UMI PASSES OUT 1,857 GRADUANDS AS CHANCELLOR CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND INNOVATIONS IN SERVICE DELIVERY

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The Chancellor of Uganda Management Institute (UMI), Ms. Gerand Namirembe Bitamazire.

“The rising demand for more and better services to meet the daily needs of the people and to solve society’s growing problems call for innovativeness, efficiency and creativity on the part of service providers, including managers, administrators and leaders. UMI does not only empower participants to excel at their work stations but they also acquire soft skills which are becoming increasingly critical in solving daily challenges through behavioral changes at personal and community levels”.

GULU-UGANDA:The Chancellor of Uganda Management Institute (UMI), Ms. Gerad Namirembe Bitamazire has called on young graduands to stand firm and be counted in defense of the principles and values of professional management, public administration and leadership.

She noted with concern that public civil administrators have serious deficiencies in areas of transparency, accountability, honesty, integrity and commitment when it comes to public service delivery.

“It is common knowledge that serious deficiencies have been noted in areas of transparency, accountability, honesty, integrity and commitment”. She said.

Ms. Bitamazire made the comment on Friday April 29, 2016, during the 14th graduation ceremony of 109 graduands who successfully completed a one year post graduate Diploma in various disciplines like Project Planning and Management, Human Resource Management   Development, Financial Management and Public Administration and Management from the institute’s Gulu Center. A total of 1,857 students will graduate in the 2014/15 academic year.

UMI is Uganda’s premier center for management training, consultancy and research with a mission “to excel in developing sustainable management capacity of public servants”. It was set up in 1969 as the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) to provide in-service training to public servants. Its mandate was changed in 1992 to reflect its broader role in development management and it was renamed Uganda Management Institute (UMI) and given its own statute. The Statute was repealed and replaced by Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions’ Act (UOTA) of 2001 (amended in 2006) to provide for the Institute’s Degree Awarding Status. UMI has has study centers in Kampala, Gulu, Mbale and Mbarara

“As Chancellor, I note with much delight that UMI is passing out a total of 1,857 graduands of whom over 109 are to be presented at this ceremony for the award of Post Graduate Diplomas in various essential disciplines including Planning, Management and Administration. In a special way, I congratulate the female Graduands on their achievements”. She said.

She noted with concern that the young generation is growing more anxious about the present and future condition of their lives than their parents are, and this state of affairs has far reaching implications on planning, management and service delivery.

“The rising demand for more and better services to meet the daily needs of the people and to solve society’s growing problems call for innovativeness, efficiency and creativity on the part of service providers, including managers, administrators and leaders. UMI does not only empower participants to excel at their work stations but they also acquire soft skills which are becoming increasingly critical in solving daily challenges through behavioral changes at personal and community levels”, she said.

The Director General of UMI, Dr. Mr. James Nkata thanks the leadership of Gulu district for donating land where Gulu center is constructing a permanent home to serve Northern Uganda, South Sudan and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“We are hopeful to move into our permanent home by the end of August this year. When complete this center will grow its capacity to enviable levels in both courses offered, consultancy and research and we would like to encourage you all to come back and use this center not just for qualifications but policy research and management retreats”, he said.

“UMI Gulu center is strategically positioned to not only answer questions for Uganda, which we are proud to research into and provide answers to, but also to serve the larger region, South Sudan, and the Congo are our immediate neighbors and the UMI Gulu center is proud to contribute to the skills needs in those areas”, he said.

Speaking during the same occasion as guest of honor who represented the State Minister for Higher Education, Gulu district Chairman, Mr. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi appealed to UMI to design special courses for local council officials so as to empower them in their day to day work.

“Elections of local council officials are over. I appeal to you to design specific courses to empower our local council officials in their day to day work”. He said.

Other local leaders who attended the graduation ceremony include the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Gulu, Mr. Santo Okot-Lapolo and the district chairman of Agago, Mr. Peter Odok W’Oceng and parents of the graduands.      

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