Proposal of a Project submitted to DelPHE Financing Program
Restructuring and development of Regulations and systems of Thamar University
Document by:
Dr./ Ahmad Ahmad Al-Ruhumi, assistant professor of management , and the consultant of the Thamar University’s president for administrative and financial affairs. Head of the team.
2. Dr./ Mohammad Al-Sagheer Al-Shoibi, Assistant professor , Project Coordinator.
3. Dr./ Mohammad Yahya Al-Rafeeg , assistant professor of economics, and head of the Department of Financial and Banking studies, Determinant and secretary general of the project.
4. Dr../ Mohammad Mustafa , an Expert in higher educational Administration , consultant member in the project.
1. ABSTRACT:
The ultimate aim of this project is to arrive at a well structured administrative system in Thamar University by finding a framework of innovation that can provide for restructuring and development of rules and subsystems enforced in the university in relation to its mission and future perspectives . The project will be implemented in three years in a joint program agreed upon by Thamar University in Yemen as a leading partner, and Al-Jinan university , Lebanon as an assistant partner. The leading applicant, i.e. Thamar University is a newly established university founded in 1997 as a regional governmental university running currently nine faculties for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and agriculture, engineering , arts , education, administrative studies, computer , and applied sciences with 13 300 total number of enrollees in 2009/2010. The second partner, i.e. Al-Jinan University of Lebanon is a non-governmental university founded in 1988 with faculties for arts and humanities, business administration, public health, media, and education.
Of course development of administrative constituents of Thamar university with special focus on organizational structures and internal legislations will avail for the university novelty mechanisms to establish its mission and objectives with call for Excellency in both human and research outputs. To approach this perspective , this projects will be directed to achieve these objectives:
§ Establishment of a tangible augment in the administrative practices of the university that can provide for internationalization of the university and its academic accreditation.
§ Creation of a novelty administrative initiation and a model to be followed by other Yemeni public universities in particular, and other institutions in general .
§ Development of collaborative global relations between Arab universities through exchange of experiences and joint-projects.
2. INFORMATION :
a. The leading partner
Name: Thamar University , Yemen Project Coordinator: Dr. Mohammad Al-Sagheer Al-Shoibi, Title: Assistant professor , Department of business administration, faculty of administrative Sciences. Position: lecturer and trainers of managerial subjects and skills . Address : P.O. box 87 246 Thamar\r University, Thamar, Yemen e-mail < dralsheabi@gmail.com > telephone 00967777136113 Fax ………………………….
b. Second partner Name: Al-Jinan University, Lebanon Project Coordinator: Dr. …………………………………… Title: ……………………………………………………. Position: …………………………………………….. Address : P.O. Box ……………………… e-mail < …………………………………. > telephone ……………………………………… Fax ………………………………..
3. INFORMATION , THE PROJECT:
This project is the first one to be agreed upon by the two partners , and the first project to be sent to DelPHE by the two partners. The partners have neither applied before to DelPHE collectively, nor individually , and no any part of them has joined any third part before in any application sent to DelPHE.
The first partner has come to be acknowledged about DelPHE’s projects through a non-routine contacts with the British Council, Sana’a Branch.
4-5. background to the project:
The relationship between the two partners are a newly established one , nevertheless they have ratified agreement for organizing collaborative programs and projects on exchange of experiences, staff members, students and other aspects. In fact this project is the first shared one between them.
The partners have agreed that the leading partner will implement the project in its institution to achieve the stated objectives by the available authorized means ,whereas the second partner will provide expertise, and consultancy including transference of best practices not only as they are adopted in its institution but also in other Lebanese universities, and/or learned practices from regional and international experiences. However, the second partner will benefit also from this project by developing skills in carrying out joint projects, learning new administrative approaches , and knowledge transference. Worth mentioning , costs of services provided by the second partner to this project are included in the budget of the project.
4. GENERAL OUTLOOK
Technically , the project will be implemented according to a scheduled courses of actions as follows:
First Year : This will be devoted for survey studies conducted by the two partners and dealing with specification of developmental needs and parameters.
