AN EVALUATION ON EFFECTIVE USE OF FILE MOVEMENT CONTROL TOOLS IN PUBLIC OFFICE:A CASE STUDY OF MINISTRY OF LANDS HOUSING AND HUMAN SETTLEMENT DEVELOPMENT,DARESSALAAM

Records are very important in ensuring that public institutions are governed effectively and efficiently and are accountable to their staff and the community they serve. The information contained in organizational records needed to be stored in a planned and coordinated way, because records supported decision-making, provided evidence of policies, and assisted in proper accountability within the organization. In academic terms, records also played a crucial role in ensuring that student records were preserved for the long term, since they contained sensitive academic information that demonstrated the approval of a student's progress within a higher education institution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effective use of file movement control tools in public offices, with special reference to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development. The objectives of the study were to identify the types of file movement control tools used in the registry, to assess the effectiveness of these tools in facilitating accessibility to files, to examine the challenges affecting their effective use. Asample size of 25 respondents was selected using purposive and random sampling techniques. Respondents from whom data were collected included registry officers, records management officers, and administrative officers. The study adopted a case study design and was largely qualitative in nature. Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.The study established that although the Ministry used several manual file movement control tools, their effectiveness was undermined by inadequate staff training, poor compliance with registry procedures, inadequate resources, and the high volume of records handled. The study recommended that, in order for records to be effectively managed, records should be handled by well trained staff, supported by automation to create additional storage space and proper storage equipment, and safeguarded through high-quality security measures to ensure the preservation and conservation of file movement control tools at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development.

Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Peer review

Not peer-reviewed

Licence

All rights reserved