforts as U.S. Consul at Foochow to obtain telegraphic service in China.
Letter (with transcript), February 3, 1875
Denman, James, 1829-1909
Letter, January 28, 1900
DuBois, James T., 1851-1920
Letter, March 19, 1902
Estee, Morris M., 1838-1903
Letter, March 29, 1899
Fitz, W. W.
Letter, June 2, 1875
Flint, W. Ston., 1835-1906
Letter, January 5, 1874
Garcia y Garcia, Aurelio, as Peruvian emissary to China
Letter, June 16, 1874
Grant, Ulysses Simpson, 1822-1895, received Correspondence from O. E. Babcock
Letter, February 3, 1873
Hanks, Abbot Atherton, 1869-
Letter, n.d.
Hayes, Rutherford Binchard, 1822-1893
Additional Note
Hopkins, Anna B., re her experiences in Mexico
Letter, March 14, 1913
Japan, Department of Foreign Affairs, received letter by Terashima Nuneori concerning Sheppard's appointment as assistant adviser to the Japanese government upon international law
Letter, October 23, 1876
Johnson, Hiram Warren, 1866-1945
Letter, June 20, 1917
Johnson, N. M., re consular activities at Hankow
Letter (with transcript), January 3, 1875
Jordan, William H., 1849-
Letter, March 23, 1899
Li, Hung-chang, translation in Sheppard's handwriting
Letter, October 20, 1874
Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924
Letter, February 18, 1902
Low, F. C.; contains recollections concerning her father, F. F. Low
Letter, March 22, 1914
Martin, William Alexander Parsons, 1827-
Letter (with typed transcript), September 15, 1876
Meadows, John A. T., d. 1875
Letter (includes transcript), April 6, 1872
Montgomery, Douglass William, 1859-
Letter, September 22, 1925
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Moore, M. T.
Letter, July 28, 1874
Murray, David, 1830-1905
Letter, September 7, 1902
Nichols, William Ford, 1849-1924
Letter, October 25, 1909
Osborne, Antrim Edgar
Letter, n.d.
Pacific Commercial Museum, letter from Irving M. Scott
Letter, November 10, 1900
Porter, Robert Cushman
Letter, April 13, 1899
Priestley, Herbert Ingram, 1875-1944, enclosed copy of an article on Low
Letter, n.d.
Seward, Kate (Sherman), (Mrs. George Frederick Seward)
Letter, July 1, 1876
Sheppard, C. A.
Letter (includes typed transcript), August 1, [1873?]
Shepard, Morgan, 1865-1947
Letter, March 4, 1902
Stevens, Durham White, 1852-1908
Letter, February 25, 1902
Taussig, Rudolph Julius, 1861-1922
Letter, June 3, 1917
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Twinem, James
Letter, March 23, [187?]
U.S. Library of Congress, written by J. F. Jameson
Letter, December 21, 1928
Wilson, Henry, 1812-1875
Letter, February 1, 1873
Woodruff, Francis Eben, 1844-1914
Letter, March 25, 1875
Separately foldered correspondents
Adams, Ephraim Douglass, 1865-1930
17 letters, 1915-1925
Additional Note
Avery, Benjamin Parke, 1829-1875
17 letters, 1874-1875
Additional Note
Babcock, Orville Elias, 1835-1884
See Grant, Ulysses Simpson, 1822-1885
Bentley, Charles Harvey, 1869-1922
See Chit-Chat Club
Bingham, John Armor, 1815-1900
5 letters, 1872-1875
Additional Note
Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893
See U.S. Department of State
Cadwalader, John Lambert, 1837-1914
2 letters, 1877-1878
Additional Note
Campbell, Donald Y.
See Chit-Chat Club
Chit-Chat Club
2 letters, 1914-1919
Additional Note
Clark, George Thomas, 1862- 1940
See Stanford University. Library
Cornabe, W. A.
3 letters, 1874-1875
Additional Note
Davenport, James LeRoy, 1845-1914
See U.S. Bureau of Pensions
Davis, Horace, 1831-1916
2 letters, 1902-1916
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Davis, John Chandler Bancroft, 1822-1907
See U.S. Dep't of State
Doble, W. A.
See Chit-Chat Club
Elliott, Orrin Leslie, 1860-1940
2 letters, 1902 and n.d.
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Elmore, J. Federico
4 letters, 1874-1875
Additional Note
Forbes, F. B.
3 letters, 1874
Fyffe, Joseph
2 letters, 1876-1877
Additional Note
Gundy, R.
