Information Resources and Technology Transfer Management in Developing Countries: (Routledge Research in Information Systems)

Information technology is a resource which needs effective management; the management of resources should reduce costs and improve performance. In less developed countries, proper management of such resources is critical if national development is to continue. The author argues persuasively that on the micro level, information management will improve the ability of an organization to achieve goals; on a macro level, he reveals how important information and intelligence is on the planning, negotiations, and decision-making which are vital to the productivity of a developing country. Resource management means understanding the characteristics of that resource: its lifecycle and productivity; weighing the costs of acquisition, retrieval and storage against the benefits. Current practice in less developed countries, such as Kenya, is that libraries are organized by ministries separate from those concerned with national productivity or development efforts - this divorce illustrates how this sort of bureaucracy precludes the use of known or existing information, knowledge and expertise. This book attempts to put information management in the context of technology transfer, industrialization and national development. The author shows how critical the efficient use of information resources can be in terms of productivity. He also examines the costs of poor information management in undermining negotiation, the preparation of contingencies, and the ability to let go of 'dead projects'. To this end, case studies of two technology transfer projects in Kenya, the National Power Alcohol and National Car Programme, are considered over a period of twenty years. This book will be primary reading for information professionals, policy makers, economists and business managers, as well as international development agencies.

Table of Contents:
Contents List Acknowledgements Dedication Preface Part One: Reconceptualising Development Introduction 1. The Framework of Development 2. The Cost of Misconceptions 3. Self-Reliance and Information Management 4. An Information Management Based Approach to Technology Transfer 5. Using the Conceptual Framework of Information Science Part Two: Strategic National Information Management 6. Research Methodology Consideration 7. The National Power Alcohol Programme 8. The National Car Programme 1984-1990 9. Parallel Activities Important to the National Car Project Part Three: Policy Implications and Tactics for Change Introduction 10. Institutional Re-orientation and Attitude Changes 11. Issues of Terrain Transparency 12. Tactics for Change Bibliography