Selection_and_Acquistion_Paper

Running head: SELECTION AND ACQUISTION PAPER Selection and Acquisition Paper Amanda J. Pritchett University of Phoenix Health Care Information Systems HCS/483 Mary Armijo November 24, 2008 The overall objective of the Seminar of the United Nations is to exchange experiences among various countries in the Asia-Pacific region in formulating national policies and strategies for human resources development for information technology (IT). The Seminar provided a forum for member countries to examine the increasingly important role of IT in the context of knowledge based global economy and take stock of the current human resources situation in the member countries. The understanding of the participants of various planning and forecasting tools for human resources development was enhanced. The Seminar was attended by 10 member countries of ESCAP namely, China, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Thailand. Two consultants, one from the Republic of Korea and the other from India, also attended the seminar. In addition, representatives of the United Nations Development Programmer (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also attended (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). Human Resources Rapid transformation into a knowledge-based economy is the problem of shortage of qualified human resources in the IT sector is a serious problem for both developing and developed countries. Increasing globalization process is forcing businesses to enhance their productivity, better services to their customers and improve both internal and external communications through newer and more advanced IT systems. Urging both developing and developed countries to seriously nurture information technology to sustain their long-term competitive advantage. Qualified human resources are an integral part of the IT revolution and therefore its development is the key to the future of many developing countries. The Chief of the Technology Section, the Executive Secretary of ESCAP mentioned that the expanding range of applications of information and communication technology presented multifaceted challenges and at the same time offered enormous opportunities to developing countries. Unfortunately, there was also a significant threat of marginalization if developing countries did not actively participate in the IT revolution. It was pointed out that the main bottleneck for diffusion of IT in most countries of the region was the lack of adequate human resources. Therefore, the Executive Secretary emphasized that the adoption and development of new technologies invariably required a large pool of multi-disciplinary professionals who could combine an in-depth knowledge of technologies with an innovative approach to improve productivity and competitiveness (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). Human resources with creative ideas and up-to-date technical skills in IT industry are prerequisite to strengthen the competitiveness of any country. However, the shortage of IT-related workforce is a critical issue worldwide and developing countries in particular. In this regard, he urged that necessary reforms be carried out to reduce the shortage of qualified IT personnel, which has the potential to widen the digital divide among nations. Old business models that emphasized fixed assets, working capital and economies of scale had become increasingly vulnerable to nimbler organizations that employed new technologies to reduce costs. Companies would thus need to undergo radical transformation in doing business as the basic methodologies and strategies for doing normal business had changed. Companies had to focus more on managing information than on physical assets. This called for the creation of skilled and trained personnel to power the system, as people not machines would drive this revolution (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). The Seminar adopted the following agenda to make changes in Human Resources and Implement Information Technology: 1. Opening of the meeting 2. Election of officers 3. Adoption of the agenda 4. Forecasting and planning of human resources for information technology 5. Management of human resources development for information technology 6. E-commerce needs for human resources development 7. Country experiences in human resources development for Information technology 8. Formulation of recommendations 9. Field trips to selected HRD centers for information technology 10. Adoption of the report 11. Closing of the meeting (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). Forecasting and Planning of Human Resources for Information Technology The Seminar had before it the following two documents: (1) Forecasting and planning of human resources for information technology (item 4 of the agenda); and (2) Management of human resources development for information technology (item 5 of the agenda). In addition, a presentation was made on “Ecommerce needs for human resources development”. Two categories of commonly used human resources forecasting methodologies based on the use of past data were examined. Methods that do not rely on the past data include employer’s survey, international comparisons, and labor market signal analysis. On the other hand, examining of the past trend is the basis for labor output ratios approach or input-output analysis. Though some advanced countries use sophisticated macroeconomic modeling techniques for workforce forecasting, these techniques also rely on parameter estimates extracted from past economic data. There is no perfect method in forecasting the workforce demand, especially for IT. The availability of suitable data is a precondition for applying the methods based on past trends to forecast the future. However, the dynamic nature of IT suggests that the most reliable and detailed data of the past would be of limited use (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). On the other