Transcript Human Resources Management in Public Universities of

Human Resources
Management in Public
Universities of Azerbaijan:
challenges and perspectives
Jala Garibova
Azerbaijan University of Languages
April 2013
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Higher education in Azerbaijan
Legislative basis
Recruitment
Teaching load
Initiatives at institution level
Government initiatives
Challenges
1. Higher education in Azerbaijan
Public and Private Universities
51 Universities
36 public
35 National
15 private
1 branch of a
Russian
institution
Location of Public Universities
36 public
Universities
29 in Baku
(capital)
7 in regions
Coverage of Public Universities
36 public
Universities
6 – general (broad
coverage of study
programs)
30 – field specific
Number of students in educational
institutions (2008-2012)
140000
120000
100000
120488
123530
2011
2012
128656
117934
80000
104945
60000
40000
20000
0
2008
2009
2010.
Number of employees in educational
institutions (2008-2012)
30000
26094
26404
2011
2012
25000
20000
22427
24182
15000
19940
10000
5000
0
2008
2009
2010.
Number of academic staff in
educational institutions (2008-2012)
14000
13161
12864
2011
2012
12000
10000
8000
10339
11566
9834
6000
4000
2000
0
2008
2009
2010.
2. Legislative basis
Education Management in Azerbaijan:
Legislative Basis (1)
From Law of Azerbaijan Republic on Education (19 June
2009):
 The management of a higher education institution is
effected by the Head (Rector) appointed by relevant
Executive Body of Azerbaijan Republic
 For transparency, board of trustees or other similar
boards can be established for management purposes
 Except for interference from educational governmental
bodies (in case of necessity), no interference from
other government structures in the management of an
educational institution is allowed
Education Management in Azerbaijan:
Legislative Basis (2)
From State Norms and Program on Higher Education in
Azerbaijan Republic (23.04.2010):
 The supreme managing structure in Higher Education
institution is the Academic Board (Academic Council)
 For transparency, board of trustees or other similar
boards can be established for management purposes
 Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan (MoE AZ) exercises
control over quality of education at every educational
institution (whether state or private)
Financial Issues (1)
• Financing of State Universities changed from
University request for funds to per-student costs
basis. (Presidential Decree of 10 February 2010)
• Costs are calculated only in respect to nonpaying students (students financed by
Government), so the Universities have to rely
mostly on funds received from fee-paying
students. However, non-paying students are
best-scoring students. The higher the University
rank, the lower the University funds
• Financial regulations are becoming more diversified and
less centralized. Following the 10.02.2010 Presidential
Decree and the Decree of Cabinet of Ministers of AZ on the
cancellation of previous decrees concerning centralized
payments/salary increase/additional merit-based payments
(22.10.2012), MoE AZ signed a decree authorizing
University Rectors to decide on: individual payments
(instead of salary schemes set by Cabinet Ministry);
employment contract form and period (instead of
University Board Decisions and 5-year employment rule).
(12 November 2012)
• By this: all governmental decisions concerning centralized
payment schemes, additional merit-based payments
approved by Government etc. lost effect.
3. Recruitment
Academic Recruitment (pre-2012 Governmental Decree)
Based on Decree of 7 August 1996 of Cabinet of Ministers
DEAN
• Inside University
vacancy
announcement
• Elected from among
University staff
• Elected at the
University Academic
Board (Council) –
secret ballot
• Elected for 4 years
• Maximum 2
elections in row
• Reporting: annual
individual work plan
HEAD of CHAIR
• Outside University
vacancy
announcement
• Open competition
• Elected at the
University Academic
Board (Council) –
secret ballot
• Elected for 5 years
• In exceptional cases
appointed on the
basis of a labor
contract for not
more than 1 year
• Reporting: annual
individual work plan
PROFESSOR
• Outside
University
vacancy
announcement
• Open
competition
• Elected at the
University
Academic Board
(Council) – secret
ballot
• Elected for 5
years
• Reporting:
annual individual
work plan
DOCENT/SENIOR
TEACHER/TEACH
ER
• Outside University
vacancy
announcement
• Open competition
• Elected at Faculty
Board – secret ballot
• Elected for 5 years
• In exceptional cases
– appointed for 3
years
• Reporting: annual
individual work plan
Recruitment of Deans and Heads of Chairs
Decree of 7 August 1996
• A special permanent commission is established by Rector for ensuring
transparency in the election of deans and heads of chairs
• An open competition is announced in local media
• Applications are received by Rector
• Applications and accompanying documents are sent to the special
commission A
• Chair meeting is called by the Commission for the final decision on the
selection of a suitable candidate for the position of Head of Chair/for the
election of Dean meetings are held with all relevant chairs (open voting)
• The Chair’s decision is authorized by the signature of the Chairman of the
Special Commission
• Based on the decision authorized by Commission a 5-year labor contract is
signed between the candidate and Rector.
• Reporting: annual report (to faculty board for heads of chairs; to
University board for deans).
New Recruitment Rules
• Employment contracts signed with every
employee on an annual basis
• Salaries established individually by University
administration
• Merit-based special procedures (tenure etc.) to
individual professors, scholars, academic figures –
at the discretion of individual Universities.
(Order of Minister of Education of AZ of
12.11.2012 based on the Decree of Cabinet of
Ministers of AZ of 22.10.2012)
Dynamics of Changes
• Authority:

