Proposal for Establishing Employee Recognition Practices and Developing Implementation

Guidelines for Wolaita Sodo University

1. Background

Recognition of employees in higher academic institutions is a cornerstone for fostering a

motivated and high-performing workforce, contributing to institutional excellence. Universities
worldwide, including in Ethiopia, rely heavily on the commitment and dedication of their
academic and administrative staff to achieve their missions of education, research, and
community service. Studies indicate that recognition not only enhances job satisfaction but also
promotes loyalty, reduces turnover, and drives innovation in the workplace (Armstrong, 2021).
Globally, successful institutions integrate recognition programs as part of their human resource
strategy to retain top talent and create a sense of belonging. Ethiopian universities, such as
Addis Ababa University, have initiated practices like ‘Best Employee of the Year’ awards and
service appreciation events, which have shown positive outcomes. However, the importance of
systematically recognizing employee contributions has often been overlooked. Most often,
these efforts lack structured frameworks, leading to inconsistencies in implementation and a
perception of unfairness among employees. A study by Teshome (2020) on Ethiopian higher
education highlighted that the absence of recognition mechanisms as well as unfairness has
resulted in decreased motivation and suboptimal performance among staff.

In the context of Wolaita Sodo University (WSU), despite the efforts, recognition-giving
practices have not been fully institutionalized and often emphasize quantitative outputs both in
administrative as well as faculty. Currently, there is a growing demand for diffusing this practice
institutionally and recognizing employees based on set criteria to ensure excellence in teaching,
research, and service delivery. This approach is presumed to lead to improved job satisfaction
and institutional performance to remain competitive and align with national educational goals.
Therefore, this proposal is developed to implement such practices by developing structured
guidelines for recognizing and rewarding employees of WSU.

2. Rationale

The development of a structured employee recognition program at Wolaita Sodo University

(WSU) is driven by the pressing need to address key challenges in fostering employee
motivation, engagement, and institutional effectiveness. Recognition is a proven mechanism to
acknowledge employee contributions and reinforce behaviours aligned with institutional goals.
However, at WSU, the absence as well as inconsistency of formalized guidelines for recognition
has created significant gaps that need to be addressed. Below are the core reasons for

1 | Page
revising/developing guidelines and conducting a recognition-giving day at Wolaita Sodo
University.

 Enhancing Employee Motivation and Morale: Recognizing outstanding contributions

fosters a sense of achievement and motivates others to perform better.
 Addressing Gaps in Existing Practices: While attempts have been made to acknowledge
high-performing staff, the lack of a structured framework has led to perceptions of
favouritism and inequity.
 Establishing Global and National Standards: Establishing performance management
systems with our current education system will enhance the reputation and
competitiveness of WSU within Ethiopia and beyond.
 Encouraging Holistic Performance: Recognition programs that consider both
quantitative and qualitative contributions can encourage a more balanced approach to
employee performance.
 Fostering Retention and Reducing Turnover: Recognition programs are essential for
retaining skilled professionals and maintaining institutional stability as employees who
are regularly acknowledged for their efforts are more likely to stay with their
organization.
 Promoting Institutional Excellence: formal recognition provides an opportunity to
celebrate achievements, build morale, and project the university as an employer of
choice.
 Guidance for Systematic Implementation: Developing guidelines ensures that
recognition is institutionalized, not dependent on individual managers, prevents ad-hoc
practices, and ensures continuity and consistency.

3. Objective

3.1 General Objective:

To develop and implement a comprehensive and transparent recognition and performance
evaluation framework that motivates employees, enhances institutional efficiency, and aligns
with global and national standards of higher education.

3.2 Specific Objectives:

1. To identify gaps in current guidelines and revise them to ensure fairness, inclusivity,
and alignment with WSU’s institutional goals.
2. To design a structured and transparent recognition framework that celebrates and
rewards outstanding employee contributions.

2 | Page
 3. To institutionalize employee recognition practices as part of WSU’s organizational
culture, thereby enhancing morale, motivation, and employee retention.

4. Expected Outputs

 Revised guidelines for performance evaluation and recognition aligned with institutional
goals and inclusive practices.
 A formalized framework for employee recognition, including criteria and nomination
processes.
 Successful organization of an annual recognition day to celebrate outstanding employees.
 Capacity-building training sessions for evaluators and key personnel that could serve as part
of the institutional system in future.
 Development of a sustainable monitoring and feedback mechanism for continuous
improvement of performance evaluation and recognition practices
 Comprehensive reporting and documentation for scaling and knowledge sharing with other
institutions.

