General
Mak Holds Annual Suppliers’ Forum: Envisions Improved Service Delivery
On Thursday 2nd May 2019, Makerere University held the Suppliers’ Forum aimed at fostering strong relationships with suppliers, improving procurement processes and service delivery.
Officially opening the Makerere University Suppliers’ Forum, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration-Prof. William Bazeyo urged suppliers to always supply quality products to Makerere University.
Prof. Bazeyo appreciated the role of suppliers as key partners of Makerere University. “Our suppliers play a key role in the success of our business particularly in the areas of production, technology and growth. With the collaboration from our partners and suppliers, Makerere University contributes to sustainable development,” said Prof. Bazeyo.
He informed the audience that in his capacity as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), he would work with the University Secretary, Finance Department, Procurement and Disposal Unit to ensure that all user units in the University strictly follow the procurement plans and cycles. He also appealed to the suppliers to only supply items to Makerere University after receiving the Local Purchase Order.
Organised by Makerere University Procurement and Disposal Unit, the Forum funded by Makerere University and Stanbic Bank attracted over 200 participants comprising suppliers, Mak members of Management and staff. The forum provided a platform of sharing experiences, lessons and challenges with a motive of making fundamental commitments to providing a conducive environment for both the supplier and Makerere University.
Emphasizing the benefits of a strategic supplier relationship, the Manager Procurement and Disposal Unit (PDU), Mr. Paul Agaba said information sharing and efficient communication between suppliers and clients leads to good working relationships, reduced lead time in procurements and continued improvement of operations.
Addressing the participants, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, the Deputy University Secretary said the Suppliers’ Forum presented to Makerere University and its Suppliers a platform to discuss concerns on procurement and supply particularly delivery and quality.
“The forum allows the free flow of feedback and ideas between Makerere University and its suppliers and presents an opportunity to discuss ways through which products can be delivered on time and suppliers paid on time,” said Mr. Kiranda.
During the discussion, the suppliers appreciated the idea of an Annual forum aimed at strengthening relationships with Makerere University. The suppliers commended Makerere University for employing professional Procurement officers. They however requested Makerere University to always provide clear specification of items required by the respective user units. “If the specifications are clear, we will be in position to reduce the lead time in the procurement processes.”
The suppliers also noted that the current practice where Makerere University through the Procurement and Disposal Unit team communicates to only the successful bidder keeps the other firm/companies that competed for the same service in speculation. “When they communicate to only the successful bidder, the rest of us who competed remain in the dark. You keep on wondering whether you will receive a telephone call to provide the service. We therefore request that you communicate to all the firms that competed participated in the process, the final decision.”
On receipt of this constructive feedback, the University Secretary-Mr. Charles Barugahare who actively participated in the Suppliers’ Forum assured the suppliers that Makerere University through its Procurement and Disposal Unit will be communicating to all firms/companies that submitted bids to provide a particular service, the final decision of the University.
“We have taken this feedback seriously. Makerere University through its Procurement and Disposal Unit will communicate to all bidders. We will communicate to those who have been successful and those who were not successful,” said Mr. Barugahare.
Ms. Eva Ssewagudde, Programme Manager, Stanbic Bank called upon suppliers to manage their businesses professionally, network with others to be able to get access to both local and international connections and markets for their products.
She urged the audience to embrace the Stanbic Bank Digital Banking services which include making transactions through Mobile Banking, Agent Banking and the Stanbic App hence promoting digital solutions to customers, to enhance convenience and continued value to customer experience.
Closing the Suppliers’ Forum, the University Secretary, Mr. Charles Barugahare, commended Stanbic Bank for its continued support towards Makerere University activities. He also thanked the Makerere University Procurement team for initiating the Annual Suppliers’ Forum.
“I thank the Procurement and Disposal Unit for initiating the Annual Suppliers’ Forum. In a special way, I appreciate Stanbic Bank for funding this Forum. I hope that this Forum will be held annually so that we always meet and discuss ways of serving Makerere University better,” said Mr. Barugahare.
