Institutional reform and change management: The conversion of polytechnics to technical universities

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-658
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Akanpaadgi ◽  

This research paper sought to review the way and manner the conversion of polytechnics in Ghana to technical universities were done to ascertain whether the process conformed to standard best practice. The inequality in terms of placement of polytechnic graduates in the public sector as compared to the traditional university graduates, lack of direct academic progression for polytechnic graduates with Higher National Diploma, low enrollment and the departure of experienced staff from the polytechnics to the traditional universities due to poor conditions of service leaving the polytechnics with less staff compelled the government to initiate the reform. Institutional reform has been a long-standing practice in the educational sector; however, the implementation of new policies remains a challenge to many public institutions in Ghana. The one-size-fits-all approach to managing change must give way to a multi-faceted approach that takes into consideration the diversity of the various stakeholders affected by the change. The adoption of an appropriate change model and proper engagement of stakeholders as well as handling the transition as a project rather than treating it like the usual work of the ministry of education would have eased the tension and agitations which characterized the conversion process. Despite the conversion period spanning almost four years, the stakeholders are yet to reap the full benefits of the reform.

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Leylawati Joremi

This conceptual paper is presented with the intention to study the best practice model of financial management, which has become the practice of the Malay in Klang Valley.  It begins by reviewing the literature on household financial management and the behavior of households against finances and debt.  The theory of utility and the life-cycle hypothesis were used as the basis of the study.  This study is inspired by the concerns of the government and the public on the growing bankruptcy issue in Malaysia.  Many previous quantitative studies discussed the flaws in money management.  This study, however, slightly different.  Using a qualitative method, it intends to look at the best practices implemented by the household in managing family finances.  The findings can add value to today's body of knowledge.  Identified themes can be used to design financial modules which are more compatible to be used by all levels of society.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temitayo Isaac Odeyemi ◽  
A. Sat Obiyan

The police are expected to perform functions critical to relations between the government and citizens in democratic societies. However, in Nigeria, the reality is that the police organisation suffers limitations that undermine effective and democratic policing. Although the Nigeria Police Force has a long and chequered history, its services are dogged by challenges including adversarial police–citizen relations and mutual suspicion and police misconduct. To address these problems and enhance policing, the Nigeria Police Force has deployed digital technologies through a Complaint Response Unit [later renamed the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU)]. The PCRRU allows the public to connect with the police through dedicated phone numbers for calls and SMS, and a round-the-clock presence on Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Blackberry Messenger and a mobile application. Although this initiative often draws attention and commendation, it also raises doubts about sustenance and utility value. Drawing on David Easton’s input–output nexus as a theoretical underpinning on the one hand, and data sourced through expert opinion interviews and web measurement on the other hand, this article investigates how these digital policing technologies, through the PCRRU, enhance efforts at mutually rewarding police–citizen relations and police accountability, as requisites of democratic policing, in Nigeria. The findings expand discussion on the dimensions of Nigeria’s police–citizen relations and the potentials of technology in promoting positive outcomes. The findings also suggest means through which police managers can optimise technology in ways that aid strategic efforts at improving public security.


Author(s):  
Eva NAGYFEJEO ◽  
Basie Von SOLMS

Nowadays, many cyber users do not understand how to protect themselves and their information within cyber space. One reason is that cyber users are unaware of possible cyber risks and threats that may occur within cyber space. The second reason is that citizens, businesses and users within the public sector may be aware of relevant cyber risks but do not really understand the seriousness of such risks and the consequences if they do realise. Therefore, cybersecurity awareness campaigns are an integral part of improving cybersecurity awareness. Based on in-country reviews conducted as part of the Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre (GCSCC) programme, we observed that the campaigns to raise cybersecurity awareness throughout the country are often led by different ‘owners’ without co-ordination and adequate resources therefore creating fragmentation in the national cybersecurity awareness raising programme. This paper suggests that the development of a coordinated and coherent national cybersecurity awareness program is critical for building a basic level of aware-ness at the national level. We will examine the requirements needed to develop a coordinated national awareness raising programme by reviewing the existing literature, best practice approaches and the role of different stakeholders such as the government, private sector and civil society. We will draw conclusions on the main obstacles to ensure overall coherence between the actions of stakeholders and the efforts countries should prioritise in order to increase awareness of cyber risks at the national level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Grbic ◽  
D Stimac Grbic ◽  
L Stimac ◽  
Z Sostar

Abstract Introduction The coronavirus outbreak has set off alarms around the world, leading to border closures, trade controls, travel bans and other measures. The Wuhan coronavirus epidemic continues to spread globally to the new European hotspot in Italy. New information about the epidemic and the virus is changing rapidly as the virus spreads and appears in parts of the world. Although official announcements by the Croatian Government and Crisis Staff calmed the public with pictures and data on the disease, it showed something else that heightened public concern and caused two conflicting phenomena among citizens - on the one hand, the majority showed understandable doubt about the information that could have raised the concern for their own health while the rest of the population ignored the facts. The market showed complete unwillingness to cope with this epidemic and a chronic shortage of protective equipment (masks, disinfectants...) emerged. Most of the citizens' queries and concerns were moving in the direction of personal protection, child protection and justification for holding large gatherings. Results By March 8, 2020, twelve COVID-19 patients were recorded in Croatia, of which 5 were patients in Rijeka, 3 in Zagreb and 4 in Varaždin. The first sick person is a Croatian citizen from Zagreb who became infected during his stay in Italy (Milan, Lombardy province). Conclusions In this crisis, several basic principles of crisis communication with the public have been forgotten: The first source of communication often becomes the source against which everyone else is measured.Accuracy is crucial to credibility.Emotion cannot be countered by facts. People must first know that the government cares.The public should regain a sense of control over circumstances beyond control.A lack of public respect in a crisis undermines trust.Honesty is fundamental to maintaining trust. Key messages Accuracy is crucial to credibility. Emotion cannot be countered by facts.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 147-159
Author(s):  
Angela Winnie Kandandu ◽  
Edwin Beukes ◽  
Olumide Henrie Benedict

