Developing a policy for Mangosuthu Technikon as a case study on HIV and Aids and the challenges in policy development and implementation of HIV and Aids programmes and education

Date
2005-12
Authors
Sithole, Thembinkosi Berresford
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emerging of strategic planning over the past decade, as a fundamental tool for institutional development (Ekong and Plante, 1996 Hayward and Ncayiyana, 2003) has led to the resistance in institutional assessment. Tertiary institutions are obliged to take stock of their performance, and to address the source of identifies shortcomings. At the same time, perhaps not coincidentally, higher education management has emerged as a new discipline for graduate study, fostering research on this topic by both students and Academic staff. As a result, in-house issues, such as learning performance, student financing, budget effectiveness, graduate performance in the labour market, and many others have now become legitimate topics for academic enquiry. In the process, academic are beginning to acknowledge a new agenda driven by institutional reviews and innovations. However, HIV/AIDS remains largely outside the scope of concern in many tertiary institutions. It is the newest challenge to emerge in the “threat” category on the institutional SWOT (strength/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) analyses common to strategic planning. Mangosuthu is no exception in this regard. But for tertiary institutions, the challenge of HIV/AIDS looms larger and is more deeply rooted. Unfortunately, long established traditions of autonomous governance and management within institutions of higher learning tend to shield campus communities from intervention, even when it is well intentioned by other agencies of government. In the case of HIV/AIDS, for example, these institutions may not readily respond to calls for action by National AIDS Committees or the Health Department. For this reason, it is far more effective when a response to HIV/AIDS within systems of education begins at home. It is through that belief that I decided to analyse the Mangosuthu Technikon response to HIV/AIDS, looks at the development of its policy and other challenges that were faced in implementing HIV/AIDS programmes and education. This work looks at the development of Mangosuthu Policy and other related HIV/AIDS issues within the campus. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic harbours negative on economic implications for Mangosuthu Technikon because of the particularly vulnerable population that it is the host to. Before the Final proposed draft was produced, a process of wide consultation with all stakeholders took place. Once the policy is adopted, it will be adapted from time to time. This has also led to the development of Peer Education Framework that is attached as Appendix 1.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is bekend dat strategiese beplanning die afgelope dekade ontwikkel het as ‘n basiese instrument tydens institusionele ontwikkeling. Die nadeel is dat dit gelei het tot weerstand teen institusionele evaluasie. Tersiêre onderwysinstellings is egter nou verplig om nie net voorraad op te neem van prestasies nie, maar ook om die oorsake van tekortkominge aan te spreek. Terselfdertyd het die bestuur van hoër onderwysinstellings ontwikkel as ‘n nuwe navorsingsgebied, met die gevolg dat daar nou navorsing gedoen word op verskeie interne sake soos byvoorbeeld studiemetodes, studente finansiëring, effektiwiteit van begrotings asook die vertoning van studente in die arbeidsmark. ‘n Nuwe agenda wat gedryf word deur institusionele oorsig en innovasie word nou algemeen deur akademici erken. Nieteenstaande hierdie onwikkelings bly die impak van HIV/VIGS buite die prioriteite van verskeie tersiêre onderwysinstellings. Dit is egter interessant om te sien dat VIGS wel as ‘n bedreiging beskou word tydens institusionele SWOT (strengths / weaknesses / opportunities / threats) analises. Mangosuthu Technikon is geen uitsondering nie. Navorsing op sosiale aspekte van HIV/VIGS in tersiêre onderwysinstellings is baie ingewikkeld as gevolg van gevestigde tradisies van outonome besluitneming en bestuur. Dit bemoeilik dan ook goed bedoelde intervensies van agentskappe en die regering. Daar word byvoorbeeld nie gereagee rop die versoeke vir aksieplanne deur nasionale VIGS kommittees of die Departement van Gesondheid nie. Om hierdie rede is dit baie meer effektief om die HIV/VIGS probleem intern te hanteer. Die doel van hierdie studie was die identifikasie van uitdagings geassosieer met die implementering van ‘n HIV/VIGS program asook die ontwikkeling van ‘n beleidsdokument vir Mangosuthu Technikon. Die impak van die HIV/VIGS epidemie het‘n potensiële negatiewe effek op die finansiële welsyn van Mangosuthu Technikon as gevolg van ‘n hoë risiko studente gemeenskap. Die finale voorlegging van die projek is voorafgegaan deur ‘n proses van konsultasie met alle belanghebbende partye. Dit word voorsien dat die beleidsdokument gereeld hersien sal word. Daar is ook riglyne vir ‘n eweknie onderwysraamwerk ontwikkel wat in Appendix 1 voorkom.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
Keywords
Theses -- Industrial psychology, Dissertations -- Industrial psychology
Citation