Centre for Technology Development

Dambi Dollo University

College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Computer Science

Proposal for establishing Centre for Technology Development

Submitted to:

Office of Research and community services Vice president

By:Mr. Abdu Aliyi

March 21, 2022

Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am especially indebted to Mr. Abdisa Bencha Jara, Managing Director of oict.com, who
inspired me on this analytical task and provided unending guidance. As my manager and mentor,
he have been in supportive of my career goals and worked actively to provide me with the
protected academic time to pursue those goals. He taught me a great deal about project
management, current trends in ICT and ERP applications, and gave me a practical advice on the
software development.

I would especially like to thank Mr. Diriba Andasha, Education Quality assurance and
assessment coordinator. As my teacher and mentor, he has taught me more than I could ever give
him credit for here. He has shown me, by his example, what a good teacher (and person) should
be.

This work would not have been possible without the ideal support of the computer science staff
members. I am grateful to all of them with whom I have had the pleasure to work during this and
other related professional tasks. Each of the members has provided me extensive personal and
professional guidance and taught me a great deal about both trends technologies and life in
general. In particular, I would like to thank Mr. Belay, Head of the Department of Computer
Science; he co-led the work and provided a clear roadmap to the team.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This proposal presents a conceptual and organizational framework for establishing Centre for
Technology Development (CTD) in DaDU. Such a center might initially focus on the
telecommunication and information technology (IT) sector (including software development,
ICT Consultancies, Training and Support, Web Services, System Maintenance, Integration and
monitoring), where the University displays strong, albeit under-utilized, technical talent. The
center might encompass an export-oriented IT service and, surpass the toughest client
requirements and expectations challenge and use up-to-date technologies, methodology, tools
and solutions which are based on proven, mature and state-of-the-art technologies and standards
that will nurture university communities and help them commercialize innovative ideas and
technologies. The purpose of the paper is to suggest the organizational, structure and
management solutions for CTD that can be applied in DaDU. Additionally, consideration is
given to potential actions and practices to incentivize inclusion, engagement, and buy-in by
college and staff members at DaDU.

The paper is divided in two chapters. The first chapter broadly discusses the overview of the
proposed organizational structure of the center, vision, mission statements, and goals of the
center, motivation, and service provided by the center. Chapter two describes establishment,
structure, functions and team coordination of the center.

Table of Contents
Contents Pages

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................................................i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................ii

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LIST OF ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS..............................................................................................iv
CHAPTER ONE..........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Introduction and Overview....................................................................................................................1
1.2 Vision and Mission statement............................................................................................................2
1.2.1 Vision statement.........................................................................................................................2
1.2.2 Mission statement.......................................................................................................................2
1.3 Goals of CTD................................................................................................................................3
1.3.1 General Goals.............................................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Specific Goals.............................................................................................................................3
1.4 Motivation and Approach..................................................................................................................4
1.5 Scope.................................................................................................................................................4
1.6 Significance of the Center..................................................................................................................5
1.7 Services and Products........................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO.........................................................................................................................................6
2. Establishment, Structure, Functions and Team Coordination of CTD.....................................................6
2.1. Establishment...................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Structure of CTD...............................................................................................................................7
2.3 Team Coordination of CTD...............................................................................................................7
2.4 Core functions, partners and levels of CTD.......................................................................................9
2.5 Support Activities..............................................................................................................................9
2.6 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................11

LIST OF ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS

CMS Content Management System

CoE Center of Excellence

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CoET  College of Engineering and Technology

CTD Center for Technology Development

DaDU Dambi Dollo University

DC Department Committee

E.C Ethiopian Calendar

ERP Enterprise Resource Planning

HEI Higher Education Institutions

HoD Head of Department

ICT Information and technology

ILTT Industrial Linkage and Technology Transfer

IoT Internet of Things

R&D Research and Development

STEM Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

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CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction and Overview

