Records Management in Government Agencies in Sierra Leone

Introduction

Records Management is the systematic manipulate of all facts from their introduction or receipt, through their processing, distribution, company, garage and retrieval to their ultimate disposition. Because statistics is such an essential useful resource to organization, the facts management function additionally includes records management. Therefore, data control is likewise known as Records and Information Management or RIM (Magnus, 2006).

Records control may also be used to define because the manner respectable statistics (correspondence documents, information) are prepared in the sort of way that they have a which means, and can be used continuously by using the customers which include managers, information experts, educational institutions,

Importance of Records Management in Government Agencies

Establishing a facts control programme, in authorities corporations for example, the Meteorological Department might also result in both immediately and long-term significance to the department. Below are said some of the significance of data control in the authorities agencies, civil carrier, corporations and companies as a whole:

• Records control reduces misplaced or out of place data. Because the human element is constantly with us, even the pleasant gadget within the global will from time to time have misplaced statistics. But nicely designed record control structures can steadily reduce misfiles. Most often misfiled information can cost the clerical body of workers a large wastage of time in looking for records;

• Records management act as proof within the time of dispute. It is important for the settlement of dispute due to the fact it can be shown as proof in court docket;

• It enables in evaluating development of company. It allows in the renovation of records of the organisation. The beyond data shows route to business enterprise. It enables in finding out the weaknesses and strength of organisation. Records management gives the account of progress and direction in which business enterprise is giving on;

• Records management is the reminiscence of enterprise. It is useful for future choice making procedure. The examine of beyond facts indicates course for future. It substances records to corporation on every occasion it's miles needed therefore, it facilitates in taking decision;

• Records control helps to evaluate commercial enterprise development and overall performance. It enables in comparison among one time frame and some other or among someday of businesses;

• Records control helps in management and control of vital records. It facilitates to guard necessary information with care and disposes useless records;
• To minimize litigation dangers. Organization enforce records control programmes so one can reduce the dangers related to litigation and capability consequences. This may be similarly real in authorities corporations. A consistency applied information control programme can reduce the liabilities related to report disposal by imparting for his or her systematic, routine disposal in a everyday route of enterprise;

• It will increase duty. A information control will installed place a gadget for monitoring movements on every report, therefore increasing responsibility and offering get admission to reviews; and

• To enhance working environment. Implementing records control programme improves the operating surroundings through the business enterprise of information and storage offsite. Organized operating environment can then enhance the perception of the enterprise with the aid of clients and capacity personnel. New personnel are also effortlessly trained to control the corporation's facts whilst an green facts management programme is in location (Jackson, 2008).

The Historical Background of the Meteorological Department Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone became the headquarter (HQ) of the West African Meteorological offerings which become set up in 1923.Meterological offerings had been supplied for 4 West African nations namely Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and The Gambia respectively. The Sierra Leone Meteorological department is an offshoot of the British West African Meteorological services based at the twenty seventh April 1961. Since the establishment, the branch has been governed through series of administrators and the presently director is Alpha Bockari who has served on this potential from 2012-so far. The headquarter is positioned at F18 Charlotte avenue Freetown.

The Meteorological Department exist to offer price effective weather and climate offerings by way of amassing, processing, archiving and disseminating meteorological and climatological data and offerings to guide stop person contributing to the management of Sierra Leone's economic system with special regard to safety of lives and belongings and safeguarding of the environment and improving the expenses of the services so rendered so that it expenditure will not exceed it profits.

As a department beneath the ministry of Transport and Aviation, they're charged with the following mandates /obligations:

• Safety and nicely being of citizen and their protection against extreme climate situation and devastation from herbal screw ups;

• Provision of dependable weather information to facilitates project design for agricultural making plans and implement, water deliver systems, infrastructure, and tourism;

• Contributing to the socio- financial (consisting of providing give up user offerings for agricultural sports, marine) development of the u . S .;

• Carryout climate and weather related activities e.G. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Climate Change Services (CCS), Reduction of Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), and National Communication (NCS) (Meteorological Department, 2014).

