Private sector management development (PSMD) : grant to the Institute for Management Education and Development (IPPM)

The project achieved its basic goal. IPPM is a far stronger institution and is educating far more managers. The number of MBA graduates grew from 56 in 1985 to 261 in 1990, while the number of executive MBA"s grew from 19 in 1985 to 101 in 1991. Enrollment in evening public short courses grew considerably. The Revolving Scholarship Loan Fund has been remarkably successful: only 31 of 459 students receiving loans are currently in arrears. The project also added 10 PhD"s and 38 foreign MBA"s to IPPM staff. Additionally, IPPM helped create two new management institutes and is in the process of developing three more. It also trained 187 staff members of nine PVO"s to do management consulting with small businesses. IPPM developed a good strategic planning process, which produced two 5-year plans, and an effective management information system (MIS). However, not all information for the planning process and the MIS is computerized. This was the only objective that was not fully achieved. In other areas, IPPM"s research program has been greatly strengthened (though not in the way originally envisioned), and its consulting services restructured and given a new strategy. Two major lessons were learned. (1) Loss of key staff is not necessarily an impediment to achieving a project"s aim. Although IPPM lost a group of 14 staff, these people went on to establish a new management education institute which is considered an extension of the project. (2) An organized approach to staff development is essential, so that persons sent overseas for training can fill in academic specialization gaps upon their return.