Managing Records in an Electronic Environment: A Review of Records and Archives Management Laws in Esarbica Countries

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the records and archives management laws in Esarbica countries in an electronic environment. Specifically, the study aimed at examining the current status of laws on management of records in electronic environment in Esarbica Countries; assessing the management of records in electronic environment in Esarbica Countries; indicating the implications of current records management practices in Esarbica Countries for future direction in laws for electronic era. Data were collected from a systematic review of secondary sources such as reports, journal articles, online resources and various legislations relating to records and archives management. The findings indicate that, the growing influence of digital technologies on most organizational functions including recordkeeping has created a new impetus for archival agencies to re-examine their archival legislations so as to re-align them with the current realities. The findings indicate further that, the management of records in new media has become a major concern for most governments and recordkeeping professionals worldwide. This comes at a time when governments and agencies are increasingly transacting businesses online and documenting official transactions using new technologies. This has culminated in the creation, capture, retention, use and disposal of records in electronic form. The study has established that, most archival laws in the region do not pay much attention to electronic recordkeeping issues especially those pertaining to systems, standards, and best practices, among others. It is recommended that, most governments in the region need to embark on a comprehensive review of their record keeping laws to ensure that records are fully utilized as valuable information resources for governments and citizens.