New Organization Design for

Indian Educational Institutions

Shreekanth Prabhu
General Comments
• Here a new organization design is proposed for educational
institutions.
• This is purely an academic exercise.
• Any change generally takes time to gain acceptance. It is more so in
India. But change is inevitable if we need to progress.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Indian Context
• India needs to be a Knowledge Economy to achieve unprecedented prosperity.
India has the potential to do it.
• Innovation landscape as well as man-power quality is highly skewed towards few
sectors, while other sectors are crying for innovative solutions.
• There is lot of asymmetry between different departments leading to inordinate
skew in student demand compared to other countries
• Institutions do not take a strategic approach to improve placement rate or
placement premium or industry fit and rather just go with the flow.
• We continue to lack capability in specific and specialized technologies.
• Government generally mandates ranking, assessment and accreditations which
drives institutions towards token compliance than significant transformation. In
other cases chasing numbers has meant society sees hardly any impact from
presence of educational institutions except in job placement.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Industry/Ecosystem Context
• Funding from Industry to Educational Institution continues to be far lower compared to
developing countries. Many cases even when industry is willing to fund, educational institutions
lack processes to dedicate resources and deliver outcomes.
• There is no differentiation in research/consultancy done by different institutions.
• Most funding from Government goes to elite institutions. Lot of Government Funded projects
generate indifferent outcomes and there is no robust outcome-based review process. Only
compliance is checked.
• Lot of alumni funding goes to elite institutions. Efficacy of research centers is not adequately
assessed by doing studies.
• More than funding a culture of impactful research and original research needs to be cultivated.
Lot of work is me-too work.
• Universities in India are yet to lead industry in technical prowess.
• Industries lay off people and replace them with young(for example IT industry), instead of
retraining/nurturing them through continuous education and enhancing value capture. This leads
to waste of productive capacity and inability to achieve maturity in offerings. This cedes
leadership to other countries and we remain at low-end of value chain.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Institutional Context
• Most Educational Institutions are structured as departments.
• This leads to silos and predominant focus remains operational.
• Even though many organizations have multiple functions (including
research) most of the reporting happens to operational managers.
• Hardly any synergy between disciplines is exploited.
• There has always been a crying need from industry and government
for custom programs that change with time.
A new organization design is proposed in that context.
• The approach applies to both individual educational institutions as
well as universities.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Program Context
• We need programs to be customizable based on student interest and industry need.
• Many programs fall short when it comes to imparting specific specialized technologies Sustained effort is
needed to create Industry pull for neglected programs and adapt them/right size them.
• We need programs to be not constrained by department boundaries either for teachers or content.
• Programs are not aligned with grand challenges such as Energy and Environment nor local/national
challenges such as decrepit infrastructure, water resource management, etc.
• Certain programs may need global collaboration as demand is only outside India.
• Large number of Programs should involve continuing education
• Each program should have the freedom to frame criteria for selection of students.
• Each program should own its own selection, evaluation and placement of students.
• Some programs may do away with common first year classes and spread common courses through the
duration.
• Some programs may take application first (outside in) approach than basics first approach
• Program Owners should be well-connected with industry and academia who may derive value from
programs.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Student Context
• Students do not undergo holistic development during education.
• Student motivation is a big challenge even among academically proficient. Pecking order
between programs causes many students to pursue programs where they lack interest
&/or merit
• Students feel they are not in the right discipline irrespective of discipline.
• There is no well-thought out mechanism to bridge specific competency gaps of students.
It is important to develop character and personality of students.
• It is vital for students to value wisdom, knowledge and skills in that order
• Institutions should be transformation agents and not mere quality filters for career
openings.
• It is important that students take responsibility for their learning.
• Evaluation has become an end in itself instead of a step in learning process to validate
learning in an indicative manner.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Teacher Context
• Teachers should feel valued in class-rooms, in institutions and in society.
• Teacher’s time should be at premium and used with discretion.
• Ancient Indian tradition expected students to be worthy and truly desirous of learning.
• Teachers role should be to enable and encourage students to learn. Primary onus for learning
should be with student in higher education landscape.
• Many institutions today expect teachers to push knowledge while we need students to exhibit
that pull and own learning.
• Teachers should have career progression and flexibility to choose career paths based on their
inclination.
• Teachers should be completely empowered to design courses, teach them and design evaluation
approaches and grading.
• Evaluation should be seamless with instruction. Evaluation should be seen as a means to promote
and assure learning and not vice-versa.
• Teacher autonomy should be norm and not exception.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Organization Design Methodology
• Evolve a balanced scorecard that can guide organizational design.Based on score-
card organization design is proposed.
• Balanced Scorecard prevents an institution from being overly student-centric,
teacher-centric and overly operational and insular.
• Proposed design has left certain choices open. Forming of technology domains,
research teams or any other teams. At times informal approach without formal
teams may work better.
• We do not propose an independent quality organization nor centralized
evaluation function. Some minimal coordination and standardization is advised.
• We also hope that focus on placement becomes lesser and students have variety
of choices and means to get right opportunities.
• In general 360 degree feedback is encouraged. Certain degree of matrix reporting
may be ideal.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Other tactical changes(1/2)
• Move from year long placements to Job Fairs maybe 3 times a year.
Encourage placements via internship/remote project model.
• Generally let academic semester/terms not be disturbed by non-academic
activities. Let the semesters/terms be focused on academics.
• Let teacher’s time be premium. Let teaching be an enabler/intervention to
student to learn better and not just content delivery with repeated
reinforcement.
• Learning should be 25 percent self-study, 25 percent working with peers,
25 percent due to teachers and another 25 percent due to extended
work/experience by applying learning or through continuation of learning
(Inspiration: Sanskrit Sholka to this effect).

