From crisis to continuity: Analysing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public records and archives management in the Gambia

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) heralded a dreadful global disaster that had a collateral effect on many businesses. It affected people, information, and global economies. However, its impact on public records and archives management is under-researched in Africa, particularly in The Gambia. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public records and archives management in The Gambia. Adopted for the survey is pragmatic research paradigm, which employs mixed methods using a purposive sample of 65, constituting 31% of a population of 211, comprising heads of Public Records and Archives staff and National Records Advisory Committee members. The ISO 31000:2018 Risk Assessment tool was employed as the theoretical framework. A questionnaire and telephone-based interview were administered to collect data. Quantitative data was analysed descriptively using IBM Statistical Packages for Social Science (IBM SPSS), while qualitative data was analysed based on the study objectives. The research shows that a significant minority confirmed information leakage during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily through social media, phone, and email. Most records and archives are in physical format, as established by 59.1% of respondents. The records sector responded poorly due to inadequate capacity, emergency policies, and interventions. Most respondents claimed a lack a disaster plan, with 67.7% of respondents finding it ineffective in mitigating COVID-19’s impact on records and archives, and 82.4% confirming inadequate documentation during the pandemic. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has moderately impacted Public Records and Archives Management in The Gambia, with staff being protected more than information, the effect severely affected archival services. The study recommends robust risk plans, digitalisation, professional capacity building, adequate resources, effective monitoring, and decentralisation, among others.