This essay is going to debate the importance of policy formulation, implementation and evaluation at tertiary institutional level. However, clear examples cited from Midlands State University would be fore-fronted to support discussed ideas. In addition, all key terms such as policy formulation, implementation and evaluation at tertiary institutions like MSU would be extensively defined for the benefit of the discussion.
The word “policy formulation” is perceived as a process of generating policy options in response to a problem established on the agenda. In this process, policy formulations both inside and outside of the tertiary education- identify, refine, and formalise policy options to prepare the ground for the decision-making stage economic, social and environment (ESE) (UNEP 2009:7). Knill and Tosun (2008: 15) argue that policy formulation involves discussion, acceptation or rejection of feasible course of action for coping with policy problems. Policy formulation is strongly related to policy adoption- the subsequent stage and clear-cut distinction between them is often impossible. Policy formulation deals with the elaboration of alternatives of action, where as policy adoption refers to the formal adoption to take on a policy. In addition, policy formulation implies the definition of policy objectives and the selection of the most appropriate policy instruments as well as their settings (Hall 1993).
In policy formulation, policy proposals are usually formulated by staff members rather than their bosses, but staffs are guided by what they know their leader want (Dye 2005:42). Basically policy formulation brings the relationship between executives and legislatures into the forefront. At tertiary education through collegiality and communication policy formulation is a process which enable all university committees from grass root to the top to collaborate in policy formulation including the students.
Another important term is “implementation” which is the stage where a selected policy option must be translated into action. UNEP (2009:9) states that implementation is probably the most difficult, demanding, and critical stage in a policy process. Any deficiency in policy design or any vulnerability with respect to the policy environment proposed remedy, and the Economic, Social and Environment (ESE) effects from implementing that remedy, in order to facilitate policy learning. Cochran, Lawrence, Carr and Cayer (2009:20) note that policy implementation includes outputs and impacts. Policy outputs are tangible manifestations of policies, the observable and measurable results of policy adoption and implementation.
Tyler (1950) defined evaluation as “the process of determining the degree to which goals of a programme have been achieved. He sees evaluation as a measure of the success of the outcome of a programme. Crombach (1960) defined evaluation as “the collection and use of information to make decisions about an educational programme. Wheeler (1967) defined evaluation as a more general judgement of the out- come of a programme, which involves the use of observations, various tests, questionnaires, interviews and so forth. In tertiary institution like MSU evaluation can be either formative (continuous assessment) or Summative assessment like end of semester examinations that earn students grades.
According to Knill and Tosun (2008) evaluation is often a formal component of policy making and is generally carried out by experts in tertiary institutions, who have some knowledge about the processes and objectives pertaining to the issue undergoing review. Evaluation can be carried out in different ways. In this context, Munger (2000:20) differentiates between purely formal evaluations (monitoring routine tasks), Client Satisfaction evaluation (performance of primary functions), Outcome evaluation (satisfaction of a list of measurable intended outcomes), Cost-benefit evaluation (comparison of costs and impacts of a policy) and evaluation of long term consequences (impact on the core societal problems, rather than symptoms alone).
At tertiary institution like Midlands State University (MSU) policy formulation is decentralised. We have various committees or taskforce that formulate policies that cascade from departmental, faculty, deans, Result Based Management (RBM), Senate and so forth. In the Faculty of Social Sciences, we have various committees that among include web-site committee, research, student travel, work related learning (WRL) and many others. All the mentioned above committees at tertiary institution contribute towards policy formulation. Collegiality is an important factor in policy formulation. Various faculties, departments both academic and non-academic like administrators, bursars department, human resources are largely influenced by collegial organisations spirit that strongly emphasis consensus, shared power, consultation, and collective responsibilities where status differences are down played and people interact as equals.
Furthermore, students union like Students Representative Council (SRC), through the dean of students’ office deals with student affairs like students travel, health issues, accommodation, and escalation of fees also partake in policy formulation. Engaging students in policy formulation who are adult learners at tertiary institution enable universities to formulate policies that are all encompassing and the same time addressing all the stakeholders’ needs. For instance in 2012-2013, when the university hiked the fees most students could not meet the registration deadline and the SRC had to intervene so as to force the university authority to allow students to make some payment plans.
