Writer : Bakri Baharom Consultant : Zainuddin Jaafar (POLIMAS) bkiub@yahoo.com.my / www.polimas.edu.my / 019-488-1430

Designed and Edited by : Azlida Ahmad (PTSS)

…from TPA’s desk…19 16 March 2014

Zainuddin Jaafar

In the 1970's, Malaysia was at its best in football game. We were the powerhouse among the Asean countries. No baby boomer's generation would forget football legends like Mokhtar Dahari (SuperMokh), Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh and R. Arumugam (Spiderman) and Isa Bakar, to name a few. The Korean team was like our neighbourhood school football team. To say that they respected us was an understatement. They feared us. Their players would kick the ball outside the field just to delay the time. The spectators would roar: "Korean Style", a literal translation of "Main Korea" in Bahasa Malaysia, insinuating lack of professionalism. Great time has passed. How is our football national team doing now? A friend declared, we would lose even before the game starts. Similar perception goes to our takraw team. True or not, we believe we invented the game. We have played takraw since time immemorial. Would you believe that even Myammar (Burma) could beat us nowadays? When Thailand team came up with Horse Kick Serve, we simply had no answer. We were thrashed. Should you ask the "experts" in my village, they would say we lack a thousand things: discipline, stamina, fighting spirit, nationalism,

experience, imagination, etc. Another two words would be STRATEGY and TACTICS.

What is the difference between Strategy and Tactics? According to the on-line dictionary, a Strategy is a larger, overall plan that can comprise of several Tactics which are smaller, focussed, less impactful plans that are part of the overall plan. While the original usage of the terms Strategy and Tactic were in military context, they are now used in a wide variety of activities, including business, game, education and training, etc. Look at the following example to differentiate between Strategy and Tactics.

Suppose we are already at the top position for Group A in a football league. The last match in the group will not change our position even if we win, lose or draw. The strategy is to play defensively as to reduce any chance of injury to our players especially the strikers. What will be our tactical initiatives? To start with, we will play with 3-2-5. It means we have 3 strikers, 2 mid-fielders and 5 defenders. Secondly, we will play long passes so as to avoid more body contact that may cause injury. Thirdly, we may replace our top players (after playing for a short while) with rookies with the excuse of giving them some exposure. Fourthly, we may slow down the game pace as to frustrate the opponent team who needs to win. Fifth; should we score first, one of the two mid-fielders will join the five defenders. Of course, there will be some other tactical moves that we can employ as to fulfill our strategic plan.

Similarly, in the polytechnic system, we have some kind of appraisal instrument called PolyPMO (Polytechnic Management Office). While the number of Strategic Objectives (SO) are fixed at five (5), the number of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are different between premier and conventional/metro polytechnics. The groupings are as in Table 1:

GROUP POLYTECHNICS NUMBER OF KPI

1. Premier PUO, PSA, PIS 20

2. Conventional 1 POLISAS, POLIMAS, PKB, PKS, PPD, PKK, PSP, PSMZA, PMM, PSAS, PTSB, PSIS, PTSS, PMU

16

3. Conventional 2 PMK, PKT, PMS, PBU, PNS, PSS, PMJ, PJK, PBS, PHT 16

4. Metro PMKL, PMKU, PMJB, PMBS, PMTG 16 Table 1 : Group Members

Look at the following Table 2 for the overall SO, KPI, Target, Weightage and Percentage for Conventional Polytechnic (2013).

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE (SO) KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR (KPI) TARGET WEIGHTAGE PERCENTAGE

1.

SO1 To advance polytechnic as leading regional TVET institution

KPI1 The number of products/services incorporated into TVET system applied within and outside the institution.

3 15

30% 2. KPI2 Number of innovations. 3 10

3. KPI3 Number of researches. 3 5

4.

SO2 To strengthen the relevancy and responsiveness of programmes.

KPI4 The percentage of graduates securing jobs 6 months upon graduation.