Second Year : Introduction of some proposed reforms and changes in organizational structures , rules, and description of jobs . This will be based on pilot program-initial implementation. Any developmental change will be subjected to continuing evaluation to measure its effects on both managerial and academic practices. During this year the project will be tested to conclude about its strength and weakness through feedback received from emergence of any new practices or changes , then improvement strategy will be followed to correct weak points before generalization of these practices. However, the project is not going to be a try and error implementation , but a well studied cautious and gradual reforms.
Third year: At this stage , the project will be focused on improvements and generalization to cover the whole university administrative units.
Important notice: the two partners will share activities through the whole duration , i.e. three years according to division of roles set by them.
5. ASSOCIATED TRAINING AND ACTIVITIES :
During the three years a group of co-activities will be carried out including the following:
a. Training of work teams :
a) Training of the project managerial staff
b) Training of the academic post holders , namely : deans of faculties , deputy deans, and head of academic departments.
c) Training of the administrative personnel members who hold directing positions in the university organizational structures. (non-academicians)
d) Training of the assistant team composed of ad hoc positions within the context of the project . This team is a mixed one from the two partners and will be composed of academic and administrative job holders assigned to assist the core task-force of the project. Training of this group will be focused on monitoring , follow-up, and assessment of activities.
e) Training of the joint mixed team composed of participants from the two partners. Training of this group will be focused on collaborated activities, division of labor, communication , and coordination of joint-projects. Two training sessions will be organized in Thamar and Beirut .
b. Training content:
The above groups will be exposed to training in the following skills:
- The new expertise administrative techniques and their implication in universities.
- Organizational structures of universities.
- Legislations, boards, and rules governing university polices.
- Join-Projects and management of collaborative work.
- University accreditation, quality control, and internationalization of higher education.
- Job description and qualities.
c. Production of models:
Within the context of the project , some innovative models will be produced as follows:
- A proposed new organizational structure for the university , and its sub-structures.
- A detailed job description, and qualities of job holders.
- proposals of amended university regulations , and some recommendations to amend the current Yemeni Law on Universities and its associated acts of reinforcement.
- Proposed new systematizations , i.e. rules on academic and administrative activities related to regulations, rules, organizational culture, or decision making process. Change will be directly addressed to facets that hinder best practices.
d. The project core management:
A group of specialized post holders in Thamar University will undertake and be accountable about activities, tasks , and other implementation processes of the project. This team will be called “The ad hoc executive committee for restructuring and development of regulations and systems ” . Assigned ones who are going to compose this team are :
1. Dr./ Ahmad Ahmad Al-Ruhumi, assistant professor of management , and the consultant of the Thamar University’s president for administrative and financial affairs. Head of the team.
2. Dr./ Mohammad Al-Sagheer Al-Shoibi, Assistant professor , Project Coordinator.
3. Dr./ Mohammad Yahya Al-Rafeeg , assistant professor of economics, and head of the Department of Financial and Banking studies, Determinant and secretary general of the project.
4. Dr../ Mohammad Mustafa , an Expert in higher educational Administration , consultant member in the project.
e. Tasks of the project core management:
§ General supervision over the project and its implementation procedures according to functions , developmental actions, and division of labor.
§ Monitoring evaluative survey and associated works.
§ Making necessary communication with partners , consultants, and other participants.
§ Conduct of follow-up and assessment activities in continuing and periodical bases.
f. Communication between the two partners :
The two partners will be in active and continuous relations through these mechanisms:
§ Joint- activities of shared committees which meet periodically on regular basis
§ Exchange of visits planned according to training sessions, and workshops.
§ Information technology including video-conferences, internet, and e-mail, and other traditional means such as telephone calls, and postal mailing . Communication between the two partners will be organized to provide for coordination, exchange of documents, efficient means, and prompt response.
6. INSTITUTIONAL NEEDS:
This project has special significance for the both partners , particularly the leading partner which seeks out to build administrative capacities in a changing environment with regard to the following aspects:
- As a lately established institutions , they must have some shortcomings in their administrative and organizational paradigms , and each institution is looking forward to develop its system through collaborative efforts.
