NAGONGERA CAMPUS

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

COURSE NAME: SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: EDU 310
LECTURER: DR. AHMED KAWESI
TASK: GROUP ASSIGNMENT 1.

GROUP 4
NAME REG. NUMBER SIGNATURE
AJAMBO SUSAN BU/UP/2019/1447
AMODING HELLEN BU/UP/2019/1827
AYEKO ELLY BU/UP/2019/1666
CHEBET SANDRA BU/UP/2019/1456
CHEPTORUS GLORIA BU/UP/2019/1697
HAUMBA PETER BU/UP/2019/1758
KAMPI MARIA GORRET BU/UP/2019/1536
KIBET EDWIN BU/UP/2019/3036
MACHO BEN BU/UP/2019/1526
MUGOLE ISMA MALEWU BU/UP/2019/1719
MUWANGUZI JOSHUA BU/UP/2019/1642
OPUA ALLAN BU/UP/2019/1690
OTAU MICHEAL BU/UP/2019/1662
TENDO MERCY BU/UP/2019/3108

TOPIC:
Introduction
As a head, you are expected to manage the school through your own work, the work of other
teachers, staff and even pupils. You may have heard of sayings that: “Many heads are better
than one”, “Many hands make a load lighter”, etc. and certainly as a manager of a school you
cannot achieve your goals and objectives if you do all the tasks alone. In other words, you cannot
teach all the subjects in the school, head all the departments, be on duty every day of the week,
deal with all the correspondence and discipline cases, be in charge of all the clubs and so on. You
will need to use the talents of the teachers who work under you, not fearing that they will take
over from you, but rather trusting them and having confidence in them. Moreover, making use of
even the most critical or unco-operative members of your staff may result in their trusting you
and feeling more motivated and needed. By doing the above you will actually be delegating
responsibilities and duties to your teachers.

DELEGATION
Delegation is a process by which managers, such as school heads, transfer part of their authority
to subordinates, for the performance of certain tasks and responsibilities. By assigning tasks to
subordinates to perform on your behalf, you can enable the decentralisation of authority or office
functions, the sharing of duties/tasks within the school and the grouping of duties into
departments with group heads for easier management. Since delegation can take place at all
levels of management, department heads themselves may become involved in delegation.

Delegation is essentially a power sharing process in which an individual manages to transfer part
of their legitimate authority to subordinates but without passing on their own ultimate personal
responsibility for the completion of the overall task which was entrusted to them by their own
superiors. In other words, delegation is a process of dividing up your total work and giving part
of it to your subordinates

Reserved Authority and Delegated Authority:

A delegator may not like to delegate every authority to the subordinates. The authority which he
keeps with him is called reserved authority and the authority which is assigned to the
subordinates is delegated authority.
PRE-REQUISITES FOR DELEGATION:
Every superior tries to retain as much authority as possible. The load of work or circumstances
may compel delegation downwards. If the authority is not willingly delegated then it will not
bring desired results. It is important that appropriate authority should go downwards so that work
is undertaken smoothly and efficiently. The process of delegation will be complete only if
following prerequisites are fulfilled.

Willingness to Delegate:
The first prerequisite to delegation is the willingness of the superior to part with his authority.
Unless the superior is psychologically prepared to leave his authority, delegation will not be
effective. If a superior is forced to delegate authority downward without his sweet will, he will
try to devise methods to interfere with the subordinate’s working. He may over shadow the
subordinate to such an extent that every decision is implemented with the approval of the boss or
performance may pass through him with his close scrutiny. It will be better not to delegate
authority unless the superior is mentally prepared to do so.

Climate of Trust and Confidence:

There should be a climate of trust and confidence among superiors and subordinates. The
subordinates should be given enough opportunities or real job situations where they use their
talent and experience. In case they make some mistakes then superiors should guide and correct
them. The superiors should trust their subordinates and should not take them as their competitors.
The climate of trust and confidence will help the subordinates to learn and grow and this will
help the process of delegation.

