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Ethiopia |
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The Development of Human Resource for the Information and Communication Age in Ethiopia
by Lishan Adam
1st ESS Conference on Ethiopian Telecommunications in the Information Age, Washington, DC, July 2nd, 1996
This paper analyzes the
potential of human resource development as an instrument in the exploitation of new
promises offered by an information based society in Ethiopia. It also reviews the future
prospects for professions in areas such as information science, computing and
telecommunications. Furthermore, the paper reviews the primary factors that contribute to
the development of essential human resources within the context of the socio-economic
conditions of the country. And finally, it examines some possible strategies for
collaborative actions and the functions of international agencies in this development.
Characteristics of an Human Resource Infrastructure in the Information and Communication Age
The socioeconomic level of a nation and its capacity for development is closely linked to its ability to generate and use information [1]. Information is a prerequisite of all other prerequisites [2]. Communication is a prerequisite for transfer of data. Economic underdevelopment often correlates with limited access to information and learning facilities [3]. It is indeed the ability to communicate and transfer information and the capacity to build a knowledge economy that ensures survival in the current global setting.
The availability of essential human resources to exploit the new age of information and communication technology is a critical asset for global competitiveness. However, recent evidence exposes the unfortunate inadequacies in the development of human resources in Ethiopia. The current human development plan is characterized by imbalance between supply and demand caused by weakness of training institutions and the lack of an efficient national human resources development policy. As a result, the educational system and its corresponding institutions remained stagnant. In fact, some educators have remarked that the quality of education has been seriously stagnant since the beginning of the "dergue" regime.
Beyond lack of innovativeness, the educational system continues to focus on abstract issues in isolation of social realities, i.e., actual problems and the needs of private and public sectors. For example, though there is a very urgent need for the training of managers of public activities in certain areas (woreda, kebele, zone, etc.) which would have to include private enterprises, there is little effort being expressed by academic institutions to produce good managers. All national development activities continue to be managed by inadequately trained and under equipped managers form heterogeneous groups- some drawn form administrative civil services, some form private sector, and the majority from political functionaries as well as the armed forces. This problem has not only hindered the plans for national development. It has also impaired growth in such key areas as the capacity for information and communication.
The human resource development strategy for the information sciences and communication in Ethiopia is non-existent. Although data in this area is very scarce, the existing human resource development plans tend to respond to "how many university graduates shall we produce?". Thus, the characteristics of human resource development activity in the country can be summarized as [4]:
A deterring challenge to human resource development and use in the country is lack of an enabling environment. This includes the chain of bureaucracy, lack of adequate facilities and lack of innovative business. Not only has it adversely affected qualitative improvement, it has also hampered the timely repatriation of talented Ethiopian in Diaspora.
Although the number of qualified people has increased significantly during the last ten years, the level and quality of expertise available in the information and communication related fields is far less than satisfactory [5]. Technical skills are scarce and valuable; Shortages have held back many information technology initiatives in the country. For example, there are too few qualified sysops (system operators) for the many start-ups network activities in Ethiopia. Local companies and government agencies have been unable to resolve this shortage. Consequently, institutional capacity needs to be built to improve and increase the existing human resources in the country.
There are few institutions that are set up to produce skilled human resources in Ethiopia. This absence is more acute when it comes to information and communications technology. However, a list of talented but overburdened institutions would include:
SISA, the Electrical Engineering Department and the Computer Science Unit are administered by Addis Ababa University, while the ETTI is managed by the Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority.
The School for Information Studies in Africa (SISA) was established in 1990 to help southern and eastern African countries build a capacity for human resources in the information sciences. The International Development Research Center (IDRC), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been very much involved since the original setup and current operation of the school. SISA now hosts a Master Degree program for students from eastern and southern Africa, and Bachelor Degree program for Ethiopians.
The M.ScI.S degree programme consists of course work and a thesis [6]. The course work has two aspects: core (required) courses consisting of 30 credit hours and one elective course (3 credit hours) to be chosen from many elective courses (see annex I). In addition, each candidate has to submit a thesis (worth 6 credit hours), which is to be defended in the presence of a Board of Examiners made up from the SISA faculty and external examiners which can be selected from around the world. SISA follows a semester system; students have to take 11 courses in three semesters, while the last semester is fully devoted to thesis work.
The B.Sc. program is part of the former Addis Ababa University Library Science Department. The Library Science Department was merged with the SISA' M.Sc.I.S program in 1995. The department which previously focused on library science has now shifted to offer more courses in information technology. The merger enabled the previously separate department to share combined resources. At the time of this write-up the curriculum for Bachelor of Science was under revision.
