1.0
ABSTRACT
SWOT analysis is an established method for assisting the formulation of strategy. An application to strategy formulation and its incorporation into the strategic development process at the University of Technology, Mauritius is described. The application links SWOT analysis to resource-based planning illustrates it as an iterative rather than a linear process and embeds it within the overall planning process. Lessons are drawn both for the University and for the strategy formulation process itself. 2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) The Mauritian tertiary education landscape has witnessed major transformation since the country’s accession to its independence in 1968 when only one institution, namely the University of Mauritius was in existence. The Sector today encompasses a total of 61 institutions, both public and private, and a regional institution each with its own specificity. Within the public sector, tertiary education revolves around the University of Mauritius (UoM), the University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM), the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI), the Rabindranath Tagore Institute (RTI), the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA) and the Fashion and Design Institute (FDI). Overseeing these seven tertiary education institutions (TEIs) is the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) which, inter alia, has responsibility for allocating public funds and fostering, planning and coordinating the development of post-secondary education and training. Since 2005, TEC has the mandate to regulate private post-secondary education institutions locally through institutional registration and programme accreditation to ensure the quality educational provision. The TEC also determines the recognition and equivalence of post-secondary qualifications. Two polytechnics also operate within the public sector, namely