- Administration of higher education has witnessed great trends of change over the last decades which in all depend on knowledge , quality control , transference of knowledge and learning of best practices. In Lebanon , history of higher education is far profound if compared with history of higher education in Yemen, and therefore learning from the Lebanese experiences can benefit the Yemeni institutions if we take in consideration that Lebanon and Yemen are Arab countries sharing many similarities.
Thamar University is a rapidly growing institutions in both number of enrolled students and fields of specialties or academic programs. The location of this university at the middle highlands of Yemen attracts applicants from all governorates in the country including the capital Sana’a. Regarding this factor, the university has to response to social demands not only in terms of quantity but also of quality. Hence, development of its administrative systems and structures represents very imperative constituents toward approaching its goals. Adding to this, the administrative practices in Yemen are generally running into several points of weakness that cab be ascribed to human, economical, cultural , and social factors. Indeed , universities are not an exception , and they have to struggle not only to develop their internal efficiency, but also to lead managerial reforms in all national organizations as a mission stated in the “Law of Yemeni Universities, 1995’’
Today , (2009) the public Yemeni universities (9 universities) enroll about 185 000 students, a humble number which indicates that only 5 % of the total Yemeni youth in age bracket (18-24) is utilizing access to higher education. Thamar University enrolls only 8% of all enrollees in public universities, and accordingly it ranks at No. 4 with regard to size of enrollees. Nevertheless, the university ranks second in the rate of growth.
7. METHODOLOGY , OUTPUT, AND OUTCOMES:
a. Outputs:
At completion of this proposed project , Thamar University will be characterized by the following:
§ Having restructured and efficient organization.
§ Having distinctive description of jobs.
§ Skilled Personnel .
§ Adequate efficiency in creation and implementing joint-programs and cooperative regional and international relations.
§ Replacing of the current regulations and rules by amended ones .
§ Networking and better interdependent relations between the university’s faculties and units.
b. Outcomes:
Having new administrative qualities , Thamar university will act effectively upon the following :
1. The emerged restructured systems will help the university achieve its mission according to clear objectives, division of labor, accountability, coordination of tasks and activities, and professional supervisions.
2. Job satisfaction and motivation among working staff members will be increased significantly as results of training, job description, and change.
3. Readiness of the recruited cadres to deal with social and environmental demands at the quantitative and qualitative levels.
4. Administrative skills in planning, decision making, staffing, financing, communication, control , directing, supervision, and else will be practiced more professionally and effectively.
5. Relationships with other national and external institutions will be greatly developed as well as skills needed to initiate and developing these relations will be more apparent in transference of knowledge, and exchange of experiences.
6. work flow , particularly with regard to efficiency and time management as a result of changing governance acts ( regulations and rules) toward remove of barriers caused by inconsistent provisions and rules.
7. Coordination of academic , research and managerial tasks as complementary activities. This will result improvement in graduates’ access in labor market because well administrative practices will improve academic outcomes .
8. Reduction of time and administrative costs allocated for processes of admission , registration, graduate studies, research , and other administrative actions.