There are few studies on the impact of information science education in Ethiopia. Data reveals that minimal marketing effort has been used to promote the value and appropriateness of information science education. Much is desired to upgrade the current information science education to meet the challenges of information technology.
Information science is a very dynamic aspect within the emergence of global information society. Technological changes have engendered new ideas in information organization, management and dissemination. The Internet, e.g., shapes information as multiple links of data presented in different format to the user as opposed to traditional linear databases. The new emphasis in information science education should therefore apply this new concept in organization of data. New ways of training and teaching should also emerge to adapt to this new information presentation in various formats.
Efforts to ensure a balance between user requirements and the potential of information technology are hampered by many difficulties [7]. These include:
The mobilization of the existing information science professionals for development oriented goals and qualitative improvement of middle and high level skills in information science is becoming critical to achieve desired results.
The Electrical Engineering Department has been active in the area of communication and computer engineering though its impact is very limited. Basic courses in signals and systems, communication systems and theory, computer methods, computer programming, logic design, computer architecture and microprocessors are offered to undergraduates. The department also offers M.Sc. course in communication systems. This enabled students to understand concepts of computer and communication systems though little of it is attached to "real life" problems.
The problem of attaching theory to practice is acute. Students that leave the campus often wonder why they did not know operating systems or how Local Area Networks work, after passing exams on computer methods, digital electronics or communication systems and theory. A recent interview with an electrical engineering undergraduate confirms this:
.. When I went to the office (where he was hired as a new staff) I was asked if I knew Excel and CC:mail. I was puzzled! I did not hear about these. After three weeks I mastered both and wondered why I have not heard of "Excel" and "Lotus CC:mail" while on the campus...
On the other hand, the projects of recent Electrical Engineering student reflect high interests in communication and computing technology. Over 50 percent of students projects in 1995/96 academic year are related to computer and communications networks. Some of these include: Local Area Network design for printer sharing; design of an external modem; and also microprocessor based answering machine and speech processors.
Though the effort is very encouraging, student projects are still far away from day to day local engineering problems. This is the result of several factors. First of all, the present state of the laboratories are inadequate. Secondly, simple circuit design components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, logic circuits, and other essential equipment are unavailable. Thirdly, highly skilled teaching and research staff with industry experience is extremely scarce. And finally, relevant, current and advanced books and journals are virtually non-existent.
The Computer Science Unit at the Department of Mathematics is the core computing center in the country. Its strength has been based on its ability to spread a solid understanding of computing to the community. At the time of this writing, the first undergraduates from the unit were completing their graduation work. Furthermore, the unit is revising its curriculum ( see annex II) to keep pace with international standard and expects to become a full computer science department within two years. It is presently equipped with a small Unix lab, stand alone PCs and a Local Area Network.
Existing labs are being used by students from many departments. Unfortunately, this leaves computer science students with limited time to exercise computing. It also has direct implication on the quality of undergraduates that require full time access to computer labs during their stay at the university. In addition to low computer time ratio and lack of advanced laboratory facilities, there is a chronic shortage of computer science text books. Like engineering, the available text books are irrelevant and scarce.
There are twelve students in the first group of computer science undergraduates! The department is planning to double the intake by next year. It is also intending to send students for attachment programming jobs during their summer vacation. In the near future, graduate courses in computer science have already been proposed.
The other problem in the unit is lack of the necessary staff and staff training funds. Currently there are three Ph.D. and one M.Sc level academic resident staff members with computing backgrounds, and two M.Sc. level resident staff members with background in mathematics. It is hopeful that a few of the first promising graduates will become teaching assistants. However, training graduate assistants for higher degrees is a difficulty in the long term.
The Ethiopian Telecommunications Training Institute (ETTI) was setup to provide basic training in plant maintenance, telegraph and telex, switching, transmission, traffic and management of telecommunication networks. ETTI has recently begun basic training on computer applications. The institute is geared toward producing low and middle level technicians and management in telecommunications technology. Advanced training in data communication, transmission, network management is usually sponsored by donor agencies such as ITU, JICA, UNDP, the World Bank, bilateral donors and equipment suppliers. Most of these training courses are offered for four to six weeks.
ETTI now lacks the necessary computing resources and staff to provide interface between communications and emerging TCP/IP technologies. Needless to say, there are no computer networks that enables students and managers to experiment with new networking technologies. This clearly shows a wider gap between the field of electronic communication technology and available training to ETA staff. Short term advanced courses provided through the support of various donors and manufacturers are often inadequate to build necessary solid background in electronic communications technology.