Again university workers committee like Midlands State University Lecturers Union (MSULA) and Midlands State University Non-academic Workers union (MSUNZA) are involved in policy formulation. Collegial organisation enables all the existing committees in tertiary institution like at MSU, MSULA, MSUNZA, SRC, and Disability Resources Centre (DRC) contribute immensely in policy formulation through communication with the university authority like Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice- Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and Librarian. Communication is salient in policy formulation. Communication is an activity of conveying information through the exchange of speech, visual, written or non-verbal. Communication enables policy formulation to emerge from grass-root level and not always from top-down. It can be argued that at tertiary institution policy formulation is based from independent policy committees like SRC, MSULA, MSUNZA and DRC. It can be argued therefore that basing on the above arguments collaboration in tertiary institutions leads to more and better planning and productive policy formulation.
It is argued that in tertiary education, policy formulation enable the establishment of a grand vision for tertiary education. Here comprehensive and coherent vision for the future of tertiary education, guided by future policy development cover the medium and long term in harmony with national, social and economic objectives can be achieved. For instance, at Midlands State University (MSU), Work Related Learning (WRL) program as a university policy enable students from various faculties and departments to develop practical and mental on social and economic issues at national level. Through WRL, the university (MSU) have established comprehensive and coherent ties with the captains of industry. Extensive and flexible diversification through WRL policy provided the country with a wide capacity to address varied national needs, in terms of research and innovation, the development of a skilled workforce, social inclusion and regional development.
On the other hand, policy formulation becomes a challenge in steering tertiary education, particularly in articulating clearly the nation’s expectations of the tertiary education system. For instance, at MSU the Media and Society Studies department at times it is not clear whether it produces the fully baked journalist who can be competent in the media industry as news reporters, or media practitioners who studies journalism as a unite in comparison with National University of Science and Technology (NUST) whose programme is typically Journalism.
Moreover, aligning priorities of individual institution with the nation’s economic and social goal is a challenge at MSU particularly looking at the Commerce and Business study, where departments are failing to match individuals with the economic and social goals. Some of the business concept and principles learnt at tertiary institutions do not tally with the economic and social issues prevailing in Zimbabwe. Again through policy formulation it is a challenge finding the proper balance between governmental steering and institutional autonomy. For example at MSU, since it is a state university it is difficult to find them initiating and establishing policies that have no government interference.
Policy formulation is important to ensure academic freedom to lecturers and students. According to some groups academic freedom has been under threat in tertiary institutions since lecturers are being left in policy formulation and a never consulted on pertinent issues that affect them as expects. For example, in all RBM, only the top five, human resources and the few on the administration partake in policy formulation. Lecturer are instructed not to teach the conventional students together with the parallel students without considering how that makes life tough for lecturers who are suppose to be persuading their PHD, PDTE and conducting research for publications. Lecturers and students should be allowed to criticise some of the policies initiated by the university authority that makes their life unbearable. Like paying all their fees before examination and charging them a fee for lift chairs from lecturer room.
Furthermore, it can be argued that in tertiary education there are three types of evaluation namely diagnostic or initial evaluation, formative evaluation and summative evaluation. Diagnostic evaluation is evaluation that is done during the formation of educational objectives. It is used to decide the entry behaviours of the learner in a particular course or programme. At MSU diagnostic is used when selecting students for enrolment and strongly rely on the grades attained at secondary education level. Diagnostic evaluation assist lecturers to determine where individual students are in their acquisition of knowledge and skills, so that instruction can be personalised and tailored to provide the appropriate next steps for learning. This would assist the lecturer to choose the appropriate assessment tools as well as to determine the frequency and timing of its administration that would allow the lecturer to gather data that is relevant, sufficient, and valid in order to make judgement about student learning during the learning cycle. For instance, in the Media and Society Studies department diagnostic evaluation enable lecturers who teaches practical modules to liaise with the local media organisation so as to understand the current trend in news room in terms of computer application software used in designing newspapers and magazines, new journalism ethics and basic news writing skills.
It is important to study diagnostic evaluation at tertiary education so that the lecturer can share learning goals and success criteria with students at the outset of learning to ensure common and shared understanding. Such evaluation is salient to inform instruction, guide next steps, and help students monitor their progress towards achieving their learning goals. Diagnostic evaluation takes place before the commencement of the programme.
The second type of evaluation in tertiary education is “formative evaluation”, the evaluation that is done within or during the development of a course or programme. It is used in improving the performance of the teacher, the student and curriculum developer. Formative evaluation can include something participants said or did, what the products of group work actually were, or any other visible indications of how participants were thinking or, feeling either individual or as a group (Malderez and Wedell 2007, p.169). Formative evaluation in other words means giving ungraded assignments to students. Ungraded or comments only responses to students work can be an important part of formative evaluation. It occurs during the learning process and help students to understand what is expected. At MSU, students are exposed to formative evaluation through continuous assessment like long essays assignments, in-class test, group presentations and so forth. It is important in tertiary education in that it avoids comparing students in favour of enabling individual students to assess their own learning. It fosters dialogues that explore understanding rather than lecturers that present information.
