English abstract
This study aims to evaluate the records management practices in
governmental institutions in the Sultanate of Oman according to the requirements
of the National Records and Archives Authority by identifying the requirements of
this Authority for records management in governmental institutions, and to
examine the reality of records management practices in governmental institutions
and their compatibility with the requirements of the Authority. In addition, the study
seeks to find out the challenges encountered by institutions in managing their
records to achieve the requirements of the Authority.
The study adopts the mixed approach to collect the study data through
three basic stages: The first stage is to use the qualitative approach by analyzing
the content of records in order to identify the requirements of the Authority for
records management in governmental institutions. The second stage is to use the
quantitative approach by adopting a checklist, which is administered to the study
sample reached (48) institutions in order to find out the reality of records
management practices in governmental institutions and their compatibility with the
requirements of the Authority. The third stage is to use the qualitative approach
by conducting open interviews with a purposive sample represented 20% of the
study population and an average of (10) governmental institutions in order to
identify the challenges encountered by institutions in managing their records to
achieve the requirements of the Authority.
The results of the study have demonstrated that there are five key
requirements approved by the Authority for managing current and intermediate
records in institutions. Most of these requirements are regulated in a legislative
and legal framework and they vary between laws, regulations, circulars, guides
and specifications. The results also have revealed that the institutions, under
study, have achieved an average compatibility rate with an arithmetic mean of
61% in applying the Authority's requirements for managing current and
intermediate records. The institutions have achieved high compatibility rate in (the
legislative framework of records unit structure, post management, applying the
systems of common and private records management, records appraisal, records
destruction), while they have achieved an average compatibility rate in
ي
(intermediate records storages, transfer of intermediate records to storages,
access to intermediate records, transfer, monitoring and evaluation of records
management, and training, awareness and support of records management).
They have achieved low compatibility rates in (procedures of maintaining and
handling confidential records, appraisal of current records before transferring
them to the storage, minutes of delivering records to employees whose services
have ended, and electronic records management).
The study has also indicated that there are a number of human,
organizational, administrative and financial challenges for institutions to manage
their records, including weak awareness and interest by the higher management
towards the records departments and sections, the absence of storages for
intermediate records and incompatibility of some them with the Authority's
requirements, lack of response by institutional staff to apply records management
procedures, weak standards and procedures related to confidential records
management, weak specialized training programs in records management in the
Sultanate of Oman, and weak moral and material motivation for records
employees.
The study has come up with a set of recommendations, the most important
of which are as follows. The Authority should simplify the procedures and
requirements of records management in the form of independent explanatory
guides in accordance with their subjects. It is important to create greater
awareness among officials in higher managements about the role and importance
of the records departments and sections. The governmental institutions need to
pay more attention to the application of all requirements and tools adopted by the
Authority for records management, and they should prepare storages for their
intermediate records. Training and awareness programs for institutions
employees on records management procedures should be intensified.
Professional training center should be established under the supervision of the
National Records and Archives Authority to train workers in records departments
and sections.
