The risks of delaying the application of various technological advancements are becoming so obvious nowadays, especially when considering the rapid growth in Information Technology (IT), and the ever-increasing regional and international competition in this field, including amongst the higher education institutes in particular. This proposed study mainly concentrates on using information technology and utilizing its resources in order to enhance the performance of higher education institutes, and to support their educational program decision-making operation successfully.
This study derives its importance from the serious need to create an effective system that utilizes information technology and communications, as well as the exchange of administrative information within the various components of higher educational faculties both currently and in the future, in order to enhance decision-making processes in accordance with efficient standards for all different aspects and domains in the higher education system.
This study aims at developing an effective system that promotes the implementation of information technology and communications as well as the exchange of administrative and organizational information among the higher education faculties in the Kingdom. Hence, this system will be able to support the decision-making operations and its efficiency in all aspects. Those objectives are the following:
Defining the application level ofthe administrative and organizational information technology system in the higher educational institutes in the Kingdom, and the system’s efficiency, as well as indicating any obstacles against achieving the defined level.
Establishing a vision for efficient application of the administrative and organizational information technology system in the higher educational institutes in the Kingdom.
Defining the methods and tools required to utilize this technical information to enrich the educational system, especially the higher education of women in those institutes.
Suggesting total quality best criteria for designing and executing all related aspects of this study.
The study of the information technology system comprises an overview of the current situation of the information system that is applied at the present or planned. In addition, a comprehensive survey on the international technical and systematical information models should be done, especially of those employed in higher education institutes. The overview should include the following:
Reviewing and evaluating the international experience in information technology systems and its utilization in higher education institutes.
Reviewing and evaluating the current situation of the application and management of various information technology systems in the educational institutes in the Kingdom.
Reviewing the various usages, estimating the informational needs, and the required organizational and infrastructures.
Suggesting and applying the best information technology systems to fit the higher education institutes.
Studying and evaluating the administrative information system needs so as to apply the system successfully.
Finding an effective method for spreading data among different higher educational systems harmonically.
Studying and reviewing maintenance procedures, upgrades and continued improvements in the administrative information systems.
Proposing an evaluative, observational and control system.
Introducing the hierarchy as well as other needed systems that help in applying the system efficiently.
Determining the outcomes and scientific recommendations. These help in putting the strategic plan in the scientific domain.
Including high standards criteria in designing all related aspects.
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 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 recommendations.
Specific Requirements
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.
The study should define the financial and human resources as well as the required infrastructure to introduce the information technology for the management of the activities of the higher education system in the Kingdom required for the coming 25 years.
All technical skills needed for managing the higher education system in the Kingdom in a comprehensive and harmonic high standard method and the possibility of acquiring that via technical training and/or rehabilitation, should be indicated.
The needs of higher education institutes should be predicted for the transfer of the information technology system through the coming 25 years.
The study should develop reference points, and standards for an efficient management of the generated information technology system.
Practical methods should be identified for the maintenance of the information technology system in order to eliminate failures and overcome obstacles that might hinder its efficient operation. All information related to the higher education system should be available, as well as the currently applied procedures for coordination.
This study should come out with a comprehensive report that includes the following:
An executive summary of the study.
A documentation of all reference information included in the study.
A presentation of the scientific and the subjective outcomes of the evaluation of the currently employed information technology systems, including the results of the current situation analysis study, comparative studies, prognostic studies, and the needs of development plans.
A comprehensive analysis of the outcomes and various scenarios related to the study.
Highlights of the outcomes of meetings with focus groups, general seminars, brainstorming seminars, workshops, etc.
Displaying the different scenarios of the technical information system aspects in a comprehensive vision in accordance with a highly standardized organization of all the aspects of the higher education system in the Kingdom, and other mentioned domains within the scope of this study.
Proposing a clear vision for a strategy for utilizing the administrative and organizational information technology in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom.
Practical recommendations that help in designing a strategic plan for the implementation the administrative and organizational information technology in higher education institutes in the Kingdom.
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 system.
Defining a monitoring and control system, benchmarks, measuring criteria, and standardized indicators.