8. TOTAL COST
The total cost of this project is $ --------------------- ( only -----------------------)
Table (1) First Year Activities
First year | Activity | Starting date | Place | Implementation part | How |
Symposium for Publicity of the project | 17.10.2010 | Thamar University | Core management |
Writing of papers on the importance of the project and its framework |
workshop on the project for the university leadership and core management of the project | 1.11.2010 | Thamar University |
Expert consultant from the second partner | The expert will present a general overview on restructuring processes as occurred in other universities worldwide : Theory and practice |
Collection and review of laws, regulations and executive rules of higher education governance in Yemen and Lebanon |
15.11.2010 | Yemen and Lebanon | Core management | Conduct of the field work survey to conclude results from documents and questionnaire |
Collection and review of , acts, regulations , organizational structures , job description, and associated documents Of Thamar university and Al-Jinan University | 15.2.2011 | Yemen and Lebanon | Core management | . Conduct of the field work survey to conclude results from documents and questionnaire (the general survey) |
Collection of data and information about governance of universities in Arab universities with Special focus ob restructuring | 30.4.2011 | Yemen and Lebanon | Core management | Conduct of the field work survey to conclude results from documents and questionnaire (The specified survey) |
Survey studies and their findings | 7.5 to 7.6 / 2011 | Thamar University | Core management |
|
Assessment workshop | 2.7. 2011
| Thamar University | Core management | Final evaluation of reports and survey |
Training session (40 director generals | 23.7.2011
| Thamar University | مدرب Trainers |
Presentation will be focused on change management , organizational culture , and restructuring |
First Year’s Budget (Estimated Costs)
Activity | Number of team members | No. days | Number of team members | Total cost in $ |
Symposium | 3 | 1 | 3 | 300 |
workshop on the project for the university leadership and core management of the project |
|
|
| 2000 |
Abroad travels | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1200 |
Flight tickets | 2 |
| 2 | 1000 |
review of laws and regulations | 4 | 60 | 4 | 3600 |
Review of documents of governance | 4 | 60 | 4 | 3600 |
Review of governance systems of universities in Arab universities | 4 | 60 | 4 | 3600 |
Assessment workshop leading to restructuring according to sectors and departments , units, and subunits |
|
|
| 2000 |
Training session (40 director generals |
|
|
| 2000 |
Administrative costs | Per/month | No. months | Total Cost |
Head of the team | 200 | 12 | 2400 |
Yemeni coordinator | 150 | 12 | 1800 |
Lebanese coordinator | 150 | 12 | 1800 |
Secretary n | 100 | 12 | 1200 |
Stationary and printout | 100 | 12 | 1200 |
Activities of the Second Year
Second year | Activity | Stating Date | Place | Implementation part | How |
Workshop | 1.10.2011
| Al-Jinan University | Work Team | practices in job Analysis |
Analysis of jobs in the two universities | 15.10.2011 to 15.1. 2012 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University | Work Team | study and analysis of the current jobs |
Workshop | 4.2.2012
| Al-Jinan University | Work Team | Evaluation of the study and analysis |
Workshop | 11.2. 2012 | Thamar University
| Work Team | practices in job description |
Job description |
18. 2. 2012 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University
| Work Team | Identification of jobs after analysis |
Workshop | 2.6. 2012 | Thamar University
| Work Team | Evaluation of reports on job description |
]
Second Year’s Budget (Estimated Costs)
Activity | Work team | No of days | Daily cost in $ | Total cost in $ |
workshop | 6 | 2 |
| 2000 |
Analysis of jobs in the two universities | 6 | 90 | 15 | 8100 |
workshop | 6 | 2 |
| 2000 |
workshop | 6 | 2 |
| 2000 |
Job description | 6 | 60 | 15 | 5400 |
workshop | 6 | 2 |
| 2000 |
Travel cost to Lebanon | 4 | 3 | 200 | 2400 |
Flight tickets | 4 |
|
| 2000 |
Total cost | Administrative cost | Per/month | No. of months | Total costs |
Head of the team | 200 | 12 | 2400 |
Yemeni coordinator | 150 | 12 | 1800 |
Lebanese coordinator | 150 | 12 | 1800 |
Secretary | 100 | 12 | 1200 |
Stationary and printout | 100 | 12 | 1200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Activities of the Second Year
Third Year
|
Activity | Starting date | Place | Implementation part | How |
Workshop |
15.6.2012 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University | Work team | practice in preparing and issuing regulations |
Internal regulations (general) |
1.7.2012 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University | Work team | preparing the internal regulations in the two universities |
Internal regulations (faculties) |
1.10.2012 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University | Work team | preparing the internal regulations in the faculties |
Financial regulations in the university (general and faculties |
15.1. 2013 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University | Work team | preparing Financial regulations in the university (general and faculties |
Workshop |
1.4.2013 | Thamar University and Al-Jinan University | Work team | final assessment of the proposed regulation ا |
Third Year’s Budget (Estimated Costs)
ِActivity
| Work team | No of days | Cost per/day | Total costs in $ |
Workshop | 6 | 2 |
| 2000 |
Internal regulations | 6 | 60 | 15 | 5400 |
Administrative regulations of faculties | 6 | 60 | 15 | 5400 |
Financial regulations in the university (general and faculties | 6 | 60 | 15 | 5400 |
Workshop | 6 | 2 |
| 2000 |
Total cost | Administrative cost | Per/month | No. of months | Total costs $ |
Head of the team | 200 | 12 | 2400 |
Yemeni coordinator | 150 | 12 | 1800 |
Lebanese coordinator ي | 150 | 12 | 1800 |
Secretary | 100 | 12 | 1200 |
Stationary and printout | 100 | 12 | 1200 |
TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE THREE YEARS IS -------------------------
9. RISKS
1. Resistance to change , a risk that may hinder the ease of project when some leading job holders fell skeptic or reluctant to accept change. To avoid emergence of such risk , the project will be publicized among working staff as a serene scheme that everyone will benefit from it . Also, it will be introduced in gradual steps .