The use of ICT in education is irrevocable in a knowledge economy and mandatory for sustained
development. Today the world is being revolutionized by the figurative and novel radical
development of science and technology. Especially in the universities different Development and
Research centers are being established for the purpose of initiating and supporting younger
developers in universities and community as well as to implement some ERPs and IoT. Leading
Higher Education Institutions (HEI) all over the world are making relevant investments in ICT in
other to upgrade their operational process; thereby conserving energy and time as well as saving
cost. Along with the growth of ICT has grown the impression that ICT solutions are expensive.
Our suggestion in CTD is to deploy solutions that are supported by the newest technologies,
tailored to the DaDU’s need and at the best price. In general, ICT has caused a paradigm shift
introducing the age of network intelligence, reinventing businesses, governments and
institutions.
The Center for Technology Development is committed to bring the intellectual and human
resources of the university into partnership with area organizations and schools to contribute the
development of technology.  The Center can incubate novel solutions to curricular and
programmatic concerns, support ongoing efforts in the community and engage staff and students
in paid and volunteer opportunities. The Center can support the design of programmatic and
curricular responses to the needs of individual schools or larger organizations. 
Coming to our country, Ethiopia has named eight universities Center of Excellences in research.
Addis Ababa, Gondar, Bahir Dar, Mekele, Jimma, Hawassa, Arba Minch and Haromaya
Universities have been named center of Excellences by Ministry of Science and Higher
Education. A senior advisor at the Ministry, Dr. Worku Negash said the eight higher education
institutions are selected out of 46 public universities in the country due to their age long
contributions in problem-solving research works over the years. The ministry will take various
capacity building measures so as to make the eight universities internationally competent in
research and related fields, the advisor underlined. In addition to the eight selected as center of
excellences in research, the remaining 15 have been labeled as a competency center for science

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and technology, and the other 23 as center for general education, according to Ministry of
Science and Higher Education.
In our university, as a purpose in the institute the Centre for Technology Development (CTD) is
suggested to excel in project development, research and other IT supporting activities aimed at
nurturing ideas and innovations (knowledge-based and technology-driven) into successful
startups. The Centre conducts cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and Technology
Development in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with emphasis
on the Monitoring, Control, Security and Management of Critical Infrastructure Systems. CTD
envisions DaDU to become the top ranked university as Technology and Innovation CoE among
Ethiopian public universities. With this regard the center supports the stakeholders and the
community as a whole supplying transferable knowledge, technology and innovation through
continuous and effective teaching-learning, training and research both within our university and
across the country. On the spot at the ground the center will be engaged on providing quality
software products, problem solving and transferable technology and innovation, research and
training and outcome based dissemination activities in line with the stated goals of the center
cascaded from the requirements of the ICT sector as per the plan of the DaDU. In particular, the
center will enable the university to develop ERP and other IT products with available resource
and expert on its own instead of buying those products from external development companies.
Therefore, this paper will propose the overall overview of such center’s establishment at DaDU.
It will discuss the vision and mission statement, goals, motivation, scope and services of CTD.

1.2 Vision and Mission statement

1.2.1 Vision statement

The vision of the center is to become one of the best Technology and Innovation centers in
computer sciences, and ICT arena in Ethiopian universities by the year 2019 E.C, recognized for
its problem solving and transferable Technology and innovation to society.

1.2.2 Mission statement

The mission of the CTD is to advance life, sciences, technology ,research, innovation and
education at DaDU and throughout the country by creating a multi-disciplinary environment that
would foster interdisciplinary interactions, advance and disseminate knowledge in this emergent
center, with the final goal to deliver solutions in ICT development through effective public-

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private partnership. In other word, it is established with the mission of establishing a suitable
environment by which students and College/staff scale-up their academic excellence and
potentials by being involved in project development, research activities, Training and
transferring acquired knowledge and skills in as systematic way to industries and community at
university and national level.

1.3 Goals of CTD

1.3.1 General Goals

a) For seamless transfer of data from the point of student registration to registry, finance,
student services, human resources and administration; the respective systems or databases
involved in the process must be able to communicate with each other intelligently. ICT
has proven its value in that it can process voluminous records quickly, meticulously and
impeccably. This will significantly improve the capability of the Dambi Dollo
University’s administration by automating some important activities.
b) To enable DaDU and its community to implement and make wisely use of ERPs
c) To expand and deepen innovation and research in computer science arena as well as
related science and technology activities.
d) To promote and initiate creative and innovative faculty/staff and students
e) To enable DaDU to develop ERP applications ad CMS using available resources and
experts as well as working with software development Company Partnership (OICT.com
-software company offering strategic partnership program that is unique and industry
defining ).
f) To establish DaDU as a national leader university in conducting community research and
promoting creative and innovative college/staff and students.

1.3.2 Specific Goals

 To provide ICT Consultancies and Solutions for DaDU and its community
 To maintain, Integrate and Monitor Systems in the university.
 To train and support, practice-oriented expertise in the IT arena. We strive for 100%
university satisfaction in any project we undertake and, to achieve this, we continuously
update our knowledge base to ensure that we surpass the toughest client requirements and

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expectations challenge and use methodology, tools and solutions which are based on
proven, mature and state-of-the-art technologies and standards.
 To promote expert of computer software
 To leverage campus and state/national collaborations and partnership companies so that
each benefits the other
 To establish and maintain long-term, sustainable, mutually-transformative partnerships
across campus and between campus and community
 To expand into new, relevant programming arenas (such as Innovation Service-Learning)
 To collaborate with college/staff, students, community members, and programs engaged
in related forms of experiential, community-based teaching, learning, research and
innovation, thereby helping to strengthen such efforts and generating new models for
effective curricular engagement across a range of venues (e.g., internships, undergraduate
research, learning communities, training etc.)

