E-government and records management: an assessment tool for e-records readiness in government

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to indicate that, with the proliferation of information communication technologies (ICT), electronic records are being generated in many public sector organisations in Africa, which has resulted in many challenges hither-to never experienced by archivists and records managers. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reviews literature on ICT, records management and e-governance and the challenges faced by archivists and records managers particularly in developing countries as they deal with records generated by ICT. Findings - The paper shows that, while many governments have systems and procedures for managing paper-based records, the same cannot be said for electronic records and other digital images. Practical implications - The paper demonstrates that, without proper planning and adoption of various methods, e-records created using modem ICT are likely to become inaccessible in the future, thus compromising the ability to remain accountable to the citizens. Originality/value - The paper shows that, while various e-records readiness tools are available in the West, none of them addresses e-records readiness issues in Africa where systems and procedures for managing records both paper and electronic are inadequate. The article provides a simple tool for assessing a country's e-readiness for the adoption of e-records in an e-government environment.