Faith in Subordinates:
Sometimes the superiors do not delegate authority with the fear that subordinates will not be able
to handle the job independently. They are not confident of the qualities of subordinates and do
not want to take risks. The superior may be over conscious of his skill and competence with the
result that he is hesitant to delegate authority. The superiors should avoid this type of thinking
and attitude. They should have faith in their subordinates and should rather help them in learning
the job properly. After all the superiors also learnt many things from their superiors and present
subordinates are also to take up higher responsibilities. The climate of faith will help the
subordinates to learn the things faster and take up more responsibilities.

Fear of Supervisors:
There is often a fear among superiors that their subordinates may not over take them, once they
are given higher responsibility. This is a case of inferiority complex. The superiors may give
many logics for delegating authority but this fear is one of the important causes. The superiors
should avoid this type of thinking and have positive attitude towards subordinates.

The subordinates should be encouraged to take up more responsibilities and they will have more
respect for the superiors and their ability have faith in their subordinates and should rather help
them in learning the Job properly. After all the superiors also learnt many things from their
superiors and present subordinates are also to take up higher responsibilities. The climate of faith
will help the subordinates to learn the things faster and take up more responsibilities.

In a school of 1,000 learners and 60 teachers the head cannot control every activity.
There is a physical and mental limit to the workload capacity of any individual or group in
authority.
Delegation gives time to the head to concentrate on other important matters.
It is a way of preparing your juniors to handle higher and more challenging responsibilities in
future, therefore a way of training and developing them.
It creates confidence in your subordinates.
It encourages co-operation and team work and thus subordinates feel part and parcel of the
successes or failures of the school.
As a school grows more, specialisation in management, administration and teaching areas is
necessary

Reduces indispensability and invisibility

PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES OF DELEGATION

Select the person to delegate to, on the basis of a sound knowledge of staff members in terms of
their varying levels of competence, commitment and capability.
The nature and scope of the work to be delegated must be clearly defined and be for the benefit
of the organisation as a whole.
Delegated tasks must be clearly described.
The person to whom a task is assigned must be capable of carrying out the task or duty to the
best of his/her ability and willing to take responsibility.
Mutual co-operation, understanding and faith between the manager and staff members is of the
utmost importance to enable delegation to be successful.
Some form of regular reporting to provide a means of progress control is required.
Reward successful achievement of delegated tasks.

PROCESS OF DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

The Process of Delegation of Authority has seven sequential steps. Each step has its significance
and continuity. So it is important to understand every step then delegate the authority
accordingly.

 Step 1: set the goals for which we are assigning work to the subordinate.

 Step 2: the manager or the responsible person needs to define the responsibilities of the
employee. This makes the employee learn or understand what he needs to do and whom
he needs to report or take instructions.

 Step 3: This step is about defining the Author to subordinates. The authority varies from
employee to employee based on the job assigned to them.

 Step 4: The next step is to motivate all the subordinates. The manager is supposed to not
only delegate or assign the work to the support units. He also needs to encourage his
employees to work effectively and fastly by putting all their efforts. The manager also
monitors all the day-to-day actions done by subordinates.

 Step 5: The manager needs to hold accountability regarding his employees. The manager
or company should not depend on the employees.

 Step 6: the manager needs to train his subordinates according to the job assigned. If a
new task is given to the employee in a different language, he needs to train his
subordinate and ask him to learn and develop his skills by working on new tasks.
  Step 7: control the employees by maintaining proper appraisals for the performance.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DELEGATION:
 Delegation takes place when a manager grant some of his powers to subordinates.
 Delegation occurs only when the person delegating the authority himself has that
authority i.e. a manager must possess what he wants to delegate.
 Only a part of authority is delegated to subordinates.
 A manager delegating authority can reduce, enhance or take it back. He exercises full
control over the activities of the subordinates even after delegation.
 It is only the authority which is delegated and not the responsibility. A manager cannot
abdicate responsibility by delegating authority to subordinates.

ELEMENTS OF DELEGATION:
Assignment of Responsibility:
The first step in delegation is the assignment of work or duty to the subordinate i.e. delegation of
authority. The superior asks his subordinate to perform a particular task in a given period of time.
It is the description of the role assigned to the subordinate. Duties in terms of functions or tasks
to be performed constitute the basis of delegation process.

