2012 Senior Management Institute

The Institutional Development Program of the World Blind Union is pleased to announce the 2012 Senior Management Institute (SMI), an organizational management course on disability and social development.

The application deadline for this institute is April 30, 2012. (Click here to skip to application details).

Dates, Duration and Venue

The 2012 SMI will be an eight-week residential course to be conducted from August 20th to October 12th 2012 at the Optima College of the South African National Council for the Blind, Pretoria, South Africa.

Aim Of The Course

The overall aim of the SMI is to provide participants with the knowledge, skills and operational capacity to improve and optimize their organizational practice in the field of disability in development to facilitate social transformation.

Learning Objectives

1. To provide participants with information to stimulate new thinking in program development and service implementation.
2. To share ideas and discuss/debate concepts while exposing participants to a range of service options.
3. To guide participants to explore the complexities of the management of non-governmental organizations in a changing world.
4. To expose participants to the use of technology as a management tool and the role of technology in the social and economic development of persons with disabilities.
5. To provide participants with information to provide analytic reasoning to achieve effectiveness in long term planning and strategic leadership.

Course Completion Requirements

The SMI is a 60-credit course of which 40 credits are earned through workshops, lectures, discussions and presentations, and 20 credits through research, use of the internet and web-CT, assignments, field work, monitoring and evaluation.   The course duration consists of 6 weeks of coursework and 2 weeks of field assignment.   The successful completion of the course will lead to the award of a Certificate of Competence.

Criteria For Assessment

1. Discussions and Presentations: 10%
2. Assignments (Four assignments at 10% each): 40%
3. Written Test After The First 3 Modules: 25%
4. Final Assignment: Programme Assessment And Presentation:  25%

A minimum of 50% is required for the final mark in order to successfully complete the course.

Teaching Methods

The course pedagogy is geared toward participants and trainers who will learn from one another's experience via a series of seminars and discussions on lessons derived from praxis. A third of the learning experience shall be though a series of classroom seminars and discussions while two-thirds shall be via research, assignments, critical reviews, self-study, internet and field placement.

General areas of study are based on four modules of management and social development: non-governmental organizational management and leadership, disability policy and social transformation, disability service delivery, and monitoring and evaluation.

Eligible Applicants

This course is aimed at managers/directors, senior personnel and senior volunteers in organizations that provide services for persons with visual disability in developing countries.   The course requires individuals who are highly motivated and can work with tight timelines in a fast-paced situation.

Eligibility Requirements

A minimum of five years working in a leadership or management role (as a staff person or volunteer) with an organization of or for the blind or in the field of disability; post-secondary education, demonstration of proficiency in English in a learning environment; basic keyboard skills and familiarity with Microsoft Word is a priority.   All participants are expected to have at least a working knowledge of spreadsheets and familiarity with financial statements and accounting procedures.

Notes To Participants

This course will equip participants with the foundational tools and skills requisite of a leader operating in a new environment that demands inclusivity.   Such a leader requires strength in three main areas of operation:

1. Skills across a wide facet of management and leadership acumen especially with a sound knowledge of financial and operational management, planning, evaluation and strategic thinking;
2. The capacity to truly understand and communicate change; and 
3. The ability to effectively integrate the demands of an organization with a comprehension of the socio-economic and socio-cultural intricacies of disability and of the society in which you operate.

Financial Information

Individuals who are accepted into the course will have to raise funds to cover tuition, room and board. The total fees for the course, including tuition, accommodation and meals is USD 3,500 payable to the IDP. The IDP may subsidise some of these costs; however, this information will be communicated once the selection process is complete.

In addition, successful applicants will need to arrange for their own travel, including airfare, visas, travel and medical insurance, etc., purchase of equipment, personal expenses, and pocket money.

 Application Procedure

The admission process for the SMI is very competitive as the course can only admit up to a maximum of 20 participants.   Applicants are therefore advised to adhere to the application requirements.  Any incomplete application shall not be considered.

All applicants must submit the following documents as part of their application dossier:

1. The Course Application Form duly completed. (Download this form here).
2. A detailed CV with detailed information on education and employment history; including dates, qualifications, job titles, responsibilities, etc. 
3. Academic and professional testimonials
4. A signed recommendation letter from the employer
5. A short essay of not more than 1,200 words detailing your goals and objectives to be achieved as part of this course. Include your career objectives and your personal and professional interests.
6. A short essay of not more than 750 words describing how the SMI will benefit the goals of your organization/agency when you return to your country.

Applications must be sent to the address below, either electronically or by post, to be received not later than April 30, 2012.

Martin M. Kieti,
Senior Consultant,
Institutional Development Program.
P.O. Box 34690 00100,
Nairobi, Kenya.
E-mail: Martin.Kieti@Perkins.org