ASSESSMENT OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AT RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AUTHORITY, KENYA

Abstract

Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is one of the public organizations in Kenya that creates a lot of records in its operations. However, the measures that the Authority has implemented to manage these records have not fully resulted in effective records management. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess the current status of records management at REA with a view to proposing strategies to enhance records management in the Authority. Objectives that guided this study were to: examine records management procedures currently in place at REA; investigate the non-technical records management infrastructure at REA and how it supports the records management function; determine the level of computerization of records at REA and how this has impacted the Authority’s effectiveness in service delivery; and propose strategies to enhance records management within REA. The study was guided by integrated records management theory. The research adopted the convergent parallel mixed-methods research approach and a descriptive case survey targeting 139 staff at REA. Yamane’s sample size formular was adopted, and using proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques, 106 staff members comprising five (5) and thirteen (13) top and middle level management respectively, and eighty-eight (88) staff at the operational level were selected. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from the participants. Data from the questionnaires was analysed in SPSS for Windows Version 21.0 using descriptive statistics and presented in tables. Interview data was thematically analysed and presented in narrative descriptions and verbatim quotes. It was established by slightly over half of operational staff that REA did not have a documented records management procedures manual, and others said they were not aware of it. This was supported by the middle and top level management, who noted that REA did not have such a manual. Slightly over half of these staff indicated that they had skills in records storage, with a few being skilled in records’ retrieval, filing, and classification. These staff considered the Authority’s support for records management personnel in REA not to be sufficient due to the inadequacy of financial resources, equipment, capacity building support for the staff, the implementation of a scheme of service for records management personnel, and a poor work environment. The majority of these respondents noted that the Authority did not have a records management policy. These findings were corroborated by the middle and top level management, who noted that this had a negative impact on records management at REA. From the middle and top level managers, it was found that although the Authority had partially incorporated computerization or ICTs into its business processes, records management function had not been computerized. Despite this, the operational level staff identified the positive impact that such computerization had on service delivery and effectiveness at REA. Overall, the operational level staff identified the challenges facing records management at REAas high staff turnover, inadequate funding, cooperation and human capital, the absence of supportive policies and procedures. These staff recommended the following strategies to enhance sound records management at REA: adequate funding of records management activities, employment of adequate and competent records management staff, awareness and sensitization programs for records management, application of ICTs, the development and implementatio of supportive policies and procedures in records management. The study concluded that the state of records management in the Authority at the time of the study was not at its optimal level. Consequently, the study proffered recommendations that it is hoped would improve records management as follows: ensure adequate funding of the records management activities; employ enough and competent records management staff; incorporate ICTs in records management processes; develop and implement supportive policies and practices in records management