1.4 Motivation and Approach

A huge challenge that results in Higher Institutions of learning not achieving their ICT-related
goals is a lack of coherence between the processes, the commitment of the community of users,
the ICT model and ICT management.
Our approach is to start up a conversation with the users, understand the existing structures &
systems, before designing a final model.
We propose a treatment that is generic enough to apply to the broad notion of higher education –
not just the administration of the University; but all functions of the University, in a bid to deeply
realize the fundamental mission of the University.

1.5 Scope

1. The design and installation of physical ICT infrastructure and associated technical
systems in the Administrative Department & college of the DaDU.
2. The development of management and support frameworks required to successfully
respond to users of ICT in the university.
3. The establishment of the status and opportunities for use of ICT innovations in teaching,
project management, research, outreach and networking at DaDU.
4. ICT Consultancies, Training and support at DaDU.

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1.6 Significance of the Center

The Center allows:
 The university to use available technical experts.
 The university to automate some important parts of its activities. (Employee
management, Evaluations, and the whole university management)
 contractual use of university owned scientific, engineering and computing equipment;
 to receive on-site customized training and education offerings;
 Expansion and wisely use of ERPs.

1.7 Services and Products

 Web Services
 ERP Systems
 System Maintenance, Integration and monitoring
 Desktop and Mobile apps
 ICT Consultancies and Solutions
 Training and Support
 Community Researches
 Industrial Linkage

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CHAPTER TWO

2. Establishment, Structure, Functions and Team Coordination of CTD

2.1. Establishment.
The center can be established at one of available buildings in the university, which may have
computer lab and one office for the center coordination. Establishing the center on the basis of
existing facilities is much less costly. As in the case of a university-based CoE, those colleges
and laboratories that are at an advanced stage of developing suitable ICT products and services
can become the first options of the center. A young IT-service can also serve as a major
attraction to software development and information technology-related companies. The research
personnel and faculty of the university as well as its students will be encouraged to participate in
the center as consultants, members, and interns.
Another major component of the center can be ICT Office/ college that will provide professional
and information support to software development and hi-tech R&D projects. The Office will
offer:
 technical assistance and consulting in information technology and software development;
 information service, linked to the University;
 professional services – financial and management consulting, marketing, and legal
services;
 Technical support – developers, Training and communication services, office equipment,
etc.
The ICT Office’s professional services can be staffed by the colleges of the University or the
ICT Director. If suitable professionals are not available, some of the services can be provided by
an outside firm (partnership companies) on a contractual basis. To facilitate research and project
development activities, tenant components will be encouraged to interact with one another and
hold joint seminars/workshops at a common meeting place in the center.
In addition to the partnership companies’, it will be extremely beneficial for the marketing image
of the center if a foreign company (e.g. the IT service firm) is attracted as an early resident. An
emerging trend in science and technology parks around the world is their internationalization; i.e.
attraction of foreign companies through a preferential regime of registration and operation.

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2.2 Structure of CTD

We propose the Centre for Technology Development to be established by separating its function
from the currently existing centers such as STEM, indigenous knowledge and etc. Separating
them into the CTD would benefit the centers by allowing each office to focus on its core mission
instead of the different implicit missions currently overseen by them. Science and Technology
efforts will be specialized to include a wide range of system development and IT Solutions-
supporting activities, some of which already exist at DaDU, while developing new areas of
expertise to widen innovation activities and technology transfer at DaDU, including the wide use
and creation of ERP applications in DaDU. The CTD will coordinate these technology and
innovation - and education-supporting efforts with other existing innovation and research
centers, educational and organizational partnerships, and other-supporting organizations around
the University.

2.3 Team Coordination of CTD

There will be three major teams in the center.
1. The Software Development team
2. The Research and Training team
1. The software Development team
The team will formalize and better support the established model for staff and student initiated
and designed intensive capstone projects. In these projects, staff and students develop their own
curriculum and reflection strategy and their own community partnerships, mentored by college
and community members; the projects often include research, dissemination, and ongoing
refinement of the capstone model and supporting materials and processes.
CTD will focus on facilitating student projects and college research engagement around certain
topics with small business and corporate entities inside and outside DaDU. The team will
develop a framework for campus participation with ICT office, Research and innovation office to
work in an interdisciplinary and inclusive manner with colleges and students on projects and
researches to address problems the university need to consider.