Considerable resources and efforts are further required if the ETA plans to seriously upgrade itself from a telecom service provider to a full Internet provider. A Central element in this effort may lie with the availability of well trained and motivated staff in computing and communications technology. This requires the strengthening of the ETTI middle level school and upgrading it to advanced school in communication technology.
There are various encouraging factors in the development of information and communication infrastructure in Ethiopia. The establishment of PADIS electronic mail system is perhaps the most noticeable driving force in improving the quality of networking technology. Currently, many in the academic community are using the system. Student projects on electronic communications are also emerging. Indications show increases in the number of local network gurus.
The proliferation of computer support centers in the country have contributed significantly to computer literacy in Ethiopia. Though the results are mixed, computer service bureaus were able to reach a larger section of the community in order to demystify the perceptions people have about computing. Computer support centers need to emerge with more professional, disciplined and advanced computer training. Capability in networking, software development, systems analysis and design, out-sourcing and networking is critical for computer service centers to meet the challenges of advancing telecommunications and computer fields.
Ethiopians residing abroad and those returning home are also making significant contributions. More visits home were possible during the last five years compared to the "Dergue" Era. Visitors and those staying behind in Ethiopia are generally very more experienced with the technology than those who came home five years ago. Some are coming home with skills in Unix and network administration.
Ethiopians residing abroad have also been instrumental in the internal development of computing and telecommunication technology. The Ethiopian Scientific Society (ESS) has made great contributions in this area. Along with the Ethiopian Electronic Distribution Network (EEDN), the two organizations have contributed to enhancing the networking capability of academic institutions in the country. Still, much more is needed in this area from Ethiopians who realize the benefits of networking technology.
Though the situation is very much discouraging due to complex bureaucracy, investment in the country is also establishing ventures in computer assembly and software development. A Canadian computer company (Sidus computer) has already started computer assembly in Addis Ababa. In addition to hardware manufacturers, there are some emerging software developers in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has many counteracting problems in the efforts toward full development of the human resource capacity in the information and communication technology. These include:
One significant factor hindering growth and development of information and communication technology in the country is the turnover of key or pioneering personnel. In most public and private organizations there are no efforts to motivate successful individuals. Benefits such as career and skill development, more pay or general increase in job satisfaction are irregular. This did not only create high turnover but also encouraged the flow of skilled resources to developed countries.
Like many developing countries, most private and public institutions in Ethiopia are command centered, highly structured or hierarchical. These types of organizations usually produce staff with low morale and with minor effectiveness. In most organization, there is a general absence of team spirit and group performance. New structures and ways of thinking are very much in need.
Many institutions in the country are highly staffed while customers make queues for hours and days to no avail. This is mainly due to weaknesses in the current human resource development plan and management indifference towards streamlining their organizations. In these types of organizations, information and communication specialists are facing dual problems: coping with advancing technology that their own organizations are hesitant to endorse and dealing with organizational politics.
Research results show poor performance of those trained in information and communication technology. Many feel that the complex socio-economic situation, and especially the education system is responsible for this poor performance, while others blame the country's long standing cultural and political conditions.
One of the biggest obstacles to the development of information and communication technology in the country is the customs bureaucracy. In addition to a high tariffs on importing items such as keyboards, radios, computers and automobiles, the procedures for bringing in essential and basic forms of technology are expensive, time consuming and frustrating. Although there are efforts by the government and institutions to improve this situation, it could take several years before new ways of thinking and acting are absorbed in the community to build a conducive environment for the information and communication technologies.
The sluggish performance of higher education institutions in the area of communication technologies is another counteracting factors toward building better networking. Effective networking can only emerge through timely research and training in universities and the industry. Any delay in endorsing research and training in communications will continue to marginalize not only academic institutions but also the country.
International community has played a considerable role in improving Ethiopia's capacity for information and telecommunication technologies. Ethiopia is very much privileged to host several major international organizations which can build working models and assist in providing resources for development of information and communication networks. International agencies are already involved in:
International organizations such as the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pan African Development Information System (PADIS) have invested a considerable amount of resources to achieve the above objectives. Other international development agencies such us the International Development Research Center (IDRC of Canada) and the UNDP have also invested in human resources development. IDRC, UNESCO, UNDP, CIDA, SIDA ,DANIDA, DSE, AAAS, and the British council have also spent considerable resources in training.
