CHANGE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

MAKERERE-SIDA BILATERAL COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM (2010 – 2014)

ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING 201410th March, 2014

Prof Buyinza MukadasiDirector, Research & Graduate Training

Why Annual Planning Meetings?

• Discuss Activity plans for the coming year

• Discuss Procurement plans for the coming year

• Discuss Progress and Results• Agree on needed reallocations

Aim of the program

“To support the existing structures andencourage the development of new structuresthat create an environment that is conducive for research and research training and in so doing assist to identify and improveupon structures that hinder university research.”

Under the slogan “To support the supervisor tosupervise”

through collaboration with universities in Sweden or elsewhere

How to fulfill the mission

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• Utilise world wide and local human resources

• Utilise information and technology• Collaborate with other institutions of

higher learning, research and organisations

• Mobilise financial resources

• University setting its own research agenda• Researchers identifying their own research questions• University/researchers identifying collaborating

Swedish and other counterparts• University managing the financial contribution• University owning the program• Using the opportunities of the program to enhance

research, teaching and management within the WHOLE university

Hallmark of Sida’s support to Makerere

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Strategic Research AgendaStrategic Research Agenda• Health and Health systems• Agricultural (crop & Livestock) transformation, Food

Security, nutrition and value addition• Sustainable environment, Natural Resources Governance

and Climate Change• Governance, Culture, Social Justice and Sustainable

development• ICT for developmentCross-cutting areas• Biotechnology• Knowledge transfer• Gender• Human Resource Development

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.Mak’s Strategic Objectives

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• To produce qualified lecturers motivated to do more research and building research teams around themselves

• To increase the number of potential PhDs at supported units

• To enhance research throughout the whole university

• To enhance the capacity for research coordination and programme administration at Directorate of Research & Graduate Training

Capacity Objectives

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• Support to individual units – Provide an environment conducive for research

and research training

• Slogan: “To support the supervisor to supervise”– through collaboration with universities in Sweden

or elsewhere

Approach

SWEDISH COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS

Makerere University

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SPECIFIC GOALS AND ACTIVITIES

RELATED TO RESEARCH

Strengthening research coordination and evaluation

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• Policy for research coordination• Strengthen the DRGT• Improve research funding• Review the research manual with clear

processes and guidelines

Improving research skills of staff

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• Train university staff in research skills • Integrate transferable skills and

Internalize research training courses• Enhance professional & research-related

academic programmes (cross cutting courses)

Increased utilisation of research results

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Publication of local newsletters and journalsSupport participation at scientific

dissemination conferencesStrengthen linkages with research usersOperationalize the research agenda in

identified priority areasInstitute research related appraisal of staff

(Research Audit)

Enhancing the quality of research

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• Establish and strengthen research networks & linkages with local and intern. research centres

• Strengthen research infrastructure • Strengthen the quality, IRB and ethics

committee

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• Directorate of Research & Graduate Training (formerly the School of Graduate Studies)

• Directorate of Information and Communication Technology Services (DICTS)

• Gender Mainstreaming Directorate• The University Library• Agriculture (now CAES)• Technology (now CEDAT)• College of Health Sciences (CHS)• Arts and Social Sciences (now CHS)

Supported Units

Level of SupportPHASE AMOUNT (SEK)

(millions)AMOUNT

(USD $) (millions)

Preparatory Phase (2000-2001)

15.0 2.1

Phase I (2001 – 2005)

104.11 15.0

Phase II (2005 – 2009)

181 25.9

Phase III (2010 – 2014)

181.0 25.9

Exchange rate – 1 USD ~ 7 SEK (Grant Total - 480million SEK)17

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• PhD training (tuition and research costs)• Support to supervisors to link with their

counterparts in Sweden• PhD students /supervisors travel grants to

attend scientific conferences• Small Faculty research funds• Competitive research grants, cross cutting

courses, Demographic surveillance site (DSS)

Forms of Support

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• Support to GIS and Cross Cutting Biomedical Laboratory

