Records Management Practices That Enhance Service Delivery in Public Organizations in Kenya: Case Study of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the value of effective records management practices in enhancing service delivery service delivery at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in Kenya. The objectives of the study included establishing records management practices that enhance effective service delivery in public organizations; determining guidelines applied for managing records and information in public organizations. The other objectives included examining professional competencies required for effective records management practitioners in public organizations and proposing an appropriate framework for effective records management practices and service delivery in public organizations. The descriptive research design was adopted as the methodological framework for the study. A sample size was determined by stratified sampling procedure that targeted 143 staff that included both legal and non-legal staff at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution. The questionnaire that was used in data collection consisted of both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The qualitative data from the open-ended questions were analyzed using the content analysis method whereas the quantitative data from the closeended questions were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science. The study established that records management practices, records management guidelines, and professional competency enhanced the delivery of service in the organization. The study recommended the integration of Office of the Director of Public Prosecution records management system with that of other relevant public organizations such as police and judiciary. The study also recommended continuous training of Office of the Director of Public Prosecution staff on records management practices, procedures, and policies. Besides, the study recommended further research on the implementation of emerging Information communication technology trends like blockchain technology, which is a digital mechanism that provided for secure and verified management of documents at reduced costs and increased efficiency, noting that Kenya is yet to enact legislations in favor of bitcoins and/or blockchain technology