Shreekanth Prabhu
Other tactical changes (2/2)
• Evaluate teachers using ‘portfolio’ approach than just using a single
numeric measure based on student feedback. See what they bring to table
end-to-end.
• Do away with any kind of normalization at program or institution level.
Allow for a few anomalies and let any evaluation/grading decision be an
academic decision not an administrative one. Any deviations will even out
over time.
• Do away with practices that have become rituals. Question some practices
that we have blindly borrowed or done to please accreditation agencies.
Change them based on longitudinal studies and outcome surveys. Do
Summer Terms work? Do we really need Faculty Advisers for each and
every student? Do we need all the paper work we routinely do? Do invited
talks really spark interest of students?

Shreekanth Prabhu
Academic Institution Balanced Scorecard

Ecosystem Faculty

Student Program

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Ecosystem Faculty
• Research • Teacher Selection
• Innovation • Teacher Competency Developnent
• Consulting • Teacher Performance Management
• Entrepreneurship • Teacher Motivation & grievance
• Industry-Connect management
• Academia Connect • New Program/Curriculum Development
• Community Connect with scope and goals in line with strategy.
• Institutional Knowledge Management
• Industry/Academia Connect to define new
programs based on Placement

Student Program
• Student Motivation • Program Admission
• Student Competency Development • Program Delivery
• Student Character Development • Program Evaluation(of students)
• Student Personality Development • Program Placement (of students)
• Student Grievance Management • Industry Connect with Program Customers
• Student Career Advice/Mentoring • Program Refinement/ Minor Revisions
• Alumni Relations • Progam
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New Organization Design Proposal
Director

Dean Ecosystem Dean Student Dean Faculty Dean Programs

Teachers with primary Student Mentors and

Teachers of all Admin/Process related
research focus and character
disciplines staff
other funded activities development

