Faculty of Agriculture (FA) Field Attachment Program

1. Faculty of Agriculture (FA) Field Attachment Program Experiences from the Faculty of Agriculture for Implementing Field Attachment Program Presented at a Field Attachment Workshop, Makerere University Business School 15th January 2010  By Dr. Denis Mpairwe Field Attachment Coordinator

2. Definition • “Internship” sometimes called “Practica”, “Co-operative learning” or “Field placements” or “Field attachment (MAK)” is a pre-professional experience often offered to students as stand alone courses • Students are placed in relevant worksites to hone their existing skills or to acquire new ones • Ideally, it is here that the students get “hands-on” practical experience as they apply abstract theories and concepts, acquire and use methodological skills at the work site • Students serve the community by relating course content, existing skills, and expertise to real life settings • Students combine all the benefits of out-of-class activities with the additional benefit of acquiring a stock of experience and exposure to diverse groups that leads to an awareness of community needs and heightened consciousness of social issues.

3. Background Information • Current challenge of training institutions in Uganda is to produce graduates with the required practical and entrepreneurial skills that will not only increase their chances of gaining employment but also enable them to create their own employment by engaging in private agriculture related business. • This and other emerging challenges in the employment markets, demand significant changes in the approaches to training • providing opportunities for practice through field attachments imparts practical skills in real life situations.

4. Background Cont. • These skills are increasingly becoming crucial in the private sector whose growth is the hope for reducing the rising levels of unemployment especially in the agriculture sector. • Several studies done by Makerere University clearly indicated a gap between the quality of graduates produced and what the market demands. • It is also recognized that imparting relevant practical skills is a partnership between the training institution, in this case Makerere University and the potential employers through student internships.

5. F. Agric Response to Changing Environment • Introduced Field attachments in all its degree programs and has been sourcing for support from various donors to support the FA program. • Currently, the field attachment years include: • 2nd yr students for the three-year degree programs (B.Sc. LUM, B.Sc. Hort., B. Agribus Mgt, BAEE/BARI • Third year students for the four-year degree programes (B.Sc. Agric., B.Sc. Agric. Eng. and B.Sc.FST.

6. Support for FA program • Early implementation was difficult and constrained by inadequate funding. • Internships have been supported as follows:. • 1996-2002 USAID (ADC/IDEA Project) extended funds for 25 FA interns to work on ADC/IDEA assisted firms • 2000-2003 FOS (Danida) funded 25-30 interns • 2003-2007, USAID/IDEA/APEP funded a total of 260 interns • 2003 I@mak.comoffered blanket funding for 424 FA interns but this was not sustainable • 2004 I@mak.com supported 301 students but ended 2005.

7. Integration of FA into Agric. Curricula • Following the recommendations from different stake holders participating in the field attachments, it was found necessary that: • There was need to integrate field attachment in all degree programmes in the FA, • There was need to review/revise the current curricula of all degree programmes to incorporate Field attachment, • Each unit was required to design and clearly describe the course content of the Field attachment tailored to the specific degree programme.

8. Integration cont. • Realising the task, the Faculty Board mandated the Faculty Undergraduate committee to undertake the task of reviewing the curricula (during academic year 2004/2005) • The committee was chaired by then Acting Deputy Dean – Training and comprised of one representative from each degree program in the faculty • The committee’s mandate was to review the curricula and make necessary changes to accommodate the Field attachment in addition to revise the course codes to fit into the ARIS

9. Integration cont. • In October 2005, the Dean FA organised a three day Faculty retreat at Buziga which comprised all Heads of departments, selected members of the senior academic staff and the undergraduate Faculty Committee; objectives of the retreat were: • review the draft curricula from the faculty undergraduate committee, • harmonise the codes and contents of the courses taught in the FA, • consider and find practical ways of conducting field attachments, case studies and special projects in the FA.

10. Outcomes of the retreat • Final draft revised Curricula of the courses taught in the FA with course codes and content harmonized • Agreed on which academic years for a particular degree program should the Field attachment be conducted • Agreed to start assessing field attachment and be included in the final assessment for the degree award (i.e. to be included on the transcript) starting with academic year 2006/2007 • Agreed that Special projects should be shifted from the final year to the recess term of the year before to allow students collect data during the field attachment period

11. Retreat outcomes cont. • Agreed that semester 1 of the final year should take minimum course load to allow the students finalize their data analysis and write the special project and field attachment reports and submit during the same semester, • Approved the tailored field attachment guidelines following the general University guidelines, • Approved the process of field attachment assessment (Continuous and final examination) and award of marks, • Agreed on the implementation procedures and guidelines of the field attachment.