Article: Mak Public Relations Office
The Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD), Makerere University on 14th September 2021 presented findings from phase one of the study on Enhancing Women’s Participation and Visibility in Leadership and Decision-Making Organs of Public Universities in Uganda through Action Research. The study team led by the Director GMD and Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine also consists of Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa, Dr. Anna Ninsiima, Ms. Frances Nyachwo, Ms. Susan Mbabazi and Mr. Eric Tumwesigye.
The team is also made of coordinators from participating Universities such as Busitema University-Ms. Elizabeth Birabwa, Kabale University-Sr. Dr. Eva Tumusiime, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)-Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko, Muni University-Ms. Amandru Stella Wawa, and Gulu Univeristy-Sr. Rosalba Aciro.
Funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), the study was inspired by the fact that women are persistently few in numbers as staff, more so in leadership and decision-making organs of Ugandan Public Universities. “This is despite all the various efforts at national and international levels; the numbers are not growing as fast as needed to meet development goals of the country” explained Dr. Euzobia.
Based on this background, the study team therefore sought to conduct a situational analysis of the gender terrain of the six public universities to obtain baseline information encompassing the composition of governance and leadership organs and senior staff by sex, as well as a needs assessment and profiles of potential mentors and mentees.
Furthermore, the team sought to explore the capacity to conduct gender-responsive research as well as the role of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions within the universities as the drivers of development.
Dr. Mugisha-Baine shared that results of the baseline would then be used to design participatory training manuals or guides on gender and leadership. The manuals would cover; Institutionalized mentorship, How to conduct gender-responsive research, gender and equity budgeting, among others.
“Within these manuals, we shall have a male staff engagement strategy in gender equity interventions in universities” she explained.
The development of the aforementioned materials would then be followed by their adoption and use to build capacity for women not only in leadership of participating and other public university but also beyond. “We shall periodically evaluate whether the capacity we have built has influenced women’s participation in leadership and decision-making organs of the university” supplemented the PI.
The capacity building trainings for women, it is envisaged, will lay the foundation for the formation of a functional Uganda University Women’s Think Tank, starting with the six participating universities. Dr. Mugisha Baine added that through this Think Tank, a monitoring and tracking system for gender representation in recruitment, promotion, retention/turnover and leadership of public universities shall be established and maintained.
At the conclusion of phase one, the study team had drafted participatory training manuals in gender and leadership with content on; gender specific critical analysis of the leadership spectrum of public universities, positioning of individual women within the institutional framework and strategies for their advancement, gender equity advocacy in the university setting, institutional mentorship, building capacity in conducting gender-responsive research, among others.
“This content will be validated by the participating universities before the actual research training is conducted” added the PI.
On behalf of the research team, Dr. Mugisha Baine thanked the Government of Uganda for providing the resources that facilitated phase one of the study and prayed that the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) would support the next phase of capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the Mak-RIF GMC Chairperson, Prof. William Bazeyo, Dr. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala thanked and congratulated the team led by the Director GMD upon the milestones registered in the critical research.
“We are very proud of that work that is being done by all researchers in Mak-RIF and we would like to most sincerely thank Management for all the support throughout this process” she remarked.
Dr. Nkabala encouraged the research team to continue disseminating and using the findings for the furtherance of gender mainstreaming, particularly through the aspect of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions.
Prior to delivering the keynote address of the day, the Executive Director National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Prof. Mary Okwakol thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for inviting her to the important forum, noting that women’s participation in decision making and governance is a priority area of the Uganda Gender Policy 2007.
She commended Makerere University for being at the forefront of gender mainstreaming in Uganda, noting that this prominence was one of the reasons why the Gender in Education Policy 2007 provides for replicating the institution’s strategy in all other Higher Education Institutions.
Prof. Okwakol whose keynote address was punctuated incisive personal examples reaffirmed the statistics that women are generally not visible in leadership of Universities. That notwithstanding, in instances where they rise to leadership and decision-making positions, they are regularly subject to roles traditionally deemed as women’s inconsiderate of their managerial seniority and experience.
