الملخص الإنجليزي
The study aimed to identify the reality of records governance in Omani institutions, by
identifying the foundations of records governance in a number of international institutions, and
defining the role of procedural instruments for records management in establishing the principles of
governance in Omani institutions, in addition to revealing the challenges faced by Omani institutions
in the governance of its records, and to identify the extent of the records specialist's awareness of the
role of records in consolidating the principles of governance in Omani institutions.
The study relied on a mixed method approach in collecting and analyzing quantitative and
qualitative data. In the first stage, the content analysis tool was used to analyze the policies of records
of international institutions. In the second stage, semi-structured interviews were used to determine
the role of procedural instruments for records management in establishing the principles of
governance in Omani institutions, and to reveal challenges. that Omani institutions face in the
governance of their records, and the number of interviews that were carried out was (7) interviews
with the HoDs of the records departments in the Omani institutions. The questionnaire was used to
identify the records specialist's awareness of the role of records in strengthening the principles of
governance in Omani institutions, and (70) responses were obtained from the records specialists.
The study concluded (14) principles followed by international institutions in the governance
of their records, and it included a number of policies, procedures, roles and responsibilities,
instruments, programs and plans related to records management. The results of the study also
revealed the roles played by procedural instruments in enabling the application of governance
principles, most notably: support for obtaining classified records and information, preserving and
preserving records from illegal records shredding, controlling access authority for records and
information, organizing and codifying some administrative procedures.
The study revealed a number of challenges facing Omani institutions in the governance of
their records. Most notably: the lack of human resources specialized in records, the absence of
specialized training in the issues of records governance, the lack of activation of some roles of the
records department, the lack of awareness and empowerment among some officials in senior
management, and the lack of clarity and sufficiency of some legal texts and the absence of policies
and plans that regulate the governance of records in institutions.
The results of the study also showed a high awareness among the sample of the role of
records in consolidating the principles of governance in Omani institutions, with an average of (3.9),
despite the low enrollment of employees to attend events, seminars and conferences related to the
role of records in consolidating the principles of governance, which had the lowest average
percentage, while regarding awareness of legal frameworks and procedures regulating records and
principles of governance. The field averaged (4.4), which is equivalent to a high level of awareness,
this may be due to the fact that 62.9% of the study sample have academic qualifications in the fields
of records and information studies, and the presence of practical experience for the respondents of
more than (5) years, at a rate of 91.4% of the total sample.
The study concluded with recommendations, the most prominent of which is that the
National Records and Archives Authority, in coordination with the specialized units, implement a
guide for the governance of records and propose a number of legal texts and regulatory frameworks
for the governance of records. The need for Omani institutions to implement governance for their
records, taking into account the foundations, controls, procedures and instruments concerned with
controlling records and defining roles and responsibilities, and investing the roles of procedural
instruments for records in building the practical framework for records governance in institutions,
and strengthening records departments with specialized functional cadres and providing specialized
training, empowering them with material resources and providing moral support appropriate to
achieve records governance requirements in institutions.
