Abstract:
To appreciate the significance of contracting non-academic services to private providers it is necessary to understand the economic and socio-political context in which the university of Dar es Salaam developed and operated after its inception.  Mkude begins with a brief historical background to the university's establishment which was in terms of the University of Dar es Salaam Act No.12 of 1970. The university’s relationship with the Government was implied in the Act in statements relating to the functions of the university, the composition of its organs and the appointing authority for its principal office bearers. Although in theory control of the University was vested in the council, in practice it was the party-cum-state that called the shots since the principal officers were appointed by and answerable to the Establishment, not the council! It is this ambivalence of authority that should, in the author's view, be held responsible for generating a crisis-ridden institution that characterised the University of Dar es salaam for a number of years. Between 1970 and 1990 the university experienced a series of crises which later analysts attribute to three main factors, namely, political interference, under-funding and poor management which are discussed in this paper.  The author discusses the university's motivation for having contracted out non-academic or "special" services.   The paper includes an appendix indicating such services that had been contracted out.  The difficulties as well as the benefits associated with contracting services to private providers  are outlined.     

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Mkude, Daniel (2003). Contracting non-academic services to private providers: The Dar es Salaam experience Presented at the Regional Training Conference on Improving Tertiary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Things That Work!, Accra, Ghana, 23-25 September.