She nevertheless rallied the women to play their respective roles in enhancing participation and visibility at a personal level. The following were some of the strategies she proposed; work hard to acquire academic credentials so as to compete favourably with men, acquire necessary administrative training and experience, network among women, join professional networks as well as do research and publish.
On joining professional networks, she shared her personal experience as a young zoologist who joined UNESCO’s Tropical Biology and Fertility Programme. “Within a short time I was appointed Coordinator for Africa and after two years, I was elected as a Member of the International Board of Management. After serving for two years, I became Vice Chairperson of that Board and finally I became Chairperson of that International Board.”
At the institutional level, Prof. Okwakol appealed to the Chairperson Council and Vice Chancellor to proactively recruit women who meet the requirements for leadership positions even if it means actively seeking out the reluctant ones. In this regard, she shared that it would be useful for the university to develop a database of women and their qualifications to ease this process.
She shared that NCHE has in recognition of female underrepresentation at every level in Higher Education approved the establishment of a Gender and Equity Unit with the aim of promoting inclusive gender participation in the sub-sector.
“This unit has been placed under the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Accreditation which implies that as we look out for and regulate quality, gender will be a very important aspect of that regulation” she reassured.
Prof. Okwakol concluded by urging participants to read the; Third National Development Plan (NDPIII), Uganda Vision 2040, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) noting that there is no way all three can be achieved while women are left behind because they each make a case for inclusion of the female gender.
“What we are addressing here are historical injustices” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe as he commenced his remarks, “And in the case of Makerere University, it is well known that the institution started as a male-only institution and we all know the original motto was ‘Let us be men’” he added.
Citing examples from history such as; Marie Curie – one of the smartest physicists, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra – prominent Pharaohs of Egypt, George Eliot, Rosa Luxemburg and Hypatia – all great philosophers as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel – first female Chancellor of Germany, the Vice Chancellor said there is no plausible argument that there are things women cannot do as well as their male counterparts.
He said it was against this knowledge and in a bid to correct historical injustices that Makerere University pioneered initiatives such as putting in place affirmative action for girls, establishing a Gender Mainstreaming Directorate as well as a School of Women and Gender Studies. The Vice Chancellor nevertheless stressed the need to go beyond pioneering to protecting these gains through legislation. “Historically we have seen that discrimination can only be addressed by laws and policies.”
Prof. Nawangwe thanked the Government for providing funds to support Mak-RIF as well as the Funds GMC and Secretariat for ensuring that these funds are put to good use. He equally thanked the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara for her not only her support but also sparing time to attend a good number of the research dissemination events.
Delivering the concluding remarks, Mrs. Magara acknowledged that the study was timely and relevant the contemporary University, as one of the critical drivers of the national and international development agenda. She therefore reechoed the Vice Chancellor’s thanks to the Government of Uganda for generously supporting the University’s research through Mak-RIF.
Turning to the keynote speaker she said, “I thank Prof. Okwakol for ardently discussing the critical issues affecting the female gender, the strategies to overcome the challenges, including sharing her inspiring personal experiences.”
Mrs. Magara equally thanked Prof. Okwakol for her very instructional analysis, providing mentorship guidance with the resultant impact of enhancing the female gender in decision-making positions. In the same breath she congratulated the PI and her team upon successfully concluding phase one of the project.
“Phase one has generated insights in understanding the status of women in leadership in public universities, the legal and policy framework and its implications on women’s visibility, the institutional mentoring systems and the gaps therein” she observed.
The Chairperson of Council acknowledged that the challenge of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles cannot be resolved at an individual level. She therefore advocated for broad based strategies that can address deep-seated structural and cultural biases facing women. “These include developing mentorship networks, enacting laws and policies that address the imbalances and providing training programmes to address the leadership gaps.”
She therefore pledged the University Council’s unwavering support to the Gender Mainstreaming Programme by ensuring an enabling policy environment that facilitates gender-responsive teaching, learning, research innovation and community service.
The research dissemination was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ms. Ritah Namisango and the Director Communications, Learning and Knowledge Management, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and PRO Mak-RIF, Ms. Harriet Adong.
