mainstreaming environment and sustainability in african mesa ...

1. 1 Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African (MESA) Universities’ Partnership Programme Organized by: UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP) and SOUTH AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME (SADC REEP) KENYA SCHOOL OF MONITARY STUDIES, NAIROBI, KENYA 4-9 MAY, 2006

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4. 4 INTRODUCTION Change/innovations are inevitable Resisting change is deadly Not anticipating change is short -sightedness Allowing change to by-pass you is anachronism Letting change work for you is wisdom and gain The only thing that does not change is change (Stephen Adei, 2005)

5. 5 MAJOR CHALLENGES TO TRANSFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFRICA Corporate Governance Leadership Culture and Work Ethics Infrastructure Faculty and Critical Personnel Team Building Academic Freedom Strongholds and Resistance to Change Finances The Triumvirate of Access, Quality and Relevance.

6. 6 AREAS OF FOCUS OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

7. 7 STRONGHOLDS AND RESISTANCE TO CHANGE/INNOVATION Why People Resist Change No matter how rotten a system is, there are always its beneficiaries who will resist change Weak articulation of vision, understanding of purpose, dimensions, and consequences. Lack of participation Timing Sense of inadequacy and inability to learn new skills Role ambiguity Inadequate training and education Lack of facilities to effect change Fear of the unknown and uncertainty Perceived threats of intrinsic and extrinsic benefits i.e. envisaged “loss” of status or rewards Many of the above relate to way and manner of introduction of change

8. 8 Forms of Resistance Uncooperative attitude Apathy Outright Opposition Procrastination Sabotage

9. 9 Some Strategies to Minimize Resistance Effective education and communication of vision in education for sustainable development Spending time with key elements to transform their vision Involvement and participation of key players Negotiations and agreement on key elements of change Dealing with real and imaginary fears through encouragement, sustainable communication And demonstration of quick wins Anticipating violent opposers Having a positive attitude Facilitation and support

10. 10 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES ESSENTIAL FOR INNOVATION Ability at challenging the process Search for opportunity Experiment and take risks Ability at inspiring a shared vision Envision the future Enlist others Ability at enabling others to act Foster collaboration Strengthen others Ability at modeling the way Set an example Plan small wins Ability at encouraging the heart Recognize individual contributions Celebrate accomplishments

11. 11 LEADERSHIP FUNCTIONS Provision of direction Defines mission or restate its purpose Casts vision/clarify mission-long term direction Set goals Establishment of values Defines the core values Provides content of institutional culture Models the way Determination of Strategy Determines strategies for each goal/part/activity Ensures sum of strategies, achieves vision.

12. 12 Mobilization of People Communicate meaning Motivates, inspires and encourages followers through appropriate mix of: Sharing vision Modeling education and training providing tools and support Work environment Just compensation Creating atmosphere for creativity and risk taking Team building Decision Making, Policy Formulation, and Problem Solving Removing obstacles Conflict resolution Taking the “buck stops with me” decisions Making judgments

13. 13 Management of changes Providing enabling vision Forming a guiding coalition Generating quick wins Managing resistance Development of other leaders Creating an enabling atmosphere Selection of potential leaders Monitoring, delegation, team work Challenging leadership potential

14. 14 INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY RENEWAL OF PRODUCT OR SERVICES BY ADDING VALUE THROUGH APPLICATION OF EXPERTISE AND IMAGINATION. IT REQUIRES THE CAPABILITY TO IDENTIFY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CREATION AND ABILITY TO TURN IT INTO A REALITY INNOVATION DEMANDS THE ALTERATION OF WHAT IS ESTABLISHED AND BRINGS IN OR INTRODUCES NOVELTIES

15. 15 TOOLS/TECHNIQUES OF ESD IMPLEMENTATION PREPARATION OF ACTION PLAN To guide implementation of the ESD programme and serve as a means of control, action plans must be prepared at both corporate and Strategic Business Unit level (college level). Departmental action plans are also required A format for an action plan for implementation is provided on the next slide:

16. 16 Example of Action PlanObjective:Strategy:

17. 17 ii. THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPONENTS OF ESD PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

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19. 19 iii. MANAGING AND COMMUNICATING CHANGE Before communicating change to staff and students ask yourself the following questions

20. 20 iv. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENT A key element in managing change is the creation of ownership for change. This in essence demands the establishment of leadership for change. Effective leadership will ensure that the University is steered in the proper direction through the transition period. For a large institution like the KNUST, three internal change agents or bodies may be constituted to facilitate the change process. These are:

21. 21 Implementation Steering Committee This will have oversight responsibility and provide general direction and coordination for the implementation of the ESD Programme. In practice, this is carried out by the various Academic Boards. Change Management Team/College Boards This will be responsible for coordination and monitoring the implementation of the ESD Programmes at the college level Project Team/Departmental Boards Project teams will be constituted for implementation of special projects or assignments within the department as and when necessary. The project teams will operate as sub-units of the Change Management Team The mode of operation of each of the teams has to be worked out and formalized in a terms of reference.

