Electronic records management in Tanzanian courts

Abstract

Conventional records management systems are mostly used to support court operations and service delivery in Tanzania despite the substantial development of ICTs. The objectives of this study were to: examine types of e-records managed, explore staff perceptions of the usefulness of e-records management, and analyse factors limiting electronic records management in selected courts. A survey design comprising qualitative and quantitative research approaches was employed to meet these objectives. Standardised questionnaires, followed by semi-structured interviews and observation were used to collect data. The findings of the study suggest that e-records management is still in its infancy stage in the courts studied, since the majority of records are still managed using manual systems. The findings further inform that even though the adoption of e-records is ineffective, staff positively perceive the approach. According to the study, ineffectiveness of e-records management is a result of inadequate qualified staff and training on e-records management, shortage of technical staff to support the use of e-records management systems, inadequate funds, ineffective e-records management legal frameworks, and poor implementation strategies. As such, the study recommends diversification of funding sources, capacity building through training and retraining, formulation of e-records management policies and standards, and motivation of court staff.