In the study, we examined the viability of the current student enrollment support system at the University of KwaZuku-Natal. The research required a soft systems approach, which allowed us to deal with both the complexity of the system and the variety of perceptions that participants brought to the situation. The UKZN would therefore have been a key stakeholder in the establishment of the NHEIAS and the introduction of that system into phase one institutions.
Duplication of structures and functions was not allowed, so new systems had to be designed for the benefit of the community and the new institution as a whole. The new design had to meet the requirements of the merger and set the stage for the proposed interaction with NHEIAS. The system we are planning will not be independent, but rather a subsystem of the wider system of the university.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The parts of the system are seen as subsystems of the whole, and the subsystems see the whole as the supersystem. In some situations, however, we may choose to ignore the internal processes and focus on the outcome of the system as a whole. The output of the system is the direct or indirect result of the input to the system.
Storage Deposits of various types of energy/matter Extruder Transfers energy/matter out of the system. Harmony also deals with the effects of the functioning of the whole and its parts on the system in which it is contained (the environment) and on other systems in its environment (Ackoff 1 98 ] , p. 1 7). Even if we add up the individual performance of the subsystems within the whole, we will not get the same sum as the total output of the system as a whole.
People are in the system of their own free will and we cannot create a quantitative model of the system. It forgets to consider that the purpose of the parts of the system may differ from the purpose of the whole.
SOFT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGIES
These interactions are loosely organized and element attributes are not predetermined. It is important to understand that when combining systems approaches, we focus on the essence of different approaches. In these problem situations, complexity can hide 'the true sources of power of the various participants' (Flood & Jackson 1991, p. 41.
We are encouraged to "be tolerant of differences and of many interpretations of the world". To perceive the changes taking place in the world, we needed a changed perception of the world and the nature of organizations. The phases can be started in any order, and none of the phases or even the entire process is ever considered complete (Flood & Jackson 1 99 1, p. 1 50).
In the methodology the scope of the project is artificially limited and the fundamental interests of the clients are not challenged. It is important that as much information as possible is shared in the creation phase of the methodology as it is important that every member of the system understands what is happening and why. We need a changed perception of the world and to be able to understand the changes that need to happen.
Ackoff recommends that participants initially only need to be involved in the part of the system that concerns them. However, all people would eventually learn how their part of the system interacts and affects others (Ackoff 1978, p. 3). The designers of the new system may be limited by a lack of knowledge and understanding.
Their goals must be understood in order to 'correctly anticipate their reactions and the consequences of the solution' (Ackoff 1 978, p. 32).
BOUNDARIES, STRUCTURE AND PARTICIPATION
We had to reach an agreement on what the future of the system should be. The aim of the research paper was to investigate the feasibility of a support system in the implementation of the Student Enrollment Plan at UKZN. Feedback on the number of applications and categories of students applied showed the success of the student enrollment plan.
A summary of the activities to be performed in each phase is shown in Table 4-2 on the next page. As head of the University-wide Applications and Information Office at UKZN, I contributed to the design of the initially merged UKZN student registration system. This combined team was responsible for the selection of the ideal design, the Resource Analysis (Phase 3), the Resource Planning (Phase 4) and Implementation and Monitoring of the new design (Phase 5).
Moreover, their knowledge would be of utmost importance for the synthesis of the results in the reference scenario. In this chapter, I will provide illustrative examples of the findings and refer to detailed information in the appendices. The information gathered in three sets of analysis helped to develop the reference scenario; synthesis of results that reflect the current state of the system.
However, these applications had yet to be processed as they were part of the academic application form. The different actors in and owners of our system all had their own expectations of the system. It was confirmed that parts of the enrollment process were 'owned' by different departments within the university and that no single agency was responsible for the system as a whole.
In the system these properties had to be seen as repeatable and had to be set for each of the sub-systems (material production, recruitment, research, applications and selection) and for each of the functional levels (posts) to ensure that they remained applicable (Flood 1 993, p. 1 1 6). For the unrestricted design of the new system, we recommended a centralized design, a single office called the Student Registration Office, which includes all the required functions and sections involved in the registration process. A single reporting line would strengthen the position of the sub-system within the University as a whole.
CONCLUSION
According to Ackoff, managers had to change their perception of the world and the nature of organizations. Ackoff's approach had been considered idealistic and experimental, with experimentalism evident in the nature of philosophy and imagery. A common ideal had been identified for the system at the time of the merger, but the stakeholders still had different values.
The inclusion of staff members from subsystems outside of the enrollment system provided a richer understanding of the individual processes and the ideal for the enrollment support system as a whole. However, conflict may hinder consensus which will cause delays in the implementation of the new. It was essential in our research that participants agreed on the requirements of the new design, as their acceptance would facilitate the implementation process.
All the information gathered had to be considered to establish a common understanding of the elements and changes required for the system before the design process could begin. It was difficult to determine who would be the owners of the system or subsystems. These problems can be at the functional level or in the development of the system as a whole.
Problems at functional levels could be corrected mainly within the particular sub-system, but developments needed to improve the functioning of the system as a whole had to be considered by all participants in the system. In the CTWOE analysis the main focus was therefore on identifying the transformations required by our system as a whole to ensure that service delivery can be improved and that the system can cope with future developments. In choosing the final design, we had to consider the feasibility and cost of creating a centralized office on one of the campuses.
Effective planning had to be carried out systemically, documented and communicated to those involved in the delivery of the plan.
Liaison with the school: production of marketing material, definition of marketing strategies in terms of enrollment plan and active recruitment of students. Requests from subsystems must not be allowed to have a negative impact on the operation of the system as a whole or of other subsystems. Applications to UKZN should be processed in a single entry at the start of the year.
Staff numbers are often determined by the total number of enrolled students or selected applicants rather than the number of applications to be considered. The university-wide AIO is no longer able to meet the demands of UKZN's five campuses. All properties are repeated and must be set for each of the subsystems (material production, recruitment, searches, applications and selection) as well as for each of the functional levels (posts).
Management and implementation: involving the overall management of the processes to ensure that decisions and procedures are implemented. However, the Applications and Information Office will still be required to maintain regular contact with the Office of the Registrar, Legal Advisor and Public Affairs. Objective: To bring together all existing policies, processes and procedures; to consider them for inconsistencies and applicability in terms of current academic development and student enrollment plan.
In developing the final structure for the design it was recommended that the management of the system would be ensured through the use of a number of process planning boards. Activities highlighted in red on the timelines require funding and the funding as well as other resources indicated must be available at the start of the activities. Funding requirements must be considered and money made available at the start of the activity.
Negotiations cannot start at the beginning of the activity as this will delay the process. Staff should be fully trained at the start of the phase to minimize delays and ensure deadlines are met. In VSM, the management process is seen to have five main functions: implementation (what the system is doing and the first point at which quality is checked), coordination (ensuring that no part of the system can fail), control (the goal of stability internal through communication of feedback and adjustments), intelligence (helps when the control cannot get the required information; .. learning function) and policy (if the information provided by the intelligence has long-term effects, the policy will make the required changes; set system identity).
KWAZULU-NATAL