Objectives of the Meteorological Department Sierra Leone

The overarching goal of the Meteorological Department installed as the sole authority, which issues climate and climatological warnings and offerings are, to:

• Forecast, plan and deliver meteorological and climatological services which meet country wide socio- monetary development desires.

• Collect, manner, shop and disseminate meteorological and climatological data both nationally and the world over according with rules and practices and methods hooked up beneath the WMO Convention of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), etc and other relevant conventions of the United Nations systems including the Frame work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), and Convention to Combat Desertification, Drought and so forth.

• Provide a variety of patron/ region particular operational meteorological services to such primary sub area as the ones for aviation, water assets, agriculture, defense, marine, tourism, sports activities and pastime, and creation;

• Provides recommendation on meteorological and climatological subjects to the country wide network and different governmental and non- governmental corporations.

• Develop ok manpower to enhance purposeful effectiveness and performance of businesses.

• Reduce its reliance at the national finances and generate its very own sales by using charging for offerings rendered to other customers;

• Arrange for and control surface and higher air observation networks and correctly and efficaciously file the weather and climate situation for Sierra Leone's financial development;

• Provides meteorological offerings for seek and rescue operations throughout disaster and alleviation operations as well as throughout countrywide emergencies; and

• Participate on behalf of Sierra Leone within the activities of relevance global companies to which its belongs, particularly the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), World Weather Watch (WWW), Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW), Inter- Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Developments (ACMAD), United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) etc position in all weather trade sports of the united states of america (Meteorological Department, 2014).

Methods of Managing Records at the Meteorological Department

Records keeping are of notable significance to any organization. One of the maximum critical choice managers, directors or heads of organisation must make is to choose the suitable techniques of dealing with their agency's facts. There of  methods this is substantially used. These include centralized and decentralized methods of managing records.

Centralized Methods

A Centralized technique of dealing with information is the only wherein all physical files are located in a single critical area or workplace. The location is controlled by using the information management office team of workers. The quantity of personnel inside the records branch will depend upon the dimensions of the agency. In a centralized method, end users have the comfort of understanding all physical files relating to a particular case are held inside the same vicinity. If as an example, stop user desires to reference a document he/she might be required to contact the information office personnel. The document would then be looked at to the give up person. A whole claim of custody of record is captured, so the area of record is thought always.

A centralized technique has a heightened level of safety. For instance, the doorway is locked so most effective the statistics group of workers has get right of entry to to the files within the facts workplace. This system yields a whole lot more manipulate over bodily report than the decentralized strategies. For efficiency of purpose, uniform office methods are documented and circulated to all end user. These techniques address topics consisting of hours or operation, record request and delivery times.

Decentralized Method

A Decentralized method is one in which the physical documents are positioned across the whole workplace. This may mean they can be observed in each workforce offices or other work room area. Unlike centralized strategies, where the documents are managed exclusively by using the facts workplace. A decentralized technique is controlled through the team of workers that created the record. The bodily documents are stored at the worker's table not in a centralized vicinity for all to get right of entry to. Thus, the approach might now not require a full time record group of workers.

Employees would have get right of entry to to their documents at all times and might be answerable for keeping accuracy. The decentralized technique of managing records has its demerits. For instance, think group of employees are working on the equal case at the same time unexpectedly, the worker who is answerable for maintaining the file is absent. The rest of the organization might also have trouble in locating the document if the employer does not have claim of custody manner in vicinity. Along the identical traces, a decentralized technique of managing facts may have very little security over files. This can show elaborate specially if an agency handles high sensitive instances.

However, in the meteorological department, a centralized method of handling the department's statistics is adopted. That is to say, both physical and digital or different data are centrally managed by using the department's office clerk. Although, there are demanding situations on the subject of the keeping and handling of information, nonetheless the technique is well applied. (Meteorological Department, 2014).

