By Joseph Mary Buwule
Makerere University has embarked on strengthening the financial planning and assessment of academic programmes by equipping its academic leaders with skills to evaluate their costs, sustainability and contribution to national development.
The initiative is intended to ensure that the development and approval of new academic programmes are guided by sound financial analysis, proper planning and compliance with national financial management requirements.
The training comes as the university implements its strategic plan aimed at transforming Makerere into a financially sustainable, research-driven and responsive institution capable of addressing national and global development challenges.
Under the new framework, proposed academic programmes will be subjected to detailed financial and economic assessments to establish their relevance, implementation costs, long-term viability and potential contribution to Uganda’s development priorities.
Participants are being taken through several areas, including the Certificate of Financial Implications guidelines, Integrated Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis and the practical application of analytical models for evaluating the financial requirements of academic programmes.
The sessions are being facilitated by Dr John Sseruyange and Hannington Musimenta, who are guiding participants through the technical processes involved in conducting financial appraisals.
Professor Ssali commended the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Makerere University Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (MakPIMCoE), hosted by the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), for their technical support towards strengthening the university’s financial management systems.
The university expects the training to improve institutional accountability, promote efficient resource allocation and ensure that academic programmes introduced are financially sustainable.
Through the initiative, Makerere aims to align academic growth with available resources, educational demand and national development priorities, while strengthening its position as a leading research and higher education institution.