76 10

30%

5. KPI5 The percentage of programme achieving the number of lecture hours conducted by industrial practitioners (PPI).

70 8

6. KPI6 The number of graduates involved in business/entrepreneurship 6 months upon graduation.

10 7

7. KPI7 The number of students undergoing entrepreneurship course.

1600 5

8.

SO3 To establish branding and reputation.

KPI8 The number of industry/agency having active collaboration with the institution.

3 8

20%

9. KPI9 The number of Polytechnic Towering Student (PHP).

4 6

10. KPI10 The percentage of staff undergoing 10 days of training in a year.

100 3

11. KPI11 The percentage of bills paid within 7 working days.

100 3

12. SO4 To lead in niche area and specific technology.

KPI12 The percentage of Centre of Technology (COT) achieved and functioning.

50 15 15%

13.

SO5

Flexible Learning For All: To increase access and infrastructure in implementing Long Life Learning (PSH) through Time Sector Privatisation (TSP).

KPI13 The number of PSH Programme carried out; i.e Part-Time Programme.

2 1.5

5%

14. KPI14 The number of PSH Programme carried out; i.e Short Courses.

8 1.5

15. KPI15 The number of participants in PSH; Part-Time Programme.

30 1

16. KPI16 The number of participants in PSH; Short Courses.

320 1

Table 2 : SO and KPI for Conventional and Metro Polytechnics (2013)

a) The SO list is quite comprehensive. It definitely calls for proper planning and commitment by many parties. However, SO4 coincides with one of the criteria for PolyRATE which has its own external auditors. SO1 which consists of 3 KPIs, are the bread and butter criteria for our staff to apply for promotion. So, as a proverb suggests; we could get them to kill two birds with one stone.

b) Consider the percentage share of the 5 SO's. The first two SOs carry 30% each. That means it is logical for us to pay more attention, resources and effort in these areas. Within SO1; KPI #1 and KPI #2 contribute 25% of the total marks. Why is it that these two KPIs merit more points? They are probably considered to be more challenging. Hence, we must pay extra attention to them.

c) Eventhough some KPIs seem to be more important and carry more weightage than the others, we must not abandon any in the list to secure overall score. In order to cover all areas sufficiently, we need to appoint coordinators and process owners who will handle the details. As an example, KPI #4 is tasked to 1L5G (1 Lecturer, 5 Graduates) coordinator under CISEC (Corporate Industrial Service and Employment Centre) of which s/he will link-up with the departments' counterparts.

d) Everyone must bear in mind that PolyPMO targets will not remain static. For 2014, the number of KPIs has been increased from 16 to 17. Some of the target values or percentages of certain KPIs will be revised upward occasionally. The KPI #12 for COT has its own target scheduled. For POLIMAS, it was 40% in 2012, 50% in 2013 and it is 65% for 2014. Hopefully with the experience and confidence gained, we will deliver the scores.

e) You would notice that none of the KPIs can be done without team effort. Hence, the spirit of teamwork needs to be nurtured among our staff. Imagine if the drivers were to be less cooperative, then industrial visits for the students would be affected. To cater to all the needs, to iron out problems and to prepare timely reports, we need to have a proper committee. The following is POLIMAS PolyPMO main committee members for 2013 (Table 3). Some adjustments may be made for this year to bring in new blood:

MEMBERS GRADE DEPARTMENT / UNIT

1. Asmara Sulong JUSAC Director

2. Mohd. Nazari Ahmad DH52 Deputy Director (Academic)

3. Abdul Latif Halim DH48 Deputy Director (Academic Support)

4. Noor Azzah Zakaria DH41 Quality Officer

5. Zainuddin Jaafar DH48 HoD Students Affairs

6. Suria Hasnah Ahmad Sarif

DH52 HoU TSP

7. Azijan Murad DH44 HoU Continuing Education

8. Faridah Yahya DH54 HoU R&D&I

9. Asma Ahmad N36 Chief Executive Officer (PET)

10. Faezah Yahya DH52 HoU Centre of Technology

11. Norafifah Ahmad S44 HoU Psychology and Career

12. Mat Hassan Abu Bakar DH52 HoU Entrepreurship

13. Teo Tang Ghee DH48 HoU Collaboration / MOU

14. Abd Hamid Md Desa DH48 HoD Civil Engineering Department

15. Nurol Huda Mohd Noor DH52 HoD Electrical Engineering Department

16. Mohd Nazri Lazim DH48 HoD Mechanical Engineering Department

17. Norapiah Abd Rahman DH48 HoD Commerce

18. Sarina Shariff DH48 HoD Information & Communication Technology

Table 3 : POLIMAS Committee Members (2013)

