Records Management Practices in the Administration of Public Institutions in Kenya

Abstract

Records management is the gist of an organization because it is through records that an institution can provide documentation of activities and plans. Records provide valuable information for critical decision making within organizations. However, organizational managers fail to recognize the contribution of effective records management practices in public administration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of records management practices in the administration of public institutions with reference to the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation.

The specific objectives are: to find out the records management practices at Kenya Re, to establish the role of departmental heads in the management of records at Kenya Re, to examine the role of records management in facilitating accountability and transparency in organizational administration, and to establish an effective records management model at Kenya Re. The research employed the records continuum theoretical model and a mixed approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data. The research was conducted on a total population of 150 employees.

The study sample included 50 members of staff. The sampling technique used was the stratified sampling technique with a non-probability sampling design, which enabled the identification of a sample that only included employees that directly dealt with records in the various departments at the institution. A questionnaire with carefully identified questions was used in gathering data from the sampled participants.

The study findings show that classification and indexing are the most important records management practices undertaken to enable easy access to information at the organization, heads of departments assist in managing operations at various departments regarding to records and that effective management of records can enable easy access to information, fulfillment of financial requirement and accountability as well as effective organizational administration. The findings are of significance to managers, employees, and policy-makers in matters regarding the management of organizations.