hand, methods without the availability of past data have to rely on subjective opinions, and using them for long-term forecasting would be cumbersome. Therefore, it is desirable to use a methodology based on a combination of the two approaches for forecasting and planning of human resources for information technology. To keep government employees up-to-date on the latest developments, the following four-pronged strategy has been adopted: · Funding from the IT Implementation Fund to all government departments For IT training; · Computer and IT literacy programmers for all secretarial staff for training in management and office automation; · Monetary incentives for the IT professionals working in the government and universities; and · In government service, weighting given to IT knowledge and ability of employees at the time of promotion, computer literacy made mandatory for fresh recruits in Grade 5 and above (United States Department of Commerce 2008). Management of Human Resources Development for Information Technology The regional review on management of human resource development for information technology tried to characterize the current global scenario as growing market for information and communication technology (ICT) products and services, explosive growth of e-commerce and widening gap between demand and supply of qualified human resources for IT in terms of quantity, quality and specialization. The Regional Review noted that the countries in the Asia-Pacific region are uniquely placed to bridge the global gap in human resources for IT, provided systematic planning and action are undertaken to create the requisite human resources in the region. It also identified some critical problems – such as non-availability of qualified trainers and teachers, lack of adequate infrastructure and access to educational materials – as serious impediments towards achieving this end (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). Vendor training Hardware and software vendors form an important facilitator of IT training in the private sector. Their role has been crucial in the development of IT as a field of profession. First, they provide the most rigorous training in applied IT to newly hired personnel and refresher courses to existing staff. Major hardware vendors also provide training services to all purchasers of major systems. However, in the case of government procurements (and to a lesser extent in the private sector) training service is bundled with the system installation and commissioning contract, and not purchased under a separate contract from the hardware vendors. As a result, vendors often provide only minimal training in systems operation, contributing to the low productivity of many public sector investments in IT. Some larger companies in Indonesia provide in-house training for IT and managerial staff. Barring some exceptions, the training is neither structured nor formal. Rather, it comprises experience sharing and informal knowledge transfer by senior staff members. A small number of companies, such as PT Indosat and PT Telkom, have contracted university trainers to strengthen skills formation in IT among their staff. In an equally limited number of cases, companies have provided financial support for employees who are attending courses run by private training institutes. However, the corporate environment for in-house training appears rather patchy and underdeveloped. Few companies have human resource strategies with accompanying professional resources. Furthermore, there appears to be a marked reluctance to provide training in skills – including IT skills – that increase the opportunities for inter-firm mobility of technical staff (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). In Conclusion, the demand on qualified IT human resources in Indonesia is bound to grow in the following decade. Unfortunately, educational institutions that work seriously to address this demand are limited in number and resources. Therefore, concerted efforts are urgently needed to accelerate human resources development. The operations of IT networks and centers for human resource development in IT need to be monitored closely and seriously to ensure quality. International cooperation should be solicited in a synergistic manner for the development of content, quality and infrastructure. International aid in the form of grants needs to be considered to upgrade the infrastructure for the development of human resources for the IT sector (United Nations Department of Commerce 2008). References American Psychological Association (n.d.), APA style electronic references. Retrieved November 18, 2008 from http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html Grundy, J. (2002, August 23). Workshop 2, lecture 2 – Coldeway’s quadrants. Message posted to new://Flexnet.08-19-02.TMEAE0702X-EDTC510.Course-Materials Heninich, R., Molenda, M., Russell, J., & Smaldino, S. (1999). Instructional media and technologies for learning. Maine: Pearson Custom Printing. Kaplan-Leiserson, E., (2002), E-learning glossary. Learning Circuits, Retrieved August 25, 2002, from the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Web site: http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/jun2001/elearn.html Merriam, S. B. & Carrarella, R. S. (2001). Biological and psychological development. In EDD 511 adult learning theories, principles and applications (p. 1-12). United States: Wiley Custom Services. Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2000). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Adams, A., J. Middleton and A. Zidderman, Market-based manpower planning with labour market signals, International Labour Review, 131(3):261-279. Retrieved November 18, 2008 from database: http://www.unescap.org/tid/projects/hrd_it_f1.pdf United Nations Department of Commerce, Human Resources Development For Information Technology Retrieved November 17, 2008 from database: http://www.unescap.org/tid/projects/hrd_it_f1.pdf