Boundary-Spanning Roles of University Public Information Officers Addressing the Demands of a Right to Information Act

Abstract In 2013, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) passed a Right to Information (RTI) Act. Government bodies, including public sector universities, were required to enforce the new law within four months of its enactment. A significant step in the implementation of the law was the appointment of Public Information Officers (PIOs). These were given the responsibility of ensuring that the communities served by the organization they represented could benefit from the new freedoms outlined under the RTI Act. This article reports on the findings of a series of interviews with the PIOs at 25 universities in KP. Transcripts of the interviews were subjected to a reflexive thematic analysis. The emergent theme that most related to the question of how PIOs in KP universities enact their roles under the RTI Act was that of boundary-spanning. In order to make information not only available but meaningful beyond the boundaries of their university, PIOs must act in seven boundary-spanning capacities: Officiator; Leadership in Information Synthesis; Linchpin; Accredited Representative; Information Intermediary; Cultural Ambassador; Mediator. These seven roles are described and discussed.