0 Private and Confidential Team Presentations Finance & Infrastructure, and IT Track Team Dr. M....

1 Private and Confidential

Team PresentationsFinance & Infrastructure, and IT Track Team

Dr. M. Abul-HamayelDr. Musa EssayyadDr. Ma’an KousaMr. Shaibu GarbaDr. Ahmad Yamani

Dr. Sadiq M. Sait


Categories Addressed by the Track Team

• Information Technology

• Cost/Finance

• Physical Facilities

FinanceIT

Physical Facilities


Current Status

• Information Technology

• Cost/Finance

• Physical Facilities


Current Status of IT (… 1)

• More attention to IT in curricula and less to infrastructure or automation of business processes

• Human resource problems (not able to retain)

• Easy to obtain funding or budget for equipment, difficult to allocate budget to HR (training, incentives, adjust salaries, ...)

• IT Planning is local and ad-hoc and there is a wide gap between IT infrastructure between universities.

• No assessment of ROI, or desire to get value from capital, etc

• IT for research needs improvement

• IT Procurement follows government regulations

• No separate budget for IT (only a cost center)

• Lack of IT awareness


Current Status of IT (…2)

• Representation level of IT is low (therefore no opportunity for providing strategic input)

• All IT services are free

• Lack of coordination/cooperation between IT directors (no regular meetings similar to library deans, deans, ..)

• IT services scattered between various departments

• Access to IT is poor

• Lack of monitoring and standards, lack of regulation and accountability


Current Status of Cost/Finance

• Funding is predominantly provided by government: Single Source of Revenue (sustainability? revenue from other sources account for small percentage of the total revenue of universities)

• Centralized budget/planning and sub-optimal allocation of resources– Line item budgets with some limited flexibility

– Within universities, there is a centralized management of financial resources with minimal or no provision for budgeting and expenditure at level of functional units of institutions

• Students pay no fees and are instead given stipends by the universities (in addition to several other facilities!)

• There is disparity in resource allocation to universities depending on ability to present needs

• Expenditure capturing and financial management and control systems vary across universities


Current Status of Physical/Infrastructure

• There are not enough universities to meet demand for higher education and the available ones are not equitably distributed

• There is disparity in the availability and maintenance of physical facilities and infrastructure across universities

There is no planning framework for expansion in the number of universities and many existing universities find it difficult to expand their facilities and infrastructure (recently this situation has been improving)

Physical facilities and equipment in universities are sometimes underutilized and there is no framework for the shared use of facilities across universities


The key issues identified in IT can be grouped into three categories

1. Using IT in the educational and research processes

2. IT in the administration of the institution and across the institutions

3. Management, administration and planning of IT services and capabilities

IT

for Administration

IT for Education

and Research

Management and Planning of IT


System is inefficient and

ineffective

Management processes are

inefficient

Research is inefficient

Research requirements are

not met

Lack of strategic use of IT

Lack of IT representation in management/

organization (visibility)

Lack of monitoring/ standards

Lack of awareness

Lack of planning

Regulations are poor

Delivery is poor

Universities are not linked

Poor HR

Access is poor

Differential gender access

Lack of professional regulatory

organization

Lack of regulations

Teaching processes are

inefficient

Technical infrastructure is not available or is dated

Lack of outcomes focus

Lack of accountability

Lack of motivation

Job for lifePublic sector domination

Competition

Information Technology


IT Issues and Strategic Questions

Issues

• Inefficiency of processes (teaching, research and admin) due to lack of strategic use of IT

• Lack of HR• Technology and

Infrastructure is not available or dated

• Lack of outcome focus (or impact of IT)

Strategic Questions

• Are we going to have interlinked universities or independent stand-alone universities (disconnected remote islands)?

• Is IT used strategically?

• Are we going to deploy technology for self-paced and distance learning?

• Is IT currently supporting the main functions of Higher Education


Notes on IT

• IT services evaluation

• Gap in IT between institutions

• IT personnel retention


Cost/Finance

ExpensesRevenue

Financial Resource Management


Cost/Finance System is not meeting its

strategic goals

Suboptimal allocation of resources

Limited flexibility at the university level & lack of

autonomy

Government pays for Higher Education and defines how it

is to be spent

Government monopoly/ oligopolies

Lack of competition

Need for new universities because of high population growth

Insufficient funding

Lack of entrepreneurship

Sense of entitlement/

welfare society

Misalignment of Higher Education with societal and Job Market needs

Allocations are not driven by supply

and demand

Students don’t pay so no way of

valuing demand

Inability to track allocations towards

achieving strategic goals

Archaic system

Technology is not used strategically

Centralized and ineffective planning

Suboptimal outcomes

Inefficiencies in operation

Government financing may not be sustainable if there is a

disruptive alternative technology

Lack of alternative sources of funding

Lack of endowment investments/ charity

Government resistance

Rules and Regulations

Lack of awareness of alternative

sources of funding


Finance Issues/Hypothesis and Strategic Questions

HE system wide Funding University level Management of Finances

•Centralized and unclear system of financial planning

•Sub-Optimal Allocation: Inadequate and inequitable funding for universities

•Sustainability: Effectiveness and sustainability of university financing (single source)

• Do existing financial regulations provide flexibility for the efficient use of resources?

• What must be the level of support provided to students? (who should pay?)

