The Management of Digital Records in the Office of the Premier of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the management of digital records in the Office of the Premier (OTP) in the Eastern Cape Province. The objectives of the study were to determine the compliance to the legal framework, identify the requisite infrastructure for digital records management (DRM), describe the security and preservation measures for DRM, and find out the challenges of managing digital records. The results of the study revealed that the OTP had taken a number of initiatives aimed at establishing records management practices. However, the results showed that the OTP is faced with a number of challenges in its efforts to manage digital records. Majority of those required to manage digital records lacked skills and competencies necessary for the implementation of an Electronic Document Management System. The study also revealed the need for OTP to overhaul the existing arrangements for the security and preservation of digital records.