MAKERERE

UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

SCIENCES
(CoBAMS)
SCHOOL OF STATISTICS AND APPLIED
ECONOMICS

A REPORT ON
FIELD INTERNSHIP AT
PRUDENTIAL UGANDA LIMITED
June-August, 2016
BY
MASINDE DISHON
14/U/9028/EVE
Field Attachment Report submitted to the College of Business and
Management Sciences in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science of Makerere University
Kampala

..

..

MASINDE DISHON Mr. TURYAKIRA NAZARIUS

Mr. NELSON
OMECH
(STUDENT) (ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR)
(FIELD SUPERVISOR)

DECLARATION
I, Masinde Dishon declare that the contents of this report are a true account
of the activities I participated in either individually or as a team and have not
been submitted in for any award in any institution of learning.
Signature: .

Date:

MASINDE DISHON
COURSE: BSAS
REG NO: 14/U/9028/EVE

APPROVAL
I approve that this field work Report was compiled by Masinde Dishon under
my supervision and is now ready for submission.

Signature: ...

Date:

MR. OMECH NELSON

(FIELD SUPERVISOR)
Signature: ...

Date:

MR. TURYAKIRA NAZARIUS

(ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
If you want something very badly, you can achieve it, it may take patience,
very hard work, a real struggle, and a long time but it can be done, that
much faith is a prerequisite of any undertaking, artistic or otherwise Margo
Jones (1913-1955)
2

First and foremost, I would sincerely like to thank my supervisor Mr. Omech
Nelson whose commitment, relentless support and guidance helped me to
sew together the threads of my internship training and this report. Your
constant support and encouragement showed me that by believing
passionately in something we want; we suddenly get it. So, to you I am
forever grateful. I equally thank all my lecturers, who beyond their core duty
of teaching, overwhelmingly imparted wisdom that remained a guiding stick
in my training.
To my dear parents and colleagues, thank you very much for the assistance
and provision you accorded me throughout this period. May the Almighty
God reward you.
I also extend my appreciation to staff and management of Prudential Uganda
especially in the Group Life and Banking Department for their time and
dedication for the success of this training. This training would not have been
successful without you.The Best and Most Beautiful Things in Life Can Not
Be Touched or Even Seen They Must Be Felt from the Heart -Helen Keller.
Most importantly, I praise and thank God for the love, grace, strength and
providence. I pray that He leads me yet again into the green pastures.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The overall objective of this report is about field attachment which is
intended to improve the practical skills of undergraduates, in conformity with
the objectives of the field attachment as approved by Makerere University
guidelines as the field based practical work carried out by staff and
students for the purpose of teaching and research in places outside the
University control but where the University is responsible for the necessary
safety of its staff, students and others exposed to their activities to enable
them get hands on, experience real life situation they are expected to work
in when they graduate and apply the principles and techniques theoretically
learnt into real life problem solving situations which is hoped to help students
relate academic programs they study into actual work setting and therefore
appreciate their applicability.
This report serves to give details of the interns entire duration of field
attachment period which he had at Prudential Uganda Limited from 27 th June
to 19th August, 2016. My original assignment was to design quotations daily,
analyze the Group Life reports, picking and delivering of key essential
documents, aid in filing and record management, update movements of our
clients on a daily basis and then submit to my supervisors on a daily basis
upon accomplishment, but because of my initiative, diligence and
enthusiasm nature, I could receive many other assignments to cover more
bases and therefore learn more especially in Underwriting and Finance
departments. My field report gives the organizational Background, details on
how the company is structured, its culture, the main activities of the
Company and what role I played as an intern for two months. The report also
goes into details about the structure, functions and roles of Group Life and
Banking department by explaining the various roles and functions it plays of
sourcing clients to Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited, guiding and
facilitating agents, supporting other activities/ services in other
departments /services as well as the different reporting techniques used. The
students experiences especially the internship presentations to the
Management board as well as new knowledge and skills acquired by the
intern are also included. The benefits of the field attachment mostly
exposure to the outside world especially like the Prudential Assurance
working environment and the challenges faced especially diversity which is
essential in job seeking as well as job retention too are included. The
improvements that can be made to curb on the challenges faced both on the
side of the organization as well as the university like creating an interactive

