AN ASSESSMENT OF APPLICABILITY OF RECORD CONTROL TOOLS IN HANDLING OF RECORD IN PUBLIC ORGANIZATION: A CASE STUDY OF BAGAMOYO DISTRICT COUNCIL.

Study assessed the applicability of record control tools in the handling of records at Bagamoyo District Council, a public organization in Tanzania. The study was motivated by the persistent gap between the formal adoption of manual record control tools, such as file movement registers This, tracking registers, correspondence registers, and file indexes, and their actual application in day-to-day registry operations, a gap that resulted in delayed file retrieval, weakened transparency and accountability, and wastage of organizational resources. Guided by the Records Life Cycle Theory and the Accountability Theory, the study pursued four specific objectives: to identify the types of record control tools commonly used, to examine how these tools were applied in handling records, to evaluate their effectiveness in promoting efficiency, transparency and accountability, and to identify the challenges affecting their proper application at the Council. The study adopted a case study research design and a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data were collected from a sample of 27 respondents, comprising Records Officers, Registry Staff, and Administrative Staff, selected through purposive and Census (total population) technique, using questionnaires, interviews, 25 questionnaires were fully completed and analyzed. Findings revealed that the Incoming Correspondence Register was the most commonly used tool (40%), applied mainly through movement census and circulation audits (40%) and the tracking of file movement (32%). Record control tools were rated as very effective or effective by 76% of respondents in promoting efficiency, transparency, and accountability. However, their application was constrained by a shortage of storage facilities (36%), insufficient financial resources (32%), and inadequate staff training (20%). The study concludes that although record control tools were generally effective, resource-related challenges limited their full applicability, and recommends that the Council expand storage facilities, allocate adequate funds for records management, and conduct regular staff training, while policy makers strengthen national guidelines on records management in public organizations. vi

Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Peer review

Not peer-reviewed

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All rights reserved