Practices and Challenges of Quality Assurance Schemes in Ethiopian Quality Award Organization: Comparative Analysis of Private and Government Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This paper is prepared to give a comparative analysis of quality parameters in private and government higher education institutions in Ethiopia based on the Quality Excellence Model of the Ethiopian Quality Award Organization. The study considered two private and two public higher education institutions that competed in the National Quality Award competitions and who were capable of passing to the second phase. The result indicated that most of the public higher education institutions have a little more advantage in establishing an organized and articulated leadership system as compared to private ones. However, there is no quite huge difference between the two with regards to the availability of relevant policies and strategies. Availability of resources is higher in public higher education institutions than the private ones. In private higher education institutions, there were some gaps observed in facilities, like class rooms, additional facilities for disabilities and others. However, careful management of resources is much more pronounced in private ones. The process quality criterion and the strengths and shortcomings are more or less similar in their type and magnitude in both public and private higher learning institutions. The core business processes of education and consultancy, research and community service are similar in public and private. While the introduction of technology in the delivering of results is implemented in both, public higher education institutions take advantage of creating linkages with the industry and with other higher educational institutions. Private higher education institutions usually measure their results by the rate of return they generate to shareholders while those of the public institutions measure their performance by number of graduates every year. While the private higher institute has to take the necessary benchmark from the public higher education institutions in the form of benchmarking, networking and industry linkage, the public higher institutions need to learn from the private ones in their cost conscious approach and cost effective approach. More importantly, efforts have to be made by both in addressing the ultimate contribution to the socio-economic development of the country and promoting their social responsibility than simply focusing on number of graduates or amount of profit earned.