This is a case study on mentoring a polytechnic under the World Bank assisted project. It provides proactive steps and continuous cooperation to the project polytechnic.

1. Mentoring Project
Polytechnics under
Tech Ed-I to III of
the World Bank
Assistance
Thanikachalam. V. B.E., M. Tech.,
Ph.D., M.S., FIE., FIGS., FFIUCEE

2. Mentor Institute-TTTI Chennai for Southern
Region
• TTTI Chennai has been chosen for the Southern Region
• Institute constituted a Project Facilitation Unit consist four faculty
members
• One Senior Faculty per State
• Responsible for Coordination with the State Project Implementation
Unit (SPIU) and National Project Implementation Unit (NPIU)
• Assessment of Faculty Development Needs and formulate desired
programs

3. Role Mentors
• Proactive Advisors to SPIUs
• Problem Solvers
• Experts in Project Implementation
• Focus on Quality, Cost, Outcome, etc.
• Create Human Capital Development
• Follow the DPR

4. COORDINATION with NPIU and SPIUs
• Collecting data from the SPIUs on the quarterly progress
(Faculty Development, Curriculum Revision, Curriculum
Development in Emerging Areas, New
Buildings/Workshops/Laboratories, Curriculum Implementation,
Student Placement, Continuing Education, Equipment
Purchases, Faculty Recruitment, Services to MSMEs, etc.).
• Preparing progress report and submitting it to NPIU
• Attending and Presenting the achievement in the Joint Review
Meeting

5. World Bank assisted Project Tech Ed I
States
• Karnataka and Kerala
• 1991-1997
• Capacity Building
• Quality Improvement
• Efficiency Improvement

6. Capacity Building in Kerala
• New Polytechnic in Neyyatingara
• New Buildings
• New Laboratories
• New Hostels
• New Workshops
• New Staff Quarters

7. Quality Improvement in Kerala
• Faculty Development through Short-term Courses based on training
Needs Analysis
• Selection of Programs, Venues, Dates, Topics, Duration and
Implementation
• World Bank fixed a fee of Rs 400/- per participant/per week
• Travel and per diem allowances are to be paid by the State Project
Implementation Unit and 100% reimbursed by the World Bank
• Half-yearly meetings of the principals were conducted every year

8. Curriculum Revision in Kerala
• All programs have been revised under the project
• The faculty were developed through the Faculty Development
Programs in TTTI and at the Extension Center or at the
Polytechnics
• Guest faculty have been assisted for effective faculty
development
• Industrial experts were also invited to offer many topics
• Industrial visits were included

9. Management Development Programs for
the senior faculty members of Kerala
• Three day courses have been planned in the following topics:
• Institutional Development
• Industry Specific Curriculum Development
• Industrial Exposure and Training
• Leadership Development
• Efficient Educational Administration

10. Middle-Level Faculty Development in
Kerala
• Content updating in the new courses
• Curriculum planning
• Examination reform
• Project management
• Instructional materials development
• Continuing education for working professionals

11. Junior- Level Faculty Development in
Kerala
• Instructional design and delivery
• Curriculum revision and development
• Instructional material preparation
• Content updating
• Model question paper preparation
• Continuing education

12. Half-yearly Meeting of the Principals of the
Project Polytechnics from Kerala
• Review of the Progress made in the last six months
• Assessment of the Problems faced in Equipment Purchase
• Funds shortage
• Low quality material supplied by DGSD
• Withholding of the payment
• Planned to purchase all the equipment using standard procedure by
SPIU

13. Solutions to the Problems in Kerala
• Granting Project Fund Advance
• Repayment by deducting the advance payment every six months
• Progress report at every six months prepared and submitted to
NPIU
• Attended Joint Review Meeting (JRM) of the World Bank
• Successful completion

14. Key Areas of Success in Kerala
• New curricula based on the industry demand, planned, and
implemented
• Full subscription of seats in all polytechnics
• Continuing Education yielded excellent result
• The capacity development was completed as per the schedule
• New buildings are occupied
• Workshops are functional

15. Problems faced in Kerala
• For one year, no faculty member was deputed due to dispute in
the course fee
• Later the state agreed to send the faculty members for short-
term training by paying the course fee
• Instructional materials production center was given autonomy
and the center took the production of materials for the secretariat
• Autonomy was not given to any polytechnic due to government
policy.

16. Karnataka
• Faculty Development as per the needs at the Extension Center
and at Chennai
• Curriculum development was given to EDCIL by the State
• Later ISTE took over it
• No meeting of the Principals held

17. Tech Ed II 1992-1998 : Tamil Nadu
• Tamil Nadu trained the faculty in content updating on their own
• Curricula were also revised by them
• No six monthly meetings of the principals were conducted
• Problem was faced in reemployment of the faculty and claiming
the salary from the World Bank

18. Andhra Pradesh
• Continuing Education was NOT accepted by the Government
• No six monthly meetings of the principals were conducted
• Faculty Development was with TTTI
• Curriculum Revision and Development were also with TTTI

19. Proactive Mentors for this Project
• One for each state
• Tracer study was undertaken in collaboration with the
polytechnics
• Regional report was submitted to NPIU
• Later National Report was finalized at TTTI Chennai

20. Tech E-III
• North Eastern states
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Sikkim
• Tripura
• Jammu Kashmir

21. Andaman and Nicobar Islands ( ANI )
• NITTTR Chennai has become a mentor for ANI
• Capacity Development
• Quality Improvement
• Efficiency Improvement

22. Faculty Development
• Content Updating
• Curriculum Development
• Continuing Education
• Equipment Specification
• Continuous Process Development
• Autonomy

23. Sponsored Research
• Progress Evaluation
• Tracer Study
• Women Development
• Impact Study (Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura),
• Capacity, Human capital Utilization and ROI (Sikkim, and
Andaman)
• Internal Revenue Generation

24. Problem Areas
• Insufficient faculty members
• Deputed faculty from the government left the polytechnic after
completion of the project.
• No Board of Governors was established
• Degree Programs were added to the Project polytechnics in
Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Andaman.

25. Proactive Mentoring at all Stages lead to
Success
• Initial Assistance in Planning
• Focused Faculty Development, Curriculum Revision and cutting
edge programs
• Institutional Development Programs were conducted in the
project polytechnics
• Assistance in equipment specification
• Assistance in problem solving

26. Mentoring was appreciated by the
World Bank
Thank you
Any Questions