Procuring and Implementing Management Systems for Electronic Records

Many organisations in the East and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives region are facing serious records management challenges and are developing and implementing strategies to ensure compliance with approved standards. These strategies include policies and procedures for proper record management. Technology and the growth of computerised systems that generate electronic records have further created pressure for implementing electronic systems to manage documents and records as part of the broader records management programme. Several organisations in the East and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives region are undertaking initiatives aimed at procuring such systems. Most of these organisations seem to lack guidance on steps to follow, from building a business case to tendering and final implementation. The problem has been worsened by a mushrooming of vendors marketing their products as records management solutions, creating confusion in organisations that have no professional guidance. The data were collected using a questionnaire in the region and confirmed that there is a lack of professional guidance. A framework to guide the procurement of these systems in organisations must be developed to ensure consistency and standardisation in the approach. The article will contribute by developing a framework or standardised strategy that will be used by national archival institutions and other public organisations in countries in the East and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives region when procuring and implementing such systems.