Developing a model for measuring performance of universities in fragile countries and its application in Somali universities

Abstract

Different quality awards and excellence models have been developed in the past decades which include ISO, Deming Prize, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and European Foundation Quality Management. These models are successfully applied in the developed countries rather than fragile countries. Geographically, economically, socially and politically fragile countries are different from developed countries. Fragility is generally a combination of poverty, conflict, and instability. Fragile states have three characteristics, 1- the legitimacy of the government is weak, 2- governments do not have the capacity to provide basic services to their people, and 3- ongoing prolonged conflict. Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) states that characteristics of a fragile state are the combination of weak governance, ineffective national institutions, armed groups, extreme inequalities of income and education, weak rule of law, low government legitimacy, and high corruption. The purpose of this study is to develop a performance measurement model applicable for universities in fragile countries. Relative and Absolute measurement of AHP method have been applied in the study. To seek an answer to the first research question “what are the criteria and sub-criteria that should be included in the model to measure the performance of universities in the fragile countries?” the researcher interviewed 30 experts from eleven universities in top four fragile countries namely, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Chad. To answer the second research question “What are the priorities of the criteria and sub-criteria to be included in the model?” 36 items questionnaire were distributed to collect data through “pairwise comparison matrix”. Data were collected from 55 respondents belonging to20 universities in top four fragile countries. To answer the third research question, “What is the performance level of universities in Somalia as a fragile country?”, universities were evaluated against the developed model, academicians and administrative staff were asked to rate 24 questions based on the intensities: E-excellent, G-good, A-average, S-satisfactory, P-poor: Data were collected from 71 respondents from 15 universities in Somalia. Findings of the first research question indicate that criteria were clustered and categorized into nine main criteria and 24 sub-criteria. A total of 33 criteria were found from the respondents. Findings of the second research question indicate the overall weights of the criteria and the sub-criteria derived from all respondents. Weightage assigned fragile countries model are below other models such as MBNQA. Based on findings of third research question, six leading universities in Somalia are Hargeisa, Amoud, Muqdisho, Simad, Banadir and East Africa. In conclusion, the study provides criteria and sub-criteria applicable to measure performance of universities in fragile countries. The model is appropriate to evaluate universities in the fragile countries.