the management of personnel records in the president’s office, public service management, government of tanzania

Description

Proper management of personnel records can make a significant contribution to personnel records management by ensuring that information is available to take decisions and to protect the rights both of the state and of individuals. A personnel records system should run effectively whether it is in a purely paper-based environment or in the emerging electronic environment. The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate how effectively personnel records are managed in the Tanzania public service with specific reference to the President’s Office – Public Service Management, with a view to developing a records management model as a tool for the management of personnel records in the public service. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine how effectively personnel records are managed in the PO-PSM; establish what government policies, systems, standards and procedures existed to guide the management of personnel records in the PO-PSM; explore the challenges experienced in the management of personnel records in the PO-PSM, determine the use of personnel records in decision making and service delivery; and suggest strategies to address the challenges facing personnel records held in government ministries and departments and propose a records management model to be adopted in the management of personnel records in Tanzania. The theoretical framework for this study was derived from the Records Continuum Model and the Diffusion of Innovation Model. A sample of 46 respondents was selected for the study using purposive and convenient random sampling techniques. The study sample included 3 top management staff, 20 action officers, 8 registry staff, and 15 RAMD staff. The study was qualitative in nature, and data were collected using interviews, which were supplemented by observation and documentary sources. The data were analyzed qualitatively, using data description. The findings of the study showed that personnel records were an important source of information for human resource functions as they were specifically used to document the employees’ work history. The findings further indicated that personnel records management at PO-PSM faced a number of problems, the major one being, the lack of policies, standards, procedures and guidelines to underpin the effective and efficient management of personnel records. Other issues included low priority accorded to records management; absence of records management culture; inadequate skills for managing records especially in electronic format. On the basis of the findings, it was recommended that there is a need for Tanzania to have a major overhaul of personnel records management systems throughout the public service; policies, standards, guidelines and procedures should be promulgated and implemented to improve the management of personnel records in the public service and especially in the PO-PSM. A model was developed to enhance the management of personnel records in the PO-PSM.