7 letters, 1874-1875
Additional Note
Haskell, Melon Woodman, 1863-1948
See Chit-Chat Club
Henderson, Victor Hendricks
See California. University. President
Hengstler, Louis Theodore, 1861-
See Chit-Chat Club
Hinckley, Frank Erastus, 1871-1950
2 letters, 1903
Holcombe, Chester, 1844-1912
6 letters, 1875-1876
Additional Note
Jameson, John Franklin, 1859-1937
See U.S. Library of Congress
Leavitt, Bradford
See Chit-Chat Club
Lewis, Exum Percival, 1863-1926
See Chit-Chat Club
Lewton, Lewis, 1816-
40 letters, 1869-1879
Additional Note
Low, Frederick Ferdinand, 1828-1894
66 letters, 1872-1874
Additional Note
Lyman, Benjamin Smith, 1835-1920
2 letters, 1899-1902
McAdie, Alexander George, 1863-1943
5 letters, 1917-1927
McCartney, sir Samuel Halliday, 1833-1906
2 letters, 1875 and n.d.
McCormick, Frederick, 1870
3 letters, 1924-1925
Mills, Susan Lincoln (Tolman), 1826-1912
4 letters, 1900-1902
Mills, William Harrison, 1837-1907
3 letters, 1896-1906
Moffitt, James Kennedy, 1866?-1955
See Chit-Chat Club
Morgan, James
12 letters, 1874-1876
Additional Note
Mori, Arinori Ju-goi, 1847-1890
2 letters, [1876-1880?]
Additional Note
Murdock, Charles Albert, 1841-1928
3 letters, 1899-1927, mainly re Chit-Chat Club.
Additional Note
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Osborne, John Ball, 1868-
2 letters, 1902
Page, Thomas Walker, 1866-1937
3 letters, 1901
Pethick, William N., 1848-
16 letters, 1871-1874
Additional Note
Raaslow, W.
8 letters, 1874-1875
Additional Note
Rankin, Henry William
8 letters, 1902-1923, re his work on Dr. McCartee.
Salter, A. E.
2 letters, 1874
Additional Note
Sandore, Peyton
2 letters, 1880-1892, re his experiences in Tokyo.
Scott, Irving Murray, 1837-1903
See Pacific Commercial Museum
Scott, Winfield, 1879-
See U.S. Bureau of Pensions
Seward, George Frederick, 1840-1910
71 letters, 1874-1904
Additional Note
Sherman, Harry Mitchell, 1854-1921
See Chit-Chat Club
Smith, Pat R.
2 letters, 1874, from the North China Herald office.
Stanford University. Library
3 letters, 1923-1924, by George T. Clark
Stanwood, Edward B.
2 letters, 1917
Additional Note
Stephens, Henry Morse, 1857-1919
2 letters, 1916-1917
Additional Note
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Stillman, John Maxson, 1852-1923
3 letters, 1902-1918
Treat, Payson Jackson, 1879-
18 letters, 1917-1927
See also: Chit-Chat Club
U.S. Bureau of Pensions
2 letters, 1903-1926, by J. L. Davenport and Winfield Scott
U.S. Department of State
4 letters, 1871-1881, by J. C. B. Davis and James G. Blaine.
Additional Note
See also: Cadwalader, John Lambert
Watson, James Craig, 1839-1880
2 letters, 1874, with typed transcripts.
Wheelan, Fairfax Henry, 1856-1915
7 letters, 1899-1914
See also: Chit-Chat Club
Williams, Samuel Wells, 1812-1884
37 letters, 1873-1876.
Additional Note
Wood, Arthur B.
3 letters, 1873-1877


text:
Breast Ultrasound
What is Breast Ultrasound?
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound imaging of the breast produces a picture of the internal structures of the breast.
- Why Choose the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center for an Ultrasound?
- Before, During & After the Procedure
The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology in breast ultrasound and breast biopsies.
Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound
The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center also now offers Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) for women with dense breasts.
What are Some Common Uses of Breast Ultrasound?
- Determining the nature of a breast abnormality
The primary use of breast ultrasound is to help diagnose breast abnormalities detected by a physician during a physical exam or to characterize potential abnormalities seen on mammography.
Ultrasound imaging can help to determine if an abnormality is solid (which may be a non-cancerous lump of tissue or a cancerous tumor) or fluid-filled (such as a benign cyst). Ultrasound can also help show additional features of the abnormal area.
- Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy
When an ultrasound examination cannot characterize the nature of a breast abnormality, a physician may choose to perform an ultrasound-guided biopsy. Because ultrasound provides real-time images, it is often used to guide biopsy procedures.
