Challenges facing provincial departments in records management and disposal : a case study of CoGHSTA in Limpopo Province

Abstract

The study investigated the challenges faced by CoGHSTA department in records management and disposal with the sole purpose of developing some mechanisms to address the above-mentioned challenges. The study was conducted at CoGHSTA in Limpopo Province. The overall challenges faced in both records management and disposal are discussed. Data was collected from various sources e.g., primary, and secondary sources of data. Literature written by different authors – from international, national, and provincial contexts - namely government legislations, books, journals, websites office records such as procedure manuals and service standards, was investigated, to explore the topic under study. The population for this study was all 21-records management staff within the two divisions of the Information management unit such as general records and human resource records. The study employed a qualitative research approach that relies on phenomenology because the researcher intends to find out what challenges are faced by CoGHSTA records management staff on records management and disposal. The study adopted purposive sampling because its respondents have the characteristics and knowledge to answer the research problem of this study. For this study, data were collected from 17 participants using semi-structured interviews. The study findings revealed the following as major challenges faced in records management: Lack of resources - human and financial; lack of storage facilities; lack of Senior Management support. The following were raised as challenges experienced on the disposal of records: delay in the approval of memo(s) for disposal of records by the Head of Department; delay by the Provincial Archives to give authority to dispose of records; lack of storage facilities for active and inactive records and shortage of staff to arrange records for disposal. It is out of those findings that the study proposed several recommendations which included the need to implement records management policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures. The study recommended that the records management unit be allocated sufficient resources (human and financial) as other units that the department of strategic business deems to be performing the department’s (CoGHSTA) core functions. This is because the records management unit equally plays a key role in the management of the records from various CoGHSTA units which are regarded as core units. It is also recommended that the allocation of storage facilities that meet the records storage xi

facilities standard be prioritised and attended to as a matter of urgency because the records management unit could function effectively and efficiently without such an important infrastructure. The study deems it necessary for the Head of Department as the Accounting Officer to delegate - in writing - the authority to the Records Manager or his/her supervisor to sign and approve the memorandum for disposal of records after a thorough appraisal of such records is done by the records staff to avoid the delays that are experienced during the approval of the memorandums. The study further recommends that the Provincial Archives have three (3) to four (4) employees amongst its staff establishment dedicated to each government department dealing with all records management issues including an appraisal of records to address the delay by the Provincial Archives when authorising the disposal of records.