RDM in South Africa - UCT Research Data Management Policy and Strategy Workshop

Sarah and I led an intensive, two-day workshop for research support staff at the University of Cape Town (UCT) on March 24-25^th. The workshop was planned in collaboration with Gwenda Thomas, Executive Director of UCT Libraries and Reggie Raju, Deputy Director of Client Liaison Services at UCT Libraries. Our visit was sponsored by the Library and Information Studies Centre (LISC) at the University of Cape Town and we are very grateful to Professor Jaya Raju who made our trip possible. 

RDM is a strategic goal for UCT Libraries and an RDM workgroup has already been established to help develop and implement related polices and services. Over the past year, UCT Libraries has been working to build strategic partnerships with colleagues in the Research Office and ICT Services in particular.  The two-day workshop we led was intended to provide participants with a high level introduction to the DCC’s work and to offer some examples of how executive management in UK HEIs are approaching RDM. The workshop focussed specifically on defining and implementing research data management and sharing policies. We had about 20 members of staff take part in the workshop including the Director of Technical Support Services, Information and Communication Technology Services Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) and the Research Office.

Unlike here in the UK, there are currently no national or funding body mandates for research data management and sharing in South Africa. However, Gwenda and Reggie are convinced that they are on the horizon and want to ensure that UCT Libraries are prepared to meet any mandates as they come into play. Sarah and I were incredibly impressed by the proactive approach taken by UCT and indeed by other HEIs in the Western Cape in this respect. UCT also benefits from a wealth of experience in engaging with and supporting the Open Access agenda and this has helped them to consider RDM and data sharing in a very positive light. 

The two-day session focussed on reviewing various policy examples from UK HEIs and considering them in light of the research ecosystem in place at UCT. All of the participants were incredibly engaged and offered great insights into existing support services and processes which will help to identify areas where efficiencies can be made. We were particularly delighted that Gwenda Thomas took time out from her busy schedule as Executive Director of UCT Libraries to attend and participate fully in the entire two-day workshop. It can often be difficult to engage senior management in delving into the nitty-gritty of RDM, even where  funding body mandates exist , and Gwenda’s commitment to understanding the problem space at a more detailed level will no doubt help to ensure that UCT’s emerging research data policy and support services are both fit for purpose and sustainable. 

Sarah and I have been greatly inspired by the sheer enthusiasm and willingness to tackle RDM challenges by UCT and other HEIs in the Western Cape area. The proactive approach demonstrated in the region is something we can learn from here in the UK and we will be following their progress with interest so we can share examples of good practice emerging in South Africa with our colleagues here in the UK.

Slides from the workshop are available on the DCC website (/training/dc-101/UCT-policy-workshop). For more infomration on the University of Cape Town Libraries, please see (http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/).  

Front page image  A view of the Upper Campus of the  University of Cape Town, seen from the other side of the rugby fields. Adrian Frith, Multi-license with GFDL and CC-BY-SA 2.5/2.0/1.0