Developing an electronic filing system for the finance department: a case study of Ministry of Water and Environment

Abstract

The major objective of this project report for was to develop an electronic filing system that enables staff members in the finance and administration department of Ministry of Water and Environment to access records easily, quickly retrieve information and make fast decisions. The system helps to manage information created manually and electronically and to integrate all informally centrally by using the system. This went along with using different hardware and software components. The study was guided by four objectives which include; to establish requirements for developing an electronic filing system for Ministry of Water and Environment, to review the existing system used by Ministry of Water and Environment in filing and managing records so that its strength and weaknesses are identified, to design a new system that enables staff members of MWE perform filing of record electronically and efficiently and to test and validate the system prototype. The methods used to collect data were interviews, observation as well as questionnaires. The study was carried out through purposive sampling which constituted of 108 staff from the organization and respondents were mainly from the finance and administration department and other departments of Ministry of Water and Environment. Data was analyzed using descriptive and Analytical methods. Pie charts and data flow diagrams were used for statistical and descriptive representation. The findings show that the center mainly used a hybrid electronic filing system which involves both manual and electronic filing; every department is responsible for managing its own records expect the finance and administration department which has a system for managing all finance at MWE. The study concluded that in order to retrieve information and promote timely decision making a central system should be managed to integrate all records generated in all departments to avoid wastage of time to staff and that the staff should be trained in information communication technology capacity building and converting of all manual records to electronic processes and finally the conclusion gave the benefits of the system once implemented at the center.