The Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) has embarked on the process of developing its second Strategic Plan which will be the guiding document for the period 2022-2027. The first Strategic Plan which was developed in 2017, and revised in 2018 to be in line with the “Big Four Agenda”, has been successfully implemented and has seen the university grow both in student population and the programmes on offer.
The Chairperson of the technical committee, Prof Esther Gicheru in her remarks thanked the technical team for their input and work in developing a first draft of the Strategic Plan 2022-2027. She noted that “The document which we are going to be taken through in the next three days has already been subjected to stakeholder input and views by way of a survey that was conducted between December 2021 and February 2022, where all our stakeholders, internal and external, gave their input on the direction they would want the university to take in the next five years”. Validation of the aspirations of the stakeholders as gathered in the online survey was also done on March 15th and March 16th, 2022 by the internal and external stakeholders respectively.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kamau Ngamau, in his welcoming remarks noted and commended the technical team
and the University Management Board for their invaluable input into the development of the Draft Strategic Plan. He expressed satisfaction with the Key results areas that the new strategic period will focus on and noted that “This will not only push the university ever so close to achieving her vision and mission statements but also create a path to her achieving the overall University Master Plan 2017-2067. I take a lot of pride in the far the University has come and the future to which we are going to be deliberating in the next three days”. The Strategic Plan will focus on the following key results areas: Relevant Quality Education & Training; Research, Innovation & Outreach; Corporate Management and Organizational Sustainability (Business Process Re-engineering, Financial Stability, Governance & Human Resource Capacity Development); Development & Improvement of Physical infrastructure; and Customer Centricity & Brand Visibility
In his welcome remarks, the Chairperson of the Council, Dr. Jeremy Bundi, did commend the University Management Board and the technical team for the work they have done so far in the development of a five-year footprint for the University. He noted that “A strategic plan is a tool that any organization uses as a guide. With integrity and dedication, as has been exhibited by the Management team led by Prof Ngamau, I am certain that the University is on the right and direct path to achieving its broad objectives, mission, and vision. My council is fully committed to providing the necessary support and guidance to the University with the sole intention of helping her achieve the plan as will be discussed over the next three days”. Dr., Bundi was happy and pleased to hear that all stakeholders in the university were involved in the process of developing the Strategic Plan and noted that they form a very delicate and integral part of the University Community.
The facilitator Mr. Kanjumbi from the Kenya School of Government noted that the second cycle of a Strategic Plan offers a great moment to pause and reflect on the journey that was started five years ago. It presents an opportunity for an organization to look at where they are now and a discussion of where they want to be going into the future. He reminded the Council and Management Board that the universities that will survive in the future are those that will depend less and less on the exchequer and more and more on their internally generated funds and more specifically from research and innovations.
The Strategic Plan with the input of the Council is expected to be launched by June 24th, 2022 for implementation thereafter.