On Friday 1^st April 2022, Makerere University convened a consultative meeting that brought on board staff from different units of the University to provide views that would further inform the ongoing process of developing the Counselling and Guidance Policy.

The formulation of the Counselling and Guidance Policy is a key component of the research project titled, Strengthening Psychosocial Support Services at Makerere University. The research project is funded by the Government of Uganda through Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF). Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Counselling and Guidance is the Principal Investigator.

Welcoming the participants, the Facilitator of the meeting, Dr. David Onen from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) emphasized the need for stakeholder consultation, engagement and involvement in policy formulation.

“Stakeholders should be consulted. Consultation enables us to understand the needs of those to be affected by the Policy.  It provides a platform to reach a common understanding of the goal and objectives of the policy, its benefits and implementation. When people are consulted, it leads to ownership of the policy,” he said.

Providing a reflection on Policy making, Dr. Onen informed the stakeholders that the ultimate beneficiary of the policy should be the learner. With Makerere University being an education institution, the stakeholders should focus on answering the question: “How does the policy benefit the learner?” He highlighted that a good policy must be goal based. He also appealed to every stakeholder to always follow a bottom-to-top approach in policy formulation.

In a presentation on the need for a Counselling and Guidance Policy, Mr. Nsubuga explained that psychosocial support services are crucial in ensuring holistic growth, development and wellbeing of students and staff. He pointed out that the learner does not operate in a vacuum and as such, the learner’s environment significantly determines his or her performance and wellbeing in general.

“In the pursuit of his or her goal while at Makerere University, the learner is faced with a number of challenges in the environment. Some of these issues if not attended to quite fast have a negative effect on the learner’s academic performance, mental, physical and social wellbeing as well as staff providing services to the learners,” he said.

He noted that some of the challenges could be academic, financial, unfulfilled dreams, unrealistic goals, relationship-based, health issues to mention, but a few.  Some, he added, could be coming from issues external to the learner’s environment such as family, but still have significant impact on the learners’ focus and wellbeing. In the same vein, some of the staff providing education services could also be grappling with the same issues affecting learners.

From the participant’s point of view, the development of the Counselling and Guidance Policy would contribute to strengthening psychosocial support services at the University.

Building on the presentations, the Facilitator of the day, Dr. David Onen asked a question: “How many of you feel that it is important for Makerere University to develop a Counselling and Guidance Policy?”

With the pace already set, Dr. Onen was preaching to the converted, and the stakeholders unanimously agreed that it was necessary to formulate the Counselling and Guidance policy.

Pleased with the positivity towards the process of policy formulation, Dr. Onen engaged the participants through interactive group discussions focusing on the objectives of the policy, the people to be affected by the policy, counselling and guidance services being provided, and recommendations of the Counselling and Guidance services that the stakeholders would like to be offered. The views of the stakeholders were effectively captured for incorporation into the proposed Mak Counselling and Guidance Policy.

Providing a Way Forward, stakeholders stressed the need to fast-track the development of the policy and unanimously agreed that the Counselling and Guidance Centre should play a central role and participate in all issues that concern students and staff at all levels. They further called for the integration of digitization in the provision of counselling and guidance services.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Nsubuga thanked the Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Elizabeth Nansubuga for the commitment towards the implementation of the research project. He commended the Facilitator and Stakeholders for the active participation that had provided valuable input into the draft Mak Counselling and Guidance Policy. He also acknowledged the University Management for supporting the strategies aimed at strengthening counselling and guidance services at Makerere University.

Written by: Ritah Namisango, Mak Public Relations Office