Barbados’ transformation to a knowledge-driven society key

According to Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo, it is imperative that Barbados undergo a paradigm shift in the way it views and manages knowledge or the country will be left behind. Her comments came during the recent opening ceremony the Certified Knowledge Manager Training Workshop held in the Warrens Suite of Baobab Tower.

 

“A knowledge-driven or knowledge-based society and economy is one in which knowledge generation and use plays a major part in wealth creation. It is not only about having more knowledge, but about the effective use and exploitation of different types of knowledge in all manner of economic activity. In such a society, knowledge is the driver of productivity and economic growth. This is linked with the learning economy where workers emphasise learning new skills. It is also linked with innovation,” she explained.

 

With that in mind, she said this nation’s economic adjustment, reform, recovery and sustainability will depend on its ability to capitalise on information as a productive asset, to harness the knowledge of human capital, and to make timely and informed decisions at the business and policy level. Minister Suckoo contends that this is essential if Barbados is to attain the level of competitiveness to which it aspires.

 

Moreover, she said the new knowledge-driven society also establishes new functions and opportunities for knowledge workers. Referring to the paper-based registry systems utilised in government, which she noted are operated by clerical officers, she said these will have to change into document management and electronic record centres, employing persons with the technological skills and competencies in taxonomy, records retention, destruction and preservation, security and risk management.

 

Byer-Suckoo continued, “How many of you here can honestly say that if a hurricane, or even a fire, destroyed the building in which your Ministry is located, you and your colleagues would be able to function effectively very soon after the tragedy. Indeed, could you determine whether your Ministry would be able to function in a matter of days, weeks, or is it months? I daresay that none of us could provide a definitive answer, and that is so because we rely too much on paper and hard copy documents, all of which require significant financial resources and physical space. But how do we move from this heavy reliance on paper?”

 

With that in mind, she said knowledge management must be a national effort and the public sector must lead the way. The goal, she said, would be to move away from corridors of filing cabinets filled with dated files, which make information retrieval time consuming and can also create hazardous safety and health conditions for employees. Instead, she said they must be able to share information in real time, improving the efficiency of the various Government departments and agencies.

 

“In the current environment where we must be fiscally prudent and strategic, increased co-ordination and collaboration is necessary to eradicate programme duplication and inefficiency which results from a lack of information-sharing between ministries, departments and agencies. At the same time, the transfer of personnel across the public sector should not translate into the departure of knowledge,” she said. (JRT)