page for interns to give feedback on the internship process and many more
are explained too.
Generally, the internship programme at Prudential Assurance Uganda
Limited is good as it gives as much as it takes to expose students to the
working field and I think the idea of internship training will go a long way to
improve the quality of the undergraduates and enable prospective employers
to receive graduates who possess practical skills in relevant fields.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION................................................................................ i
APPROVAL.................................................................................... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................v
LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................vii
LIST OF TABLES..........................................................................viii
LIST OF ACRONYMS......................................................................ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION......................................................1
1.1 Introduction.........................................................................1
1.2 Background of the Field Attachment......................................2
1.3 Objectives of Field Attachment..............................................3
1.4 Organizational background...................................................4
1.5 Organizational Culture..........................................................5
1.6 Gender in the Organization...................................................6
1.7 The Structure of the Organization..........................................8
1.8 The main activities of the organization.................................10
CHAPTER TWO: STUDENTS EXPERIENCES.....................................14
2.0. Introduction......................................................................14
2.1 Position occupied in the organization...................................14
2.2 Duties and Responsibilities.................................................14
2.3 Supervision levels and relationship with Supervisor..............16
5

2.4 Work Team and its Composition...........................................17

2.5 Working Relationship among Team Members/Other Staf.......18
2.6 Authority levels to the student............................................18
CHAPTER THREE: EVALUATION OF FIELD ATTACHEMENT.................19
3.0 Introduction.......................................................................19
3.1 Level of Accomplishment of duties and responsibilities
assigned..................................................................................19
3.2 New Knowledge and skills gained in each of the duties and
responsibilities......................................................................... 20
3.3 Most Interesting Experiences..............................................22
3.4 Relatedness of Universitys taught programmes to the Field of
work........................................................................................ 22
3.5 Challenges faced and how managed.....................................23
3.6 Benefits Derived from Field Attachment...............................23
3.7 Adequacy in Universitys preparing the student for Field
Attachment..............................................................................25
3.8 Preparedness of the Organisation to receive and manage
Students for Field Attachment..................................................26
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............27
4.1 Conclusion..........................................................................27
4.2 Recommendations..............................................................27
REFERENCES............................................................................... 28
Appendix I ORGANISATION STRUCTURE OF
PRUDENTIAL.. 31
APPENDIX II.............................................................................32
APPENDIX III............................................................................... 33
WORKPLAN FOR INTERNISHIP WITH PRUDENTIAL UGANDA LIMITED
FOR THE PERIOD JUNE TO AUGUST 2016.......................................33
NAME: MASINDE DISHON

COURSE: BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

ACTURIAL SCIENCE......................................................................33

APPENDIX III WORK PLAN ........................................

35

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1:The Organizational Structure of Prudential Uganda
Limited
12
Figure 2.1: Composition Group Life Team

.23

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1: Gender Distribution in Prudential Uganda Limited
.
10

LIST OF ACRONYMS
1. GP

Gross Premiums

2. UWA

Uganda Wildlife Authority

3. UBER

UBER transportation services

4. GPS

Global Positioning System

5. LTD

Limited

6. HRD
7. ICT

Human Resource Department

Information and Communication Technology

8. GL&B

Group Life and Banking

9. NSSF

National Social Security Fund

10. IRA

Insurance Regulatory Authority

11. SMS

Short Message Service

12. URBA

Uganda Retirement Benefits Authority

13. P.A

Premium Administration

14. C.O.O
15. UGX

Chief Operations Officer

Uganda Shillings

10

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction.
Field attachment is part of the learning process at Makerere University and it
is compulsory in the colleges where it is offered. Students apply for places of
internship in various organisations where they are expected to work as
trainees or interns for a period of one to three months. This report serves to
give details of the entire duration of my field attachment period which I had
at Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited from 27 th June to 19th October,
2016.My field report comprises of four chapters, chapter one involves the
introduction, background and objectives of the field attachment, the
organizational background of the company, the organizations culture,
gender in the organization, the structure of the organization and the main
activities of the organization. Chapter two gives the students experiences in
the organization and what role I played as an intern for two months. It also
goes into details about the structure, functions and roles of Group Life and
Banking department and explains the work team and its composition, the
working relationship among team members/ other staff and the authority
levels to the student. Chapter three gives the evaluation on field attachment.
The level of accomplishment of duties and responsibilities assigned, new
knowledge and skills acquired by the intern, challenges faced and how
managed as well as benefits from field attachment are also included.
Chapter four gives the conclusions made on the students field attachment
and what improvements can be made both on the side of the organization as
well as the university are explained too.

