In a first, Sindh to launch performance audit of university VCs

Students to help assess university leadership and teaching quality

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has decided to conduct a performance audit of vice chancellors of public universities across the province, following a recommendation by the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC). This initiative marks the first time such a measure is being implemented in the academic history of Pakistan, including Sindh.

The Chief Minister of Sindh, who also serves as the controlling authority for public universities in the province, has approved a summary submitted by the Sindh HEC titled "Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Senior Academic and Non-Academic Positions in Public Sector Universities." With this approval, the decision to conduct performance audits of key university officials, including vice chancellors, has taken immediate effect. From now on, the performance of vice chancellors will be directly linked to a reward and accountability system.

According to the approved summary, the performance audit will not be limited to vice chancellors alone. Other key university officials-including pro-vice chancellors, directors of finance, deans of faculties, registrars, heads of departments, directors of ORIC and QAC, and controllers of examinations-will also be evaluated. Sindh HEC has developed specific KPIs for each of these positions, which have also received formal approval.

According to details obtained by The Express Tribune, the Sindh HEC has shared this new monitoring and evaluation framework with the higher education authorities in the other three provinces as well as with the Federal HEC. This opens the possibility for other provinces and the federal body to adopt a similar system if they choose.

It is worth noting that the Search Committee Act governing the appointment of vice chancellors in Sindh was passed three years ago. The Act includes a legal provision that allows the Search Committee to evaluate the performance of vice chancellors. The recently approved summary formalises this process, stipulating that the performance of vice chancellors and other key officials will be reviewed by the Sindh HEC and the Search Committee every two years.