The effectiveness of records management at records and archives management division

Abstract

This study is designed to assess the effectiveness of Records and Archives Management Division (RAMD) in managing and developing efficient, effective and sustainable records. Four specific objectives with their research questions were worked upon, namely to identify skills and qualifications of staff and what programmes if any exist for training them, to develop efficient, effective and sustainable records keeping system, and challenges RAMD faces and to seek their views and suggestions for improving management of archival materials. The study was carried out of RAMD. A case study design informed the study with 50 respondents who were one (1) Managing Director, three (3) Assistant Directors, five (5) Heads of sections, twenty (20) users of RADM. Purposive sampling was employed in this study which involved the selection of those participants who portrayed the key characteristics or elements with the potential of yielding the right information. Data was collected using questionnaires, face-to-face interviews and structured observation. The data collected was subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis, respectively. Among the study findings were that records and archives services had improved records management. Record Management at RAMD was revealed to be not very efficient as rated by the majority of workers and users who participated in the study. Resources and methods used in creating and managing records are inaccurate and inadequate Constraints accounting for this include inadequacy of financial, human and technical resources and lack of records management policy. The study recommends that there should be sufficient budgetary allocation for records management; computerization of records management systems and procedures as well as developing records management policy.