1.2 Background of the Field Attachment.

Placing students in the field gives them an opportunity to see in practice
what they have been learning in class. We are taught different theories,
applications of various concepts, economic policies, use of statistics and we
are examined on the same. Examinations can only test our theoretical
understanding of these concepts and so field attachment in the form of
internship

is

more

hands-on

approach,

providing

wholesome

understanding of what we study in and outside class.

Concepts like premium wavier that seemed so farfetched are now much
more realistic to me. How the forces of age, premiums paid and length of
term contribute to ones total sum assured and the demand for policies in
the insurance sector is also much clearer now. Also, it exposes students to
the job market in which they will need to survive in the nearest future. I now
understand exactly what firms want from graduates before they hire them,
both academically and professionally and this provides students in general
with a sense of direction for their lives. Field attachment is a crucial part of
ones learning and the value it adds to ones education is simply
immeasurable.

1.3 Objectives of Field Attachment

Field attachment allows students to see practically what they have

been taught in class and therefore have a better understanding of the
same.

Expose students to the outside world which

complete their studies. This prepares them for
might have to face in job seeking as well as
them to develop attitudes conducive to
relationships.

Provide an opportunity for students to expand their networks to include

new people they meet in their various fields who could definitely be of
use to them in the future as mentors or referees.

Prepare students for what they have to cover in class to make teaching
an easier task and learning more enjoyable in the event that they are
placed in fields that are related to their course. These students will also
teach the others and this ought to improve performance on the whole.

Field attachment gives students a sense of direction of where they

want to go in life in terms of career. While at their various placements,
they learn about the job market, they get mentors and this makes
them more mature and acts as an added incentive to work harder in
school and above all test aptitude for a particular career before
permanent commitments are made.

Most importantly, field attachment gives the students work experience

and hence a better chance at getting jobs. They have more to write on
their CVs, they get reputable referees, recommendations and this
coupled with a degree for Makerere University makes one a top
candidate for any job.

awaits them after they

the challenges that they
job retention and helps
effective interpersonal

1.4 Organizational background

Prudential Assurance (Prudential) is an international financial services group
with significant operations in Asia, the US and the UK. It serves around 24
million customers and has$509billion of assets under management.
Prudential was founded in London in 1848 on the principles of integrity,
security and prudence, and it still adheres to those principles today.
Prudential provides protection and savings opportunities to its customers,
social and economic benefits to the communities in which it operates, jobs
and opportunities to its employees and financial benefits for our investors.
By offering security, pooling savings and making investments, we help to
drive the cycle of growth.
The Prudential Group is divided into four business units, each of which has a
clearly defined set of objectives within its overall strategy in the United
Kingdom, United States, Asia and Africa.
After its success in Europe and Asia, It embarked on an expansion into Africa
through acquisitions in Ghana, in 2013, Kenya, in 2014, Uganda, in 2015and
earlier this year Zambia.
In Uganda, Prudential acquired Goldstar Assurance Company Limited. This
was due to the issued regulation, by the IRA (Insurance Regulatory
Authority) that composite insurance companies operate independently as
life and non -life entities.
4

Vision
To be dominant player life and health player, built on trust, by world-class
people and services
Mission
The mission of Prudential is to be the number one life insurer in Uganda.

1.5 Organizational Culture

Prudential Uganda prides itself in its integrity as it has to uphold the good
reputation it has globally. Prudential Uganda Limited has the following brand
valves;
Integrity
We pride ourselves on how we exercise judgment in the interests of our
customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders. We manage
risk by drawing on our collective expertise and experience.

Security
Were here to help our customers meet their long-term financial needs
and we can do this because were built to last ourselves. Our longevity,
scale, and resilience mean we can be depended upon.

Initiative
We understand the trust people put in us and the duty we have to our
customers. We strive to advance the interests of our customers,
investors, employees and other stakeholders and we do so responsibly.
Prudence

We identify and seize opportunities in products, services and markets to

benefit our customers, our business and wider society.
The mission of Prudential is to be the number one life insurer in Uganda

Corporate Social Responsibility

Prudential Uganda is also committed to the social welfare of the community
in which they operate. It has invested heavily in the Ugandan community and
below is some of their contribution to the lives of ordinary Ugandans.

Prudential Goals for Careers and Education

Prudential Careers is an initiative that focuses on employee training

programs to boost their academic qualifications and improve on their skills
which eventually leads to higher productivity of work.
At Prudential Uganda all the staff members are entitled to on job training
programmes for instance compliance courses and insurance related courses.
In addition, Prudential Uganda also offers internship opportunities to
university students which equips them with the practical skills and lays a
foundation on their future job lines.

