Recruitment of records management practitioners in Jamaica’s public sector and its implications for professional practice
| Pages | 205-222 |
| Published date | 17 July 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/RMJ-10-2016-0039 |
| Date | 17 July 2017 |
| Author | Kaydene Duffus |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance |
Recruitment of records
management practitioners in
Jamaica’s public sector and
its implications for
professional practice
Kaydene Duffus
Department of Information Studies, University College London, London, UK
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to highlight the recruitment practices in the records management (RM)
profession in Jamaica’s public sector and their implications for professional practice. This paper is part of a
larger doctoral study completed at the University College London that investigated the connection between
RM education and national development.
Design/methodology/approach –The research is a qualitative mixed methods study, which mainly
utilises data from 34 interviews done among RM practitioners and educators, and development administrators
and analysts in Kingston and Spanish Town, Jamaica.
Findings –The study found that there is an urgent need for a change in how RM practitioners are recruited
for their roles in Jamaica’s public sector. More coherent frameworks and a more coordinated effort are required
to support for the recruitment of practitioners.
Research limitations/implications –This research is specic to the Jamaican case; therefore, it
provides little basis for generalisation. Consequently, the study seeks to make no claims that the results in the
Jamaican context are generalisable to other societies. Nonetheless, the conclusions and recommendations may
be instructive in other environments.
Social implications –The study evaluated some of the existing practices for the recruitment of RM
practitioners. As a result, the ndings should enhance the knowledge about the human resources needs in RM
in Jamaica.
Originality/value –In addition to providing some directions for future research, the study also gives voice
to a diverse group. It brings together an analysis of national discourses around RM recruitment practices. This
is done through the multifaceted views of Jamaican RM practitioners, development administrators and RM
educators represented in the interviews.
Keywords Public sector, Education, Recruitment, Records management, Training, Jamaica
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Records management (RM) staff, working as part of the wider public service team, plays a
critical role in supporting government services and gaining the desired outcomes for public
sector transformation and improvement. RM practitioners play an essential role in planning,
implementing and supporting RM systems and its users. Therefore, RM services require
both adequate capacity (i.e. sufcient in numbers) and capability (i.e. sufcient in
competency) among practitioners.
Both the amount of RM staff present within an organisation, and the capability of staff to
perform their requisite tasks will affect the outcome of an organisation’s work. Cook (1983) in
addressing the training needs of archives and RM practitioners in the Caribbean noted that:
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
Records
management
205
Received 2 October 2016
Revised 7 February 2017
28 April 2017
4 May 2017
Accepted 8 May 2017
RecordsManagement Journal
Vol.27 No. 2, 2017
pp.205-222
©Emerald Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/RMJ-10-2016-0039
[…] there is a wide and growing acceptance of the view that a supply of trained manpower […] will
materially improve the development of […] the management of government records (Cook, 1983, p. 19).
Therefore, having the right people, with the right knowledge and skills to support RM
services is critical. Thus, an investigation of the recruitment practices in RM may provide
greater insight regarding the occupational culture in Jamaica’s public sector. The specic
objectives of this paper are to:
• Identify how RM practitioners are recruited in Jamaica’s public sector;
• Identify whether recruitment practices enable RM practitioners to full their
responsibilities; and
• Make recommendations regarding the methods of preparing practitioners for their
responsibilities.
Research context
Since 1996, the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) through its Public Sector Modernisation
Programme (PSMP) has sought to transform and improve the public service. In 2001, the GoJ,
tabled in Parliament, Ministry Paper 56/2002, Government at Your Service, Public Sector
Modernisation Vision and Strategy 2002-2012. This Ministry Paper was “to signal a more
comprehensive coordinated approach to reform in the public sector focusing on long term
goals rather than short term, multi-project activities” (www.cabinet.gov.jm/areas_
responsibility/pstm). In that paper, it was noted that by 2012, “100 per cent of public servants
will work within organisations operated on the principles underlying executive agencies”
(Cabinet Ofce, 2003, p. 30). This means that senior managers would be required to “directly
manage human resources in their organisations; set performance targets for every member
of staff and assess them against these targets, and implement performance management and
incentive schemes” (Cabinet Ofce, 2003, p. 42).
Thus, the aim was to have government entities modernised to become performance-based
institutions (PBIs), with a view to improve the quality of services. By establishing PBIs, the
government sought to bring together the various elements of the on-going reform
programme in the public sector. In essence, this initiative to transform and improve
Jamaica’s public sector intends to address public sector efciency and ease of doing business
(www.cabinet.gov.jm/). Administrators view both areas as critical in creating an enabling
environment for growth and development in Jamaica.
Following the expiration of the Public Sector Modernisation Vision and Strategy 2002-2012,
the GoJ in 2014 signed a ve-year agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank to fund
the Public Sector Efciency Programme (PSEP). This initiative, which builds on the previous
programme, aimed at improving the efciency of the public service. Its main objective is to
strengthen capacity in human resource management, information and communication
technology management, and control systems and accountability mechanisms. The
administrators of the PSEP identied the following ve areas of focus:
(1) Business Facilitation and Customer Service – focusses on improving the quality of
services that directly affect businesses.
(2) Integrated Information and Communication Technology – aims at improving the
integration and harmonisation of government’s information infrastructure and
systems for enhancing service delivery.
(3) Public Sector Human Resource Development and Management – concentrates on
improving the capability of the public sector workforce to deliver government services.
RMJ
27,2
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