Abstract

This study investigates the core competencies required for professionalism in public-sector data management and proposes directions for a convergent curriculum from the perspective of Library and Information Science(LIS). In-depth interviews were conducted with five practitioners responsible for data management in public institutions, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal that public-sector data management exhibits a hybrid form of professionalism in which technical expertise and administrative coordination are simultaneously required. Six key themes emerged: gaps between legal-institutional frameworks and actual practice, staffing and organizational constraints, ambiguity surrounding job professionalism, pressures from rapid technological change, difficulties in data standardization and quality management, and the dominance of evaluation-centered administrative practices. Practitioners further emphasized the need for convergent competencies that integrate technical, administrative, and policy-oriented skills, particularly strategic data planning capabilities. These results indicate that professionalism in data management involves navigating tensions among professional control, autonomy, and responsibility, rather than relying solely on technical skills. Accordingly, LIS-based education should be restructured into a convergent curriculum that incorporates administrative management, policy understanding, and collaborative governance, alongside technical components such as metadata, standardization, and quality management. This study contributes to redefining the role of information professionals in the data-driven public sector.