The major focus and question emanating from the research is: to what extent do the operational action plans, policies, functions, procedures and activities as well as their implementation within the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations correlate with the strategic objectives of the University of South Africa (Unisa)? In alignment with the above, the major challenge of the study was to identify adequate and appropriate approaches to ensure appropriate correlation levels between strategic objectives and their successful implementation relevant to the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations. The challenge of every Departmental Head is to turn theory into practice; to make something happen and to translate strategic plans into real business results. This will be accomplished only when there is synergy or connectivity between strategic and operational planning towards effective implementation. Various literature reviews and research topics on strategic management focus either on strategic planning or strategic implementation as separate identities. Few publications address the challenge of connecting the pursuit of strategic objectives with operational plans. Even fewer literature reviews indicate the relationship or correlation levels between strategic objectives and operational plans of an organisation; the desirable or appropriate level thereof, to ensure the effective pursuit of strategic objectives. The outcomes of this study could contribute to the identification of an appropriate approach and measurement criteria to ensure connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and operational plans relevant to the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations. By doing this, the strategic objectives are effectively and efficiently promoted to those responsible for carrying out the execution plan. The researcher has adopted a comprehensively-integrated-aligned-strategic-processmanagement- approach as part of the standardised operational plans of the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations so as to ensure more effective and efficient (appropriate) correlation levels in respect of specific strategic objectives relevant to the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations due to a lack of correlation in some instances. The above approach represents a total view of an organisation‟s strategic management and control systems and consists of the strategic planning, operational plans and resultsmanagement plans. The mentioned approach will also consist of a measurement criterion which identifies critical enablers, dependencies and drivers to ensure vertical and horizontal alignment in respect of original planning (the what and why) with the implementation plans (when, how and by whom).The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time).The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time). The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time). The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time). / Public Administration & Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

The major focus and question emanating from the research is: to what extent do the operational action plans, policies, functions, procedures and activities as well as their implementation within the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations correlate with the strategic objectives of the University of South Africa (Unisa)? In alignment with the above, the major challenge of the study was to identify adequate and appropriate approaches to ensure appropriate correlation levels between strategic objectives and their successful implementation relevant to the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations. The challenge of every Departmental Head is to turn theory into practice; to make something happen and to translate strategic plans into real business results. This will be accomplished only when there is synergy or connectivity between strategic and operational planning towards effective implementation. Various literature reviews and research topics on strategic management focus either on strategic planning or strategic implementation as separate identities. Few publications address the challenge of connecting the pursuit of strategic objectives with operational plans. Even fewer literature reviews indicate the relationship or correlation levels between strategic objectives and operational plans of an organisation; the desirable or appropriate level thereof, to ensure the effective pursuit of strategic objectives. The outcomes of this study could contribute to the identification of an appropriate approach and measurement criteria to ensure connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and operational plans relevant to the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations. By doing this, the strategic objectives are effectively and efficiently promoted to those responsible for carrying out the execution plan. The researcher has adopted a comprehensively-integrated-aligned-strategic-processmanagement- approach as part of the standardised operational plans of the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations so as to ensure more effective and efficient (appropriate) correlation levels in respect of specific strategic objectives relevant to the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations due to a lack of correlation in some instances. The above approach represents a total view of an organisation‟s strategic management and control systems and consists of the strategic planning, operational plans and resultsmanagement plans. The mentioned approach will also consist of a measurement criterion which identifies critical enablers, dependencies and drivers to ensure vertical and horizontal alignment in respect of original planning (the what and why) with the implementation plans (when, how and by whom).The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time).The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time). The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time). The integrated-aligned-strategic-management-process-approach enforces the timely availability of major enablers, dependencies and drivers necessary to support the execution of activities, related to specific strategic objectives. It also identifies the possible lack thereof prior to the implementation of strategic plans. Specific alternatives or workarounds can be identified to ensure continuity in respect of the implementation processes related to specific strategic objectives. In this way, the above approach will enhance the effective and efficient management and coordination of an organisation to drive intended strategic outcomes within a specific process, taking into account project management-driven principles within a specific sequence of activities (grouping together what belongs together). The latter will involve all roleplayers in the work situation accountable for the implementation process (creating ownership). By doing this, duplication and overlapping of activities will be eliminated and connectivity/alignment between specific strategic objectives and their implementation will be enforced. The focus falls on the entire key/core process and cycle, producing outcomes of success in respect of the implementation of objectives (the right people will be doing the right things at the right time). / Public Administration and Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

The study is a gender critical investigation of the implementation of gender policy programs in student admission in Zimbabwe state universities. The study locates itself in the student admissions section of these institutions, acknowledging the potential contributions of the practices and procedures in this section towards achievement of gender equality. The study focused on the nature of the implemented programs, the gender equality model pursued and how the programs are made part of the mainstream. The study employed a multi-pronged theoretical frameworks approach as its theoretical framework to determine feasible strategies in analyzing the research problem, choosing the research approach, deciding on the research methods, formulating the research questions and in drawing the conclusion to the study. A mixed method inquiry used the multiple case study survey, documentary analysis and interviews to gather data in two state universities. The study found that in spite of the state universities implementing gender policy programs as required by the Zimbabwe National Gender Policy (2004), gender inequalities persisted, and in the process the study revealed more barriers than successes encountered on the road to gender equality. This concurred with some of what was predicated from literature on the use of the adopted approaches to gender mainstreaming and models of gender equality pursued. The chief factor responsible for the inequalities was found to be the pervasive, deeply entrenched patriarchal conservatism, cultural stereotypes, biases and discriminations held by some actors in student admissions which marginalized gender equality and consequently, rendered the gender equality agenda elusive. The study identified the need for adoption of a wider conception of gender and gender equality and of a radical transformative approach in order to resuscitate the paralyzed gender equality mandate in student admissions. Apart from generating some new insights regarding theory, the study is also of value at an applied level: serving to support programs and sustainable plans for gender equality implementation in student admissions in universities. The main recommendation of the study is the need for a new shift in policy program implementation, and the study outlined the main cardinal points of this new paradigm. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The study is a gender critical investigation of the implementation of gender policy programs in student admission in Zimbabwe state universities. The study locates itself in the student admissions section of these institutions, acknowledging the potential contributions of the practices and procedures in this section towards achievement of gender equality. The study focused on the nature of the implemented programs, the gender equality model pursued and how the programs are made part of the mainstream. The study employed a multi-pronged theoretical frameworks approach as its theoretical framework to determine feasible strategies in analyzing the research problem, choosing the research approach, deciding on the research methods, formulating the research questions and in drawing the conclusion to the study. A mixed method inquiry used the multiple case study survey, documentary analysis and interviews to gather data in two state universities. The study found that in spite of the state universities implementing gender policy programs as required by the Zimbabwe National Gender Policy (2004), gender inequalities persisted, and in the process the study revealed more barriers than successes encountered on the road to gender equality. This concurred with some of what was predicated from literature on the use of the adopted approaches to gender mainstreaming and models of gender equality pursued. The chief factor responsible for the inequalities was found to be the pervasive, deeply entrenched patriarchal conservatism, cultural stereotypes, biases and discriminations held by some actors in student admissions which marginalized gender equality and consequently, rendered the gender equality agenda elusive. The study identified the need for adoption of a wider conception of gender and gender equality and of a radical transformative approach in order to resuscitate the paralyzed gender equality mandate in student admissions. Apart from generating some new insights regarding theory, the study is also of value at an applied level: serving to support programs and sustainable plans for gender equality implementation in student admissions in universities. The main recommendation of the study is the need for a new shift in policy program implementation, and the study outlined the main cardinal points of this new paradigm. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)