The Perceived Influence of Records Management Practices on Service Delivery in Mavoko Sub-County, Machakos County, Kenya
Abstract
Records underpin the delivery of public services, yet in many devolved units in Kenya they are not managed with the care that effective service delivery requires. This study assessed the perceived influence of records management practices on enhanced service delivery in Mavoko Sub-County, Machakos County, Kenya. Four objectives guided the study: to establish the records management practices undertaken in the sub-county; to analyse the perceived effects of those practices on service delivery; to propose strategies for improving records management practices; and to identify the challenges experienced in managing records for service delivery. The study was informed by the records life cycle theory and the information governance reference model. A descriptive research design was adopted, using a case study of the Mavoko Sub-County headquarters. Because the target population of staff who handle records directly was small (36), a census was used rather than a sample. Data were collected mainly through questionnaires, which were pilot-tested at the Mavoko Municipal Lands Office to establish validity and reliability. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and presented in tables and figures, while qualitative responses were analysed thematically. The response rate was 83.3% (30 of 36). The study found that records management practices at Mavoko were only partially applied: records were stored partly in a central registry and partly within departments, many officers handling records lacked formal professional training, and management support and facilities were inadequate. Respondents nonetheless associated sound records management with efficiency, reduced corruption and fraud, and protection of records from loss or damage. Internal challenges included a shortage of trained records managers and weak records security, while external challenges related to the physical environment, infrastructure and policy. The study recommends staff training, adequate budgeting and facilities, a decentralised registry system supported by a records centre, and closer collaboration with the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service.
Keywords: Records Management, Records Management Practices, Recordkeeping, Service Delivery, Devolved Government, Kenya
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