22. 22 v. LIKELY IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING No matter how good your ESD Programme is, its implementation may be affected adversely by a number of factors, hence the need to anticipate and make contingencies to address them. Contingency planning enables us to anticipate what could go wrong and thus determine preventive and/ or contingency action Potential or likely implementation problems may include: Institutional Culture The culture may not be conducive for achieving objectives, thereby necessitating strategies and actions to “shape” the culture and/or somehow isolate the programme from the adverse influences of the culture.

23. 23 Rewards and Sanctions System This may not provide the necessary incentives for the efforts required in reaching your objectives, thereby necessitating strategies and actions for reviewing the Rewards and Sanctions System Role and/or Competencies of Senior Managers Role and/or competencies of more senior managers, boards, and other “authority” figures may mitigate against your objectives being achieved, thereby necessitating some strategies and actions for managing upwards Climate for Change The climate for change inside or outside the University may be hostile or indifferent to institutional changes being made, thereby necessitating “selling” strategies and actions to gain support for achieving your strategic objectives.

24. 24 e) Funding For a public University, untimely release of funds by governments and shortfalls in projected income from other sources could hamper achievement of plan objectives. This could necessitate the institution adopting strategies such as:

25. 25 A FORMAT FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING

26. 26 vi. ESD Programme Plan Monitoring and Control Reviews are conducted at a number of levels within the strategic framework, but primarily at (a) the operational level (b) the strategic business unit level, and (c) the corporate strategic level. At the Operational Level the review process is largely dominated by the budget system, and the emphasis is on efficient, productive and timely use of resources. Reviewing is usually done on a monthly bases. At the Strategic Business Unit Level the review process is a combination of budget led progress reports and an examination of the goals that have been set. Thus the emphasis is as much on effectiveness as on efficiency. SBU reviews are likely to be a mixture of monthly budget reviews and quarterly strategic reviews.

27. 27 At the Corporate Level the process combines consolidated budget reports, management reviews of SBU progress, special projects, and review of the whole cooperate performance. The emphasis is usually on performance against major targets and on an examination of strategic goals. So, the focus of attention is rather more on effectiveness than on efficiency. Corporate reviews are usually conducted on a quarterly bases, although some may take place at longer intervals. SUCCESS OF ESD PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION An effective management information system, which can ensure data collection, data analysis, information reporting, timely corrective action, data storage and retrieval, is the key to the success of ESD Programme implementation. Annual evaluation should be conducted to assess the effectiveness of implementation.

28. 28 THE CONTROL PROCESS The steps of the control process are: Setting standards Measuring performance Comparing actual performance with the standard Taking corrective action. TYPE OF CONTROL AND TECHNIQUES Universities employ various types of control and associated techniques or tools to ensure that institutional objectives are achieved. Individual institutions have to select which controls and techniques will best regulate and conserve available resources.

29. 29 The controls and techniques are summarized below Financial control Institutional controls Inventory controls Procurement controls Quality controls Production/operation control Maintenance controls Project control

30. 30 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS IN LEADING AND MANAGING INNOVATIONS IN VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES Need for communicating vision simply, clearly and constantly. Key role in leadership team. Ownership vision always and invariably comes from a leader However for its implementation, one needs Management team to buy-in Critical consistency (Faculty etc, important for success) Guiding coalition: Indispensable. Building team is important, but all the time must not be spent to convince a few Highlight the positive effects

31. 31 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Ten reasons for doing nothing It won’t work We are already doing it Its been tried before without success It is not practical It won’t solve the problem It’s too risky It’s based on pure theory It will cost too much It will antagonize the students/staff/stakeholders It will create more problems than it solves (Michael Armstrong & Tina Stephens, 2005)

32. 32 CONCLUSION AS LEADERS WE WOULD HAVE FAILED IF WE ALLOW RESISTANCE/OPPOSITION TO EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BLOCK OUR SUCCESS. INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE INNOVATIONS, IN RESPECT OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ARE RELEVANT, A CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE, NOT ONLY FOR THIS DECADE BUT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.