The merits of formative evaluation at MSU, in the Media and Society Studies department are that it helps identify students who are struggling with particular tasks or operating under misconceptions. This in turn, can lead to improved instruction that addresses student learning. Furthermore, formative evaluation fosters students “motivation”, on task behaviour, and self awareness. Accordingly, lecturers can begin to see students as partners who are able to take more responsibility for their own learning. For students, formative evaluation offers increased feelings of confidence and control. Students in formative evaluation are encouraged to engage in more complex thinking and problem solving and to hold higher expectations for their learning. Students can spend more time on challenging task, develop an ability to assess their own work, and become effective evaluators of the work of their peers (Malderez and Wedell 2007). It is a quality control evaluation and is continuous.
Moreover, summative evaluation is another type of evaluation that can be used in tertiary institutions like universities and colleges. Summative evaluation is carried out at the end of a course or programme for grading, certification and placement. At MSU summative evaluation is achieved through end of semester examinations that lead to grading of students in all the modules and is objective. Summative evaluation is used in making decisions regarding the future of the students teaming or the programme being developed; whether it should be continued or terminated, replicated or disseminated. According to Yoloye (1976) education evaluation in tertiary institutions is essential for decision making, identification of appropriate questions, identifying and analysing relevant data on which decision can be based, monitoring the implementation process to ensure that it is appropriately done, to identify objectivity the impact or outcomes of decisions. Yoloye (1978) further argued that educational evaluation maybe to inform the producers (MSU), about me worm of what they are producing considering the energy, the time and the money invested. Obanye (1985) suggests that educational evaluation at tertiary institution provide adequate and effective feedback on student’s achievement not only in the cognitive area, but also the area of interest and manipulative skill.
Implementation which is one important factor in this essay is a process that follows the following rules rather than the exception. This is the final stage where initiated policies have to be put into effect. Circumstances related to implementation constraints cause policy modifications to take place. For example, when the university authority at MSU communicated that for lecturers to be tenured they should have a Post Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education and five publication it was take lightly by lecturers until the period where those who were suppose to be tenured were denied that opportunity after failing to meet the stipulated requirements. In addition, feedback obtained during implementation causes reassessment of aspects of the policy decision and subsequent modifications by policy makers. For instance, when it was communicated to all lecturers at MSU through the faculty deans that conventional students should be taught separately with parallel students the admission office had to monitor by moving around checking whether lecturers were not resilient to the formulated policy.
In implementation, the mere translation of abstracts policy intentions into concrete implementation causes re-assessment and re-designs. These changes occur with great frequency because, unfortunately, implementation problems are often greatly under-estimated during the stage of policy planning. For example, when the university (MSU) in 2013 hiked the fees for the students, students were told that if they do not manage to register before the dead line they would not be allowed to set for the examination. Students could not afford to meet the dead line because the fees were exorbitant, the university was force to review the fees structure downward and student’s registration dead line was extended.
Implementation is the time when one discovers that schedules are unrealistic and that programmes are over ambitious. It is the time where the ravages of inflation cause the lecturers union to demand pay increase prior to using new texts, it is the time when parents conclude that the certification offered by the new programme may not guarantee their children the jobs they hope for (Kemmerer 1990). For example, at MSU the music and musicology department and the Biological Science department have failed to enrol students that are above ten because their programmes are not liked out there. Most of the students with those qualifications end up teaching yet they had high hopes for better paying jobs.
It can be concluded that implementation represents the conversation of new laws and programs into practice. For successful implementation, there must be an entity with sufficient resources, which is able to translate the policy objectives into an operational framework and that is accountable for its action. Policy formulation is a process of generating policy options in response to a problem established on the agenda. Evaluation is often a formal component of policy making and is generally carried out by experts who have some knowledge about the processes and objectives pertaining to the issue undergoing review. The essay defined extensively all the three key terms namely; policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. In addition, salient factor in evaluation like diagnostic, formative and summative evaluation were discussed with clearly cited examples drawn from MSU, particularly in the Media and Society Studies Department. The essay also debated on the importance of communication and collegiality particularly in tertiary institution like MSU and its importance in policy formulation, evaluation and implementation. The essay had to explore MSU existing committees drawn from both academic staff, non-academic staff as well as the students.
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