A competency model for data scientists in Grain SA

[摘要] With the current global population growth and the consequential increasing demandfor food, agricultural productivity needs to increase. Grain SA is a leading role playerin the agricultural industry and needs to serve the grain producers in South Africaeffectively. Data science is a fairly new concept and is described as the managementof large data sets from disparate sources to show results which assist in informeddecision making. It is believed that the application of data science principles inagriculture may deliver many benefits, including increased productivity andprofitability.Since data science is a new discipline that has not yet been implemented inGrain SA, it would need to be introduced to farmers and the agribusiness as a wholeand the implementation thereof would need to be monitored. To capitalise on 'bigdata, Grain SA would be required to recruit and appoint a data scientist with thenecessary skills and expertise to manage and distribute large data sets. The aim ofthis study is to conceptualise a competency model for data scientists in Grain SA.The adopted approach for the research was qualitative. Since the field of datascience in agriculture is fairly new and information on the topic is very limited, theuse of an exploratory study method was most suitable. The researcher conductedface-to-face interviews with 20 participants from nine organisations. The participantsincluded individuals who are data scientists or work closely with data scientists. Theinterviews were conducted in the USA because the nation plays a leading role inagricultural innovation and offers a rich source of information for researchers in thefield.The current role of data science in agriculture was explored by means of a literaturereview and an empirical study. The study describes the core competencies of a datascientist in agriculture and, based on this information, articulates the role of a datascientist in Grain SA.The core competencies of an effective data science coordinator in Grain SA areconceptualised and the development of the new competency model for data sciencecoordinators in Grain SA is discussed in detail.

[发布机构] University of the Free State