This track deals with the study of all community services offered by the higher educational institutes in the Kingdom such as, consultations, seminars, rehabilitation and training course, continuous learning, and cooperative projects, all to serve the community’s sectors.
This study derives its significance from the necessity of identifying the current situation of the community services offered by the higher education institutes, and identifying its capability, satisfaction, and role in meeting the developmental needs. Therefore, evaluate the current programs and services, predict improvement methods, and finding the best and most capable methods for overcoming the challenges facing any activities performed by the community services and might hinder any positive impacts on the community services.
This study in general, aims at identifying the activities and service projects offered by the higher education institutes, its capability, and the methods required for development. In addition, this study should achieve a number of additional objectives, represented in the following:
Identifying the activities and service projects offered by the higher education institutes in the Kingdom for different sectors of the community regarding the continuous learning services, training, and the technical and administrative consultations.
Studying the impact of the activities and service projects, their demands, expectations, and their best use in order to achieve the community’s ambitions.
Evaluating the offered current programs and services that serve the community in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom.
Suggesting methods for building experiences and for the informal accumulation, and preserving, developing, and using it in the best way that enables overcoming any obstacles facing the developmental process.
Suggesting methods for developing the community service activities, connecting it in accordance with the developmental demands, and predicting methods for enhancement.
The scope of this study and its aspects comprise -at least- the following:
Displaying the current situation of the community services activities performed by the higher education institutes, their level, available and required aspects for performance, their efficiency and capability, level of production, and execution mechanisms. In addition, a survey on the most obvious models of the projects included in the community services activities should be done.
Identifying the financing available quantity for the community services activities, how to deal with its resources, as well as the qualifications of the financing in achieving the objectives of the community services activities.
Revising the rules and policies related to the community services activities, as well as indicating the obstacles facing the community service centers in the higher education institutes, and the available and demanded motives as well.
Studying the connection between the community service activities and the developmental demands and plans, as well as its contribution towards solving the problems of the community.
Estimating the level of cooperation between community service centers and the institutes related to them such as, the science parks and the business incubators on a local and international basis. Therefore, being able to enhance its efficiency in community services.
Identifying the situation of the experiences and the informal accumulation in the community services centers, the possibility of preserving it, and using and developing it in the best way.
Indicating the most important international indicators in the community services aspect, as well as developing the referential criteria.
Suggesting methods for solving the problems of the community service activities in order to enhance its contribution in the developmental process.
The information used for the study should be complete and authorized. In addition, the study needs the contribution of both stakeholders and the audience via convening seminars, workshops, and intensive brainstorming meetings.
A qualified and skillful team should be formed, and the team shall consult international experts -when needed- in order to complete the study as requested. Moreover, the established scientific procedures should be used in satisfying the needs of the study.
The study’s perspective for the future should comprise the duration of the plan for the coming 25 years (i.e. until the year 2032).
The basic components of this study should be indicated accurately, and studied in terms of the various changes, indicators, and both local and international criteria, in addition to the Kingdom’s development including the economical, social, demographic, technical, and scientific aspects, as well as the requirements of consecutive national development plans.
Literature, theoretical concepts, international experience, and best practices should be reviewed for not fewer than five higher education information technology experiences from different countries of varying development records. The characteristics of those experiences, the reasons for their positive and negative outcomes in the study, as well as the possibility and the way of applying their positive outcomes, and dealing with the findings in the Kingdom effectively, all should be previewed.
The current situation should be studied by reviewing the different aspects of this study, such as challenges and problems, different phenomena, supply and demand, and the effects of different operations in higher education institutes that are related to the study.
The conditions of higher education institutes in the Kingdom should be compared and contrasted within the framework of this study locally, and then compared with international experiences and against educational standards.
Various aspects of the current situations should be analyzed, and the efficiency of related policies and methods should be estimated. In addition, the vital methods required for developing the higher education system should be identified in order to achieve synchronization with the developmental needs and various issues according to their importance and changes both for now and in the future.
A comprehensive strategic analysis for the subject of this study should be performed and should indicate the related issues, aims and future objectives. The analysis should reflect on the challenges and opportunities, obstacles, and the areas of strength and weakness (through comparative and gap studies), then the needs of the stakeholders should be addressed. Indicating the basis of success, drawing the expected scenarios, analyzing the strategic options and their applicability, all help in achieving the real objectives of that long-term plan.
All the changes mentioned in this study should be linked so as to enable deriving comprehensive conclusions. Achieving this might -as needed- demand designing mathematical models to represent interactions between various reciprocating relationships such as components and variables related to the scope of this study. That will provide the tool required to forecast the future behavior of these variables and to conduct reliability analyses for the coming 25 years, .i.e. until the year 2032.
The most effective factors in this study should be the subject of prognostic studies that should be compiled and supported whenever applicable by graphical representation.
The methods and best practices should be presented, and the requirements for achieving the objectives of the study should be proposed.
The study should introduce total quality methods and mechanisms that shall achieve close and harmonic coordination among the parameters of the study and the recommended practices so that their application fits labor market demands, international changes, and the current and future local needs.
Determining the results and giving recommendation
Specific Requirements
Methods for building the experiences and informal accumulation, preserving, developing, and using it in the best was for serving the community and overcoming any obstacles facing it, all should be suggested.
Methods for developing the activities of the community service and connecting it via developmental demands should be suggested, as well as predicting methods to enhance its efficiency and capability.
Methods for developing the role of the higher education institutes into reaching all surrounding community levels should be suggested, and offering suitable services for it as well.
A seminar, workshops, and meetings with focus groups should be held in order to conceive and take note of different opinions that help in giving recommendations.
All the activities done in these brainstorming meetings, the seminar and the workshops should be documented and presented to the Supervising Committee of Aafaq.
This study should present a comprehensive report that includes the following:
An executive summary of the study.
A documentation of all reference information included in the study.
An analysis of the results of the current situation study, international and local comparative studies, prognostic studies including the current and futuristic trends and developments, a, as well as the community services activities relation with the national plans, developmental plans, and the community issues and problems. In addition, analyzing the efficiency and capability of the community services centers in the higher education institutes, its completion, and the successful and failed international experiences as well.
Highlights of the outcomes of meetings with focus groups, general seminars, brainstorming seminars, workshops, etc.
Studying the different scenarios, the outcomes of the efficiency and capability evaluation, and the issues resulted according to their significance, as well as the available strategic options and its applicability.
Suggesting the most suitable methods, plans, trends, criteria, and mechanisms for developing the community service centers in the higher education institutes.
Determining the needed methods of execution, budgets, temporal plan, execution responsibilities, training requirements, changing demands, and other technical parameters that affect the performance of the admission and capacity operation.
Defining a monitoring and control system, benchmarks, measuring criteria, and standardized indicators.
Practical recommendations that would play a major role in forming the long term future plan regarding the community service.