from University Board to University Structures to
University administration (despite the University Board
is still considered the highest authority at Universities
its scope is considerably reduced);

from Governmental decision to Institutional
decisions
• Legislative basis for recruitment: from Board Protocol to
labor contract
• Employment period: from 5 years to 1 year (with possibility
of renewal)
• Assessment and Reporting: from individual work plan
(input-based and not output oriented) to annual reports
4. Teaching load
Teaching Load at Universities
*According to the Decree of Prime Minister of
24 November 2010, the full-time annual teaching
load of University professors/instructors is not
less than 500 hours.
*Not less than 60% of this load should be direct
classroom teaching (lectures, seminars,
laboratory work etc.)
Teaching Load in 1995-2009
Norms of Teaching load for University professors
according to Statute of 6 November 1995:
Teaching load – not less than 450-500 hours per
year
Not less than 40% of this load to be direct
classroom teaching (lectures, seminars,
laboratory work etc.)
Student:Professor ratios
From the case of Azerbaijan University of
Languages:
Before per-student based financing rule (before
2013) - 1:4
After per-student based financing rule (2013) –
1:9
Staff reductions brought to higher degree of
competitions among teaching
5. Initiatives at institution level
Individual University Initiatives to
Improve Educational Management
Enhancement of HR procedures for hiring:
Pre-interview screening
Interview
Post-interview assessment
Requirement of international certificates on
certain skills (language, IT etc.)
Motivation letters
Recruitment of New Graduates
• Recruitment of motivated and talented
graduates through internship
• Involvement of new graduates in academic
administration at lower levels
• Involvement of new graduates in start-up
teaching activities
University Cooperation for Hiring and
Evaluation
Local University agreements on mobile
committees for staff hiring and performance
evaluation activities:
(e.g., Baku State University staff involved in
performance evaluation of the library staff of
Azerbaijan University of Languages; Azerbaijan
University of Languages involved in evaluating of
language chairs of Baku State University,
Azerbaijan State Economics University and
Azerbaijan State Architecture and Civil Engineering
University)
Quality Assurance and Control
Centers Involvement
QA Centers involved in performance evaluation
for academic and administrative staff:
• Designing questionnaires and survey forms;
• Analyzing survey results;
• Assisting HR/departments with drafting job
descriptions
• Designing self-assessment and performance
evaluation forms
Staff trainings and enhancement
• More investment in supporting staff
development
• International projects, partnerships and
University initiatives
• Performance evaluation parameters linked to
staff development needs analysis
• Bottom-up management and evaluation
initiatives at some Universities
6. Government initiatives
Structural/Policy Changes
at Governmental Level
Department of Strategic Analysis, Planning and Human Resources
Management established at Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan (MoE AZ)
Main objectives:
1. to introduce/facilitate new management mechanisms into educational
management at the level of MoE AZ and individual educational institutions;
2. to monitor compliance with educational law and legislation by MoE AZ
sections and individual institutions; to analyze the outcomes and to prepare
recommendations;
3. to develop educational policy; to ensure achievement of sustainability in
educational reforms;
4. To prepare new reporting mechanisms
5. To develop MoE AZ’s new human resources policy and program
6. To analyze implementation and outcomes of international partnerships,
international projects, projects with NGOs etc., undertaken by MoE AZ and
individual institutions for the benefits of reforms.
Study Programs in Educational
Management
Azerbaijan Pedagogics University has recently started an
undergraduate study program in “Organization and
Management of Education”.
Pedagogical programs at other relevant Universities do
not yet have courses in Educational Management or other
similar ones. The main concentration of these programs is
pedagogy (at the level of classroom management) and
methods of teaching.
A new specialty at doctoral level: “Organization and
Management of Education” from 2012 (Decree of Cabinet
of Ministers from 15 March 2012)
Switching to Electronic Management
at Public Universities
• The year 2013 is announced the Year of Information Technologies in
Azerbaijan by President of Azerbaijan Republic
• Draft project prepared jointly by Ministry of Finance of AZ and
Ministry of Education of AZ on transferring the academic, financial
and HR management at public Universities to e-based system
Start-up activities: 21 May 2013
Goals are to introduce:
 Resources management system (SERP)
 Analytical reporting system (OBI);
 Learning management system (CLIX-LMS);
 Electronic signature (PKI)
7. Challenges
Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
•
Some departments at Universities are still using old documentation for reporting
and evaluation (individual planning form)
Contradictions in legislation (functions of the Academic Council and those of
newly established Committees for recruitment overlap; not clear whether
initiated boards of trustees at Universities would be alternative management
systems or subject to University Board: legislation is unclear about it).
Sometimes new decrees are adopted while the old ones are not officially
announced void.
Per student financing is not beneficial for well-rating Universities as they receive
most of non-paying students. So the better the University, the lower the
compensation capacity. Hence considerable opposition to the new financial
policy
Expected ranges of downsizing may create a social pressure.
New initiative to switch to electronic management is a positive step. Still at the
initial stage, the system will be based on the “central hub system” (however, this
may be considered as an optimal step for the beginning as individual Universities
do not possess sufficient experience to handle such a system).