• Do existing financial systems provide for the monitoring of revenues and expenditure and the evaluation of outcomes?

• Are universities efficient and effective in the use of their resources?


Notes on Cost/Finance

• Growing population

• Private universities for bridging the finance gap

• Alignment with strategic goals

• Entrepreneurship

• Learning from other experiences


The Physical issues that the team identified can be grouped into three key categories

Facilities Availability

Location of Universities

Facilities Operation and Management


Physical issuesFacilities at universities

do not facilitate the achievement of the strategic objectives

Inadequate management of

available facilities

Inadequate facilities

Inadequate maintenance of

available facilities

Lack of qualified Local

maintenance staff

Inadequate compensation of

foreign labor

High maintenance cost

Rapid Deterioration of

Facilities

Short facility life spans

Poor utilization of facilities and equipment

Lack of training in the use of facilities

Lack of adequate planning

Limitation of finance sources

Single source funding

Lack of any appreciable role for the private

sector

Inability to take care of people

with special needs

Inefficiency in procurement

Inequitable distribution of

financing

Inadequate staff in facility

management

Complex regulations in management

Lack of information about

facilities

Use of foreign labor

Inflexible procurement regulations

Rapid turnover of maintenance staff

Inability to provided facilities

as needed

Inadequate maintenance

planning


Physical/Infrastructure Issues/Hypothesis

HE Physical Facilities Planning and Provision

University Level Availability, Use and Management of Physical Facilities

• Environment• Framework for the planning and

expansion of universities and university physical facilities (to meet future needs)

• Are facilities for students and faculty sufficient

• Facilities for research• Facilities for student activities

• Is the physical environment conducive to learning?

• Do universities have optimal facilities to support teaching and learning across all disciplines

• Do available facilities enable required levels of social interaction and extracurricular activities?

• Do available regulations support the efficient and effective use of facilities

• Must universities own all their physical facilities and infrastructure (shared services/facilities)

• Are University facilities well managed and maintained


Notes on Physical/Infrastructure

• Equitable distribution of universities

• Maintenance

• Expansion planning framework

• Utilization of facilities

• Facilities should enable education, research, and social interaction


Thank You



IT Infrastructure for Education and Research

Research and Education: Situation

Problem Statement• The current IT infrastructure does not

support the research requirements of the Kingdom: it is not aligned with the research needs, and the available equipment is outdated.

Data Requirements

• What is the significance of IT services for research and education?

• What type of IT services lead to better research and education?

• What are the priorities?

• How do the local institutions compare to the international world-class institutions in terms of IT services for research and education?

• What additional services can IT provide beyond those to enhance the quality of research in the coming decades?


IT for Business Processes

Business Processes: Situation

Problem Statement• The IT infrastructure is not utilized for

resource planning within universities and there is no coordination across universities

Data Requirements

• Should universities build or acquire IT solutions for its business processes?

• What general standards should be followed in IT services for business processes?

• What IT service should be nationwide?

• Is there a gap between universities in terms of IT? How much of it should it be bridged? How?


IT Administration

IT Administration: Situation

Problem Statement• IT administration and planning is

mostly ad-hoc

Data Requirements

• What percentage of university budget is dedicated for IT?

• Should/how can ROI be assured?

• To what extent should IT be outsourced?

• Should univ. charge for IT services?

• Centralized/Distributed?

• Recycling period?

• What PIs should be used for IT?

• Is there a gap between universities?

• How to plan IT?

• HR stability impact?

• Governance problem?

• Representation level?

• Women participation


New Text Added Here…


What is the cost of operating a university

Revenue Sources Data Requirements

Problem Statement• What cost is involved in the operation

of a university in SA

• How much does it cost to operate universities in the HE system

• What are the various cost items in university operations

• What is the total cost of running the HE system

• How do cost of operation differ between public and private universities

• Should student support continue in its present form

• Is the existing cost of running universities efficient

• Can existing operational cost be sustained for the long term

• In what ways can efficiency be increased in the running of universities

• How does cost of operating universities in SA compare with other countries


How is university finances managed

Revenue Sources Data Requirements

Problem Statement• How do SA universities manage their

finances

• What systems of financial control are in operation in the various universities

• How efficient and effective are current financial systems

• What are the major problems of the existing financial systems

• What policies and procedures would best serve the universities in the HE system of the future

• What values and functions should the financial system of the future aspire to

• What financial models are available for use in the HE system


What is the cost of operating a university

Physical Facilities Data Requirements

Problem Statement• What physical facilities are required to

support the operation of universities

• What types of physical facilities are found in the various SA universities

• Are all universities provided with all the facilities required to operate a university

• Is there an equitable availability of facilities across universities

• What types of facilities should be available to all universities

• Should student housing be provided as part of university campuses

• Should faculty be residential in all universities

• What is the cost implication of providing ideal physical facilities to all universities

• What role should the private sector play in the provision of physical facilities

• How do physical facilities in SA HE compare with those of other countries


How should university facilities be managed

Facilities Operation and Management Data Requirements

Problem Statement• How should university physical

facilities be operated and managed

• How are existing physical facilities operated in different universities

• What is the level of efficiency in the use of available physical facilities and equipment

• How are physical facilities management by the various universities

• How adequate is the maintenance of physical facilities across the HE system

Date post:	19-Dec-2015
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