[kictanet] Day 5 of 10- BPO Discussions, HR Issues

Mon Jun 8 14:49:51 EAT 2009

Mr walu et all,

My humble response to the questions listed below;

Qtn 7: How do we develop a national database on the wide-range of
available ICT skill in Kenya - specifically which institution should
be mandated to realise this, ensuring that such a database is kept
upto date over the years?

I would suppose that there are several bodies that already have this
information tucked away in some stores somewhere.

A few that come come to mind are certification bodies such as the KNEC
( Kenya National Examination council) - these would be able to offer a
Database as to their high school graduates and their qualifications at
the secondary school level.

The University bodies too can offer a database as to who has graduated
in which field. the same can be done at polytechnic, youth polytechnic
and private colleges if the call to request is made.

As to which body should be mandated to gather, store , categorize and
market these skills I suspect that there is no one answer. At one
point , the Ministries of education, planning and statistics would be
at the fore but alternatively the Ministry of Labour and Finance too
have a stake as they have data on numbers as well. I am not sure if
this should not all sit with the Min of Education for the first part (
gather,store, categorize) and then get handed over to the Min of
planning????

Qtn 8: What strategies should the country adopt to ensure a continuous
supply of relevant and timely BPO-Specific skills?

In trying to understand this whole BPO animal and its BPO specific
skill sets requirement, I broke it down to this.

"Our small little office outsources its cleaning, messenger and
delivery services we find it more economical to have this done by
someone else".

So with the advent of the ICT related BPO outsourcing what would come
to mind? For many who are BPO savvy I am sure that I must sound naive,
but allow me this small digression.

Within Kenya, I suppose document entry, scanning, filing etc would be
first on the list? (Thus tier 1) so what equipment and skill sets are
required? I'd imagine that these are not at degree level?

Up the value chain we would find outsourcing of core company
activities such as support, customer care, installation and training
taking up the next tier? ( tier 2)

The next tier would be the software engineering ( where incubation
centres would be central) etc.( tier 3)

Is there another 2 or 3 tiers?

I ask this because then it would advise the answer to the question above.

Being in education myself, I would feel that the formal education
system even at the secondary school level can be key to delivering
skills for the first two tiers, and the youth polytechnics themselves
can be sure to take care of the third tier. which naturally leads to
curriculum analysis and formation for inclusion on subject areas,
skill sets and practical applications of these skills to ensure job
readiness.

I'd like to share a small finding when consulting for a certain media
house that has its tentacles all over Africa. In aiming to build its
HR capacity in specialized writing it became apparent that it was
easier to take doctors and teach them the basics of writing and then
let the sub editors do their bit, than to take a journalists and turn
them into writers in the fields of medicine. this learning somewhat
revolutionized their HR strategy and it has paid off. I hope that this
analogy does not offend our journalist or medic listers on this list.

I wonder if the same could be considered for BPO sector, so that we
eliminate an extra vertical stage where we require entry into a
specialized BPO course to pre-qualify to work in the BPO sector. What
are the requirements for this anyway???

And lastly, I am not sure where this will fall in on this discussion,
apologies if I am mixing threads, but we are sitting on a gold mine as
far as all of us can see but is there more?. As an example Kenyan
teachers are in high demand in East, Central and even Southern Africa.
 I don't know whether education can also be considered BPO? If so how?
for example our teachers are instrumental in the development of other
country Curricula. How can we harness the ICT facilitative role to
turn other non traditional BPO sector areas into revenue earners? How
can we shift the paradigm so that we can create our own unique
competitive edge that will ensure that we capture near unexplored
markets or sectors before we join the hard fought for well established
BPO sources of income for other established countries?

I am sorry Mr Walu and other listers if I have drifted...

