What is next? Africa Programme in 2021

2020 marks the end of phase 1 of the Africa Programme (AP). This phase was led by James Lowry with the support of Advisory Board and the co-chairs: Jamaâ Baida and Justus Wamukoya. 

The first phase of this programme was centered on six areas of work: 

  • Advocating for strong archival institutions  
  • Regional professional networks and associations as infrastructure for advocacy 
  • Drawing government attention to archives through international solidarity  
  • Curriculum development 
  • Build partnerships in support of conservation and preservation training 
  • Practical training in digital records management and preservation  

As part of the latter area, the participants of the Study School in Botswana developed the Digital Records Curation Programme (DRCP), a set of materials that aims to translate technical digital preservation know-how into easy-to-use resources for teaching new generations of digital archivists. This initiative was selected as a winner for the DPC Award for Teaching and Communications and the NDSA Innovation Awards 2020 last November 2020. 

For 2021, the Africa Programme will begin its second phase, which will be led by two new coordinators: Dr. Cleophas Ambira, who will be responsible for liaising with the anglophone countries in Africa, and Prof. Basma Makhlouf Shabou, who will be in charge of working with the francophone African countries.  

Train-the-trainer session in Dakar, Senegal from 21 to 25 October 2019. Prof. Basma Makhlouf Shabou, training facilitator and the training participants. 

Photo credits: Alain Dubois.

New Leadership 

Dr. Cleophas Ambira is the founding and current chairperson of the Kenya Association of Records Managers and Archivists (KARMA). He also works as a training manager for a leading commercial bank in East and Central Africa. In the last ten years, he has been at the heart of enhancing the records and information management profession in Kenya through KARMA. 

He is an author, researcher and a solid consultant in records and archives management. He has professional qualifications in leadership development, training skills and psychometrics. He is also a trainer on performance management, leadership development, relationship management, selling skills, competence-based interviewing and facilitation skills. Dr. Ambira is also certified as a leadership trainer by Development Dimensions International (DDI), a globally renown leadership development and research organisation. He’s also trained in coaching skills by the Academy of Executive Coaching. 

Professor Basma Makhlouf Shabou is the Head of Master of Information sciences and the coordinator of archival studies at Geneva School of Business Administration at University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland. She obtained her PhD in Information Sciences from University of Montreal. She also holds a Records management Master degree and a Bachelor in Social studies from Tunisia. She supported the national program for the management of public documents within the National Archives of Tunisia. She has contributed to the teaching and conception of various archival programs in different countries (University of Montreal; University of Sorbonne Abu Dhabi; University of Mannouba, Tunisia; University of A'Sharqiyah; University of British Columbia; University of Liverpool; University of Lausanne, Switzerland). She co-directs the DLCM 2 project, she is involved in various international projects and associations (InterPARES, PIAF, GIRA, GREGI) and expert groups in various bodies of ICA. 

Objectives Phase 2 

Phase two of the Africa Programme will run between 2021-2023. For these years, the AP will focus on 2 objectives: to develop sustainable knowledge exchange initiatives and to develop training and trainer competencies.  

The objectives for this second phase are designed to be shared between francophone and anglophone Africa to enhance uniformity and equality across the continent whilst cognizant of the similarities and uniqueness of the two regions. Where possible, the objectives will strive to ensure engagements between the two regions since both share significant common challenges regardless of language and cultural specificities. 

The two objectives are aligned to Africa’s development strategies as well as the Programme’s strategy. Advocacy and adequate knowledge and skills among archival professionals will be critical to position records and archives management at the heart of sustainable development being pursued by all African countries. For more information about this programme, contact us via email to programme@ica.org