UWI CONSULTING WELCOMES NEW AFFILIATES    

Using the words of Bill Gates, Dr. Basil Burke of Elgae Consultants in California USA challenged the 30 UWI Faculty members who participated in the first UWI Consulting Seminar on 21 October 2008 to demonstrate a high degree of problem-solving skills when addressing the complex problems presented during the course of a consulting assignment:

“coordinating a complex effort means cutting through complexity to find a solution runs through four predictable stages’) determine a goal; ii) find the highest leverage approach; iii) discover the ideal technology for that approach and in the meantime; iv) make the smartest application of the technology that you already have – whether it is something sophisticated, like a drug, or something simpler like a bednet”

UWI Consulting is a professional advisory services company set up by the Vice Chancellor of the UWI, Professor Nigel Harris, to mobilize the expertise of the faculty to serve governments, private sector and international organizations throughout the Caribbean. UWI Consulting is recruiting UWI Faculty members and preparing them to be available for deployment to assignments when requested. Through a recent on-line registration exercise, nearly seventy (70) members of Faculty at the Mona Campus have expressed interest in working with UWI Consulting.  Most persons who registered are from disciplines such as Social Policy, Education, Medicine and Health Policy, Information Technology and Disaster Management. A number of scientists and environmentalists have also registered with the company.

In addition to sourcing consulting opportunities for its registered Affiliates, UWI Consulting directly engages Affiliates to write proposals and undertake consulting assignments which the company has won, mainly through the competitive bidding process.  CEO, Carleen Gardner, stated that:

“UWI Consultants directly contracts Affiliates to work on assignments based on a competitive scale of fees; assignments tend to be for more than 30 days, because the company is involved in substantial engagements that are of a long to medium term duration”.

The Seminar was well attended, attracting participants from a cross-section of academic disciplines as well as interested professionals from outside the University.  Seminar participants identified areas in which the UWI has a competitive advantage. The expertise in these areas will be marketed to governments in the Caribbean as well as to international organizations.

UWI Consulting will continue to recruit expertise from the Mona Campus until sometime next year. Eligibility criteria include: demonstrated relevant expertise, entrepreneurial perspective, client-centered approach, integrity and a passion to make a difference.

Seminar leaders Basil Burke and Carleen Gardner will hold similar seminars at St. Augustine and Cave Hill in January 2009.

17 November, 2008