1.6 Gender in the Organization

As the Companys Value on Empowerment; encouraging and backing
people to do their best. Men and women at Prudential Limited Uganda are
treated as equals. Ones worth is measured entirely based on performance
and therefore women and men compete fairly for positions. No discrimination
6

whatsoever is entertained and should one feel discriminated against, there is

a forum within the HRD through which such complaints are made and acted
upon immediately. No gender based discrimination-related complaints have
been filed since Prudential Uganda Limited started its operations in Uganda.
About twenty-five staff and nearly seventy agents working for Prudential, the
intern believes this number will grow over the next few years as the
customer base increases.
Also about 55% of the employees are women.
Below is a table summary indicating the number:
Table 1.1: Gender Distribution in the organization
Departments
Finance
Commercial

Male
1
-

Female
2
1

Total
3
1

Operations
Customer Care
Compliance
Front Office
ICT
Underwriting
Group Life and

5
2
1
2
2

1
2
2
2
-

1
9
4
1
4
2

banking
TOTAL

13

10

23

Agents

SEX

NUMBER

MALE

28

FEMALE

36

TOTAL

64

1.7 The Structure of the Organization

Prudential is a dynamic company that offers excellent career opportunities
for talented and motivated individuals. Currently the departments and
careers include but are not limited to; Customer Service, Administration,
Human Resources, Underwriting, IT, Group Life and Banking, Finance,
Commercial, and Compliance departments.
Appendix 1.1: THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF PRUDENTIAL
UGANDA LIMITED
Human Resources
This department is responsible for job recruiting, salary provision, the extra
co-curricular activities and ensuring the work environment promotes
productivity in work.
Finance
This handles the organizations revenues, gives approvals for expenses and
balances the books of accounts.
Commercial Operations
This is concerned with winning new business, exploring new avenues of
activity and seeking opportunities that the company can exploit in its bid to
grow.
Compliance Department
This is an independent product team. It comprises of the, head of agency,
agency support executives, agency development executives, premium
administration and support officers, the agency training executive, team
leaders of agents and the agents.

It keeps customers up to date with the latest product and services

innovations by the Company and give required rates and terms as per the
policies to paid by the customers.
Moreover, they also give an update to the finance department on the terms
of payments, cash, cheques, direct debits, mobile money or standing orders
and provide customer care to the customers who have queries.

Customer care personnel

This gives a platform in which customers get in touch with prudential in case
they have queries which they submit via phone or email or vice versa.
Agency
This comprises of agents who go out and approach prospective customers,
identify their insurance needs and recommend the most suitable product.
The particular product being introduced is explained to the customer and the
relevant proposal form completed. The agent then submits the completed
form to the operations Department for assessment by the underwriters.
Broker Consultants
The procedure in respect of brokers is the same as that of agents apart from
the fact that brokers are independent intermediaries who source business for
a number of organizations. For this reason, it is imperative that the Company
maintains regular contact with brokers.

ICT/ Systems
The IT department at Prudential handles the following activities;

It is responsible for the coordination and overseeing of the network

with the help of the support functions which are out sourced.

It is responsible for the smooth operation of day to day running for

activities that require internet services.

It is in charge of handling and tracking assets of both the company and

its users.

It is responsible for the audit of company assets i.e. computers,

modems, routers, switches, etc.

Underwriting Department
This is comprised of underwriters who will either accept or reject the risk
depending on the information provided on the proposal form and the
applicants medical history.

1.8 The main activities of the organization

As a Life Assurance Company, Prudential Uganda provides various services
and products to its customers and these services are sourced through;

Agents
Brokers
Direct Business

Agents
These go out and approach prospective customers, identify their insurance
needs and recommend the most suitable product.
The particular product being introduced is explained to the customer and the
relevant proposal form completed. The agent then submits the completed
form to the Life and Pension Department for assessment by the underwriter.

10

Brokers
The procedure in respect of brokers is the same as that of agents apart from
the fact that brokers are independent intermediaries who source business for
a number of organizations. For this reason, it is imperative that the Company
maintains regular contact with brokers.

Direct business
Some prospective clients may come direct to our offices inquiring about
certain products. Such customers shall be referred to the operations
department for establishment of needs and conclusion of the business.

The main objectives of the organization

Understanding the needs of customers and offering them superior

products and services

Developing and implementing superior risk management and

investment strategies to offer sustainable and stable returns to the
policyholders

Providing an enabling environment to foster growth and learning for

its employees
11

Building transparency in all its dealings

The main activities of the organization

Underwriting to its clients which is a process of determining

whether to accept a risk and, if so, what amount of insurance the

company will write on the acceptable risk, and at what rate.

