THE University of Technology (UTech) recently signed contracts with three consultants who are to undertake work, as part of the institution’s quality enhancement initiative.

The Government of Jamaica in 2008 signed a loan agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank for a loan of US$25.87 million to fund extensive development projects at UTech. The Government has undertaken this investment as a grant to UTech, and the university is contributing counterpart funding of $US16.78 million for related and associated projects.

Consultants were sourced via international tendering. Contracts have been awarded to:

* Trevor Hamilton and Associates Centre for Excellence who will undertake market needs analysis and income diversification assignments;

* Mindbloom Consulting out of Nova Scotia, Canada, which will have responsibility for the information and communication technology as well as enhancement of the quality of learning and teaching consultancies; and

* PricewaterhouseCoopers who will lead the development of the human resource management system.

Associate Professor Kofi Nkrumab-Young, in his welcome at the signing ceremony on April 28, was pleased to note that the enhancement project had now entered the implementation stage. The project has two main components — institutional strengthening and civil works development.

Nkrumah-Young told the gathering that major designs for civil works and infrastructure projects were completed and plans were being pursued to start construction activities later this year. He also noted that a project management unit responsible for all aspects of project implementation had been established at UTech.

Income diversification strategy

The consultant will recommend strategies and plans and for enhancement of the university’s income stream.

Market needs analysis

Recommendations from the Market Needs Analysis consultancy will assist the University in planning and co-ordinating its training programmes by way of assessing and responding to market needs.

Enhancement of the quality of learning and teaching

The consultant leading the Enhancement of the Quality of Learning and Teaching will mount a series of professional development workshops geared at further strengthening the instructional capabilities of academic staff.

Information and communication technology

The ICT consultant will develop detailed proposals and related implementation plans to enable the ICT resources of the University to adequately meet the institution’s academic and operational requirements.

Human resource management

The HRM consultant will lead the preparation of a Human Resource Management System to enable a more integrated and structured human resource function and to enable the University to meet its strategic objectives.

The duration of the contracts vary from four to 33 months.