Capacity Building: Exploring Its Nature in Promoting Better Performance of Higher Education Female Leaders

Abstract

To state that, ‘yes I can’, is to suggest that one is confident, capable, equipped, and up to the task. Success is to the one who embraces a task when fully equipped with knowledge, skills, values and other basic requirements. This study explored the nature of capacity building provided to female leaders in Ugandan universities. The study was based on Advocacy world view and drew on interpretive methods specifically the multiple case study design. Stratification was used to select universities. The study participants who are the females occupying senior and middle leadership positions were purposively chosen within each stratum until data saturation. The study found that networking, ability development, and education contribute to better performance of female leaders. The study concluded that despite networking, ability development, and education being the claimed nature of capacity building, there are apparent loopholes that need attention such as absence of structured networking programmes, the ad hoc nature of ability development, and the existing programmes taking a short time and not focussing on prospective leaders. The study recommended that universities need to create more workplace facilities, structured networking and leadership training programmes which may result into improved work performance of female leaders.