Collection of premiums from its client.
Payment of claims to its clients.

The main products of the organization

Plans for Life (Pru-Life Saver)
Here the customers decide on the sum assured which is the amount they are
guaranteed to receive at the end of the savings period, or that Prudential will
pay your named beneficiary in the event of your death.
One decides on how long the policy should last (policy term). Based on the
sum assured, calculate the premiums are calculated. This is a fixed amount
that you pay into the policy on a regular basis.
Group Life Assurance covers is an employee benefit scheme wholly
funded by the employer. It gives your employees a peace of mind that,
should they die in service from natural causes or an accident, their families
would receive financial support. The size of the benefit is expressed as a
multiple of an employees annual salary.
The following benefits can be added to the Group Life Policy:

12

 Group Disability-This provides a payment to the employee in the

event of a severe and permanent disability that prevents them from
continuing employment at the company.
Critical Illness This provides a payment to the employee in the
event they suffer one of the following conditions for the first time:
heart attack, cancer, stroke or a kidney transplant (recipient). Preexisting conditions are not covered.
Funeral Expenses-This provider a payment to the family of the
employee to cover the final expenses of the life in the event of his or
her death while in service.

Group Life Extension to Group Personal Accident

If an employee already offers employees a scheme covering death by
accident. Prudential Uganda Can offer additional cover for death from natural
causes. As with the Group Life Plan, the scheme is wholly funded by the
employer.
Pru-Cash Builder
Here one decides how much you would like to save and over how long. The
minimum policy term is five years and the maximum is twenty-five years.
Depending on ones saving goal, you choose an affordable amount to save
each month, half yearly or yearly for the duration of the policy term. This is
known as the premium.
Prudential Uganda Limited invests the money on the customers behalf. At
the end of the policy term, you will receive your contributions plus
investment interest earned over the period, minus administration fees.

13

Pru-Edu Save Plan

The parent, grand parents or guardians take out the policy to provide for the
childs education. They decide the amount of the contribution and Prudential
calculates the Sum Assured, the amount payable on death. The policy
duration will vary in accordance with the age of the child. They then decide
the length they would want to save, between five and twenty years.
At the end of the term, Prudential will pay the Maturity value that is the
sum assured plus accrued benefits, which will be paid in three equal annual
installments (with an option for lump sum payment).
In the event of untimely death or permanent disability of the parent,
Prudential Uganda will pay 50 percent of the sum assured for the Sum
Assured for the childs education as well as pay the full maturity value at
the expiry of the term.

CHAPTER TWO: STUDENTS EXPERIENCES

2.0. Introduction
This chapter indicates the students experiences which include title or
position

occupied

by

student

in

the

organization,

duties

and

responsibilities, supervision levels and relationship with the Supervisor, work

team and its composition, working relationship among team members or
other staff and authority levels of the student.

2.1 Position occupied in the organization

During the internship, the interns position at the Prudential Uganda was in
the Group Life and Banking Department and I was attached to a broker
consultant.

2.2 Duties and Responsibilities

14

Daily designing of quotations. Designing quotations for potential

clients and those that came from agents.

Regular Picking and Delivering of documents. The intern was

requested by my field supervisor to deliver and pick policy documents
to and from clients, financial institutions, our lawyers, NSSF, among
others.

Co-ordinating the process of renewing IRA licenses for Agents.

The intern was given a duty of entering mobilising all our registered
agents in a bid to renew their IRA licences, this included filling of
renewal forms and attachment of a copy of their current licences in
possession.

Tender. The intern was actively involved in designing a bid document

for life coverage to the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Photocopying, binding and printing. The intern used to photocopy,

bind and print certain documents since it was part of the daily work to
be done in filing, designing of bid documents, record keeping, among
others.

Editing an article about Prudential Assurance to the IRA. The

intern was asked to put aid in the writing, rephrasing and editing of an
article about Prudentials objectives, goals, key products and its view of
the Insurance market. To which I successfully accomplished.

Filing of Receipts and Policy documents. This was done by the

intern with guidance from the finance department and the underwriting
departments so as to keep tracks of the clients records.
15

Tracking Movements. This refers to the process of making changes

to the existing data base to adhere to changes as demanded by the
customers. For example, a client can decide to change his beneficiary
or in case of group life assurance, some employees may leave or new
ones may be recruited. Movements involve replacing the outgoing
ones with the incoming ones. This required the intern to analyse a
series of reports on previous monthly movements and comparing it
with that of the current month.

