Records and archives as a basis for good government: implications and challenges for records managers and archivists in Africa
| Pages | 23-33 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000007254 |
| Published date | 01 April 2000 |
| Date | 01 April 2000 |
| Author | Justus Wamukoya |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Records and archives as
a basis for good government:
implications and challenges for
records managers and archivists
in Africa
JUSTUS WAMUKOYA
Abstract
This article looks at the need to manage public sector records as evidence and as
a means of controlling how government resources are used, as well as a vital
source of information for empowering the people of Africa. The author exam-
ines the role of records and of record keeping within the context of three distinct
domains – business, accountability and culture – and the contribution of records
managers and archivists to the process of democratic governance.
Introduction
During the 1980s and 1990s most of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa
embraced structural adjustment programmes (SAPs), widely seen by the
global donor community as the remedy for economic hardships experi-
enced by these countries. They also saw SAPs as providing the best
opportunity to implement public sector reforms in order to promote
better use of public resources and better accountability by governments
to their citizens. The theme of this article is the role of records and
archives as a basis for good government. It looks at the need to manage
public sector records as evidence and as a means of controlling how gov-
ernment resources are used, and also as a vital source of information for
empowering the people.
Record keeping is a fundamental and core activity of public sector man-
agement. Without records there can be no accountability and no rule of
Records Management Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, April 2000, pp. 23–33
Records Management Journal, Vol. 10, No. 1, April 2000
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