Grant of Authority:
The grant of authority is the second element of delegation. The delegator grants authority to the
subordinates so that the assigned task is accomplished. The delegation of responsibility with
authority is meaningless. The subordinate can only accomplish the work when he has the
authority required for completing that task.

Authority is derived from responsibility. It is the power, to order or command, delegated from
superior, to enable the subordinate to discharge his responsibility. The superior may transfer it to
enable the subordinate to complete his assigned work properly. There should be a balance
between authority and responsibility. The superior should delegate sufficient authority to do the
assigned work.
 Creation of Accountability:
Accountability is the obligation of a subordinate to perform the duties assigned to him. The
delegation creates an obligation on the subordinate to accomplish the task assigned to him by the
superior. When a work is assigned and authority is delegated then the accountability is the by-
product of this process.

The authority is transferred so that a particular work is completed as desired. This means that
delegator has to ensure the completion of assigned work. Authority flows downward whereas
accountability flows upward. The downward flow of authority and upward flow of accountability
must have parity at each position of management hierarchy. The subordinate should be made
accountable to only one superior. Single accountability improves work and discipline.

TYPES OF DELEGATION:
General or Specific Delegation:
When authority is given to perform general managerial functions like planning, organizing,
directing etc., the subordinate managers perform these functions and enjoy the authority required
to carry out these responsibilities. The chief executive exercises overall control and guides the
subordinates from time to time.

The specific delegation may relate to a particular function or an assigned task. The authority
delegated to the production manager for carrying out this function will be a specific delegation.
Various departmental managers get specific authority to undertake their departmental duties.

Formal or Informal Delegation:

Formal delegation of authority is the part of organizational structure. Whenever a task is
assigned to a person then the required authority is also given to him. This type of delegation is
part of the normal functioning of the organization. Every person is automatically given authority
as per his duties. When production manager gets powers to increase production then it is a
formal delegation of authority. Informal delegation does not arise due to position but according
to circumstances. A person may undertake a particular task not because he has been assigned it
but it is necessary to do his normal work.
 Lateral Delegation:
When a person is delegated an authority to accomplish a task, he may need the assistance of a
number of persons. It may take time to formally get assistance from these persons. He may
indirectly contact the persons to get their help for taking up the work by cutting short time of
formal delegation. When the authority is delegated informally it is called lateral delegation.

Informal delegation; is a type which requires mutual understanding between the delegator and
the delegatee without any written instruction i.e. the gentleman’s agreement where boss simply
delegates with no written information.

Formal delegation; this is a type of delegation which occurs when detailed written instructions
are issued to the delegatee outlining what is to be done, how and when to mention. This form is
advantageous in the sense that misunderstandings are avoided as the delegatee knows exactly
what is expected of him i.e. the boss can ask his subordinates with whether sending him in
attending a meeting.

Implied delegation; it occurs when the volume of work of the superior has increased and the
subordinates decides to do part of his work without any written instructions of mutual
understanding i.e. employee sympathies with boss’s workload and helps him out.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DELEGATION

 In a school of 1,000 learners and 60 teachers the head cannot control every activity.
 There is a physical and mental limit to the workload capacity of any individual or group
in authority.
 Delegation gives time to the head to concentrate on other important matters.
 It is a way of preparing your juniors to handle higher and more challenging
responsibilities in future, therefore a way of training and developing them.
 It creates confidence in your subordinates.
 It encourages co-operation and team work and thus subordinates feel part and parcel of
the successes or failures of the school.
 As a school grows more, specialisation in management, administration and teaching areas
is necessary
  Reduces indispensability and invisibility.

