THE IMPACT STORY

Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) – Symposium, Location, & Dates attended
  • Challenges faced before the event and implementation plan for continuous improvement.
  • I am an Alumnus of the 2nd Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) Symposium held at MIKLIN Hotel, Accra-Ghana between 14th and 16th May 2024.
Issues raised and solution
The symposium was an epoch-making event which drew together relevant stakeholder in the field of quality assurance form various tertiary institutions across the globe.
The challenges of lack of recognition, technical know-how on the duties and functions of quality assurance at institutions is a menace hindering the growth of the unit.
Collaboration with other units in the institutions without the fear of duplicating works was among the grey areas that needs good and appropriate guidelines.
During the event, ideas were shared which has broadened  my professional knowledge and vision to take the Quality Assurance unit to lofty heights.
Acton plan was drawn to sensitize the institutional community on the functions, duties and relevance of Quality Assurance for the achievement of the mission and vision of the University.
Some of the action plans were:
  • Dissemination of awareness on the role and functions of Quality Assurance on the Institutional web pages.
  • Invitation of professional bodies for institutional assessment
  • Quarterly training sessions/workshop for academic and non-teaching staff on Quality Assurance
Institutional quality assurance annual awards identifying quality assurance ambassadors for the year.
is1
Dr Makuku! May God Contnue to Bless you! You’re a Great Icon and Iron Lady in the African Higher Education System. You have endeavoured to raise the Quality Assurance Banner Higher and Higher on the African Continent. You have really done what it takes to Create & Impart Quality Assurance Awareness Culture on the African Continent! You’ve made; East South, North and West Africa ONE (Indeed United States of Africa through Universities’ Quality Assurance Campaign under the Umbrella Body- AAU). Indeed “Together ❤ we Stand and Divided we Fall”! You’ve left a Perpetual Legacy. You’re a Great Icon not only in Africa, but, the World at large. To add to the list; you’re a great Wife to your Husband and Mother to all of us. Your Motherly Touch is Gratefully Felt! Here in Uganda – East Affica, we cannot exhaust all, however, you have really done a deep and wide positive impact in terms of Quality Assurance in Universities and other Institutions of Higher Learning, National Councils of Higher Education…..which touches all Areas/Fields/Disciplines in Universities on the African Continent! You have ably portrayed the Strength of a Woman. You’re a Role Model to many. Your passionate initiatives and Innovativeness will keep the Candle Burning in African Universities. We wish you the Best in your new Endeavours and upcoming Assignments! You’re a Great Brain on the African Continent! We thank God for the Blessing! Long Live Dr Makuku, Long Live AAU , Long Live AU, Long Live Africa. May the Father Almighty continue to Bless us 🙌 🙏. Dr Milly Kwagala Oidu, Ndejje University in Uganda-East Africa.
imgt2

Dr Milly Kwagala, Uganda,

15th December, 2022

The strategy at Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) is unmatched. Its practical approach to quality and quality assurance issues in both educational and non-educational institutions helps participants/stakeholders prioritize finding tangible solutions around them that can be implemented and yield results in a timely manner. My participation in the two events listed below summarizes the experience(s).
  1. Global Quality Assurance Symposium: Walking the Talk Through a Practical Approach at Ellking Hotel, Accra, Ghana between 28th and 30th March 2023
          The challenges before participating in the symposium were many including:
    • The institution did not have the following:
    • Quality Assurance Policy
    • Quality Assurance assessment tools
    • Misconception about the meaning of Quality Assurance: it was targeting non-performers especially when an internal audit was carried out. It was viewed as more of a policing tool; time to fix one. It was also understood to be the business of the Directorate of Quality Assurance Office only, and any non-conformance to regulations or standards was to be corrected by the Directorate including for example, if students were not dressed appropriately, it was the business of the Director, Quality Assurance to solve!
    • I didn’t know what activities to include in the workplan for the Directorate for the semester/year, and therefore, the directorate of Quality Assurance was invisible.
After the Symposium, there was total transformation for me and the entire institution.  I become visible and majority of staff understood the role of the directorate: for; example ensuring adherence to standards and regulations of the regulator, professional bodies and any other relevant stakeholders; doing right when no one is looking; quality as relevance, fitness for purpose; and paying attention to the core mandate of the university and its support departments in ensuring its aims and goals are achieved.
    • Came up with a workplan for the year. This was a great achievement for me as it gave me the confidence to articulate my mandate in a very practical way.
    • Capacity -building of staff and students on Quality Assurance done as and when needed, and each understood his/her role in ensuring quality.
    • Developed Quality Assurance tools for the university, including Quality Assurance Policy
    • Came up with institution-wide quality assurance committee members and faculty/school ones to support the Quality Assurance function
    • Each department developed their quality objectives and Indicators that are monitored for conformance
    • Management buy-in is crucial to the realization of institutional objectives and goals as well as quality assurance performance
    • Coordinated Programme self-Assessment- at least one programme for each faculty and how to write the self-assessment report was understood
  1. Global Quality Assurance Association- World Quality Week: 14th-16th November 2023, Virtual participation. The theme was Realizing your competitive potential. I was a panelist and presented on BENEFITS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE HOME AND WORK PLACE
    • Understood much more about the Quality Culture in the workplace and at home-it sets the tone of one’s organization, develop your quality culture from within that ensures there is open communication, encourage teamwork and collaboration; common understanding and ownership; benchmarking; policies and systems that align to the organization.
    • That there are rewards and punishment for non-conformance
    • Feedback is vital for the directorate to gauge where the institution is in terms of Quality as outlined by stakeholders. Surveys have to be done to get feedback, and then improvement plans to address the weaknesses.
    • Documentation is key: if you didn’t document, then it wasn’t done!
  1. Future Action Plan to continue improving:
    • Capacity building on Quality Assurance-can be done institutionally, or virtually
    • Benchmarking with institutions
    • Institute rewards and punishments
    • Period internal quality audits
dr joyce

Dr. Joyce Okayo;

Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Kenya (Director, Quality Assurance)

Scroll to Top