Advocacy

Strategic intentions and Recommendations of
Ukrainian Association for Management Development and Business Education

І. Independent standards for evaluation of educational quality

“Independent standards for evaluation of educational quality” by UAMDBE is the basis for implementing independent system of accreditation among educational institutions and programs in Ukraine.
Existing accreditation system of educational institutions in Ukraine includes: self evaluation, licensing, attestation, state accreditation. Institutions of civil (independent) accreditation by professional societies do to exist in Ukraine. Independent accreditation by UAMDBE is and addition to state accreditation of educational programs in business and management and complies with legislation system of Ukraine in this sphere.
The main goal of implementing independent standards and processes of accreditation is assisting educational institutions on issues of strategic planning, evaluating quality of educational curricula and programs, organizing monitoring of activity progress, achievement of international standards of educational quality. Civil accreditation is aimed at identifying probable maximum of educational potential of institutions, which guarantees level of education higher than the one proposed by the state to investors and consumers.
Principles of independent accreditation: voluntarism, completeness, perspective oriented, objectiveness of orientation, processes and results comply with identified mission, resources comply to achievement of goals in the future.
According to the data of “Independent standards of educational quality evaluation” the indicators of civil accreditation, aimed at providing evaluation of educational maximum can be grouped as: indicators of HEI potential, specialized indicators, indicators of special achievements (evaluation in accordance with activity results and set goals). Using proposed materials assists in complete evaluation of educational institution. Implementing system of quality evaluation allows HEI:
- Quality improvement and optimization of its activities, improvement of results;
- Enforce the stress on the goal of its activities and compliance with consumer needs;
- Achieve and support on a stable level high quality of services to satisfy needs and demands of consumers;
- Open new opportunities or keep conquered market segments in the sphere of higher education;
- Achieve acknowledgment among customers through certification procedure;
- Participate in tenders, including international, proposing educational services on acceptable conditions.

It is proposed to establish centers of civil accreditation in regions (cities), on regional and local markets of educational services, involve HEI faculty to expertise, as well as representatives of local communities and different regional employers’ unions.
Considering the specifics of starting conditions for civil accreditation in Ukraine, it is important to stress the attention on such chapters of “Independent standards of educational quality evaluation” as research, development and innovations, cooperation with business and international collaboration.

Recommendations for Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine, Ministry of Labor and Social Politics in Ukraine:
- facilitate implementation of “Independent standards of educational quality evaluation” by UAMDBE;
- define professions and specializations in preparation of managers;
- form framework conditions for post diploma and other forms of continuous life long education;
- ensure complete and legal recognition of bachelor degree and its recognition within business community;
- include changes to State Profession Classificator in accordance to international standards and conditions of local labor market;
- develop and implement state standard for “List of Higher Educational Qualifications ”;
- provide implementation of international approach to recognition of higher educational school graduate: identify qualifications in educational diplomas according to level of education and specialization (profile).

Actions of Ukrainian Association for Management Development and Business Education:
- place “Independent Standards of Educational Quality Evaluation” on the web page of UAMDBE for further discussion;
- establish agency for independent system of accreditation with recognition of rights and obligations of individuals evaluating and being evaluated;
- hold series of seminars for expert training on procedures of expert evaluation of educational programs and HIE;
- identify the mechanism of rating educational institutions;
- organize monitoring of educational quality in HIE – members of UAMDBE;
- on the constant basis inform the community about results of activities held in educational institutions;
- develop the set of rules on evaluation of faculty member activity, identify requirements for rating and systems of motivation;

Actions of educational institutions of Ukraine:
- develop mechanism of managing educational quality;
- justify the concept of internal quality control system, its technical, technological and organizational provisions;
- implement monitoring of educational quality in accordance with criteria and ratings of quality standards of international organizations;
- enhance system of student knowledge diagnostics;
- harmonize the content and parameters of educational process organization in accordance with international standards;
- facilitate activities on implementing credit module system of educational process organization, implement parallel to Ukrainian system of credits European system of credits (transfer) knowledge;
- implement system of educational quality of faculty activities, identify rating and motivation system.

