Educational material management system in wolaita sodo university, Ethiopia

Efficient and effective material management system in place is vital for realization of the university’s core objectives, namely, teaching and learning, research and community engagement. The major purpose of the was to identify how well educational materials management activities, namely, procurement, purchasing, storage, inventories, distribution and utilization were facilitating the flow of educational materials in the Wolaita Sodo university and suggest feasible strategies to improve the system. Observation and interview were data collecting instruments employed in the study. The participants were 2 Quality Officers, 12 Quality Coordinators, 6 experts from (Internal Audit Office, Estate and Facility Management Directorate, and Procurement Directorate) and 15storekeepers from main stores andsub-stores of the university. Data was analysed by narrating the numerical descriptions items to depict the actual flow of educational materials in the university. The findings ofthe study revealed that educational materials and facilities like classrooms conditions, staff offices, laboratories and computer labs and stationaries were inadequate for the provision of quality education, research and community engagement services in the university. Further, the study concluded that educational materials management and utilization practices in Wolaita Sodo University was inefficient and ineffective that demands urgent interventions from all respective officials. Hence, it was suggested that the material management system should be carried out collaborative with all the respective stakeholders who have roles in the flow of materials in the university. More specifically, much attentions ahead should be given for activities like procurement, purchasing, distribution and storage system. Besides, the university must exhaust the existing potentials and continuously enforce the proper execution of decentralized clustered financial management system.