• Support for ICT Infrastructure and Library resources• Independent univ-wide research fund at DRGT• Supporting dissemination strategies/ conferences,

publications• Admin & Coordination of the programme (DRGT)• Supporting regional collaborations and networks

Forms of Support>>

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Fruits out of the support

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• 102 (61 Male, 41 Female) Ph.Ds (15 have graduated), 67 Masters graduated) Masters, 20 postdoc research teams

• Research projects by supervisors in partnership with Swedish Faculty

• ICT and Library services (email, internet, online journals)• More quality publications coming out (Improved University

Rankings)• More linkages: CARTA, DRUSSA, CAPREX, Carnegie, NORHED,

Wellcome (Competitive grants)• Faculty small grants to support junior researchers from Social

sciences, Agriculture, Technology and CHS.• Supporting thematic research by providing for purchase of

equipment, consumables, travel, subsistence and guest lecturers

Promoting Research

DSS and Biomedical lab

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• Demographic Surveillance Site (DSS)-Site now fully operational and data collection continues in an area of 72,000 people (old area) involving 16,000- households and another 90,000 people (new area for TB study)

• Biomedical Laboratory- Dept of Pharmacology in CHS- Laboratory now fully functional and can be accessed

by students and researchers

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• State of the art GIS unit set up in the CEDAT

• Laboratory now fully functional and can be accessed by interested researchers & students

GIS Lab

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• Optical fibre network covers main campus, Medicine, MUARIK, MUBS

• 132 computers and LANS set up in supported faculties• 12 student kiosks with 165 computers set up in various

units• All (100%) Colleges/units have web presence

compared to 5% in 2000• More than 30,000 e-mail users registered on the local

mail system compared to 50 in 2000• Internet connectivity is well maintained to provide a

rich global research resource

ICT

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• 171 data points (computers) installed in the main library and 28 points at Albert Cook Library

• A functional Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)• More than 15,000 (end of 2012) journals on-line giving

countrywide access to recent literature• Now (2013) 40 e-journals databases, 22,000 titles

subscribed & 16 free ones accessed • With Bergen University, Library staff and EASLIS have

trained University of Juba staff and supporting library automation (spin off)

Library

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Gender• Increased visibility, acceptability and upward

movement of women into leadership positions– 5 full professors cf to 1 in 2000 (as of April 2011)

• Commitment to Gender Mainstreaming by the university e.g. increased representation on various committees, transformed to a Directorate

• Continued implementation of Gender plan in the new strategic plan (2008/09-2018/19)

• Gender Policy and Policy & Regulation on sexual harassment, and to engender the HR manual

• Makerere is still recognised as a pace setter in gender mainstreaming in Universities in sub Saharan Africa

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Course 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total

F M F M F M F M F M

Philosophy of methods

8 12 13 17 17 25 16 31 54 85 139

Adv. Gender Research

10 14 17 13 9 10 7 10 43 47 90

Statistical Computer applications

5 5 4 6 7 8 5 10 21 29 50

Genes and genomes

14 6 6 14 20

Supervision 11 23 8 16 8 10 12 16 39 65 104Research Management

- - - - 15 14 12 14 27 28 55

Scholarly writing & comm skills

- - - - 13 12 16 10 29 22 51

Information competence & mgt

19 25 11 21 3 9 12 13 45 68 108

Research Methodology

15 11 - - 12 17 16 14 43 42 85

Grand TT 543

CROSS-CUTING COURSE CONDUCTED 2010 TO 2013

Other skills enhancement courses, 2010-2011

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Course Males Females Total

Supervision and mentorship

65 39 104

Research management

28 27 55

RBM

Financial Management for Coordinators, Admin & students on Sida prog (once a year) – Feb 2014

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Enhanced research Culture (DRGT)

• More partnerships developed and funded– CARTA, CAPREX, DRUSSA partnerships– NORHED grant to 8 projects (Appx. $25m) to strength training – Next generation of Academics – CCNY ($2.6 million)– CCNY - Ph.D in Social Sciences and competitive grants

