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Records, Computers, and Resources: A Difficult Equation for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Computerization has led to rapid and dynamic changes in the way organizations operate, and the strategies adopted for integrating and managing paper and electronic records are changing over time as well. The world's wealthiest nations are investing substantially in electronic records management programs; developing countries do not have the resources to do so. However, ongoing research and development must produce methodologies that are accessible and affordable to developing nations. If records are to survive and be useful in supporting the functions of a public organization, ensuring the rights of citizens, and preserving a cultural record of the past, then records professionals in developing countries need to be engaged in the global discussion of how best to capture, manage, and preserve computerized information over time.
This article focuses on the issues for managing public-sector electronic records in Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa. Its key objective is to raise awareness and encourage further dialogue so that all records managers may better understand the common problems experienced around the world. Many of the issues identified are similar to those faced throughout the developing world and by institutions with little funding in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Insights are drawn from working with national governments and educational institutions throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including those in Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The first section presents a high-level overview of the main problems with computerization and the management of electronic records commonly found in the...See the full content of this document
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