Management of inactive records by cooperatives in Lake Zone, Tanzania

Abstract

Cooperatives in Tanzania’s Lake Zone generate many records that have archival value, but they face challenges in managing them when they become inactive. This study aimed to assess the status and experiences of managing inactive records by cooperatives in Lake Zone and the prospects for improving their management. A mixed methods approach with cross-sectional research design were employed in which data were collected from board members of eight cooperatives through focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews, observation, and document review. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that Tanzania has a rich collection of inactive cooperative records, but they are scattered in various cooperative societies across the country without proper management. Consequently, most of inactive records were dumped in rooms and wet places with insects that were inaccessible to users. The board members did not recognise the importance of the generated records in the cooperative movement. In addition, they were unaware of the availability of Records and Archives Management Policy as a guiding tool to ensure proper management of the generated cooperative records. This study established that the Records and Archives Management Policy was silent about managing cooperative records. The study concluded that cooperatives need to develop legal frameworks for cooperative records keeping, provide resources and training for records management, and create awareness of the value of archival records among cooperative members.