Daily correspondence on the status of Prudential Ugandas other

departments. The intern was always willing to stretch out and offer
support to all the various departments where I could. This meant
moving to the various departments looking for work and stipulating
time for it in my to-do list of the day.

2.3 Supervision levels and relationship with Supervisor

The environment was strictly professional. Supervision was mandatory
although it was desired to be an intern that required minimal supervision.
The immediate supervisor would assign a task and go through step by step
what was expected or required; giving time for questions whenever need
arose. A deadline was usually given as most tasks were time bound.
The intern was then left to do the task but still permitted to ask questions or
queries he had as execution of the task went along.
The task was submitted upon completion and then evaluated by the
supervisor then submitted for action.
16

All assignments were treated in this way regardless of which supervisor

assigned them and they were all very enthusiastic about teaching and
genuinely interested in my success.
There were departmental discussions were the intern spoke about tasks he
was involved in, what he had completed and what was yet to be covered.

2.4 Work Team and its Composition

The intern was in Group Life and Banking department in the broker
consultant section as structured in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: COMPOSITION OF GROUP LIFE AND BANKINGWORK TEAM

CHIEF OPERATIONS
OFFICER

BROKER
CONSULTA
NT

FINANCE
MANAGER
17

ASSISTANT C.O.O

Underwriters

The intern

2.5 Working Relationship among Team Members/Other Staf

Although the organisation is physically big, there is a high level of integration
among the staff.
A high level of interdependence exists among the staff members as most of
the work is interrelated especially within the departments and people all
work with minimal supervision.
All members interact with a high level of professionalism and respect, and
non-work related conversations are only entertained outside working hours.
All staff members come together for extra co-curricular activities that
Company is involved in, like the sports competitions (Insurance of Uganda
League), organised by the IRA, fun Fridays, organisational staff outings/Galas
among others.
18

2.6 Authority levels to the student

There is an open-door policy which means everybody has access to everyone
in the department as long as he/she is not engaged.
The intern was given liberty to move in and about the other departments
without difficulty.
The intern was given a desk, computer with access to the department drives,
internet and work email to enable me carry out my earlier mentioned duties
without difficulty.

CHAPTER THREE: EVALUATION OF FIELD ATTACHEMENT

3.0 Introduction
This chapter entails students evaluation of field attachment which include,
level of accomplishment of duties and responsibilities assigned, new
knowledge and skills gained in each duties and responsibilities, most
interesting experience, relatedness of Universitys taught programmes to the
field of work, challenges faced and how managed, benefits derived from field
attachment, adequacy in Universitys preparing of the students for field
attachment and preparedness of the Agency to receive and manage students
for field attachment.

3.1 Level of Accomplishment of duties and responsibilities

assigned
The intern accomplished all the tasks that he was assigned and took
responsibility for all his duties. He exceeded expectations, doing more than
was asked and giving exactly that required so that he reduced on the
workload his supervisor had and enabled faster completion of work.
19

He made notes and summaries

of all the work he was doing to train the

assistant who would take over from me once he handed over.

The intern was always way ahead of our deadlines because he was very
enthusiastic, energetic and his supervisors treated him as an equal member
of the team and so they thrived and the results proved it.

3.2 New Knowledge and skills gained in each of the duties and
responsibilities
Analytical and Actuarial Skills

The intern had to write daily proposals and quotations for clients and
agents, in view of estimating their sum assured, interest earned,
maturity values and the premiums to be paid. This taught him to
analyse trends better and understand reasons behind loading a client,
rejecting a proposal to be insured and where waiver premiums are
applied. All these basing on the health nature of the clients.

Technical skills
Through reconciliation of group life clients, daily updating of the client
movements, the intern advanced his knowledge in Microsoft Excel and
Vertex. He created formulas, used lookups, if error formulas and sorting of
data while dealing with the above work books hence improving on his
technical skills.