A breast biopsy involves removing some cells, either surgically or in a less invasive procedure involving a needle, from the suspicious area in the breast and examining them under a microscope to determine a diagnosis.
How is Breast Ultrasound Performed?
You will be asked to lie on your back with your arm raised above your head on the examining table. A clear gel is applied to the area of the body being studied to help the transducer make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin. The ultrasound technologist then presses the transducer firmly against the skin and sweeps it back and forth over the area of interest until the desired images are captured.
This ultrasound examination is usually completed within 30 minutes.
The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center provides a full range of advanced imaging, both radiology and cardiology, as well as interventional radiology and interventional tumor (oncology) treatments to the greater Los Angeles area, including Beverly Hills, Encino, Mid-Cities, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Studio City, Toluca Lake, and West Hollywood.


text:
From my inbox (emphasis added):
Headliners Paul McCartney, The Killers and The Cure are among the 130-plus acts set for the tenth COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL at the beautiful Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA, the same grounds where the COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL debuted in 1999. Other artists confirmed for America's most critically acclaimed music festival include Morrissey, Amy Winehouse, Franz Ferdinand, My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Thievery Corporation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (the complete line-up is listed below).
This marks the first ever U.S. festival appearance for McCartney who is currently supporting his latest release ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS.
"I have heard that Coachella is one of the greatest festivals in the world. I'm really excited to get out there and rock!" McCartney says.
The line-up for this year's COACHELLA (as of 1/30) is as follows:
FRIDAY APRIL 17: Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand,
Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beirut, The
Black Keys, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, The
Crystal Method, Ghostland Observatory, Crystal Castles, The
Airborne Toxic Event, We Are Scientists, N.A.S.A., Patton & Rahzel,
M. Ward, The Presets, The Hold Steady, A Place to Bury Strangers,
Felix da Housecat, Buraka Som Sistema, Ryan Bingham, Bajofondo,
Peanut Butter Wolf, Noah & the Whale, White Lies, The Bug, Alberta
Cross, Los Campesinos!, Craze & Klever, Molotov, Switch, Gui
Boratto, Steve Aoki, The Aggrolites, People Under the Stairs, The
Courteeners, Cage the Elephant, Dear and the
SATURDAY, APRIL 18: The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Thievery
Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes,
MSTRKRFT, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Atmosphere, Mastodon,
TRAV$DJ-AM, Henry Rollins, Crookers, Turbonegro, Hercules and Love
Affair, Superchunk, Glasvegas, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T
& the DBT's, Amanda Palmer, The Bloody Beetroots, Surkin, Para One
(Live), Calexico, Liars, Bob Mould Band, Zane Lowe, Electric Touch,
Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison, Drop the Lime, Glass Candy,
Thenewno2, Gang Gang Dance, Billy Talent, Ida Maria, Ariel Pink's
Haunted Graffiti, Zizek, Cloud Cult, Tinariwen.
SUNDAY, APRIL 19: The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah
Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and
John, X, Antony & the Johnsons, Roni Size, Public Enemy, Jenny
Lewis, Groove Armada, Paolo Nutini, Christopher Lawrence, Lykke Li,
The Kills, Okkervil River, M.A.N.D.Y., Clipse, Sebastien Tellier,
Fucked Up, Perry Farrell, The Horrors, Late of the Pier, K'naan,
Junior Boys, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Supermayer, No Age, Vivian
Girls, Shepard Fairey, Themselves, Gaslight Anthem, The Knux,
Mexican Institute of Sound, The Night Marchers, Marshall
Tickets for COACHELLA go on sale Friday, January 30 at 9:00 AM (PT) at all Ticketmaster locations. Three-day weekend passes are $269.00 +$3 charity + $9 facility fee ($1 charity/$3 facility fee per day) and single day tickets are $99.00 +$1 charity + $3 facility fee. The same layaway plan that Goldenvoice successfully implemented for STAGECOACH: California's Country Music Festival will be available for weekend passes ONLY for this year's COACHELLA. Festival goers now have the option to purchase 3-day festival tickets and onsite camping tickets on a payment plan.
Layaway options (available online ONLY through February 28) are as follows. 50% down: this payment option allows purchasers to pay a 50% deposit of the total order now, with the remaining 50% automatically deducted April 1; 3-payment plan: purchasers initially pay 10% of the total order, with the remaining amounts automatically deducted in equal payments on March 1 and April 1.
For up-to-the-minute information on COACHELLA, please visit www.coachella.com. COACHELLA sponsors include AT&T and Heineken.