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The RAF method for regulation, assessment, follow‐up and continuous improvement of quality of care was developed in Israel in the late 1980s by the Quality of Care Unit at the JDC‐Brookdale Institute. During the past decade the RAF method has been adapted to and implemented successfully in a number of government regulatory systems operated by services in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor. This article presents the conceptual framework of the RAF method. It describes the three theoretical approaches that have been integrated – the tracer approach, the model for quality assurance and the introduction of organizational change – to create a broad conceptual framework. It then presents the key operational principles at work in the field that drive the RAF mechanism in its efforts to achieve a constant improvement in quality of care.

Explains the conceptual framework behind and the foundation and implementation of the regulation, assessment, follow‐up (RAF) method, and continuous improvement of quality of care in the Israeli Government surveillance of long‐term care institutions. The RAF method has made crucial changes in the goals, tasks and tools of surveillance and in therapeutic approaches to the elderly. The “maintenance approach” has been replaced by a “rehabilitative approach” bringing about a real improvement in the quality of care in institutions. Presents selected findings from an evaluation of the RAF method’s use in the surveillance system operated by the Israeli Service for the Aged of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

The RAF method for regulation, assessment, follow‐up and continuous improvement of quality of care was developed in Israel in the late 1980s by the Quality of Care Unit at the JDC‐Brookdale Institute. The goal of the RAF method is to continuously increase the level of quality in organizations providing any kind of a service. This article presents the developmental processes for the method’s adaptation to a specific regulatory service – its structuring, implementation and assimilation – based on our experience in developing and implementing the RAF method in Israel. It describes how the RAF method encourages the development of reliable data bases, adaptation of the organizational structure, and introduction of a positive ideology that together promote changes leading to continuous improvement in quality of care.

The purpose of this paper is to present an insider ethnographic account of a series of social confrontations between two mutually opposed groups of officers that took place in an officers’ mess in a remote military garrison in the 1980s. The identity of one of these groups was expressed in a particular song that was sung frequently and noisily in the mess. The analysis of these incidents and their precursors provides an understanding of the social processes in which they were embedded, and the conclusions drawn are generalized into the wider context.

The paper is based on insider ethnography, using rich description to present the incidents and their background. Analysis is conducted using other research by the author on the organizational culture of Service officers and wider scholarship not specifically related to the Military.

The paper finds that in-groups and out-groups in joint Service populations do not necessarily run along traditional, Service, lines, and that cultural change in the groups concerned was associated with the rapid turnover of their members as they were replaced in the normal postings cycle. It demonstrates that a socially powerful shared cultural element can, if only temporarily, bring unity between rival groups. It also contributes to the scholarship on the power of song as a proclamation of group identity and the intensification of that identity.

The main strength of this paper is that it provides an insider’s view of a British military social group, which is extremely rare in the literature, describing social processes that connect to the wider scholarship on song, in-group and out-group behaviour, and cultural change.

In the past, the RAF’s approach to corrosion was reactive: corrosion occurred, was identified and then rectified. Such a strategy is no longer acceptable, as corrosion rectification is costly both in terms of material and aircraft availability. More importantly, as escalating replacement costs force us to retain aircraft in service for ever‐longer periods, the threat posed to structural integrity by corrosion and repeated corrosion repairs can no longer be tolerated. Consequently, the RAF has had no option but to develop a policy of corrosion prevention. Aerospace Maintenance, Development and Support, part of Headquarters Royal Air Force Logistics Command, has therefore been actively involved with the evaluation and trialling of a range of important corrosion prevention techniques that are compatible with the RAF’s current stance. Aircraft washing and rinsing practices have been reviewed to confirm their effectiveness, and trials have shown that dehumidified air permeates readily through a full‐size airframe, reducing relative humidity and arresting the rate of corrosion. From our work we have concluded that effective washing should be supported, where possible, by freshwater rinsing, and, if a cost effective system can be developed, structural dehumidification should also be practised. Notwithstanding a policy of corrosion prevention, we know that we operate aircraft that have already accumulated corrosion damage which has to be located and recorded. Non‐destructive testing is employed widely, and the use of information derived from the process to populate structural databases is being explored. Additionally, we are involved with refining the methodologies associated with structural inspections to ensure the ongoing integrity of our ageing aircraft fleets.