Types of Records generated with the aid of Meteorological Department

The facts generated through the meteorological department workplace performs a important role in managing the operations of the department. The department files beyond sports, phenomenon and events that serves the basis for similarly actions. The statistics are each manual and digital in nature. Examples of guide statistics consist of:

• Office administrative statistics;
• Human useful resource records;
• Financial/ financial facts;
• Meteorological facts/ data;
• Material statistics;
• Public data records;
• Conference/seminar carrier statistics; and
• General programs.

Electronic Records: These electronic or device readable records are records in a shape that may be study and processed by way of a pc and that satisfies the legal definition of a file. At the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone those are records relating to divisions and out stations inside the department and those include:
• Electronic mail and messages;
• Electronic spreadsheet;
• Primary facts files and information bases;
• Machines readable indexes; and
• Word processing documents.

Users of the Records at the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone

The users of the Meteorological Department statistics in Sierra Leone encompass:
• Administrative personnel;
• Research/ outside customers;
• Human Resource Management Office (HRMO);
• Government ministries and organizations;
• International corporations e.G. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Meteorological Organization (WMO); and
• Clients to which Meteorological Department facts is given. For instance, the media in Sierra Leone consisting of: Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), African Young Voices (AYV), and Star Television).

Filing System on the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone

Filing System in Records Management is the process of classifying, arranging, sorting and storing records so they'll be effortlessly positioned and retrieved while needed. It is the category and manage of primary file corporations, fabric series strategies, report coaching, sorting, indexing, upkeep and cross referencing. A nicely described and maintained submitting machine lets in important facts to be accessed quickly and saves organisation cash through saving time. Business, colleges, authorities businesses or even each day, people use submitting systems to hold their affairs prepared. Thus, the following various types of submitting structures may additionally permit company to carry out proper submitting gadget effectively.

Alphabetical Filing System

In the alphabetical filing gadget, data are organized in accordance to name that is from A-Z either the call of a person, organisation or concern in accordance with the letters of the alphabet. There are  techniques involve in alphabetical filing machine.The topical alphabetic filing device, additionally called a dictionary system. In this device files, man or woman report are in alphabetical order. This submitting machine works properly while storing a small wide variety of information. It proves to be intricate while person has numerous purchaser sharing the equal name.The different method is the geographical filing system; also recognise as encyclopedia or category system. This gadget is used to prepare larger extent of records. It groups problem together below vast classes based on a vicinity consisting of a town, us of a or country. The categories and the documents within every class are arranged alphabetically.

Numerical Filing System

In the numeric filing gadget, numbers are assigned to every report and organized the numbers in segmented order. Files of humans with the identical name won't have reproduction headings as with the alphabetical machine. This gadget additionally gives better filing confidentiality considering the fact that names are displayed in the files and paintings nicely while handing a massive extent of documents.

Terminal Filing System

In the terminal digit submitting machine additionally, numbers of assigned documents are in sequential order but filed in line with the last  digits. For example. If an man or woman is filing range 18547; first the man or woman visit 47 segment of the filing device then look for the eighty five area of the segment and finally search for the number one (1).

Alphanumeric Filing System

The alphanumeric submitting device, both letters and numbers are used to organized documents. For instance,  letters are used to indicate the client documents in, accompanied by way of more than a few to indicate his account variety.

The meteorological branch submitting device, have followed the alphanumeric submitting machine. In that record, they use the give up-tab folder and wallet that in reality stand on shelves and filing shelves. No striking pocks with a use of workplace space. The meteorological branch has a few challenges however the filing system is organized and use effectively.

Records Storage Systems

Record have to be kept in proper order, in a secure location. Those containing personal or non-public information along with staff documents must be stored in lockable gadgets and have to no longer be left on desks in a single day or view of visitors. Only information which might be required regularly must be saved inside the office. Those which want to be retained for prison or different motives ought to be saved offsite with the information office offsite, even as the ones that have outlived their usefulness should be destroyed. However, information which might be much less than 12 months will now not be stored offsite.

