An electronic filing system for case files management at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Uganda

Abstract

The need for better access to information, quick and safe sharing of data and information at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as well as proper storage of case files in order to ensure improved service delivery, necessitated the development of an electronic filing system for the management of case files. The main aim of the project was to find out and review the existing records keeping systems used to manage case files at the ministry of justice and constitutional affairs and the challenges they pose in order to design an effective electronic filing system that meets the requirements of the ministry. The objectives of the study were; to review the existing records keeping systems used to manage case files and to design and develop a new electronic filing system that meets the requirements of the ministry. The project involved processes of gathering data through interaction with records management staff at the ministry. Information was gathered using tools such as the interview guide and observation guide. We used context and data flow diagrams to come up with the system design basing on the gathered system requirements. The result was a fully functioning electronic filing system that can be used to electronically file case files, capture relevant metadata for these records and provide a storage repository thereby ensuring the availability of these records whenever required.