Survey of the Skills and Training Needs of Information Professional in Kenya.
Diana Rosenberg.
Eldoret, Kenya: Moi University, Faculty of Information Sciences, 1989. 65 p. No price given.
The research and publication for this report was made possible by a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa. The author is Dean of the Faculty of Information Sciences at Moi University.
Dean Rosenberg begins by giving the background for the survey. In 1981, the Report of the Presidential Working Party (Mackay Report) recommended that a Faculty of Information Sciences be established at the proposed second University. It was further determined that this Faculty should develop a curriculum to educate for the following information professions: librarianship, information science, archives and records management, publishing, printing and the book trade.
A review was made of all previous studies, surveys, and recommendations. The data produced by the previous surveys were of limited value to the Faculty. For the most part previous surveys were limited to librarians, and did not take into account other information professions.
The 1983 Technical Papers on the Establishment of the Second University (Moi) recommended a unified approach to the teaching of the various information science professions. The faculty, therefore, planned a broad based undergraduate course leading to a B.S. in Information Sciences. The first two years contain a core of common courses; the final year allows for specialization through courses related to one of more of the information disciplines [1].
Although the Faculty realized the inadequacy of previous surveys, the need for both undergraduate and graduate education was apparent. In 1985, the Kenya Library Association recommended that the undergraduate program be instituted, and a more comprehensive manpower study be conducted at a later date. The Faculty instituged the programme leading to the B.Science in Information Science and admitted its first studnts in November, 1988. The Faculty then studied the various methodologies that could be used to determine both quantity and quality of information professional needs in Kenya. Various approaches were considered, including the Delphi technique, which is a useful approach in eliciting useful data of a qualitative nature.
Lack of funds limited the scope and type of survey. It was decided to use the methodology designed by Professor N. Moore of Birmingham Polytechnic because it is simple, relatively inexpensive, and would nevertheless reveal the needs of employers. In December 1985, the Faculty submitted their proposal to carry out “Manpower Needs Assessment” and it was approved. This proposal was further refined, but again, lack of financial support required that they stick with the original proposal funded by IDRC.
The methodology used was to scan Kenya’s daily newspapers for advertisements involving information–handling activities, analyzing these by type of job, type of employees, nature of job, qualifications, and other requirements. There would be followup interviews with a sample of the employers and employees. Three daily and Sunday papers were scanned. Structured forms (one for employers and one for employees) were developed to guide the interviewers. Statistics on the results of the analysis of the advertisements and the results of the interview are given in chart form. They are summarized and interpreted in the text, and are followed by conclusions and recommendations.
The principle interest in this report of the survey will be for Kenyans. For those outside Kenya, the importance lies in an analysis of the methodology used and its value. Dean Rosenberg points out several draw–backs, some inherent in the methodology and some due to the content of the survey. No major problems were met in the course of the collection of the advertisement data. However, to these reviewers, the limitation to these newspapers narrowed the scope of the study. Coverage would be mainly confined to urban areas and coverage of district needs would be rather limited.
The number of interviewers of both employers and employees was fewer than planned. Lack of advanced planning and lack of expertise in interviewing was cited as another limitation; “none of the interviewers were conversant with the politics or sociology of either qualitative or quantitative research methodology.”
The survey proved helpful in structuring the undergraduate curriculum at Moi University and highlighted the need for graduate education and continuing education courses. A follow–up report from the faculty of Information Sciences focusing on the use made of the survey would be valuable.
Note
1. Moi University is a four–year institution. However, students entering with “A” levels begin in the second year.
Sister Lauretta McCusker is Professor Emeritus and former Dean, School of Library and Information Science Rosary College. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. Her interests include special library and international/comparative librarianship.
Rose N. Mabwa, a native of Kenya, has a degree from Roosevelt University (Chicago). She is a librarian in the Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, and a graduate study in library and information science at Rosary College.
© 1990 Lauretta McCusker.
© 1990 Rose N. Mabwa.