Summarizes the RAF's need to keep aircraft in service for longer. Provides details of present anti‐corrosion methods employed and explains the RAF's involvement in design and manufacture of the aircraft, as this is where problems begin. Discusses the various forms of training in corrosion provided to those in the RAF, before examining corrosion prevention. Finally, discusses various non‐destructive tests used.

The study investigated the relationship between residual audit fee and real income smoothening, proxied as real operating cash flow and production expenditure smoothing of non-financial firms in Nigeria.

The study relied on secondary data from annual financial statements of 75 firms in the non-financial sector from 2010 to 2019. The study estimated the residual audit fee using a modified model from several contexts to suit the Nigerian environment. The hypotheses were tested using the dynamic panel GMM estimation procedure.

The results showed a significant negative effect of residual audit fee on (real) operating cash flow smoothing and production expenditure smoothing of non-financial firms. The control variables showed mixed effects for the industry-related (firm size and profitability), auditor attribute (audit quality and audit report lag) and the board related (board size and board independence).

The firms included in the analysis were selected based on data availability from MachameRatios® and the occurrence of missing values for some of the variables used in the various estimation models may bias results.

The study identifies the nexus between RAF and real earnings management practices of non-financial firms; and shows the implication of fee payment to the overall conduct of the audit. More so, the mixed findings from the CVs suggest that in the context of developing economies, shareholders and capital markets regulators should be watchful of residual audit fees and utilise it as a gauge for audit quality and also an indicator of opportunism and weak internal control in the firm in the future assessments.

The implication of the study stems from its relevance to the capital market stability and the potential negative disastrous effect of corporate failure from earnings management practices.

The study develops a newly residual audit fee model to explore the effect of RAF on real income smoothing rather than the widely used models from prior literature; secondly, the focus on real activities manipulation may present additional evidence that applies to developing countries rather the widely used accrual measurement technique from an economic bonding perspective.

AN opportunity to become acquainted with the engineering expertise available at RAF Stations and to study the degree of involvement in design and manufacture occurred recently when visiting Abingdon and Marham. An aircraft maintenance and storage depot, RAF Abingdon's prime activity centres around the Engineering Wing which undertakes major servicing on Jaguar and Hawk aircraft and more recently, Buccaneer as well, together with various long‐term modification programmes. Responsibility is taken for assessing complex aircraft repairs, the recovery, salvage and transportation of all RAF, Royal Navy and Army fixed wing aircraft and in addition, assisting when necessary, the Aeronautical Inspection Branch in the recovery of crashed civilian aircraft. Some specialist tasks are also carried out, such as aircraft weighing and support for the RAF's Inspectorate of Recruiting, as well as housing the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair School. Storage of Jaguar aircraft is also undertaken as well as some VC 10 work.

For libraries without an integrated online catalog equipped with an automated authority control function, the maintenance of an authority file is a highly complex and time‐consuming task. Although LC′s name and series authority records are readily available on OCLC, neither holdings nor local information can be added to these records and retained for future use. For the most part, libraries resort to maintaining a local authority file on 3 × 5 cards to assist in cataloging decision‐making.

THE DeVilbiss Company Ltd, of Bournemouth, have installed a purpose‐built paint shop at the RAF Museum Restoration and Storage Centre in RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire. The RAF Museum in Hendon has one of the largest collections of historic aircraft in the world and started from a private collection in 1962. Originally called the Historic Aircraft Flight, its aircraft were kept at RAF Henlow. However, many of these aircraft are the sole remaining examples in the world and are far too precious to risk in flight and are now permanently exhibited at the Museum in Hendon.