GUIDE FOR THE PROMOTION OF QUALITY CULTURE IN EAST-AFRICAN

UNIVERSITIES

Roberto Escarré,Afriq’Units Project Director

Index

Acknowledgements

Objectives of the Guide

Rationale of the Guide

Content

Acknowledgements

The European Commission and the ACP-Secretariat for the trust deposited in the AfriQ’Units project through the framework of the EDULINK Programme.

The partners participating in this initiative: Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya Mzumbe University, Tanzania Makerere University, Kampala Uganda Inter University Council of East Africa, Kampala

Uganda Association of African Universities, Accra, Ghana German Accreditation Council, Berlin, Germany University of Alicante, Spain (Contractor and

Coordinator)

Objectives of the Guide

To collect all the lessons-learned from the project;

To provide a practical tool for East African Universities which are looking for a extensive methodology on how to implement a quality culture in Higher Education Institutions.

Rationale of the Guide I

A major element capable of simultaneously generate improvement of HEIs’ management, planning capacities and overall institutional performance is the development and embedding of a quality culture for institutional quality assurance within HEIs.

Quality assurance can be defined as a “planned and systematic review process of an institution or program to determine that acceptable standards of education, scholarship, teaching, administration and infrastructure are being maintained and enhanced”, and it is widely recognized as a tool that serves to improve an HEIs’ effectiveness and provide required accountability to external stakeholders

Rationale of the Guide II

The project specifically aimed to strengthen the foundation for the systematic implementation of a coherent quality culture within East African HEIs, and to contribute towards the general goal of promotion of quality in HE.

The action achieved the objective through: Capacity building at three East African HEIs

(comprising enhancement of administrative, managerial and technical skills of staff involved in implementation of internal quality assurance mechanisms via extensive training programmes),

Strengthening of physical infrastructures in relation to the structures responsible for the implementation of quality assurance mechanisms and the establishment of effective and necessary information system within participating HEIs.

Rationale of the Guide III

The creation of a quality culture was supported

through the practical implementation of pilot assessments of chosen study programmes and institutional services, as well as the formulation of a set of improvement recommendations.

Rationale of the Guide IV

The Guide is intended to Increase awareness for

internal quality culture. The involvement of the IUCEA and of the Association of

African Universities (AAU) in the project further accelerates the process of sharing of good practice in implementing quality culture and networking in the East-African region and beyond, enhancing its contribution to national and regional policies and implementation plans for Quality Assurance in African HE.

The partners are willing to support other HEIs working on this topic!!!

Part I. Implementing a Quality Culture for HE in East Africa

A/ The AfriQ’Units project

B/ Recommendations for the Implementation of a Sustainable Quality Assurance Culture in East African Universities

C/ Improvement Plan, Challenges & Lessons Learnt, Moi University

D/ Recommendation for the implementation of a sustainable culture, Makerere University

E/ The AfriQ’Units project on Quality Assurance in East African Universities: An Edulink Project, Mzumbe Universities.

Part II. Self-Assessment of University Services

A/ Methodology

B/ Good Practice

• MOI University_Improvement Action Report: Examinations

• MZUMBE University_Improvement Action Report: Students Welfare

• MAKERERE University_Improvement Action Report: Human Resources Directorate

Part II. Self-Assessment of University Services – Methodology

The EFQM excellence Model is the best well known and used European quality management model both by private and public enterprises, 12 out of 15 leading European Business enterprises are using it as a day to day to management model, it also used by the European Commission and more and more universities are using it worldwide to improve their key performance results.

The Guide proposed a practical methodology on how to implement the EFQM model in a university service of East-African Universities .

This methodology is the result of the participative workshop which took place in Mzumbe University in Tanzania in May 2009.

Part II. Self-Assessment of University Services – Methodology

Internal Self-Assemment

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROCESS:

TO ESTABLISH AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY UNIT

UniversityUnit

COMMITMENT

AssessmentCommittee

Self-Assessment ImprovementActionPlan

IMPROVEMENT ACTIONS

Part II. Self-Assessment of University Services – Methodology

Improvement Plan

Diagnosis

Establishementof ImprovementActions

Improvementplan

IdentifiedStrengths

IdentifiedAreasforImprovement

ImproveConsolidate ImprovementPlan

Part II. Self-Assessment of University Services – Methodology

Self-Assessment Tools

Part III. Case study

MOI UNIVERSITY Report on the External Examination GPA Gender Studies and Development (Master of Arts)

Glossary

Around 50 key terms about quality & accreditation

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION