Drivers and impact of outsourcing in Malawi’s Public universities: the case of security at the Malawi Polytechnic

Abstract

This case study investigated the main factors responsible for the adoption of outsourcing of non-core activities in the University of Malawi and its impact on the University's ability to efficiently offer its mandated objectives. It was conducted at The Malawi Polytechnic, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Malawi. The adoption of outsourcing policy was based on the assumption that it would lead to efficiency in the delivery of the University of Malawi corebusiness of teaching, research and consultancy. Thus, this study was conducted to provide empirical evidence of the impact of outsourcing policy at The Malawi Polytechnic on the college's ability to efficiently offer teaching, research and consultancy services. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to collect data for the study (secondary data from college security section and accounts department, and interviews conducted with management, academic staff and students). The findings of this study demonstrate that outsourcing of security services at The Malawi Polytechnic was primarily driven by the desire to reduce college financial operational costs through areduction in staff emoluments wage bill and operational costs related to providing security services. However, the college's objective of increasing funding towards its core business has not been achieved. While the college's real income has been unstable and dwindling since theadoption of security outsourcing, the costs of outsourcing have been increasing in real value due to a number of outsourcing related costs such as monitoring and administration costs. These costs were overlooked in the design of the outsourcing model. Consequently, outsourcing has resulted in the reductionof real resources allocated to theprovision of the college core functions.