Summary
Empower Educational Centre [E.E.C] was formed in 2001 and incorporated in 2002 as a Non-Governmental and non-profit organization committed to empowering the minds of youths in Kenya regardless of their ethnicity, by availing educational solutions to the less privileged. E.E.C seeks to adopt the most-effective leadership style and skills that commit to excellence and to improve on the allocation of appropriate and adequate resources by providing assistance where required.
Its principles rely on providing quality services and partnering with local communities, the private sector, civil society, and other development partners in education. Motivated by its values and principles, E.E.C explores various leadership initiatives on aspects revolving around educational development and practice based on organizational approaches to theory and field-based applications.
Leadership entails technical assistance and provision of necessary support for organizational purposes to achieve a specified objective. Leadership involves collaborative understanding and practice of fundamental requirements to achieve the goals of the tasks at hand. In addition, leadership calls for initiatives that promote professional and reflective development and practice to enable the application of theory and research in enhancing a favorable working environment.
Morally, leaders provide guidance by providing an alternative course of action, systematized to incorporate diversity, and promote productivity (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Applied Leadership Initiative [A.L.I] provides a reflective approach to personal and group experiences in improving systems and institutions based on policy and context. In this report, A.L.I conceptualizes understanding of educational to “real world” leadership by assessing and analyzing the following values and principles:
- Education is a basic human right
- Removing financial and other barriers to educational access
- Optimal learning for all children in the local school
- Whole child development
- Respect for diversity
- Gender sensitivity
- Community participation and ownership
- Personal and professional integrity at all times
- Working with transparency in the management and cordial relationship with all stakeholders
The report bases its assessment on a) the degree to achieve the learning objectives, b) factors contributing to the success, c) improvement opportunities and, d) lessons learned.
The Degree to Achieving the Learning Objectives
E.E.C sought to address education as a basic human right to all individuals irrespective of their ethnic and economic backgrounds. It emphasizes the fact that literacy and the ability to communicate elevate society in all aspects and that empowerment requires a conceptual understanding of issues at hand. Individuals with a basic education can further train on socio-economic and technical issues that incorporate the basic and tertiary needs of their social setting. Ideologically, approaching education as a basic right paved the way for massive class enrollments and influenced the partnerships that saw the educational development.
The removal of education fees and other barriers to education access boosted E.E.C’s efforts and those of the development partners in achieving their objectives by eliminating the cost of operations and other economic drawbacks. For instance, tuition subsidies by the central government to all public primary and secondary schools promoted the access of basic education to individuals of all socio-economic divide. Strategically, tuition subsidies ensured appropriate allocation of resources from the private entities and other partners and promoted continuous assistance to the educational programs by E.E.C.
Principle of optimal learning for all children in the local school-based its value on disparities in the society that brought inequality and affected learning. Learning as a holistic process requires a favorable environment, greatly influenced by social, cultural, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. By optimizing the learning environment for all children, E.E.C sought to bridge the gap brought about by these disparities and oversee the smooth transmission of curricula and non-curricula activities for all-round development of children. Ethically, E.E.C found the approach as the best to promote leadership and impart skills that ensured commitment to excellence and service delivery.
Child development bases its realization on the knowledge and practice of the basic human growth processes matched with real-life applications. The theoretical approach to various curricula aspects necessitates matching with environmental exposure for the holistic development of a child. E.E.C, in partnership with the education development partners, intervened and provided technical assistance through field-based applications that promoted mental and cognitive growth. For instance, they advocated curricula changes to incorporate physical education, technical training based on performance rather than age/ qualifications and teaching/study methods that are cognitive and reflective.
E.E.C’s commitment to empowering minds of youths in Kenya regardless of ethnicity necessitated respect for diversity in that the youth are multi-talented thus the need for consideration. The basic education prepares a child mentally and psychologically on societal obligations and in the process of development children tend to take different routes of specialization.
Identifying these diversities enabled E.E.C to incorporate talents and in streamlining resource allocation that promote the realization of its objectives. For instance, E.E.C advocated the establishment of technical learning institutions to augment public universities and research institutions in providing tertiary education and specialization into one’s field of interest. Strategically, this principle aimed at achieving policy measures that promote the advancement of skilled labor in the country for a balanced growth and the technical approach to the society’s problems.