Ms Basly

On 6/8/09, Fatma Bashir <fatma.bashir at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Listers,
>
> If I may make a few comments on some capacity building initiatives that the
> MOE (Min of Education) is already putting in place that will vastly increase
> ICT skills into the Market . Whereas these will not be at the Degree level I
> am certain that for data entry and perhaps other less specialized fields of
> the BPO sector they will ready and available for snapping up.
>
>
>
> There are various programs that are already in place to equip secondary
> schools with Computer labs and appropriate digital content aimed at
> enhancing competencies in both the sciences, Mathematics and ICT subject
> areas. These will see skills (that are necessary at foundation level)
> identified both by the students themselves and the MOE that can then be
> harnessed either through selection of science based careers or ICT
> preparedness of the student body that graduates from High school. These
> skills can then be tapped into by the ICT sector in general or BPO in
> particular. Or even better open up possibilities of degree courses that are
> attractive to the wider BPO sector requirements.
>
> The first round of 213 schools is done and simple maths for this should tell
> us that already over 127, 800 students (213 X 600 on average students per
> school) are already getting hands on experience on basic ICT skill sets.
> More schools are expected for the 2009-2010 financial year I suspect.
>
> Although I am not privy to the MOE plan their ICT for secondary school
> policy clearly seeks to impart not just  basic ICT skills to each and every
> secondary school student but to take things one step further and implement
> computer studies as an examinable subject in more schools, this will give
> students a wider range of skills that I am sure will be exactly what the
> doctor ordered for the BPO sector and ICT entrepreneurship in general.
>
> Taking a leaf from countries such as Malaysia and India it was the 'opening'
> up of the ICT sector within the mass education system ( secondary/Tertiary)
> that enabled a boost to their own ICT industry.
>
> Our young students simply need to have these skills and I am sure that the
> Human resource gap that is looming will be readily and ably filled not just
> as front office workers but for innovation as well more specific skill sets
> as well.
>
> What needs to also be shared out is what are the specific skill sets
> required for the BPO industry - I am sure that the skills needed in the
> tourism sector , differ from those needed in the medical sector. That way
> this information can inform the Education Managers to tilt or include/
> enhance some skill sets within the curriculum that will form the foundation
> for further development either on the job or at tertiary level.
>
> The long and short of it, from my perspective is that the BPO sector will
> post even bigger successes if the MOE is made part and parcel of the
> delivery chain. The purpose of education at a policy level is to prepare the
> future work force for its country.
>
>
>
> The mouse needs to be the new pen in schools. And with appropriate shift in
> policy and funding, this can be acheived.
>
>
>
> Fatma
>
> On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 11:33 AM, lily marusoi <lmarusoi at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> My take on Q 7&8
>>
>> We need to come up with a standardized national curriculum for the BPO
>> sector a "finishing school" for those aspiring to work in the BPO sector.
>> Having looked at the KBPO society training framework I feel there is a
>> need
>> to customise it to fit our Kenyan  situation as some skills set were
>> assumed
>> to be obvious.
>>
>> When we talk of equiping the graduates, lets not also forget that we have
>> so many other youths graduating from tertiary institutions with
>> certificates
>> and diplomas.
>>
>> Some major industry players have hinted that they prefer non graduates so
>> long as they have the right attitudes, it is easier to train skills but
>> not
>> attitudes which is a major factor in the BPO sector.
>>
>> Regards
>> Lily
>>
>>
>> --- On *Mon, 6/8/09, Judy Okite <judyokite at gmail.com>* wrote:
>>
>>
>> From: Judy Okite <judyokite at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 of 10- BPO Discussions, HR Issues
>> To: lmarusoi at yahoo.com
>> Cc: kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> Date: Monday, June 8, 2009, 11:50 AM
>>
>> to answer both Q 7&8
>>
>> my suggestion on this.....all graduates,should be equipped to work in a
>> BPO,at the time of their graduation. BPO specifics,should be
>> entrenched,within the curriculum.....with this there will be no
>> descrimination and I believe it will bring in quality to this market  e.g
>> in
>> USIU,I know you have to do a foreign language....at some point in your
>> 2years of your time with them...it doesnt really matter what course your
>> taking and level.
>>
>> Kind Regards,
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 8:06 AM, Walubengo J
>> <jwalu at yahoo.com<http://us.mc1102.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jwalu@yahoo.com>
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> -Day 5 of 10- BPO Discussions, Human Capacity Issues
>>>
>>> Morning all,
>>>
>>> I trust you had a refreshing weekend.  Today I want to introduce the
>>> theme
>>> on Human Resource Development for the BPO industry.  The Researchers
>>> found
>>> that India, S.Africa and Mauritius had a comprehensive inventory of their
>>> skill-base that was also available for Validation by prospective
>>> employers
>>> and investors.  Another observation was ofcourse the sheer numbers of
>>> Indian
>>> graduates (millions) that made it the largest base of highly skilled pool
>>> of
>>> graduates with strong mathematical/scientific orientation.  Whereas,
>>> Mauritius was producing only 10,000 (university) graduates per year
>>> compared
>>> to Kenya's 30,000 per year, Mauritius had the advantage of properly
>>> documenting their national graduates database and marketing it
>>> appropriately
>>> to potential clients in Europe/America.  In addition, the Researchers
>>> noted
>>> that Mauritius had a government funded but Private-Sector oriented ICT
>>> Academy that produced graduates specificially for the ICT industry.
>>>
>>> In Kenya, the Researchers observed that apart from the lack of a national
>>> database on the available skills/graduates, some of the BPO operators
>>> were
>>> engaged in vicious poaching cycles where Agents trained in-house by one
>>> Operater are immediately hired by the Competing Operators. It was noted,
>>> that an attempt has been made by the .KE Government to create an
>>> Industry-specific University (Multimedia University College of Kenya) to
>>> address the HR gap but its success or otherwise will remain to be seen in
>>> a
>>> few years time.  The Researchers also noted that Kenya's English-speaking
>>> labor force had an edge over the Indian one given that the average Kenyan
>>> had a "neutral" accent unlike the Indian graduate who tended to have an
>>> "ethnic" accent that often distracted the Euro-American markets/clients.
>>>
>>> But this advantage is yet to be exploited - even as the Indians move up
>>> the BPO value chain and concentrate on non-accent related processes such
>>> as
>>> Software Engineering, Research (Financial, Medicine, etc), Product (e.g.
>>> Civil and Architectural) Design amongst others. Which leads us to todays
>>> questions.
>>>
>>> Qtn 7: How do we develop a national database on the wide-range of
>>> available ICT skill in Kenya - specifically which institution should be
>>> mandated to realise this, ensuring that such a database is kept upto date
>>> over the years?
>>>
>>> Qtn 8: What strategies should the country adopt to ensure a continuous
>>> supply of relevant and timely BPO-Specific skills?
>>>
>>> Please, lets have your comments flowing,dig yahjwalu starting now...
>>>
>>> walu.
>>>
>>> Encl: Synthesis 3 - HR Issues
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> "Each of us is great insofar as we perceive and act on the infinite
>> possibilities which lie undiscovered and unrecognized about us." James
>> Harvey Robinson
>>
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