 Enhances self-esteem and self-fulfillment i.e. humans naturally want to direct their own
activities and assume some amount of responsibility. The delegate in this sense will
develop a feeling of participation when given some say in decision making which affects
his day today work i.e. people like being in role of their duties.
 Contributes to staff development and motivation.
 Facilities organizational growth.
 Increases flexibility in the organization as every process is no longer referred to the head
for a decision to be reached. In a school setting for instance where delegation is
effectively done; there is no delay for teachers to carry out some urgent decisions.
 Delegation is an act of trust and an expression of confidence of the leader in the
subordinate. It is one of the most important methods of creating and maintaining
democracy in schools. What then are some of the factors which need to be taken into
consideration to ensure effective delegation of tasks? They include:
• delegating authority with responsibility - remember you remain accountable for the
responsibilities delegated.
• delegated responsibilities must be clear, specific and effectively communicated
• delegating authority with enough responsibility.

Determination of the right degree of delegation is part of the art of management. Effective
delegation means delegating the right amount of authority and the right kind of duties. There will
always be some tasks which should not be delegated at all. Let us summarise some of the key
principles and procedures of delegation:
Principles and procedures of delegation
Select the person to delegate to, on the basis of a sound knowledge of staff members in terms of
their varying levels of competence, commitment and capability.
The nature and scope of the work to be delegated must be clearly defined and be for the benefit
of the organisation as a whole.
Delegated tasks must be clearly described.
The person to whom a task is assigned must be capable of carrying out the task or duty to the
best of his/her ability and willing to take responsibility.
Mutual co-operation, understanding and faith between the manager and staff members is of the
utmost importance to enable delegation to be successful.
Some form of regular reporting to provide a means of progress control is required.
Reward successful achievement of delegated tasks.

What makes one a good delegator?

A good delegator is one who stimulates and motivates subordinates to undertake duties and
responsibilities delegated to them by:

 clearly indicating the standard of performance expected quantitatively and qualitatively,

time limit and any other conditions involved
 giving the delegatee a chance to perform the given task without undue interference
 appreciating the efforts the delegatee has made, and assisting whenever assistance is
needed
 learning to accept that some delegated duties may not be done as perfectly as they would
by oneself
 making use of the mistakes made to develop rather than to ridicule and threaten the
delegatee: however, the delegator should make sure that the mistakes made will not
endanger the institution.
 ensuring that objective to be achieved is made clear.
 deciding what level of authority, you are granting to the delegate i.e. are you giving
limited or absolute power.
 encouraging subordinates to request for further help if needed.
 ensuring that clear reporting arrangements are made.
 allocating adequate resources be it finance or human resources
 informing the subordinates (delegates) that early mistakes will be used as learning
opportunities.
 ensuring that the task is completed according to agreed standards.
 Thanking the individual for his effort.
Barriers to effective delegation
Some managers are reluctant to delegate. They may choose not to delegate tasks feeling that they
can do better than anybody else. They may feel that it will take too long a time to explain to the
subordinate undertaking the assignment. Such feelings may be contributed by concerns such as:

Insecurity: Where the leader is not ready to take chances/risks or fears that the subordinate may
let him down.

Loss of power: If the subordinate does the task very well, and even better than the leader would
have done it.

Failure to plan ahead: This makes it difficult to decide which task to delegate and to whom and
when.

Some subordinates may be reluctant to take on responsibilities assigned to them due to

insecurity. This category of people views additional work as burden. Worse still, some
subordinates view delegation as wastage of time because in the final analysis credit goes back to
the head i.e. those that say he will be the one to gain the recognition.

They wish their bosses to make decisions for fear of being held responsible for any failure.
They may also feel that they are not given enough incentives, and are not given proper guidance
and support by the superior. Adequate means of communication may not be available to the
delegatee for consultation with the manager if necessary.

Leader may not have confidence in his subordinates and this may create fear on the part of
the leader to delegate.

References
1. Fonkeng,E. G. & Tamajong, E.V. (2009). Secondary school administration. Presses
Universitaires d’Afrique.
2. Fontaine, E.O, Gorita, I. & Vislykh, V. (2004). “Delegation of authority and
accountability”. Joint inspection unit, Jiu/rep/2004/7
3. Healthfield, S. (2004). Delegation as a leadership style: Tips for effective delegation.
Pearson.
4. Marry. K. (2010). Delegation and job satisfaction. Uganda: Makerere University.