• Benchmarking best practices from the collaboration– Ph.D now by public defence– Ph.D supervisors cease being examiners– Candidates can publish their work before graduation– Thesis can be submitted in form of papers/monographs

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Creation of centers of excellence• Health

– Malaria, TB, HIV, Mental health, Reproductive health• Technology and engineering

– Centre for research in energy and energy conservation (CREEC)

– Innovation systems and Clusters• Agriculture: Centre for Crop Waste Management• ICT – regional center• Library – e-resources

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Impact• Sida support to Makerere has:

– Strengthened the position of Makerere as a leading provider of Science education and research

– Enabled the development of centres of excellence in health, agriculture, technology, humanities & social sciences

– Research influenced Gov’t policies (malaria, energy, waste, land, conflict)

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Impact (cont—d)- Contributed to the modernisation of Mak through ICT and

library facilities hence increased transparency in governance and efficiency in university operations (national benefit)

- Improved the quality of academic staff and graduates through support for PhD training, enhanced capacity to supervise, to conduct research and to publish (national benefit)

- Contributed substantially to the attainment of NDP hence reduce poverty levels and attainment of MDGs (nat. & Intern benefit).

- Reduced the degree of brain drain (national benefit)

Challenges• Procurement process delays

– Decentralization may expedite the process

• Audit delays by Auditor General– Early appointment of auditors

• Low Consumption of funds by some units• Delays in submission of Annual Reports• Understaffing poses constraint to research

coordination

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• Underfunding by the govt hence difficult to recruit and retain staff (50% establishment)

• Inadequate infrastructure including limited bandwidth

• Limited research funds to generate innovations and policies for poverty alleviation

Challenges>>

Challenge: Procurement

• Remains problematic• Failure of researchers to appreciate the law

(sometimes stubbornness)• Limited appreciation by procurement and disposal

unit and contracts committee that researcher’s needs are unique

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• Sourcing for more research funding and to build a strong environment to support innovations and knowledge translation

• Engage in multidisciplinary research teams/themes with greater focus on postdoctoral training, mentorship and innovations.

• Strengthen scientific corporation with Swedish institutions to compete for research funding

Recommendations

Procurement recommendations

• Submit approved plans and costs in the project for speedy action by contracts committee

• Information about the Pre-qualified list of reputable companies/ suppliers

• Continuous sensitisation of researchers on procurement process

To Improve Management

• Clear separation of roles among stakeholders (SC, PIC, DRGT Coordination office, Coordinators at units, Researchers, Accountants, Ph.D student

• Refer to Standard Operating Procedures that define how the funds and assets acquired are to be managed for the benefit of all interested individuals in the project

Recommendations>>>

• Coordinators to stimulate their researchers to work following agreed time lines

• DRGT, PIC and SC to routinely liaise with coordinators and researchers to identify constraints and put in place corrective measures

• DRGT and Coordinators to follow up large procurements

• Need to increase involvement of Swedish supervisors in planning, reporting and dissemination of findings

Way Forward>>

• Research coordination and management to be improved (College Grants Office)

• Communication both ways to be enhanced (especially financial information)

• Regular mini audits by finance dept and DRGT• Coordinators and researchers to plan ahead for their activities

(avoid last minute request from units)• Researchers to budget properly for the activities to be carried

out to avoid delays• Funds are now centralised but budgets are managed by the

coordinators. Are they really doing this well?

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Accountability

• Nightmare for researchers, how can unit Accountants help?

• Continuous re-fresher training of researchers in budgeting and accountability (Navision recently)

• No more advances for similar item unless previous one is accounted for

• All to appreciate that it is a requirement (travel: boarding passes, ticket stabs etc)

Communication

• Has been stepped up, documents cleared very quickly,

• Information about accounts to be posted to coordinators via Navision software every month (accountants should regularly share information with DRGT accounts office)

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