Storage structures utilized in records workplace most offer suitable safety for facts based totally on layout and volume of data, how frequently they are used, how quick they want to be accessed and safety requirement. The fundamental styles of records garage structures used include:

Vertical Filing Cabinets

These are ok for small submitting systems, but are much less appropriate for big runs of data and facts that require common get admission to. Access is sluggish, due to the fact that drawers should be opened, and those can giant effect where there's a high volume of information interest. The cabinets require large amount of space and drawer space is often now not use to complete potential.

Book Shelves

These are suitable for books or documents that are stored upright, which include box documents and lever arch files.

Lateral Filing Units

These have lengthy drawer for storing documents laterally and use space extra correctly than their vertical opposite numbers. Alternatively, static unit without drawer may be use, where documents are stored in striking pocket or cradles. Where set off filing and retrieval are required open unit can be the most efficient. If report access is to be restricted, units with lockable doorways or shutters may be used.

Mobile Shelving

This can be appropriate where a massive quantity of statistics want to be saved near to hand, as it reduces the quantity of get admission to aisles require. It is the maximum high priced kind of shelving, and could be very heavy. The ground ought to have sufficient structural ability to aid these shelves.

Open Shelving System

This commonly determined in massive workplaces and in principal report rooms, it allows for speedy retrieval and refilling. This sort of lateral report, which resemble open book shelves permits files to be retrieved horizontally. It also offers full viewing of the folder tabs, which makes for speedy retrieval. And there's an expected 50 percent saving space whilst files are moved from vertical machine to an open shelve system. This unit normally calls for expert set up, which may be negotiated with the vendor is an inclusion inside the value of the gadget. These are the maximum green varieties of files to be had. They additionally have doors and can be locked. Some of these with doorways have flush backs and can be used as appealing room dividers with a built-in advantage of presenting a bargain of sound- proofing. These doorways and six openings are without difficulty accessed over 2 hundred inches of filing. Those without doorways provide even greater submitting ability and should be take into account, even supposing there is a perceived need to fasten them.

Records Storage Systems at the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone

The essential forms of statistics garage structures used at the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone is the open Shelve System that's referred to above wherein documents contacting records are commonly discovered in large offices and in crucial report rooms which permits for the speedy retrieval and refilling. This type of lateral report, which resemble open ebook shelves allows documents to be retrieved horizontally.

Records Retrieval at the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone

Retrieval is the system of locating and doing away with a file or record from storage. It is also the movement of convalescing facts on a given situation from saved records. It offers with standards and methods in retrieving paper, digital and photograph data. For example, locating a name and cellphone variety in a telephone listing or statistics base is a common garage and retrieval interest. Records or information can be retrieve in 3 methods:

Manually: people visit a storage box and eliminate through hand a document desired or make a note of records requested from it.

Mechanically: a person makes use of a few mechanical approach, which includes urgent the right buttons to rotate movable cabinets to correct place of a document, eliminate the report manually, or report records asked from it.

Electronically: a person uses a few means, which include a pc, to locate a file. The bodily record won't want to be removed from storage. The requester is informed as to wherein it may be located, or the information asked is confirmed to the requester in a few manner, perhaps on a display in a information base or electronic mail file.

Request for stored information may be made orally over the cellphone or through a messenger or in writing memo, letter and so on. The request may be added in man or woman, despatched by means of mechanical, which include a conveyor gadget, or despatched electronically through electronic mail. The file need to be retrieved from garage and given to the requester fast. Every minute of delay in locating a report is steeply-priced in consumer or requester losing time and in filers searching time and could likely cause lack of cash for the commercial enterprise (Stephens, 2009).

However, manual and mechanical tactics are typically applied in retrieving information at the Meteorological Department given that majority in their statistics are in paper based totally shape.

