الملخص الإنجليزي
The study aimed to identify the roles of records specialists of government institutions in
light of Oman Vision 2040. This was achieved by identifying the importance of records
specialists' participation in achieving the Oman Vision 2040 in government institutions,
identifying the areas in which records specialists can participate to achieve the vision objectives,
identifying the challenges that may limit the participation of records specialists in achieving the
vision objectives, and identifying the strategies that may enhance the participation of records
specialists in achieving the vision objectives.
The study adopted the mixed method approach combines and integrates the quantitative
and qualitative data. In the first stage, the content analysis tool was used to analyze the Oman
Vision 2040 document. The tool was also used to analyze the laws, regulations, guidelines, and
specifications issued by the National Records & Archives Authority and other authorities
related to the roles of records specialists. In the second stage, a questionnaire tool was used to
gather data on records specialists working in (21) ministries and (13) government organizations
to achieve the objectives of the study, whereby the total number of responses reached (244). In
the third stage, the semi structured interview tool was applied to (6) directors of departments
and section heads of records and archives departments in a number of ministries and
government organizations.
The study concluded that the roles of records specialists are of great importance in the
realization of Oman Vision 2040 with an average of (3.82) in the study community participants.
It was found that there are a number of areas in which records specialists can participate in the
realization of Oman Vision 2040, these are: governance, support to decision-makers,
connectivity and integration, digital transformation, service development, economic
development, knowledge and learning, knowledge dissemination, and support to scientific
research.
Also, the results showed, with a large degree and with an average of (3.78), that the
records specialists are facing human, technical, administrative, financial and legislative
challenges that prevent them from participating in Oman Vision 2040. These challenges are
mostly represented in: lack of qualified human competencies, lack of specialized training
courses for records specialists, slow digital transformation, and the lack of current systems for
managing electronic documents and records that meet the requirements of the National Records
& Archives Authority. In addition, lack of interest from the decision makers towards the
documents and records departments, and low allocation of budgets dedicated to the documents
and records departments in the ministries and government organizations.
The results showed that there are strategies that can contribute to the participation of
records specialists in achieving the Oman Vision 2040. Most notably: developing strategies to
protect the important documents against disasters, errors and vandalism, and digitizing modern
and old government documents and transactions, allocating sufficient budget for the digital
transformation of documents and records departments, training the specialists working in the
documents and records departments for the digital transformation, and organizing exhibitions
and workshops for records of national importance.
The study concluded with a number of recommendations, of which the most notably are:
The Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Office should make more efforts to educate the
documents and records departments in enhancing the records specialists' awareness of the
administrative and technical indicators that the vision aims to achieve. The decision makers and
institutions need to inform and educate records specialists with the objectives of Oman Vision
2040 and the need to address the slow pace of digital transformation and weak infrastructure.
It is important for records specialists to organize workshops at the institutions in which they
work to sensitize employees on correct documents and records management practices. In
addition, the National Records & Archives Authority needs to organize workshops for records
specialists to educate and train them on latest developments in records management, and to
spread awareness among decision makers and officials in government institutions regarding the
standard specifications that must be used in document management systems in institutions.
