Constructing a Competency Framework for Records Management Professionals in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector: A Grounded Theory Study

This study constructs a competency framework for records management professionals in Nigeria's oil and gas sector using a grounded theory approach, addressing the documented absence of a validated, sector-specific competency standard in this critical industry. Records management in the petroleum sector encompasses complex documentation obligations spanning regulatory compliance, environmental impact records, contractual archives, and operational safety documentation, demanding competencies that generic frameworks do not adequately capture. The research employs a constructivist grounded theory methodology, involving forty-eight in-depth interviews with records managers, compliance directors, health and safety documentation officers, and HR professionals in upstream, midstream, and downstream companies across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Warri. Iterative theoretical sampling, constant comparison, and memoing continue until theoretical saturation is achieved. The resulting framework identifies nine core competency domains and five supporting competency clusters, grounded in sector-specific practices and validated through a participant member-checking process and expert review panel of fifteen practitioners. This study makes an original methodological contribution through its application of grounded theory to competency framework construction in a sector-specific African professional context. Recommendations target the Department of Petroleum Resources, the Institute of Records Management of Nigeria, and oil company HR directors. Keywords: competency framework, records management professionals, oil and gas, grounded theory, Nigeria