TYPE OF COURSE

EXAMPLES

1. Compulsory Moral / Islamic Studies and Softskills

2. Common Engineering Mathematics and Entrepreneurship

3. Discipline Electrical Technology and Power System

4. Elective Operating System and Industrial Control

Table 4 : The 20 : 80 Rule

For this installment, we will detail KPI #5, i.e. the number of programmes achieving the number of lecture hours conducted by industrial practitioners (known as KPI PPI, Pensyarah Pelawat Industri). There is a reference booklet issued by JPP, titled "KPI Guideline" issued in 2013 which spells out the KPI PPI in terms of objectives, rules and auditing. Let’s consider some of the important points:

a) The term PPI refers to the role played by those in the industries to share their knowledge and expertise on top of our regular Teaching and Learning (T & L). The activities may include planning, delivery or T & L evaluation that may help our graduates to be "work-ready". The rule specifies that the industry players must not include any academicians from Institution of studies like University, Colleges or as such. The term industries will include both the private and public sectors; like Government-Linked-Company (GLCs), i.e Maybank, Sime Darby, Telecom, MAS, etc. Apart from that, Non-Governmental-Organisation (NGOs), chamber of commerce, professional engineering/accounting bodies like IEM/ACCA are acceptable.

b) Interactive Hours mean the cumulative period of time per year for activities carried out with the industrialist. The calculation will be based on each programme which spans from Semester 1 through Semester 6. However, the weightage must follow as per programme curriculum with regards to the courses; Compulsory, Common Core, Discipline Core and Electives. It is stipulated in the PPI rules that the ratio will be 20 % (Compulsory) : 80 % (Common Core + Discipline Core + Electives). Consider some courses in Diploma in Electrical Engineering (DEE) as in Table 4:

c) Now, let’s see the Central Target set by our headquarters, JPP as in Table 5 below:

NUMBER OF HOURS

2013 2014 2015 % of Programme

1. Premier 30 40 50 80

2. Conventional 1 30 40 50 70

3. Conventional 2 30 40 50 70

4. Metro 30 40 50 70

Table 5 : Central Target Set By JPP

POLIMAS belongs to Conventional 1 group. In 2013, we had 15 diploma programmes. Each programme is required to do 30 hours of PPI, minimum. The target is such that 70% of these 15 programmes (i.e. 10.5 rounded to 11) will have to achieve at least 30 hours to score full marks. However, the number of contact hours with the industrialist is increased to 40 and 50 hours in 2014 and 2015 respectively. At the same time, POLIMAS is adding one new programme in June 2014. Therefore, our new target for this year will be 12 out of 16 programmes (70%) which will have to achieve 40 hours PPI each. The general formula is: P = (a/A) x 100

where P = the percentage of programme achieved the total interaction hours for PPI;

a = the number of programme achieved the total interaction hours for PPI; A = the number of programmes offered by the polytechnic.

d) The industries’ engagement with the students through PPI can take place at the campus as well as at their venues. The following activities are considered valid:

lecture

seminar

visit to the industry

advisory

assessment panel

Suppose you plan to take your students for an industrial visit. Our standard procedure is to submit a working paper which consists of the following details:

1. Name of Activity / Course Academic Visit for Diploma in Civil Engineering students

2. *Activity / Course Code o 01 Management o 02 Curriculum & Co-Curriculum o 03 Research o 04 Resource Development o 05 Others

3. Date 12 – 14 March 2014

4. Venue Solid Waste Disposal Centre, Pulau Pangkor, Perak

5. Target Group DKA5A

6. Number of students 35

7. Name of industry lecturer Ir. Ali b. Abu

8. Rationale of Activity To fulfill the terms and scope of CC604 (Environmental Pollution & Control) and CC606 (Hydrology).