International organizations were also crucial in area of technological transfer to Ethiopia. Their roles in the transfer of technology include developing prototype systems (models) for training in information systems and supporting institutions efforts to bring information technology to the country. PADIS, CTA, ILRI (formerly ILCA) and other CGAIR institutions are very much instrumental in diffusing technologies such as CD-ROM and multimedia capabilities in . Ethiopia, on the other hand, has not enjoyed these efforts to the fullest extent due to its own local information environment including cultural, bureaucratic, political, and social barriers; obstacles posed by poor transport, communications and telecommunication infrastructures; the presence of widely scattered rural population; difficulties in obtaining more foreign funds to sustain the crawling systems.
Ethiopia, like other developing nations, should build technological and human resources capacity to break the vicious circle of "poverty -> information deficiency -> poverty." This requires attaching a higher value to development information, changes in the way of doing things (policies) and improving education [8]. The traditional ideas of information and communication have to be changed to accommodate recent global changes in electronic networking. Electronic networking is becoming an essential tool to combat poverty and ignorance.
Competition in global setting requires knowledge, networking and agility [9]. Qualitative education is perhaps the only way out for poor countries like Ethiopia. Education defines the national prospects for human development and competitiveness and plays a central role in providing the necessary infrastructure for the information revolution. There are four strategic areas of focus to improve education and to achieve success in the information and communication technology.
Computer literacy is a prerequisite for advancement in computing and communication technology. There is a great need for improving computer literacy to enable management, policy makers and other users to embark on information and communication technology. Computer literacy should not be limited to basic applications such as word processing. It should include network literacy. According to a recent posting on Ghanaian Computer Literacy project, computer literacy means [10]:
...the level of knowledge and understanding of the personal computer, desk-top or lap-top, beyond the mere use of word processing software. Word processing utilization might be considered as beginning computer literacy. Beyond that, for intermediate and advanced computer literacy, one should (1) be comfortable with installing and configuring common software, (2) be familiar and use regularly a computer modem, (3) be able to access a computer bulletin board or on-line service, (4) be able to send and receive messages via electronic mail (e-mail), (5) be able to upload and download computer files with ease and (6) be able to print from the computer.
Diffusion of computer knowledge to schools is fundamental to develop and sustain networking. This means schools, colleges and vocational training centers should acquire computing and communication technology. Schools are generally constrained by limited budgets and do not have the technical experience to set up higher level access to telecommunication networks. Computers should be received through donations and other means. And, of course, there is a definite need to alter the perceptions people have about computers. Computers should be regarded as essential tool for competitiveness and development.
A country's capacity in networking cannot be sustainable without indigenous communication engineers and advanced computer programmers. The current effort in developing skilled resources in communication engineering and computer science should be strengthened. Strong emphasis should be made on building appropriate computing science curriculum. Upgrading the current Electrical Engineering Department to offer communication engineering or establishing a new one will be crucial.
Communication and education are becoming increasingly interdependent. Life long learning is possible via networks. Education can advance communication through research. There are significant advantages of information technology in the educational processes. The introduction of computers to schools will not only promote networking but also enable to achieve the following [11]:
Most countries in Africa including Ethiopia lack the necessary competence in organizing strategic information systems development and management. Strategic information includes information systems for transport, weather, finance, trade, health, agriculture, industry and management of resources. With the advent of World Wide Web and Internet connections a new method of organizing strategic information is becoming critical to Ethiopia. The traditional information organization technique being used extensively in the region focuses mainly on database management consisting of textual information. The development of connectivity has already altered traditional concepts about information organization. Organization of information in hyper-media (where text, audio, graphics and motion pictures are linked seamlessly in threads of webs) was virtually unknown in Ethiopia. This development from traditional linear text-type databases to integrated multi-media and provision of access to strategic information in various format means a new focus in training institutions.
A number of measures should be undertaken to improve the national capacity in human resources development for information age. Curriculum revisions and course offering need to be streamlined with socio-economic development needs and priorities. Literacy in information technology should reach most of the population through broadcasting tools such as media and printed products. Systematic training for existing management and users should be seen as policy that is essential to maintain and improve the economic capacity of the country.
Education is a critical key in joining the information age. Increased communication will enhance the educational capacity of Ethiopia. The development of human resources in information and communication technology remains essential to Ethiopia's ability to foster the capacity for global competitiveness.
Course title code
About the Author:
Lishan Adam is a Project Co-ordinator ( in networking), at the Pan African Development
Information System (PADIS). He can be reached at: PADIS, P. O. Box 3001, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. Or at lishana@hotmail.com