20

Interpersonal skills
Working in a corporate environment especially like the one at Prudential
Ugandas improved the interns relational skills. The intern learnt how to get
what he needed from others through simple and efficient communication.
The intern fully grasped the meaning of office etiquette, interaction with
others on a professional level. Management requires one to master the art of
relating well with others in an appropriate capacity and so he gained an
advantage in that regard.
Time Management: The intern learnt how to manage his time, this he did
by training himself to arrive at the work place 30 minutes to an hour before
the official time and leave an hour after the normal working hours. This
helped finish his tasks and assignments in time especially the daily
schedules.
Team work: Having worked as a group during the internship period, the
intern got used to working in a team and he eventually made more friends
amongst his instructors and supervisors. The intern got the courage and
confidence to voice out his views and to work since some tasks could not be
done by one person. This helped the intern get used to everyone.
Writing Skills
The intern acquired the skill of being precise, through writing. He took part in
rephrasing and editing of an article to the Insurers Regulatory Authority
about Prudential Ugandas Products and services which the Commercial
manager liked very much and handed him a mantle of championing it. This
involved writing about Prudentials History, what they stood for, their beliefs,
hopes, and dreams. All this was supposed to be a reflection of their
experience in the Industry and their goals for the future.

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Mobilisation and leadership skills

The intern gained mobilisation and leadership skills when conducting the
license- renewal exercise for Prudentials registered agents, which involved
filling of application forms and attachment of a copy of the existing IRA
license.

3.3 Most Interesting Experiences

The intern had a lot of interesting experiences, for instance, he was able to
make new friends from the different departments, who gave him ample
career advice on the different job lines, which will benefit me in the near
future.
The due respect that was given to him as an intern was really immeasurable
by staff of Prudential Uganda Limited this made him feel home.
The most interesting thing was attending certain functions that were funfilled and interesting for example the B.O.P (Business Opportunity
Presentation) exhibition, birthday parties for staff members and other get

22

together functions. Through this, the intern learnt that apart from work,
Prudential Uganda Limited is also home away from home.

3.4 Relatedness of Universitys taught programmes to the

Field of work
Technical programmes like Data Analysis and Microsoft Excel are extremely
important as they train students to be conversant with computers which are
used in all fields. The intern found the use of Microsoft Excel particularly
useful in the designing of quotations and analysis of daily reports using pivot
tables and other formulae.
Statistical analysis was also vital as one need to be able to understand the
meaning of numbers, patterns and how to draw conclusions. The intern
found this particularly important in making summaries of Prudentials growth
over the years in the various markets.
Microeconomics and macroeconomics taught at the university were relevant
and efficient in understanding the various products offered in different
markets and the various markets involved.
Accounting too came handy for the intern when it came to interpreting and
reading of financial statements.
Life contingencies aided in calculation of premiums and sum assured.

3.5 Challenges faced and how managed

The intern faced a challenge to grasp the various concepts, relevant
formulae and all the activities involved in the Group Life and Banking
Department. This was overcome by taking notes of all that the intern was
taught so that he could easily refer to the notes whenever he had a query.
Also, developing a good relationship with his supervisor was vital because it
enabled him to easily seek counsel on the few occasions of uncertainty.
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The intern also faced a challenge of locating of various addresses when

delivering and picking company documents. This was solved by using UBER,
which really came in handy when in came to locating the designated areas.
At times, there was no Petty Cash to aid in movement; however the intern
always managed to pull through and seek reimbursements which he was
greatly granted.
But despite all these challenges the intern does not regret the time he spent
at Prudential Uganda Limited.

3.6 Benefits Derived from Field Attachment

The intern learnt practically what he had been taught in class

especially

life

contingencies,

Mathematics

of

Finance

through

designing of quotations, calculations of sum assured, estimation of

maturity values and interest earned using the relevant actuarial tables
with corresponding rates and the standard formulae. The daily and
continuously application of these gave me a better understanding of
the same.

Field attachment exposed the intern to the outside world which awaits
him after he complete studies. The intern now feels more prepared for
the challenges that he might have to face in job seeking as well as job
retention like diversity and how to overcome them.

The intern has expanded his networks to include new people he met at
and through Prudential Uganda Limited who could definitely be of help
to him in the near future especially the Group Life and Banking
department.
24

There are topics that are yet to cover in class like Life Contingencies III
monitoring and evaluation and the intern believe this Field Attachment
will make learning more enjoyable. This will enable him to understand
lectures better and so teach his contemporaries which ought to
improve performance on the whole.

The intern now has brilliant mentors and better sense of direction for
his career because of Field attachment. While at Prudential Uganda
Limited, the intern learnt more about the job market and the level of
aggression and competitiveness required to survive in it. This has
increased his maturity and provided him with more incentives to work
harder in school.

Most importantly, this field attachment has given the intern work
experience and hence an advantage in getting a job. His Curriculum
Vitae has been built and he now has reputable referees. This, coupled
with a degree from Makerere University, makes him a top candidate for
any suitable job.

