Presentation on: Learning outcomes from the Afriq Units Project

activities

by

Edith F. MuwangaMakerere University

Learnt that it is important to make it known to every individual/unit that it is their responsibility to assure quality and that quality assurance is a line function.

Institutions should endeavour to implant in the minds of all stakeholders that it is everybody’s responsibility to fully undertake their roles i.e. top leadership, staff, students

◦ The Strategic Plan should have mechanisms that will lead to continuous improvement and enhance quality in teaching and research. This was the case at the University of Alicante and Miguel Hernandiz University.

◦ Makerere’s current Strategic Plan makes quality assurance a cross-cutting issue in all the core activities of the University.

◦ Institutions should also establish a code of ethics to enhance the building of a quality culture.

Note: Makerere had established a QA Policy and had just started on its implementation when we started the Afriq Units Project.

However, participation in the project has made us realize with more clarity that :

All Institutions should establish a Quality Assurance Policy

That the QA Policy should include a Quality Assurance Unit.

However the QA Unit should play a coordinational role and should have QA experts to meaningfully coordinate with the rest of the University to ensure im plementation the QA Policy

QA Units should have the capacity to undertake surveys to assess performance in teaching and research, student performance rates, tracer studies to evaluate the effect of programmes on the market demands etc.

Personnel in the QA Unit should include Researchers and Data Analysts to carry out surveys on teaching , research, market demands, tracer studies etc .

The results from the surveys become the basis for improvement.

Building a sustainable quality culture requires the QA unit to induct Heads of Departments, Students Leaders and Staff on their role in the implementation of the QA Policy.

Based on the experience with Afriq Units Project and the Carnegie Project, Makerere organized training for Heads of Departments to induct them into their roles including the implementation of the Quality Assurance Policy at the Department Level.

Sensitization is part and parcel of QA activities. For instance, before the evaluation of teaching by students, both staff and students should be informed about the objective of the exercise.

The sensitization seminars revealed that some members of staff feared that results from the surveys will be used against them

The students need to be motivated to participate and to give the right information.

Assessment of service delivery:◦ The EFQM module is very useful in assessing the critical

aspects that affect service delivery i.e. Leadership, policy and strategy, resources, staff, incentives, collaborations, external stakeholders, staff performance, staff empowerment, relationship with society and the community – it is very comprehensive.

◦ When effectively conducted, the EFQM module has the following benefits: Allows management and staff to seriously reflect on the purpose and mission of the respective units.

The module enables a self reflection on how each category of staff percieve and pursue their work.

The results provide information on whether policy development and implementation is participatory and relevant to institution and stakeholder expectation.

The EFQM also allows units/Institutions to explore the internal and external collaboration whether there is meaningful collaboration between units and/or similar institutions

The qualitative information yields a lot of information which can enrich the development of Improvement plan.

The employee satisfaction tool provides opportunity to understand the effect of the work environment and the effect of the relationship between supervisors and surbordinates on performance.

The user satisfaction tool revealed a number of weaknesses which did not require financial resources for improvement, but the solution necessitated change of attitude, and change in the management of process.

The QIP tool sets the pace for quality improvement as it allows units to reflect on the results from the assessment tools to effectively focus on strategies for improvement. (The tool enables us to identify strengths, weaknesses, stategies for improvement, timeframes & by who.

However, the plan works very well if units and individuals have clearly specified roles.

The development of QIPs should include all categories of staff to ensure ownership and implementation. The Human Resources Directorate have used the results to improve performance.

Although the plan includes timeframes, it is important to set up mechanisms to monitor supervision of implementation of agreed set of action.

The EFQM module questions are technical and need to be unpacked for easy understanding by respondents. We actually revised the questions before we sent them out.

Sensitization of various categories of stakeholders expected to participate in the survey is very crucial for effective results.

Sensitization motivates participation because among other things it provide benefits of the exercise and erases fears of victimisation or dismissal.

The automatic analysis of results through the EFQM tools provided the opportunity for action on weaknesses as well as providing feedback to all stakeholders

The HRD Directorate has been brought on board and the University has promised to institutionalize the module.

When we visited the University of Alicante, we observed that the University uses the LDM machine to read information from the Evaluation tools.

The machine can for instance read 100 completed forms (A4 size) in 5 minutes and it is error free so there is no need for proof reading.

The uploaded data from the forms is then exported to another format e.g. Excel for analysis.

Other functions which the University can take advantage of include:

◦ Marking of objective exam questions

◦ Processing of applications for admission

◦ Compiling population data

◦ National election data

Prior to the visit to Alicante we, the office of the DVC/AA had embarked on evaluation of teaching by students; but we failed to analyse the data

Compiling the data necessitated a very big team and analysis failed. (From just the Faculty of Social Sciences – the 7500 forms. We were not able to provide result.

The use of the Lactro Dara machine was seen as possible solution to the problem.

Have secured the Lactro Dara Machine from a Spanish firm with the support of Afriq Units Project.

Have designed our Evaluation of Teaching Instrument to suit the design of the machine and have piloted its operation with students in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Results: If used properly – its is very effective; you

get results immediately and can provide feedback and address weaknesses for improvement.

Challenges: Sensitization: Must ensure thorough

sensitisation of students on the use of the instrument in order not to lose the data.

Production of forms: The providers of the machine intimated that

maximum use of the machine necessitates institutions to produce the forms locally.

Our printery was taken through a session on the production process, the format and the texture of the paper material

The local production of the forms will take a while but the process has started.

In the mean time we will continue to work with our colleagues in Spain to procure the forms.

Plan : • To continue to pilot the Lactro Dara Designed

forms on a larger scale and ensure thorough sensitazation of students.

• To Apply the online- evaluation for the units that have adequate computer access for students.

• Demonstration : • My colleague Peter will demonstrate the operation

of the machine during at the end of the session.

We are very grateful to Edulink through the Afriq Units Project for providing the funds to purchase the machine.

Makerere University is very grateful to the University of Alicante for the coordination role in the implementation of the Afriq Units Project activities.

We are further grateful for the opportunity to work with our Colleagues from the University of Mzumbe, Moi University, the Association of African Universities and the Inter-University Council for East Africa.

The Lessons learnt are invaluable and will go a long way in building a quality culture at Makerere University

I Thank You.