DELIVEROLOGY UNIT DEAN

Message 

1. Description of Deliverology Unit Dean Office

The concept of deliverology as a systematic process for driving progress and delivering results in government and the public sector, was endorsed in Ethiopia in the last six years,  while in western world particularly in UK, is about two decades old. In Madda Walabu University, the office of deliverology unit has been endorsed since 2016 for the purpose of making systematic process of quality management in teaching learning that secures graduates’ employability in the university. To achieve this main purpose, the deliverology unit dean gives due attention in doing things by  systematic process through which leaders can drive progress and deliver results that requires a sharp focus on a very limited set of priorities in order to succeed.

Structurally, the office has been established as the dean level and supervised by the office of the president. Under the office of deliverology unit dean, three coordination offices are established. They are:

1. Career Service Development Coordination office
2. Data Analysis Coordination office
3. English Language Improvement Centre (ELIC) Coordination Office
4. Strategic focus areas/themes used to materialize the Goals 

To achieve its ultimate goal (i.e. maximizing employability of our graduates), Deliverology unit  Dean Office has identified the following seven (7) strategic focus areas (themes) and work with high devotion and dedication to realize them.

Strategic theme 1:  Enhancing/Realizing Quality Teaching-Learning

It is very clear that quality education at all educational levels in general and in higher education in particular is declining significantly from time to time. Similar with other higher education, in Madda Walabu University, the quality of education is under questions, which needs immediate remedy. To this end, Deliverology Dean Office, is implementing the following fruitful and strategic tasks as to enhance quality education.   .

• Promoting the learners-centred teaching approach that involves the application of a wide range of active learning methods.
• Enduring and implementing the use of variety of assessment techniques to evaluate students’ performance.
• Ensuring the quality of academic programs that meet standards expected by job market
• Realizing provision of educational facilities to assure quality education

Strategic theme 2: Optimizing Opportunities for Graduates in the Job Market

It is well recognized that our graduates face uncertain future with employability. Understanding this fact, Deliverology Dean Office is doing its best to increase employability to 80% from the current rate of 52.3% within the next five years. To achieve this goal, the office pays due attention to the following activities that make our graduates competent in their employability and world of the work.

• Creating strong industry-University linkage
• Realizing Relevance of the Program. Conducting periodic review of curricula of each academic program that may lead to either the modification of the existing curricula, or merging of programs or quitting the program. So that university’s program will align with the demands of the industries and world of jobs or markets.
• Conducting tracer study for our graduates after 6-9 months of their graduation
• Providing trainings on personal and soft skills development (such as communication skills, team skills, leadership skills, self-confidence skills, career exploration skills, interview styles, job searching or job readiness and employability skills ) during their stay in the university, particularly for graduating classes.
• Conducting job fair and career week.

 Strategic Theme 3: Ensuring Graduate basic Competence

One of the most important root causes of unemployment is the miss match between graduates’ profile/competence and the need of the world of work. To increase the competence of our students, as to maximize the employability level of graduates, the office of deliverology unit dean pays due attention to the following activities.

• Developing career service center that maximize the employability of our graduates.
• Enhancing the practical skills of students through comprehensive training.
• Cultivating students’ soft skills which are keys to secure jobs that much valued in the workplace.
• Improving language of instruction (English) by paying due attention to the ELIC program which can solve students’ poor command of English.

Strategic theme 4: Strengthening Teachers’ Professional Competence

Among many factors, teacher quality is deemed to be the top one in impacting quality of graduates. However, it is believed that teachers lack technical and pedagogical skills which are keys to prepare and coach students for the world of work requirements effectively. Therefore, Deliverology dean office focuses on continuous professional development (CPD) which is the best means to increase technical and pedagogical skills of teachers. For this matter the office gives great emphasis on the following major tasks.

• Strengthening Higher Diploma Program (HDP) than before in terms of the number of instructors to be trained every year and quality of the program.
• English language improvement center (ELIC) is more strengthened in providing trainings for academic staff as well as students.
• Promoting induction and mentoring training program for the newly hired instructors by focusing on pedagogical skills.

 Strategic Theme 5: Enhancing University-Industry Linkage

The challenges in employability of graduates are often attributed to the mismatch between the supply and demand by the labour market. There seems little consideration on the needs of the labour market, leading to a glut of graduates in similar even in one area and a dearth of industry in another. Currently, universities place students on internship, apprenticeship and externship programs. However, due to problem in planning and communication, the values gained from these programs are limited. These challenges are occurred; because the university doesn’t structure the program with the program objectives, expected skills to be gained; whilst the companies receiving students also do not plan the programs and do not provide supervisory or mentorship support to students. To address these problems, dean for deliverology unit is doing the following strategic tasks:

• Design best action plans and targets and implement by prioritized them,
• Setting standards and benchmarks,
• Creating good communication with the companies receiving students to include the programs in to their plan/structure.
• Monitoring and measuring the program

 

 

Strategic theme 6: Improving Teachers performance and Motivation/Working towards              commitment of staffs

It has to be understood that having a committed and dedicated staffs is important in order to meet a university’s mission. To this end, it is important that staffs members do not feel alienated by inducing them to develop a sense of the institution in practice. Therefore, dean for deliverology unit works towards empowering the staff to develop sense of ownerships and belongingness to the university.  This can be done by:

• Pushing the university top management to empowering each level of the academic structure of (colleges, departments). Power decentralization and capacitating their office decision making abilities are paramount.
• Urging the university to assure transparency and accountability
• Enforcing the university to have the culture of reward system for best performers of academic staff.

Strategic theme 7: Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation are important tools to check the success and failure of an organization. To this end, dean for deliverology unit, design and implement the following monitoring and evaluation system.

1. What is monitored?

• Overall objectives (Goal or development objectives)
• Expected Results (outputs)- Extent of achievement of results, sustainability
• Activities- Carrying out of activities, efficiency of activities

1. How to monitor?
2. Monitoring takes place through:

• Periodic performance reporting (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual) at college, department offices/ units team levels
• Survey and observation or visit and rating against checklist

1. Evaluation:

• At least every quarter of the year, each work unit, team and individual  conduct evaluative meeting against predetermined objectives and lessons are going to be identified and used  for developmental purposes,
• On semi-annual and annual basis, evaluation is going on as to identify strengths and weaknesses.