3.7 Adequacy in Universitys preparing the student for Field

Attachment
Students are well prepared for field attachment.

25

The university ensures that the students are briefed at least twice,
once by the school cabinet and then the lecturers in charge of carrying
out the internship do the same right before the internships are started.

Copies of past reports from students of the school are made available
in the school library for students to refer to and get an insight of what
awaits them.

University is actively involved in finding places of attachment for the

students by constantly advertising any available vacancies in both the
public and private sector.

3.8 Preparedness of the Organisation to receive and manage

Students for Field Attachment

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Prudential Uganda Limited was equally ready to receive the intern despite
the fact that it was still new in the country.
The organisation provided the intern with necessary stationary and
workstation that enriched his efficiency and effectiveness to carry out some
of the assignments. In addition to this, the intern was treated as part of staff
and this enabled him to improve his attitude towards team work, respect for
seniors and colleagues at the work place.
However, work allocation to the intern, at times, could be revised and
improved, to avoid durations in which he is idle.

CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Conclusion
Field attachment is a great learning experience. It is a hand on approach in
education and makes students more confident, improving their practical
skills. It is an avenue for an all-round education which is needed for students
to become their own employers as well as being top candidates for their
desired fields of employment.
The university has in place a well thought out system which is executed
diligently. The use of log books, field evaluation and visits from school
supervisor are all vital in ensuring that the internship process is followed with
complete seriousness and is as beneficial as it ought to be to the students.
The intern had a final presentation on his internship experience and so
through this he learnt that hard work pays and that one ought to be diligent
in everything he does if he is to succeed.

27

However, some organisations are not aware of the importance of the

internship to students both academically and in terms of their careers. They
therefore fail to ensure they are giving the students the attention they need.
They sometimes fail to train them in ways that will help them grow and this
deprives students of all the value the internship is intended to add to their
lives.

4.2 Recommendations

The university should ensure placements are made aware of how

important the field attachment is. Sensitization needs to be done urgently
so that organizations can plan ahead of time.

At least one copy of a report should be sent back to the organization so

that they are more involved in the process allowing them to make
improvements where necessary.

A website or interactive page should be set up so that students can give

feedback on the internship process, Makerere alumni can give information
about possible vacancies for students to apply for when time for
internship arises. Here, students can also give queries and receive life
lessons from the former students.

REFERENCES

http://www.prudential.ug/

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30

Appendix 1

31

APPENDIX II
A Sample of Quotations for Prudential Uganda Limited.

32

33

APPENDIX III

WORKPLAN FOR INTERNISHIP WITH PRUDENTIAL UGANDA LIMITED FOR THE PERIOD
JUNE TO AUGUST 2016.
NAME: MASINDE DISHON

COURSE: BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ACTURIAL SCIENCE

OBJECTIVESES

TASK/DUTIES
Reporting to
Internship site

KNOW HOW THE COMPANY

WORKS.
DEVELOPING INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS
CREATE GOOD WORKING
RELATIONSHIP

Orientation

Effective
communication.

WEEK

LEVEL OF
ACCOMPLIS
HMENT

27th June
2016
Orientation on organizational
structure products and services
of the company.

Week 1

completed

Week 2

Completed

Visiting the different departments

within Prudential Uganda and
meeting of field supervisors
Introduction of interns to staff in
the departments.
Assigning the interns Direct
Supervisors
Meeting with the Direct
Supervisor and developing a
work plan.

DEVELOP SKILLS ON HOW TO

DESIGN A BIDDING DOCUMENT

Note taking on the

various steps
involvement

Summarising contents of a bid

document
Aiding in Preparing a bid
document for Uganda Wildlife
Authority
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ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND

PRACTICAL SKILLS IN DESING
QUOTATIONS

Knowing the basics,

applying the
knowledge taught in
Life Contingencies

Calculations Premiums and sum

assured
Estimations of interest earned
Week 3

completed

Determinations of maturity
values

ENHANCE WRITING SKILLS

Reviewing of previous articles to

the IRA, updating it and
rephrasing of the questions
Binding of documents
Filing of receipts

ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND

PRACTICAL SKILLS IN DESING
QUOTATIONS

Designing of
quotations
Validating the Data
Sheets

Calculations of premium and

sum assured
Binding of documents

Week 4-8
All

Filing of receipts
Record keeping
management

Completed
Delivery and picking of company
documents

To know key
Attending of Presentations
Boost skills in sales

Rephrasing IRA article

Boosting writing skills

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36