9. Objective of Activity To expose the students with the real disposal solid waste system.

To visit the most efficient Sanitary Solid Waste facility in Malaysia.

10. Prepared by: Checked by: Endorsed by: Approved by:

‘Ismat Qusyairi b. Zazarli Shah (Course Lecturer)

Sharina bt Abdul Latiff (Head of Programme)

Abdul Hamid b. Mat Desa (Head of Department)

Bakri b. Baharom (Deputy Director, Academic)

11. Financial Implication: Government Fund:

Students’ Affairs Dept:

RM766.00 RM2060.00

12. Lecturers in-Charge:

Md Nasir b. Md Safar

Mohd Safirul b. Mohd Noor

13. Students List: Muhammad Nor Shaiman b. Shaari 930719-03-5677 03DKA11F2128

Mohammad Badrul Hisham b. Shafin 930719-03-6207 03DKA11F2129

etc

14. Tentative Activities: 05/03/14: 12.00 noon - Departure from POLIMAS 04.00 pm - Arrival at the jetty

06/03/14: 09.30 am – Depart to Solid Waste Disposal Centre 10.30 am - Arrival at the location, etc

15. Financial Detail: Government Fund:

Vot 21 000 Vot 29 000 Vot 42 000

Students’ Affairs Dept. TOTAL

Lodging / Food / Travelling : RM…

Fees payment or charges: RM…

Students Allowances: RM…

Lodging / Food / Travelling : RM…

RM2,826.00

d) As you have to work out the expenditure involved, you must learn about the government financial system. How much do we need for the drivers and lecturers allowances for hotel/lodging and food. We must calculate the drivers’ overtime. Should we not be aware of the rates and so on, our Financial Office is more than happy to assist you. The figures must be right. If your students are entitled for Vot 42000 allowances, make sure you ask them to sign-up upon receiving the money. It will save you a lot of trouble later. However, you should not worry about the fuel and toll charges as they will be paid by electronic cards.

a) The first rule to this working paper is of course to submit it well in advance through our office secretary for recording. Sometimes, the papers might go missing, requiring the organiser to re-do. As our fund is limited, priority should be given to compulsory activities as stipulated in the curriculum. If there is a nearer facility that meets the same objective then it should be considered. Of course, going to the same place many times is also not a good idea. It is also best to check the availability of our buses for the trip with the office before submitting the paper-work as we practise First Come, First Served policy.

e) Look at your tentative schedule. Should you make a trip to the capital, Kuala Lumpur then you must also consider the traffic jam. Do not be over-ambitious as to visit 2 different places in the morning or afternoon. If you were to miss the appointment with the company, they will not be too happy. In case you are a little bit late, call the officer-in-charge to explain the reason. There could be an accident that cause traffic jam or vehicle break-down. Do not just keep quiet. They are reasonable people. Some companies insist that you come an hour earlier than scheduled. Do not argue. Just oblige to their request.

f) The bottom line is, the Director / Deputy Director (Academic) / Deputy Director (Academic Support) reserves the right to approve or disapprove the trip. It could be due to financial constraint or other reasons. For example, let’s say the Consumer Club would like to visit Bukit Bendera, P. Ramlee House and Butterfly Farm in Penang. Is the trip to these destinations justified? Probably not, unless they include Consumer Association Penang (CAP) in their itinerary. If possible, furnish the details like attending a seminar with S.M Idris as the main speaker. We must always think of Value-for-Money when it comes to spending public fund. Or, as my boss always insists on, “what is the IMPACT out of this trip?” In the next installment, we will continue with PPI and touch on another new KPI.

