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It's Time for an IT Professionals Association
by Ian Hepburn
The Time Is Now
For many years now, institutions like the Bahamas Bar Association, the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA), and many others have played a key role in the development of our nation's core building blocks.
In a world which is increasingly being driven by information and the technologies that manage it however, I believe that the time has now come for Information Technology (IT) professionals across the Bahamas to join together to play a more concerted role in the development of key IT infrastructure in the Bahamas. The benefits in establishing such an organization I believe would extend to government, the business community, as well as IT professionals themselves.
Government
Governments around the world are increasingly embracing information technology as a tool to drive economic growth through E-Business initiatives and legislation, as well as a tool to deliver essential government services to its citizens through online E-Government initiatives. Recent E-Business and E-Government initiatives by the Bahamian government are a clear indication that Bahamas is heading in the same direction.
The primary benefit that an association of IT professionals would provide government would be to bring its combined expertise to bear on these and other information technology initiatives, as well as act as an advisory counsel which is not biased to any one vendor or consulting group. I am convinced that by including the IT professional community at the early stages of these initiatives, the government would not only save time and money but would also ensure that a range of solutions are considered.
Business Community
One of the key frustrations that I often hear from businesses looking to hire an in-house IT professional or engage an outside IT provider is that they have no real way of knowing just how suitable they are for the work at hand. This situation is made even more difficult by the fact that there are so many different qualifications for IT professionals.
By establishing a "registered" list of IT professionals and providers online, and creating a mechanism for employers and customers to rate the quality of the work performed by those IT professionals or providers, the association could provide businesses with an invaluable selection tool. Those who consistently render poor service would be identified and those who render excellent service would rise to the top. An excellent example of how this tool could work can be found on www.guru.com.
To provide feedback on this column, please email makingITwork@providencetg.com
About the Author:
Ian Hepburn is the founder and Managing Director of Providence Technology Group, one of the leading IT firms in the Bahamas. Providence Technology Group specializes in Networking Solutions, Consulting & Advisory Services and Software Solutions.
