Evaluating the registry system at the Ministry of Public Service
Abstract
The study was titled ‘EVALUATING THE REGISTRY SYSTEM AT THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE. The study was guided by four specific objectives; To identify the types of registry systems at Ministry of Public Service. To find out how the registry systems at Ministry of Public Service are managed. To identify the challenges faced with registry systems at Ministry of Public Service. To make suggestions for the challenges faced with registry systems at Ministry Public Service. The study used a case study design with both quantitative and qualitative research methods/approaches. Data was obtained from a population of Heads of Records Department, Human resource staff, Secretaries and Records Assistants, who all numbered to 30 respondents. Data was analyzed using the statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) to generate frequencies, percentages, tables and graphs. The study found that the types of registry systems at ministry of public service included centralized registry, decentralized registry, and compromised registry system and were managed through manual approaches and electronic approaches whereby through manual approaches record filing cabinets were mostly used that include wooden cabinets and others which were metallic and through electronic approaches information was accessed through electronic devices and kept on local PC hard drives, servers (including large capacity document servers), mainframes, and large repositories. The study concluded registry systems at Ministry of Public Service face challenges such as improper records handling for their effective use, records misfiling and deterioration of records, insecurity of electronic records which often is over looked yet they are sometimes vital records, connectivity problems which affect records management in that when there is no connectivity, or when there is poor internet connection, then storage, access and retrieval of records becomes difficult, records processing being mostly limited to better and faster ways to generate, print, and transport text records, lack of staff motivation who receive low salaries and allowances which cannot motivate them to perform better in records storage, retrieval and access, lack of adequate storage space and facilities, inadequate training whereby records staff lack professional skills in computer use more especially the specialized programmes of records management on computer. The study also recommends that there should be development of clear and sound records management standards and polices this will help to reduce on misfiling and misplacement of files and there should be provision of more servers because the server which in place is not enough since the network is on and off this affects the performance of the organization.