ІІ. Enhancement of management in educational institutions for business and management education

Important direction in modernization of Ukrainian educational system is implementation of contemporary effective management technologies, especially urgent for business and management educational institutions in context of their strive for leadership. Increased competition in all market segments of educational services demands constant enhancement of product quality. One of the most important instruments of managerial influence on institutions’ activity is strategic planning, which allows to comply the activities to the set organizational mission, as well as facilitates development of aimed programs for achievement of the desired result.
It is crucial to stress understanding of importance and urgency for implementing strategic planning in educational institutions by Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine, which was underlined in the Decision of Collegial of MES of Ukraine from February 28, 2003 “Higher education and science – priority spheres of society development in XXI century”, and which facilitates long term strategy development for educational institutions (5 years), as well as development of elements for short term strategic planning, middle term and long term plans.
“Recommendations on strategic planning and management in educational institutions (departments) for business and management education” by UAMDBE - the project that was developed and discussed during three round tables and seminar of Fifth International Conference “Building business management education in Ukraine, and later approved on the Third Congress of UAMDBE, is aimed at methodical assistance for administrators of educational institutions, administrative bodies managing education in implementing perspective technologies for enhancement of activities in this sphere.
Developed project with “Recommendations” supposes special stress on strategic plans for such important organizational issues of educational institution as:
– Mission and system of goals, including issues of developing corporate and ethic codes;
– Description and evaluation of internal environment in educational institution (staff, image, technology of educational (scientific, consulting) activities, organizational structure, students and attendants;
– Description and evaluation of external environment (competitive market of educational services, conditions and labor market tendencies, state regulations and state requirements, private customers, civil society institutions);
– Research and managerial support to strong and weak sides of educational institution (perspective opportunities and threats, strong and weak sides, SWOT analysis and its management).

Technologies for development of strategic plan (organization and technology for generating alternative development scenarios, forming system for criteria and its evaluation, organization and plan for development of strategic plan).
Recommendations also contain the advice on methods of strategy and organizational scheme selection and its implementation, procedures on sanctioning and plan correction, as well as organization and support.
The last chapter of Recommendations is dedicated to main tools for implementing the strategies (enhancement of organizational structure, establishment and implementing communication and coordination methods, search and distribution of resources for implementing the strategy, establishment of the system for quality management, evaluation of implementing the plan and achieved results, external audit of strategies and its implementation).
Discussion on Recommendation and suggestions on implementing separate parts of it by educational institutions allow to form the set of propositions for bodies managing education, Ukrainian Association for Management Development of Business Education and for educational institutions.

Recommendations to Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine:
– To support implementation of strategic management and other effective managerial technologies in practice of higher educational institutions, including approval and distribution of “Recommendations on strategic planning and management in educational institutions (departments) for business and management education” by UAMDBE.;
– Provide financial and organizational support for scientific research and enhancement of qualifications of top managers on issues of strategic planning and management of educational institutions;
– Facilitate wide discussion on issues of strategic planning in educational institutions and post main issues on web page of Ministry of Education and Sciences.

Actions of Ukrainian Association of management Development of Business Education:
– To post on the web site of UAMDBE Recommendations win order to facilitate further discussion;
– Organize trainings for managers and participants of work shops in higher educational institutions in order to enhance the tools and methodology of strategic planning, share the success stories on development and implementation of strategies;
– To form the work group for writing educational manual on strategic planning in higher educational institutions.

For educational institutions (departments) of business and management education:
– Implement strategic planning in practical activities of educational institutions;
– Create conditions and facilitate different elements of strategic management, total quality management and other effective managerial techniques;
– Unite intellectual and organizational efforts aiming at total enhancement of management in educational institutions, enhancement of strategic planning and management as well as development of Ukrainian educational system, aiming at integration with European educational community.