Kenya’s ethnic backgrounds consist of cultural beliefs and practices that do not work hand in hand with the modern education. For instance, some cultures are reluctant to educate a girl child while others do not value education in that children are sent to fend for the family or other cultural activities that deny the child ample time to study. In its principle of education as a basic right, E.E.C highlighted the need to sensitize on gender aspects for the full realization of educational development.
First, it campaigned for the end of cultural practices such as early marriages to help the girl child join the school system. It works with the private sector and civil society to provide necessities such as sanitary towels that would keep the girl child out of school for days during their menstrual periods. In addition, E.E.C teamed up with stakeholders in leadership and governance to introduce competitions and other creative activities that are all-gender inclusive for motivation and appreciation purposes.
Community participation and ownership played a major role of integrating E.E.C’s objectives with the needs of children. Their participation helped E.E.C to understand specific needs of the children and in implementing background related issues that promote learning. Programs’ ownership by the communities facilitated activism and detailed monitoring by community members, easing the evaluation process by E.E.C.
Personally, professionalism and integrity played a major role of integrating social disparities with the educational development needs in line with the theoretical skills and field-based applications.
Finally, transparent management and cordial relationship with all stakeholders promoted continuous development by streamlining appropriate and optimal resource allocation, good-will from financiers and through open and consultative decision-making, propelling the realization of E.E.C’s objectives.
Factors that contributed to the success
Organizational leadership played a major role whereby objectives’ prioritization strategy for subordinates streamlined the operational oversight and provided inspiration to all stakeholders. Corporately, the breakdown of administrative services to respective organs and offices provided the platform that guided stakeholders to execute their responsibilities efficiently while maintaining business relationships.
In relation to Goleman (2000), open communication and transparency largely contributed to the success of the program in that consultative decision-making among all stakeholders facilitated congruence of ideas and promoted teamwork. Relaying of important information to the stakeholders gave access to the laid out procedures and helped in monitoring program’s process in real time and across the departments.
Collins (2001) observed the power of humility and tactical moves in resolving sensitive matters that are the backbone of a given venture. A strong business closure and careful risk management conceptualized the tactical decisions that realized successful implementation of various processes in the program. For instance, addressing the establishment of education as a basic need to the society while advocating the issues that promoted gender sensitivity and whole child development, constituted a high-risk business closure. Interfering with the government’s education policies at the time, and the economic/political philosophy by introducing alternative education policies, stood a high chance of rejection but the program had to incorporate the social benefit and educate the public on its importance. A strong project closure that worked in favor of the government, students and partners need confirmation and testing in all stages of implementation.
Finally, objective planning and the partner’s good-will strategized and oversaw the completion of crucial stages of the program such as the roll-out of subsidized primary and secondary education in Kenya. Stakeholder’s financial and policy support enhanced continuous supply of quality services and assisted technically in areas where the program managers lacked ground information.
Improvement Opportunities
Hughes, Ginnet & Curphy (2012) observe that leadership investigates the best action for particular situations that define human welfare and guide experiences or aspirations. Experiences pave way for consultative decisions that reflect the position of the program at a particular stage and guide the stakeholders in formulating the new course of action. E.E.C’s objectivity relies on the comprehensive approach of empowering the mind of the youth by providing probable solutions to the common problems resulting from historical perspectives and those that promote holistic human development. Improvement opportunities in the private sector and civil society would be paramount in addressing the functional aspects of public education, advocacy for transparency in the management of public goods and services and public-private partnerships for social wellbeing.
Lessons Learnt
Technically, E.E.C managed to resolve social crisis that developing economies face and though the process is yet to realize perfect operationalization of its objectives in line with Kenya’s vision 2030 lessons learnt include:
- Public- private partnerships work best on social issues in the society
- Open and transparent communication is essential in the realization of program goals
- Transparent leadership and accountability promote successful and long-term relationships
- Planning and purposive risk management augments and promotes pooling and allocation of resources
- Organizational leadership and separation of responsibilities enhance participation and ownership at stage/ departmental level and improves stakeholders’ productivity
E.E.C devotes its efforts to collaborating with all stakeholders and other development partners to steer education and learning activities in Kenya.
References
Collins, J. C. (2001). Level 5 leadership: The triumph of humility and fierce resolve. (Harvard Business Review.) Boston: Harvard Business School Pub.
Goleman, D. (January 01, 2000). Leadership That Gets Results. Harvard Business Review. 78, 78-93.
Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2012). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.