World Bank to fund BPO Centre of Excellence in Kenya

In a significant move, the World Bank intends to finance the development of a BPO Centre of Excellence worth $2 million in collaboration with the Government of Kenya with a view to cross over the space in industry expertise as well as augment employment prospects in the business process outsourcing sector in this east African nation. The latest provision brings together a few private training services that have been established since 2009 to develop the BPO skills of the local workforce.

Quoting an official in the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo, a news website reports that the Government of Kenya desires to accept the responsibility of providing training in BPO skills. Thus far, the private sector was fulfilling this responsibility. Hence, the endeavor to set up a BPO Centre of Excellence with World Bank assistance is seen as a move by the government to provide a stimulus to the BPO industry in the country that is supposed to generate around 80,000 employment opportunities as well as produce revenues worth Sh45 billion during the subsequent four years.

Presently, the Kenyan BPO industry generates revenue worth $5 million (Sh400 million) and jobs from the outsourcers in the United States contribute around 80 per cent of the total volume.

It may be mentioned here that while the government has identified the business process outsourcing industry to be a mainstay in achieving the fiscal planning ‘Vision 2030’, it is of the opinion that the private sector has been responsible for the wide gap in industry skills that has virtually disassociate the nation from key contracts. The planned BPO Centre of Excellence is expected to become operational by 2010 end and will serve as an umbrella organization for the BPO industry partnership vis-à-vis developing skills and talent.

The proposed BPO Centre of Excellence with World Bank financing will provide training to local people in BPO skills and will be awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates on the successful completion of the exercise. The centre is said to be a pet project of a taskforce on skills constituted in 2009 by the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Communications. The trainers at the proposed BPO Centre of Excellence include Kencall, the BPO Academy, JKUAT and Skyweb Technologies.

A researcher and private advisor for the Kenyan ICT Board, Tim Waema informed that the move to set up the centre for excellence is targeted to secure a part of over 2,000 graduates in computer science and technology churned out by the local universities annually. In fact, in 2009, the Government of Kenya had pledged to grant $12 million to endorse training to graduates in the business process outsourcing skills and provide marketing as well as office accommodation for a year. Hence, space has been booked in the Sameer Park, a prominent technology zone, to accommodate the proposed BPO Centre of Excellence.

Meanwhile, the Government of Kenya has also entered into collaboration with the International Finance Corporation to upgrade the Malili Technology Park, a project covering 5,000 acres and aimed at assembling all leading outsourcing firms, universities, hotels as well as services focused on export at a common site. According to Dr. Ndemo, thus far, three foremost outsourcing firms, including Deloitte, have expressed interest in setting up its hub at the Malili Technology Park.