2. Shortage of allocated budget to cover costs of all planned activities. In such case , the allocated grant will be utilized at the best economized expenses. Assignment of associated tasks will be embarked upon volunteers (unpaid assistants). No of the sharing universities will allocate any raising fund to the project unless conditioned by the donor, However , Thamar university , as a prime beneficiary will dedicate its running human and non-human recourses for the achievement of the project.
3. Uncontrolled factors , such as national legislations and rules that govern universities and cannot be changed or passed over by any single university. In fact this project will be primarily focused on elements that can be controlled internally , but the project will review the national legislations on higher education and recommends change and amendment of some articles that may hold back administrative reforms.
10. IMPACT ON GROUPS:
Thamar university embraces diverse groups characterized by the following:
§ Imbalanced gender diversity owing that about 80 % of enrolled students are male. Considering this fact , the project will be addressed to reforms that can motivate society , and females to join tertiary education.
§ Imbalanced access to higher education with regard to admitted students according to urban and rural background. Indeed , Students from rural areas are minority, and more susceptible to lower achievement results. As well , the project will be directed to make administrative reforms targets better access and sustainability to rural ones.
§ Imbalanced academic positions as the academic staff members are inhomogeneous ranging as highly qualified (Ph.D holders) , moderately qualified (masters holders), demonstratively qualified (B.Sc. and B.A holders ) . This imbalance often leads to conflicts due to disparity of rights and payment, though their tasks are rather similar . Certainly , this project is intended to propose some remedial measures not only to overcome conflicts, but also to find better job satisfaction means for all academic partners.
§ Imbalanced administrative positions among employees . Discrepancies here are not only resulting from diversity of qualifications but even existing among those having similar qualifications and tenure. Sometimes , conflicts emerge between academicians and administrators. As well, the project will be addressed to solve such problem of divergence .
· .
11. MONITORING , PUBLICITY , AND EVALUATION
a. Monitoring
The project will be led , i.e. controlled , supervised , and followed up by the head of its core management through the following procedures and mechanisms:
- Planning and overall supervision
- Scheduled and emergency meetings.
- Periodical reporting about ongoing activities.
- Follow-up of activities at the fieldwork level.
- Diverse communication and coordination processes.
- Inspiring enthusiasm of personnel
- Disbursement of the budget
- Interim Evaluation and assessment.
b. Publicity and Visibility:
The project will be publicized and communicated to all employees in the university , and to the local community through these means:
1. Hold of an understanding symposium about the project.
2. Coverage of activities in media, (newspapers, radio , and TV)
3. The project website .
4. Publication of studies, researches, and surveys in academic journals issued by the two universities in partnership
With regard to visibility , the name and emblem of the donor will be thoroughly mentioned in all documents and events organized in relation to the project .
c. Evaluation :
The project will be evaluated and assessed by these means:
- Daily reporting on activities based on specially developed information forms.
- Periodical reports ( quarterly assessment)
- Evaluation of workshop and training sessions.
For the purpose of evaluation , the performance of the project will be measured statistically by questionnaires, surveys, observatory reports, and expertise review.