Understanding Innovation and Policy Transfer: Implications for Libraries and Information Services in Africa

Abstract

Library development in Africa has involved large-scale processes of innovation and policy transfer, also referred to as policy borrowing or policy learning. A good deal of theory has been developed in various disciplines to study these processes. This has not been applied in library and information services (LIS) to any significant extent, but it can help us to gain a better understanding of why attempts to transfer new ideas fail, how to select the ideas we want to transfer, and how to improve the chances of successful innovation and policy transfer. This paper places policy transfer within the broader framework of the diffusion of innovations before considering what we can learn from the theory of policy transfer and related processes, with emphasis on theory developed in comparative education. An attempt is made to apply these insights to library development in Africa and draw some lessons for African library decision makers. Some of the examples are drawn from the author's experience in the South African library profession. library trends/summer 2015 we can apply in LIS in Africa. First, however, I try to place policy transfer within the broader framework of the diffusion of innovations.

Diffusion of open source integrated library systems in academic libraries in Africa

“…Contextual factors influence how much adaptation is needed and how long the process will take for adopters to fit the innovation in their particular circumstances (Minishi-Majanja and Kiplang'at, 2005). In developing countries such as Uganda, the socio-economic realities as well as issues such as available infrastructure, finances, human resource capacity, and the cultural and political 433 Academic libraries in Africa environment are also expected to have an impact on the diffusion of an innovation (Lor, 2014) and can act as barriers to adoption (Ondari-Okemwa, 1999). Barriers are forces, trends, events or circumstances that will hinder, delay or halt a particular innovation's adoption and diffusion.…”

“…Because ICT plays such a central and highly visible role in library automation it is easy to forget that library automation as an innovation encompasses far more than just the information technology itself, that is, the hardware and software. The successful adoption and adaptation of information systems such as an ILS requires the diffusion of supporting higher-context dependence innovations around techniques, procedures, education and training, funding policies and governance policies (Lor, 2014). Library and university management need to be informed during the stages preceding the decision stage of the IDP that the investment required for the implementation stage must include these aspects in addition to the cost of the software and hardware.…”

Perspectives on university library automation and national development in Uganda

“…Because ICT plays such a central and highly visible role in library automation it is easy to forget that library automation as an innovation encompasses more than just the hardware and ILS software. Successful adoption and adaptation of information systems such as an ILS requires the diffusion of supporting higher-context dependence innovations around techniques, procedures, education and training, funding policies and governance policies (Lor, 2014). The respondents’ concerns with respect to the challenges of ILS implementation and use are similar to those widely reported in the literature on library automation in Sub-Saharan Africa: a lack of infrastructure (reliable power supply, equipment, connectivity), skills base (LIS education and training), management support and supporting policies and procedures (operational, funding, procurement).…”