A delegation from Sigalagala National Polytechnic, comprising the Deputy Principal – Academic and Trainee Affairs, the Enterprise Manager, and Council Members, undertook a two-day benchmarking visit to Meru National Polytechnic. The visit was designed to facilitate institutional learning, experience sharing, and adoption of best practices aimed at strengthening enterprise development within public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

The benchmarking engagement focused on understanding how Meru National Polytechnic has successfully structured, governed, and scaled its enterprise units while remaining compliant with public sector regulations and statutory requirements.

Key Objectives of the Benchmarking Visit

• Benchmarking enterprise organizational structures, with particular emphasis on career progression guidelines for staff engaged in enterprise operations, to ensure sustainability, motivation, and professionalism within enterprise units.

• Learning best practices in enterprise governance, including internal policies, procedures, financial management systems, and performance monitoring frameworks that support accountability and efficiency.

• Exchanging insights on strategies for scaling enterprise growth, while maintaining full compliance with public sector regulations and oversight requirements.

• Understanding approaches to product innovation, customer retention, and competitiveness in external markets, with a focus on responding to market demand and maintaining quality standards.

• Gaining insights into regulatory compliance mechanisms, including statutory reporting, engagement with sector regulators, and accountability to oversight institutions when supplying goods and services externally.

Exposure to Enterprise and Production Units

During the visit, the delegation interacted with several of Meru National Polytechnic’s enterprise and production units, gaining practical insights into their operations and management models. These included, but were not limited to:

• Giaki Farm, showcasing agribusiness integration and value addition

• Banana Flour Processing Plant, highlighting agro-processing and product diversification

• Bakery Unit, demonstrating food production, quality control, and market engagement

• Automotive Garage, illustrating skills commercialization, service delivery, and industry relevance

The benchmarking visit provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and institutional learning, reinforcing the role of TVET institutions as hubs for skills development, innovation, and sustainable enterprise growth in alignment with national development goals.