ІІІ. Concept of MBA programs’ development in Ukraine

Business education, as one of directions in educational activities, greatly different from other directions in higher education. Special place in the system of business education is given to Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, that have several set international standards for quality and conditions of delivering it to the students. The main problem in developing MBA programs in Ukraine is providing international standards of educational quality for these programs and its correct positioning on the market of educational services. In Ukraine, as well as some time ago in Russia, there is a tendency for attempts to interpret MBA programs as a part of Master degree programs, by changing the existing standards of Master degree education. We propose in Ukraine to use the name, which is not only adequate to content and international standards of MBA programs, but also has element of separate positioning among Master degree programs and name it Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
The essence of MBA program is addition to higher degree education, therefore programs on re qualification, and therefore does not require obligatory state licensing as well as obligatory state diploma. In this context it is principal and important to look at the international experience, which indicates that:
- Development of programs for additional education is important element in democratization and open society;
- State ministries and bodies are active in support of implementing self governance in different spheres of professional activities, since such initiatives demonstrate progress in professional development. Professional unions on management and business education in UAMDBE is a bright example of such self governance initiative;
- Using international brand of MBA without keeping in mind history and specialties of its establishment is very problematic from the point of view of professional ethics;
- International status of MBA brand – is important advantage for the student (especially “discrete” encouragement from employers).
As of today in Ukraine, with increasing demand from business community on quality MBA programs complying to international standards, there are only few MBA programs that are more or less close to international standards. The market demands establishment of new programs, therefore the core issue for Ukrainian business educational is providing balance between high quality and elite status and increasing quantity of MBA programs in the closest future. Any simple ordinary decisions that open doors for the process can severely damage image of MBA programs in Ukraine, as well as close opportunities for partnership and trust development between business and educational institution proposing low quality product on the market. Considering high demand for professional faculty who can adequately deliver MBA programs, lack of information, material and financial resources for intensive development of business education in Ukraine, very weak bonds between HEI and business community, the situation demands common actions from HIE of Ukraine that value quality of business education and MBA programs, its ability to compete (at least in European community), as the key factor for development. Global experience indicates that control instrument for quality MBA programs in all countries – is its civil independent accreditation in a framework of business and management educational associations. Such accreditation program for educational institutions is obligatory for establishment, first of all, quality services for potential students, and for foreign partners is as an indicator of commonly accepted international standards of MBA program quality. Therefore such accreditation can be voluntary, independent from the state and serves as an instrument for enhancement of all process in activities of educational institution.
In order to find solution for the above problems, there was formed a work group within a framework of UAMDBE for preparing the project of the document that can serves as the basis for coordination of common efforts of all HEI in Ukraine, interested in enhancement of MBA program quality and forming the system of requirements, criteria, indicators, that comply with existing international standards and for establishment of independent voluntary system of accreditation of MBA programs in Ukraine. Working group consists of volunteer representatives of 14 HEI of Ukraine that already deliver MBA programs to students, or plan to implement such programs. Work group lead a research and generalized best local and international experience in accrediting MBA programs in order to develop the document on “Requirements to quality delivery of MBA programs in Ukraine”.

Goal of the document:
1. Indicate place and role of MBA programs within the structure of business education in Ukraine.
2. Form main requirements to preparation and implementation of MBA programs in Ukraine.
3. Draft main activities of HEI in Ukraine aimed at enhancement of quality of business education and its integration in European educational community.

At Fifth International Conference “Business education as business: quality of services and social responsibility” was held a discussion on content of the pilot document as to the current situation and perspectives of MBA program development in Ukraine. Most of guest speakers stressed the importance of compliance to international standards and high quality of MBA programs as a key element for competitiveness on international market. At the same time, discussion on implementing new field standard for MBA programs indicated lack of common understanding the importance of quality criteria for MBA programs in HEI of Ukraine.
Considering mentioned above, representatives of UAMDBE members, participants of the discussion came to common decision on importance of positioning MBA programs and further steps in common efforts within UAMDBE activities.
Recommendations to Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine:
- support activities of UAMDBE in implementation of “Requirements to quality of MBA programs in Ukraine”;
- With the purpose of positioning and compliance to international standards, to recommend using Master of Business Administration (MBA) name for MBA programs;
- to agree with following terms and conditions:
* MBA is the post diploma degree of business education on general management and business administration, that should provide highly professional managerial resources, personal development of students and career growth of graduates and should comply with high intellectual and academic standards.
* MBA program – is a special program, separate from other MA programs and programs on re qualification ( there are set international standards: tuition fee, students should be managers with work experience; content – is an integration of theory and practice on strategic level, etc.);
* accreditation of the program is important for quality proof of the school, for potential students, foreign partners, as indicator that HEI complies to common standards of MBA program quality. Accreditation can be both, professional, voluntary, independent and can be held by UAMDBE in accordance with standards agreed by representatives of HEI of Ukraine, international organizations and business standards.

Actions of Ukrainian Association for Management Development of Business Education:
- to approve the content of the project “Concept of requirements to MBA programs, developed by work group of UAMDBE, as the basis for establishing new independent professional voluntary system of accreditation for MBA programs in Ukraine;
- to distribute materials on MBA programs to the wide circles of society;
- to inform Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine about content and further plans of work group activities on development of MBA programs;
- Work group of UAMDBE should continue working on agreement of discussion issues of the Concept and Requirements to MBA program, having in mind compliance with international standards and presentation of the approved document for discussion on the planned Association Congress;
- optimize business community involvement in development of the above documents;
- carry on continuous activities for integration into international community of business educational organizations (EQUAL, INTERMAN etc.).

