Assessment of records processing and storage

Abstract

The study aimed at exploring the assessment of records processing and storage at Kampala Capital City Authority. The study was guided by four research objectives and these were; to identify the different ways of processing and storage of records in an organization, to identify the benefits derived from proper records processing and storage, to establish the challenges faced in processing and storage of records in an organisation and to find out the different strategies that can be used to improve records processing and storage in an organisation. The study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches with a total of 32 respondents with a Questionnaire and Interview guide as the data collection methods. Regarding the different ways of processing and storage of records the findings revealed that the best ways of processing and storage of records were, batch processing, online processing and distributed processing. The findings of the study still revealed the records management helps to support better management decision making. The study findings still identified the challenges facing records processing and storage as being; challenge of information technology, inadequate skills and high staff turn-over, Access controls can be used to mitigate this risk by regulating the number of users who can create access, was identified as the strategies that can be used to improve records processing and storage in an organization. Hence it was found out that KCCA uses batch processing and manual methods of processing like filing and use of shelving. Conclusively batch processing was identified as the major method of data process sing and storage and it has greatly helped KCCA to accomplish repeated jobs very fast in batch systems without user interaction. Regarding the benefit of records processing and storage it was revealed that records management helps to support management decision making since records are usually reviewed before any important decisions are made by the organization. High levels of ignorance were identified as the main challenge faced by records processing. Using access controls to mitigate this risk by regulating the number of users who can create and access the records was identified to improve records processing and storage in an organization. The study recommended that KCCA should come up with a departmental records management policy to ensure uniformity in the management of records within the department, the records office should be operational and that all the records of the department be centralized in the records office where a trained records professional is able to manage departmental records in a professional manner.