12. Guidelines of the Field Attachment • The guidelines are available in the Faculty Hand book which is in the process being printed, • Similarly the implementation procedures summarised below are presented in the faculty Handbook, • The objectives of the Field attachment are also presented in the handbook

13. Implementation procedures / methodology • Ideally the attachment of interns from the Faculty of Agriculture follows a four-phase process: • Pre-planning phase • Placement of the student interns • Field supervision • Sharing of experiences, evaluation and reporting

14. Assessment and examination • Field Evaluation (40%) • 1st Academic supervision (3 forms) • (Student progress, Academic staff and Field supervisor) • 2nd Academic supervision (2 forms) • Student Field Attachment Report (60%) • Must correspond to evaluation forms and student FA log book

15. Achievements • The Faculty successfully integrated the field attachment into the curricula and is currently examinable and contributes to the final grading of the students grade; starting with the graduates of 2006/2008 • There has been remarkable improvement and polishing of the implementation process year after year, • There has been great improvement in the students and staff attitude towards field attachment, • We are yet to conduct a comprehensive impact assessment of the field attachment to get views about our graduates from different stake holders

16. FA-APEP Internship ProgramEnrolments & Deployments

17. Coffee Buyers and Processors, host interns

18. Export flowers firms host interns esp. Hort.

19. External Evaluator meeting interns in the Field

20. Interns meeting with external evaluator of the FA program contracted by F. Agric.

21. FA student conducting a farmers training session under the supervision of a field supervisor in Namulonge, July 2007

22. Field Attachment Benefits Students acquire skills trained (from field supervisors) in farmer group formation, group training, farm data collection, managing demo plots, farmer competitions, and radio shows. Enrich theoretical knowledge with practical skills in different parts of Uganda. Learn from farmers and share with them new production technologies.

23. Benefits cont. Students deployed in together: form, live and operate collegial social groups. Some organizations use students to collect accurate data in areas critical to company operations. Horst organizations appreciate the possibility to identify potential future employees

24. Deploying students in groups fosters collegial social and social groups

25. Benefits cont. • Opportunity for students to work on firms with good cooperate programs and clear set targets to be achieved. • Being able through feedback to identify areas where FA curriculum, and the internship program itself, need changing to fit stakeholders needs and expectations. • The program enhances the image of MUK and FA. • Identifying possible field facilities and sites for on-farm FA research purposes.

26. Challenges • Inadequate pre-planning and sensitization considerably affects students’ expectations and motivation. • Sending out students at a time when they can make the best out of the field attachment experience • Inadequate funding and/or not received on time. • Some students do not appear take internship seriously, or are not keen to work with hands. • Inadequate transport provision by sponsors and/or host firms limits the level of student-farmer coverage.

27. Challenges cont. • Some commercial firms are reluctant to disclose some information to students. • Some staff do not seem to take internship serious, or spend insufficient time with students in field. • A number of supervisors are too busy to provide effective supervision. • Some farmers expect incentives from students.

28. Challenges cont. • Current duration of attachment is not sufficient for some disciplines, or to simultaneously meet internship and special project requirements. • Some GOU facilities have been run down to support optimal field experiences. • Some field supervisors take students as a threat to their position (potentially better qualified than some of them) and therefore do not give them the best support • Quality of reports produced (Quality assurance) – Xeroxing, plagiarism, cafes, etc

29. Suggestions for improvement and sustainability • The success and sustainability of the Field attachment depends on adequate funding from the University/Government • The core funding needed is mainly for Placement, field supervisors, academic staff supervision (twice) allowances, perdiem, transport and meals • There is need to revise the fees structure to include field attachments and make it clear to applicants that recess terms are paid for and that private students sponsors should pay for field attachments

30. Suggested solutions cont. • Government sponsored students’ field attachment allowances should be revised to cover their costs including special project data collection and analysis, • Avoid sending students in ‘hard to go’ areas that make it difficult and expensive for them to work and get proper supervision, • There must be regular contact between FA and field supervisors, informing them the expectations of the program • Send academic supervisors to areas they are familiar with • facilitate field supervisors so that they are more motivated to support the program

31. Lessons learnt • Identify student interests and strengths early, engage them in the pre-planning stages, sensitize them properly with written clear guidelines, identify and link them to their Field supervisors, and inform them where they will be attached, how they will be funded and what they are expected to produce. • Deploy students for sufficient enough duration to meet their expectations. • Send out students to firms that are expecting them and are well organized and willing to give them proper supervision and support in data collection. • Faculty should attach students to agri-businesses where they are happy to work symbiotically

32. Lessons learnt • All stakeholders must be coordinated • Internship programs of different MAK faculties need to be networked at University level. • There is need to spearhead an internship network with all other tertiary institutions offering agriculture students for field attachment in the country. • Collaborating host organizations need to be built into the FA network to see how best curricula can be improved through the field attachment programs.

33. The challenge for effective administration of the FA field attachment program Recognized links: Development Partners Students FA Internship Coordinator Field Supervisors FA Internship Coordinators FA Academic Supervisors

34. Sustaining the FA internship program FA internship is now integrated into the FA degree programs, is examinable and contributes to final grading of students. Therefore, there is need solicit funding for its support. • MAK is striving to get funds for field attachment program at the university level. But this is not adequate and meantime, FA has taken the following steps to sustain the program: • inform all private students to meet the cost of their internship. • make savings and cuts in other FA allowances to raise funds for field attachment. • Write and submit project proposal for soliciting funds from development partners and GOU finances to support FA internship

35. Attracting contributions from organizations to support internship The following are possible sources of support: • Local govts can contribute through their District Production Departments by making physical facilities and transportation available to students. • PMA/NAADs program can channel funds into the program through districts to support students attached to their projects. • benefiting host firms can make direct and indirect contributions such as making physical facilities, transportation food and health care to students. • companies that would benefit from FA producing better quality graduates, like large sugar and tea estates etc, can contribute through sponsoring the field attachments.

36. Thank you and best wishes for Healthy Lifestyle Healthy Lifestyle