5. Stakeholder Mapping

 University Leadership (President/Presidents, CED of Campuses and Deans)

 Human Resources (HR) Department
 Quality Assurance Directorate
 Institutional Transformation Directorate
 Academic Staff and Faculty
 Administrative and Support Staff
 Teachers Association/Representatives
 Admin staff Representatives

6. Deliverables

Deliverable Description Responsible Time

Parties
Sharing experiences  Visting selected HIEs to learn from  Committee 01-30
of other HIE’s in their experiences January
Ethiopia  Identifying gaps in the current 2024
guideline
 Literature review (secondary data)
Developing a Developing a clearly defined set of  Committee 01 February

3 | Page
Comprehensive guidelines that outlines the criteria, to 15 March
Guidelines processes, and procedures for recognizing 2024
employees at WSU. This includes both
quantitative and qualitative measures of
performance.
Presentation of the Presentation of a revised guideline for the March 15-
new guidelines for mgt and council to obtain their feedback  Committee 30, 2024
the mgt and council
members

Awareness creation Developing a training manual and April 01-15,

of evaluation tools consultative meetings for staff members Committee 2024
for evaluators and involved in evaluations to ensure
employees consistency, transparency, and fairness in
the recognition process.
Planning for the A well-structured event plan detailing the  Committee April 15-30
recognition giving- activities for the official recognition day.  Mgt 2024
day event This plan will include logistics, timing,  Event
awards, and ceremonial components. Organizing
Committee
 Communication
Directorate
Selection of best- The best-performing employee was  Committee May 01-
performing employee identified using both (quantitative outputs  Respective June
by category and qualitative factors) supported by peer Colleges 30/2024
reviews, self-assessments, and feedback  Directorates
from immediate directors, HoD, and Units.
Conducting Conducting a half-day recognition-giving  Committee
recognition-giving ceremony involving the whole campus The date
ceremony community and leadership (including the will be fixed.
two campuses)
Feedback mechanism A feedback system to assess the  Committee
effectiveness of the recognition program, Second
gather employee input, and make week of the
improvements for the future. This will also event (July-
be involved during the assessment process. August)
Post-event A comprehensive report evaluating the  Committee Third week
evaluation report success of the recognition day event, of the
employee feedback, and areas for event (July-
improvement, to inform future recognition August)
practices.

4 | Page
 Promotion Promoting outstanding employees in  Communication July-August
university and external media outlets, Directorate 2024
showcasing WSU as an employer of choice.

7. Budget

Item Estimated Description

Cost (ETB)
Experiences sharing from HIEs (Arba Minch, Dilla, 00,000 Travelling coasts
Hawassa, Addis Abeba universities)

Print Materials 50,000 Printing recognition certificates,

programs, and other materials.
Award and Recognition Items 200,000 Trophies, certificates, and medals
for the recognized employees.
Refreshments and Catering 000,000 Coffee, lunch, and snacks for
attendees and participants.
Logistics and Transportation 100,000 Transport for ….

Publicity and Media 20,000 Social media ads, local media

coverage, and promotion
Training and awareness creation 10,000 Training sessions for evaluators,
awareness creation sessions for
employee
Miscellaneous 10,000 Contingency for unexpected
costs.
Total Estimated Budget 00000 Total for organizing the event and
developing the guidelines.

8. Conclusion

Establishing a recognition program and developing guidelines for best-performing employees is

a strategic initiative that aligns with WSU’s vision of becoming a centre of academic and
administrative excellence. This proposal offers a roadmap to foster a culture of recognition,
ensuring that the institution thrives through motivated and committed employees. With the
right implementation, this initiative can serve as a model for other Ethiopian universities,
contributing to the overall improvement of higher education in the country.

5 | Page
References

 Armstrong, M. (2021). Employee Recognition and Engagement: Global Best Practices.

London: Kogan Page.
 Teshome, A. (2020). Employee Motivation and Retention in Ethiopian Higher Education:
The Role of Recognition. Ethiopian Journal of Higher Education, 12(4), 45-62.

6 | Page