Student Competency Teacher Competency Program

Development Development Owners/Coordinators

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Roles, Goals and Functional Scope
Role Goal Scope
Dean The objective is to create significant Research
Ecosystem impact on eco-system. Responsible for Innovation
Ecosystem Experience. Consulting
Promoting Intellectual Assets in the Entrepreneurship
organization Researcher Performance
Management with 360
degree inputs.
Dean Faculty Faculty Experience Curriculum Development
Organizational Knowledgebase Program Development
Definition of New Programs and new Faculty Development
courses Faculty Career Progression
Faculty Satisfaction Faculty Performance
Teaching Teachers Management with 360
Mentoring Teachers degree inputs. Majority of
Custodian of Faculty Interests & Concerns Faculty Members report to
Shreekanth Prabhu Dean Faculty.
Roles, Goals and Functional Scope
Role Goal Scope
Dean Student The objective is to drive holistic student experience. Student Mentoring
Single-point of contact for both academic and non- Student Motivation
academic issues of students. Student Engagements.
Custodian of Students interests and concerns Student Career Advise and placement
Managing a core-team focused on
student development
Dean Delivery of Programs put together by Dean Faculty Program Delivery, Program Evaluation.
Program Program Owners who co-ordinate to
deliver and evaluate programs.
Teachers involved in Process and other
administrative staff report to this
Dean.
Teacher Empower teachers to excel Responsible for instruction, evaluation
and grading of all courses and projects
in indviidual capacity or as part of
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group.
Leadership Styles and Success Criteria
Role Leadership Focus Success Criteria

Dean RICE Transformation Success stories at Ecosystem

Level

Dean Faculty Reform Teacher Success Stories

Dean Student Performance Alumni Success Stories

Dean Programs Conformance Program Success Stories

While numbers/metrics are important it is unique impact that an institution makes shapes perception on
institution or class/peer group of institutions

Shreekanth Prabhu
Member Competency Map

Quadrant Primary Orientation Differentiator

Ecosystem Creative Relational
Faculty Analytical Relational
Student Relational Operational/Process
Programs Operational/Process Relational

Both students and teachers can contribute to different Quadrants

According to brain theory, analytical and operational are left brain

skills whereas creative and relational are right brained skills.

Shreekanth Prabhu
Desired Internal Collaboration Model
Quadrant Collaboration Model
Ecosystem Here teachers, researchers and students collaborate freely across boundaries
using both formal and informal structures. Interaction/collaboration with outside
institutions is particularly encouraged.
Faculty Here teachers and students collaborate around knowledge thematic areas
without any program boundaries. Students also can contribute to create
knowledge assets/tutorials. Mentoring happens among teachers.
Student Here teachers and students collaborate freely. Mentoring happens among
students as well
Programs Here teachers and administrators collaborate to achieve program delivery,
evaluation and other operational perspectives.

All quadrants interact with each other and share

concerns of their constituents with other quadrants
Shreekanth Prabhu
External Collaboration Model

Quadrant Interaction Model

Ecosystem Interact with Government, Academia, Industry and Community for collaboration
opportunities as well as understand their needs..
Faculty Interact with Governmet, Academia, Industry and community to take state of the
knowledge to higher level and design attractive programs
Student Here teachers and students collaborate freely. Mentoring happens among students
as well
Programs Here teachers and administrators collaborate to achieve program delivery,
evaluation and other operational perspectives.

Shreekanth Prabhu
 Inter-quadrant billing model with
separate budgets for each quadrant is
Funding Model suggested.

Function Assets Funding Remarks

RICE Publications Industry Significant funding should come here and
Patents Government educational institutions should develop
Laboratories Alumni unique speciality
Consulting Capacity
Faculty Training Capacity Industry Government should Ideally pay salaries
Knowledge Government of all Knowledge creators across
Curriculum and Artifacts organizations
Student Student Development Students depending Certain programs may be sponsored. All
Programs on participation program scheduled during vacations and
Student Community Connect weekends or off-hours without disturbing
Variety of non- regular hours.
credit/additional credit
programs
Program Degrees, Diplomas and Students Generally Opex should be funded by
Certificates. students without cross-subsidization.
Shreekanth Prabhu Capex can be funded by donors and
Other Articles related to Education
1. Education and Quality, Should Educational Institutions view students as
Customers? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shreekanthprabhu_using-quality-
practices-from-industry-in-activity-6593866895382937600-Dagu
2. New Educational Framework for India, A proposal.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shreekanthprabhu_new-education-
framework-for-india-a-proposal-activity-6590952352671428609-9vgW
3. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-step-agenda-develop-your-university-
research-hotspot-prabhu/
4. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-build-world-class-institutions-
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5. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/universities-learning-organizations-
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Shreekanth Prabhu
Thank You!