The aim of the underlying study to this paper is to evaluate the audit committees in the government ministries in Namibia; by assessing their composition, the function and regulations that govern committees. The study used a qualitative approach of inquiry. A purposive sampling method was used as the researcher selected ministries with audit committees. Thematic and content analysis was used in this study. Both primary and secondary and data were used. On primary data, interviews were conducted and recorded with a voice recorder. Secondary data was during the review of existing literature on the subject. The study found that from the 4 government ministries with audit committees, only one ministry consisted of independent members as well as an independent chairperson, while 3 ministries are chaired by members within their organisations. There was clear evidence of lack of accounting / financial /auditing competence among the committee members. This trend is contrary to the best practice which requires that the chairperson of the audit committees be independent of the ministry as well as the members of the audit committee. The finding indicates possibility of lack of capacity to carry out the functions of audit committees; weak internal control systems; chances of conflict of interest and complacency due to the lack of independence. There is avenue for further research as more ministries in Namibia are now establishing their audit committees, especially as the Namibian Code of Corporate Governance (the NamCode) gains more popularity among the public sector.


Author(s):  
Yasser A. Seleman

  The e-governance is the concept and structure of the system and the functions and activities of all activities and processes in e-business on the one hand the level of e-government and business on the other.               Because the government sector as a significant proportion of the total economic sectors in most countries of the world, and the fact that dealing with the public sector is not limited to the class and not others, but prevail all citizens and residents, institutions and others, and the fact that this multi-dealing in quality, methods and how it is done and models for different procedures and steps implemented and locations between the corridors of government departments, the concept of e-government came as an ideal way for the government to enable them to take care of the interests of the public from individuals and institutions electronically using cutting-edge technology without the need for the applicant to move between government departments.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Wicaksono Dwi Pamungkas ◽  
Nina Setiyawati

Public services are services, both in the form of public goods and public services which are the responsibility and are carried out by the government in an effort to meet the needs of the community and in accordance with statutory provisions. One of the public services provided by the government is the One-Stop Administration System (SAMSAT). According to SAMSAT data in the city of Magelang, data on motorized vehicle ownership has increased and there has been an increase in the number of taxpayers. However, the tax payment service is considered to be less than optimal because there are still long queues when paying taxes.This also causes many people to make payments past the due date or entrust queues to brokerage services. Therefore, to overcome the problem, a mobile-based application (GO-PAJAK) was built which can be used to make tax payments by means of a vehicle document pick-up to pay motor vehicle taxes connected between drivers (SAMSAT employees) and customers (taxpayers). With this application, it is expected to improve service standards at the SAMSAT office and reduce taxpayer queues also reduce the use of brokers in administering public service administration that can increase public trust.  


Author(s):  
Aleksandr Solov'ev ◽  
Galina Pushkareva

As digital technologies develop, a new form of relations between the state and the public is developing as well. Additional opportunities for the expression of public interests and the establishment of values preferred by the society arise, new mechanisms of political mobilization develop, new forms of public organization and self-organization emerge, the social media gain more power, and local and general public narrative develop on a number of online platforms. With the digitization of the public space, the state is forced to change its communication strategies and improve the dialogue between the government and the society based on deliberative democracy principles. After analysing the architecture of public communication emerging in new conditions the paper concludes that Russia is making certain efforts to adapt for the new digitized reality. However, current state priorities are shifting towards e-government and the digital economy. On the one hand, it seems justified, as it allows to bring the public services to a completely new level, reduce corruption risks, and simplify state management of economic processes. On the other hand, the lack of due attention to the issues of openness of public administration and involvement of citizens in making public decisions results in accumulation of contradictions in the public area of public administration, as well as increasing mutual misunderstanding and distrust between the state bodies and the civil society, which may entail bursts of social discontent and protests.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 433-443
Author(s):  
Hartono Hartono

The government continues to encourage the growth of entrepreneurship in Indonesia. Currently, university graduates are generally more interested in becoming workers or employees than in creating jobs. Indonesia still needs around 4.75 million entrepreneurs. Data from the Ministry of Education and Culture shows that in general, college graduates are more interested in becoming job seekers than job creators. Therefore, universities have the responsibility to change the students’ mindset from wanting to become job seekers to job creators. This research is a qualitative study using the phenomenological approach. Data collection was carried out by means of semi structured interviews by selecting 20 students from private universities in Jakarta. The results of this study indicate that students’ mindset from job seekers to job creators cannot change without improvement of entrepreneurship education at universities. The students’ mindset must be changed from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Curricula and learning methods that are too theoretical must be transformed into learning that emphasizes practical elements and entrepreneurial mental development


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-142
Author(s):  
Edy Hidayat ◽  
M Kharis ◽  
Dewi Kartika Ardiyani ◽  
Herri Ahmad Bukhori

The one-page lesson plan (LP) is one of four new policies announced by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture several years ago. LP is prepared so that teachers have plenty of time to prepare and evaluate the learning process. The training on how to design a one-page LP provides new experiences for teachers, who are members of the German Teachers Association (IGBJI) in Malang. Based on the results of the questionnaire, more than half of the participants stated that the design of the one-page LP was easier than the old one because the new design had components that were more concise and streamlined, made it efficient in many ways. Although the teachers still have shortcomings, but in general, it can be stated that the use of a one-page LP can help teachers to have an orientation in teaching.


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