Challenges going through Records Management on the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone situation in enterprise of report maintaining and management specifically within the Meteorological Department gadget has now not been too successful due to the dearth of control issue. Writing in guide of the above locating, I even have stated that many years of neglect had finished incredible damage to meteorological zone and report maintaining isn't an exemption. The following are some of the demanding situations of proper information control faced via the Meteorological department in Sierra Leone:

Inadequate Funding

The problem of insufficient investment of facts office inside the meteorological department is more extensive than the opposite departments. This is a hassle that become not handiest skilled at some point of the colonial generation however has exceeded on even to modern information management applications. Payment of employee's salaries, purchase of modern renovation device and chemical substances many of the other day- today activities that allows records protection are crucial sports that call for proper ok funding to allow the institution to reap its targets aren't quite seen. For this motive, the meteorological records office exercise is abandoned with unqualified employees thus affected by inefficiency and ineffectiveness.

Inadequacy of Space and Equipment

The statistics workplace at the Meteorological Department is instead too small to contain cutting-edge and non- cutting-edge records. The equipment used is one way or the other crude in nature and also of insufficient capability. The document staff do now not have access to modern system because of combine hassle of insufficient investment and recognise- how generation.

Problematic Nature of Format

Most report substances are nevertheless natural nature, maximum of them been paper based totally. This method they are able to getting older, advancing, deteriorating with time. For this purpose, they want equipment to be dealt with and dealt with with for the motive of keeping them. For this type of country like Sierra Leone which lies in the tropics such situations are get worse with the aid of high level of humidity in the atmosphere and excessive temperature all around the 12 months. All those conditions integrate work to hasten the nature chemical manner of decaying records. Furthermore, information retaining centers in the Meteorological Department do now not have weather manipulate preservative in which all weather situations can be controlled to beautify record preservation as a result, making the entire renovation procedure even more difficult.

Absence of Records Management Laws

The National Records act of 1964 is previous and is no longer serving its usefulness. Records do no longer have legal description, backing or definition in their provider. Legal laws offer for authenticity, which serves to promote and additionally presents self belief to the general public and people practicing within the profession approximately the provider being supplied. These are the very essential factors that the Meteorological Department's record retaining facility lacks.

Lack of Understanding and Appreciation

The records management application in the Meteorological Department is not often preferred and its position within the provision and control of facts understood by simplest a handful of body of workers. This is also genuine as it's miles the culture in lots of other public and private sectors that generate critical data on a daily foundation don't have any basic know-how of records life cycle and requirement of the information disposal act. They are extremely blind to the critical position that may be played by the records workplace to help them nicely managed and keep report both at the modern-day and semi- current ranges. Staff is absolutely uninformed approximately the facts sports and for that reason it's miles endorsed that the statistics workplace need to engage in packages so one can assist to train staff and different users in the requirement and content of the sports.

Conclusively,Record maintaining in an business enterprise set up is very important and can not be over emphasised. This is due to the fact continuity depends on availability of beneficial facts of the past activities. In a complex business enterprise like that of the Meteorological Department, it isn't viable to preserve each unmarried records within the mind, because the volume of information is heavy, consequently facts ought to be stored. In Sierra Leone, meteorological laws call for that each meteorological station should preserve sure meteorological statistics along with climate fore forged facts, personnel facts, traveler's book, stock ebook, account book. Record preserving occupies a strategic role inside the green and effective control of meteorological gadget. In fact, it's miles crucial inside the management of institution of learning because it record the planning and implementation of appropriate path of carrier permitting monitoring of work.

Unfortunately, the Sierra Leone state of affairs in business of document preserving and management particularly inside the Meteorological Department device has no longer been too a success because of the shortage of control aspect. Giving credence to this announcement, data control exercise inside the Meteorological Department has a number of problems as indicated above. By paying near interest to these types of problems and addressing them separately we assist solve the problems and enhance good control of records inside the Meteorological Department in Sierra Leone.