ACTIVITY AND OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT

The Operations department under the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) is primarily scheduled with responsibilities of Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Technology Incubation Programme and any other responsibility as may be directed by the Board.

In line with the above mandate find highlighted below some of the ways to reposition the operations department in actualizing the mandate of the Board and Technology Incubation programme.

1. Review and Evaluation of Quarterly Centre / Entrepreneurs Reports

One of the most constant and regular activities of the department is to review and evaluate the reports of the over twenty seven Technology Incubation Centers and their extensions.The Department designed a reporting format for centers in order to make the writing of reports easy, to avoid irrelevant information and for easy analysis and evaluation  by the Department.

2. Review and Evaluation of Application Forms for Admission, Feasibility Reports and Business Plans (Admission Committee)

This is also a regular activity of the department, where admission forms into the Technology Incubation Programme are assessed and analyzed to evaluate if applicant is suitable for TIP.

Please Note:

1. On no account should Admission matters be left in the hands of the Zonal Offices or the Centres, by doing so may amount to rubbing the Operations Department of one of its core responsibilities, thereby making the staff redundant.

2. There is every tendency of the abuse of the Admission process as favoritism would set in at the expense of merit.

3. Sending representative from the Board to the Zone is likely to be hampered due to financial constraints.

3. Admission and  Documentation of Admitted Entrepreneurs

1. Provide guidelines for implementation of efficient admission policy.

2. Liaise with Legal Unit to develop admission and exit agreements and all other measures that ensure the efficient growth and development of incubatees.

3. Provide advice and recommendations to the Admission Committee/ Management regarding admission of entrepreneurs.

4. Carry out documentation of the admitted entrepreneurs.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): 

This is an assessment tool by which an organization constantly repositions itself for maximum delivery on its goals and objectives; 

Monitoring involves:

1. Establishing indicators of efficiency, effectiveness and impact:

2. Setting up systems to collect these indicators;

3. Analyzing the information:

4. Using the information to inform day to day management;

Evaluation involves: 

1. Looking at what the project or organization intends to achieve – what difference and impact it wants to make?

2. Assessing its progress towards the set targets (goals) and their impacts.

3. Having a critical look at the strategic plan – was it effective in achieving the desired results?

In Operations Department, the M & E are carried out through the following processes:

1. Develop and implement a systematic process for the monitoring and evaluation of TICs and their incubatees.        

On this, the Department regularly collects data on Centers` activities which bother on specific entrepreneur performance as well as overall collaborative efforts. To this end, a team periodically visits the Centers to verify and authenticate the information provided to the Department by the Centers on their activities. For some time now, the Department could not carry out their M & E exercise due to circumstances beyond its control. Nevertheless; the Department is ready and prepared in the events of positive development towards embarking on the exercise which has been moribund. The preparations include coaching of the staff of the Department on how to prepare and handle the exercise with respect to collating data on Centres’ activities in the following areas:                                                                                           

1. Centre Information

2. Challenges – Resident incubation template

3. Challenges – Non- resident incubation

4. Challenges  - Post- incubation

5. Entrepreneur log – Resident incubation

6. Entrepreneur log – Non- resident incubation

7. Entrepreneur log – Post incubation.

2. Review the types of services required by the incubatees during pre- incubation, incubation and post incubation programme.

3. Provide structured process for implementing the results of M & E findings for strategic planning.

4. Establish and ensure the observance of industrial safety measures, quality control measure and product standardization.

5. Capacity building in M & E , TIC admissions , quality control , product development and industrial safety for technical staff  of TICs and the Board. 

6. Development of product catalogue of inventories of Centre products. 

Supervision involves:

1. Establishment of minimum standards for facility basis for the efficient operation of the TICs.

2. Establish efficient mechanism for the day to day management of Incubates at the Centers.

3. Develop entrepreneurship development, networking and mentoring programmes within and outside the TICs.

4. Establish an efficient system of selecting technical and advisory committees for TICs.

5. Graduation of Entrepreneurs

Develop graduation criteria and ensure post-graduation plans for the Technology Incubation Centres.

6. Peer Review

Center Managers and liaison officers go to different Centers and practically take over the management of the Centers for three (3) days. They will be at the Centre with the aim of having on- the- spot appreciation and assessment of the Centers` performances and reports sent to the Board.

7. Capacity Building

1. Training of Scientific and Technical Officers at the Headquarters and Centers to enhance their capacity in the use of the various laboratories reagents and materials and equipment in the engineering workshops for the purpose of quality control/assurance (QC/QA) and generation of tangible IGR for the TIC by rendering relevant and qualitative services to both the Entrepreneurs and any interested member of the public.

2. Formulation of training modules for the training of Operations staff at the headquarters.

ACHEIVEMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT 

1. Screening of over seven hundred and fifty (750) application forms and admission of three hundred and two (302) between 2019 till date into the Technology Incubation Programme.

2. ii. Graduation of three hundred and ten entrepreneurs (310) from the Technology Incubation Programme in the year 2020.

CHALLENGES 

1. Lack of funding for successful conduct of M & E exercise. This has become very necessary because this is backbone of the department and the Board in general. It is an assessment tool by which the Board constantly repositions itself for maximum delivery on its goals and objectives.

2. ii. Inadequate working tools such laptops, printers, photocopiers etc.

3. Inadequate relevant training for staff of the department.