The management of semi-current records in the public sector in Namibia
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Date
2013
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Abstract
The study assessed the management of semi-current records in the following Government Ministry headquarters: Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Works and Transport; Ministry of Local Government; Housing and Rural Development, Ministry of Environment and Tourism; Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources; Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare; Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology; Ministry of Lands and Resettlement; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Youth National Service, Sport and
Culture. The main objective of the study was to assess the manner in which semi-current records are managed in the public sector in Namibia and to propose solutions for their effective management and disposition. The study assessed the records management regulatory framework in Namibia with the view of determining their impact on records management. The next item looked at was the status of records management in Namibia with the view of determining how semi-currents records are managed in the public sector. Furthermore, the study looked at the
need to establish a national record centre, the study also looked into the use of commercial storage providers to determine the cost factor. Lastly, the study looked into the skills and competencies of recordkeeping staff. To meet the aim and objectives of this study, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The data collection was conducted via questionnaires, interviews and personal observations. The target population consisted of 30 Clerical Assistants, 10 Action Officers, 7 Chief Control Officers, 2 Deputy Directors and 1 Chief
Archivist. The major findings of the study were: that the management of semi-current records is subjected to the Archives Act; the Archives Code; the State Finance Act and the Treasury Instructions; that the Namibia archival law is archaic and in need of amendment to address issues of electronic records management; that records surveys to determine volumes held in various ministries were not conducted on a regular basis due to shortage of staff; that there was no centralized government facility for the storage of semi-current records; there was lack of safety measures, there were no retention and disposal schedules in all the ministries studied and that the ministries were ill-prepared for disasters such as fire and floods. The findings also revealed that though it was NAN's objective to establish a government records centre, the desire is yet to be realized
due to substantial capital investment required as well as the creation of maintenance posts. NAN has inspected and approved four private service providers to store government records but they are not meeting a number of standards required for an efficient and economic service. The study further revealed that the staff managing semi-current records are ill-equipped for the tasks they are required to perform. It can, therefore, be concluded that the management of semi-current
records in Namibia is poor and in need of major improvement. The study recommends that there is need to amend the National Archives Act so as to meet the demands of modern day governments. There is need for the development and implementation of records retention schedules; disaster preparedness plan focussing on records management should be developed and approved. In order to control the accumulation of semi-current records and to economize on office space, the study believes a national records centre to be operated by the
National Archives of Namibia must be established. More attention should be paid to the training of records keeping staff and by making all government employees from top down aware of each individual's role and responsibility towards the sound records management practices.
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Masters Degree in Archives and Records Management
Keywords
Semi-current records, Public sector, Namibia