Management of prosecution case records at the office of the director of public prosecutions headquarters in Nairobi,Kenya.

Abstract

Records constitute a critical aspect of the prosecution process and must therefore be well organised and cared for in order to support successful prosecution of cases. However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has continuously encountered loss of cases at the judicial system as a result of poor records management which has impacted negatively on prosecution process. The aim of the study was to investigate the management of prosecution case records at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to propose the best strategies for management of prosecution records.The objectives of the study were to: examine how records are created, captured, organized and pluralized; analyse factors that influence the management of records; establish how records are utilised in the prosecution of cases; assess the risks associated with the management of records and strategies that can be adopted to enhance the management of records. The study was informed by the Records Continuum Model and the Intelligence-Driven Prosecution Model. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and it employed the single case study design. The target population of 63 respondents were selected through the use of purposive sampling from a population study of 75 staff. The population sample size was determined by the theory of saturation consisting of the prosecution counsels, records management officers, registry clerical officers, prosecution clerks and administrative assistants based at ODPP headquarters, Nairobi. Data was collected through the use of interview schedules, observation method and documents analysis. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented in a narrative description. The findings established that: the procedures in creating, capturing, organizing and pluralizing records is inadequately documented with outdated policies governing every stage of the lifecycle. More so, there was absence of comprehensive records management policies and procedures that govern the management of records. In addition, most records generated and received were predominantly manual which resulted to loss and misplacement of records. Further, there was scarcity of adequate knowledge and skills among the staff in the management of records. In sum, the findings established numerous challenges that affected management of records of which hampered efficient service delivery at the judicial system. The study concluded that records management practices at ODPP is not well documented and executed hence undermining prosecution of cases at judicial system. The study recommends that: the ODPP document the activities and policies that govern every stage of the lifecycle; develop and implement records management policies and guidelines; conduct training and capacity building for records management staff; avail adequate resources and integrate ICT in the management of records.