c) The lecturers in-charge must travel with the students. The safety, conduct and well-being of the students lie in the hands of the lecturers, not the drivers. It is best that if we have a male and a female lecturer to accompany the students. Before starting the journey, the students should sign-up the list for future references. Make sure you have all the necessary contact numbers, address, the person in-charge and possibly a GPS.

b) The capacity of our bus is 40 at the maximum. Sometimes, the class enrollment is only 25. It is better if another class joins the group to make up the number. We always need to optimise our resources. For any journey more than 200 km, we would assign two drivers. For safety reason we do not allow any journey to start at midnight anymore. All trips will depart from the garage which we call POLIMAS Bus Station. Should your destination be to Shah Alam, you are not allowed to visit Kuala Lumpur without first asking for permission.

Footnote:

The first two week of this month was quite a busy week for POLIMAS. On top of the usual activities, we had four special events. One, we hosted a week-long "Mapping POLIMAS with Thai Institution Programme", from 2 - 7 Mac 2014. It involves 7 English Language Teachers from Songkhla Vocational College, Thailand. There were 10 counterparts from POLIMAS, headed by Helan Nor b. Abdullah, HoD General Studies. The team members were Nuzaimah (HoP for English), Teo Tang Ghee, Suzana Ahmad, Chek Maznah Mansor, Mohammad Afif Osman, Mohd Azmirudin Mohamad, Pramila Devi Chelliah, Mazliyana Ramli and Salwani Shamsuddin. The observers from Thailand were Dr Rujira Klaewtanong and Wipawan Sangkaw (@Nim), while from JPP were Wan Nor Aishah Wan Omar, Yusma Yusof and Nooriza Ibrahim. The head of CISEC, Asmah bt Othman acted as our Liaison Officer while many others contributed in various ways to make this programme a success. A special mention goes to Dr Abdul Rahman Huraisen Masri who has served beyond the call of duty. Our director, Asmara Sulong did the closing on Thursday and the delegates left for home on Friday morning.

The second event hosted by POLIMAS was Final Examination Paper Vetting Workshop held at EDC Hotel in Sintok. POLIMAS was tasked to take care of 2 programmes; Diploma in Town and Regional Planning (DPW) and Diploma in Building Services (DPB). The panel members came from 5 polytechnics; POLIMAS, PSAS, PSA, PTSS and PKS while the four external panel members comprised of senior lecturers from UiTM and UM. Due to secrecy regulation, the list of these experts will not be revealed. Suffice to say that we are very proud when we learned that one of them is an ex-POLIMAS graduate in 1990's. Everything went extremely well as witnessed by Dr Naimah Md Khalil, the Examination and Assessment Director in JPP. The two workhorses who made things happened were Faidzuli Ismail (HoU Examination) and Shahzaril Fadzlin Shafie, (@ Bagio), our new Examination Officer. The external panels reported that we have made a tremendous improvement over the years. The winner goes to one lecturer who has submitted a perfect quality examination set to the external panels. Whoever you are, you have made our day great! Congratulations.

The third event was a one-day training session using Map Creator Software conducted by HERE Solutions Sdn Bhd for DPW Students. If you have ever Google(d) any city or location in the world then it is exactly similar, except this belongs to Nokia. Our DPW students being well-versed with relevant knowledge on town and regional planning would be the perfect candidates to undertake the job. Actually, it has taken us a few months to come to mutual agreement to the terms and conditions with the company. As far as POLYRATE is concerned, we have gained 6 hours of PPI contact for DPW programme. Hopefully, our students will contribute in making Nokia map a success.

The other event was a two-day course by an expert, Anijah Pangat from SIRIM. For a long time we have adopted MS-ISO Quality Assurance while recently, we were required to fulfill MQA guidelines as well. The amount of paper work and double auditing by both systems are demanding. The solution is to somehow integrate the two instruments. On top of that we need to train a new line of auditors that can cater to both MS-ISO and MQA. Under the abled leadership of our Quality Officer, Noor Azzah Zakaria, hopefully we can clear up the issue by the middle of the year.