Working closely with the Office of Research and Technology Innovation Directorate or with
other existing centers within the university, the center will also facilitate and oversee sponsored
projects and internships for staff and student development and talent pipelines.

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This team may be composed of CoET staffs (e.g. DC ILTT), students, ICT staff, and members of
partnership companies.
In general, the core roles of this team include:
1. Conducting the ICT situation analysis through visits and consultation with users in
university.
2. Diffusing the innovation thinking and introducing the right technologies and best
practices regarding innovation and creative thinking.
3. Ensuring that the overall innovation and research activity is in alignment with the
strategy of the university and in harmony with the Ministry of science and innovation; it
manages the noise and the risk of (internal) disruption coming from ambitious innovation
activities.
4. Developing a work plan and approach to the situation analysis in consultation with the
research and project Academies of Dambi Dollo University for undertaking the
assignment.
5. Concluding on ICT capacity building, conclude on installation and submit synthesis
report for reviews
6. Supporting and initiating creative and innovative ideas and activities raised from the staff
or students.
7. Identifying and providing the right enabling technologies to facilitate day-to-day
innovation activities and also to speed up the adoption of the innovation culture. For
instance, the team needs to select, adapt, and provide ideation, innovation management,
and brainstorming tools, platforms to set up programming and ideation challenges, ideas
processing pipelines, information sharing applications, etc.
2. The Research and Training team
Focusing on the provision of Computer programming and entrepreneurship training and practice,
and making such opportunities available to all students, and staff, the center will support
teaching the skills needed across disciplines to create CoE and incubation of in our university.
The team will provide experiential training as a key component of the staff and student
experience. This is composed of department committees such as community service, and
Research committee. This team also works for the Development of entrepreneurship programs:

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entrepreneurial thinking and ideas working within corporate entities, partnering with corporate
relations to engage companies and businesses to develop priorities of CTD.

2.4 Core functions, partners and levels of CTD

Three following core functions would give the Center its identity, mission, and direction:

 Training and support

 Software and other ERP Systems’ development,
 ICT Consulting, Training and Support,
 Web Services,
 System Maintenance, Integration and monitoring
 Promoting innovative and creative staff members and students

These core functions would be operationalized with each of the populations that comprise the
partners in the center:

 College/Staff
 Students
 Other DaDU Community
 Partnership companies (if any)

And each of these core functions would be operationalized across three distinct yet inter-related
levels:

1. DaDU
2. Other universities
3. National / International

2.5 Support Activities

The Center’s operations will also include the following four categories of support activity,
discussed briefly below:
1. Partnership Development: The Center will establish and grow relationships with community
members and organizations locally and state-wide, building a solid network of community
partners. Working together, Center staff, community members, and other units on campus might
identify thematic tracks of particular relevance to campus and community, organizing for

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partnership development within them, and create structures for community members to interact
with the Center in a variety of intensity levels, depending on their needs and interests.
2. Instructional Technology: The Center will build a strong capacity to support its work and
that of affiliated staff and programs through distance learning technologies, including, as
examples, university use of course management systems and electronic portfolios, online
tutorials as a component of faculty development (e.g., for curricular integration of service-
learning / syllabus design) and of student training (e.g., for orientation to community partnership
processes), and communications networks for students, colleges, and community partners
engaged in projects and researches state-wide and for intra- and inter-institutional staff Learning
Communities.
3. Publications: In support of its scholarly orientation, its resource development activities, and
its partnership development processes, the Center might include a small publishing arm,
producing, for example electronic newsletters, a Guidebook series, and a journal for
dissemination of student, faculty, and community partner work. The Center will also establish a
close working relationship with one or more publishing houses interested in technology and
innovation as a niche; potentially through an arrangement to generate edited volumes, the Center
will provide continual opportunities for affiliated staffs to publish their work.

2.6 Conclusions
We proposed Center for Technology Development (CTD). This will allow DaDU to leverage an
existing knowledge base, using existing resource and experts wisely, reducing development time
and providing a platform for further innovation and research. The concept behind building a
CTD is typically based on a technology, ERP applications, or even a critical research on the
grounds of team spirit at DaDU with efficient and cost-effective methodologies. It will focus on
how to consistently innovate, conduct research and train, and enhance the staff and students
experience throughout the engagement lifecycle. Optimally, a CTD can contribute to a
university’s Tech image and digitalization, increasing its competitive advantage.

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