IV. Development of research and business education in Ukraine

Academic institutions for business education (business schools) have a unique and important position among organizations, working in sphere of management and business. And although other organizations (for profit training organizations and educational units in business companies) together with business schools participate in development of managerial knowledge and skills, they are not concentrated on the research.
Research in business schools is a unilateral requirement for providing quality services. It delivers up to date information, important for delivery and perception of knowledge, creates theoretical and empirical tools for translating knowledge into models and practices of business. Although there are other sources of information and business activity reports do exist, the role of academic business schools, as independent suppliers of knowledge and information about business (research results) is unique.
As world business educational practices indicate, despite the fact that the nature of research in different business schools can vary, all schools that attempt to receive quality international accreditation, should include research into its mission statement. Today increasing demand on business educational services in Ukraine, raises the issue of its quality to the level of highest importance. Wide discussion on issues of importance and state of affairs in practical research of problematic of Ukrainian business, held within UAMDBE allows to insist that research of business practices is important today and for the future in order to develop both business education and Ukrainian business in general. Such research is a form of active interaction between business schools and business community and is in terms (methods) academic by nature, but different from purely academic research by its analysis with the purpose of solving real business problems. Research is a condition and requirement to preparation of qualified staff able for quality delivery of MBA programs, post diploma education and able to hold opened seminars on different problematic issues as well as give consulting services.
Unfortunately today it is possible to state complete lack of data on coordinated research held by faculty of business school, and where results would comply to requirements of international business education. Among most important reasons are characteristics of local business: difficulties in convincing business structures in importance of research and its practical good (lack of understanding the goal of researchers by managers); difficult complex character of problems that require research; lack of financial support to complex research on issues of personal activities an development. Other group of reasons, setting problems for business schools in this sphere are: lack of dialog between business schools on issues of organization and results of research; importance of “sale” of research results to colleagues from academic environment, authorities and society, lack of resources for holding own independent research, concentration of faculty on narrow topics; lack of system for complex training for business researchers, different criteria of research quality, used by academic and business community, etc.
As international experience indicates, problems of organizing and providing research quality exists everywhere and solving these issues demands common effort of majority of business schools. Aiming at solving these issues, UAMDBE established initiative group for preparing drafts of documents to create a basis for collaboration between Ukrainian business schools in research, using experience of best international practices. Among documents that need to be developed and implemented in the nearest future is “Concept for preparing faculty researches in issues of Ukrainian business”; “Organizational issues and common research on business problems by business schools”; “Concept of establishing national fund for financing local business research”; “Principals of organization the exchange of research result and scientific discussion between business schools – members of UAMDBE”; “Concept of establishing monitoring system on demands of Ukrainian business; and “Concept for development of monitoring system for demand of Ukrainian business in business educational services”. The initiative group consist of 3 representatives of HIE of Ukraine – members of UAMDBE that are actively involved in research of business issues, or interested in research system. Work group has analyzed the existing conditions of the local and international experience in organizing system of research and decided to facilitate the process of developing the system and establish “Concept of establishing monitoring system of business issues in Ukraine”. It will allow to evaluate the number of problems, as well as will assist majority of business schools to plan its further activities.

Goal of the document:
1. Define principles of organizing research on issues of business problems held by business schools;
2. Choose methodology and tools for holding research on regular basis;
3. Draft directions for using the results of research held by business schools.
At the Fifth International Conference there was held a discussion on importance of establishing system for research development, as a guarantor of quality of business education in Ukraine. Most of speakers stressed the importance of establishing monitoring system, as a first stage in this important work. Consulting Committees that can include business representatives in business schools can serve as an important tool for forming positive climate around research. Probably the most important issue is a weakness of exchange process of results and lack of sharing experience on research between business schools.
Recommendations of Ukrainian Association for Management Development of Business Education in Ukraine:
- in order to provide quality of business educational services in Ukraine and its compliance to requirements for competitive advantages for local business and criteria of international accreditation, to agree with proposal on establishment of system of independent coordination, control and stimulation of research, held by business schools;
- important to support active contacts between researchers (business schools) on the high level of discussion between them and business community, as well as business associations by holding round tables, internet forums on the web site of UAMDBE;
- stimulation of research development in business schools of Ukraine needs coordinated effort and resources from all participants as well as development of system of conceptual documents, that will ensure effectiveness of collaboration.

Actions from Ukrainian Association for Development of Management and Business Education:
- form work group of researchers – representatives of UAMDBE for development of system of conceptual documents, by starting work on drafting “Concept of establishing system of monitoring demands of Ukrainian business in business educational services ”.
- Approve the system of conceptual documents for development of research in business education in Ukraine on the Fourth Congress of UAMDBE.

Ukrainian Association for Management Development of Business Education
Address: 01023, Kyiv,
28 Esplanadna Str., office 7
Tel./Fax 044 248 72 39,
246 72 05, 248 72 13
E-mail: info@uamdbe.org.ua
www.uamdbe.org.ua

 Strategic intentions and Recommendations of Ukrainian Association for Management Development and Business Education (MS Word 151 Kb)