Assessing the state of implementation of the National Archives and Records Management act at Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique

Abstract

Archival legislation is a crucial tool for the public sector to ensure the management, preservation and access of a country’s national documentary heritage. In Mozambique, archival legislation has been enacted which sets the scene for records appraisal and disposition, as well as classification schemes and retention schedules for administrative records of governmental bodies falling under the auspices of the Act. As a result, public agencies in Mozambique are required by the archival legislation to adopt a systematic and organized approach to the management of their records from creation to disposal. Despite this, the records management processes of many public entities in Mozambique have remained ineffective and inefficient. This study utilized the record life cycle concept as a framework to assess the state of implementation of the National Archives and Records Management Act at Eduardo Mondlane University (EMU) in Mozambique. The study applied a quantitative research approach with triangulation of data collection tools, namely, questionnaire and document analysis. The study revealed that EMU has only established one central records appraisal and disposal committee for its directorate units, which has not coped with the records management demands from other academic units such as faculties, schools and research centers. In most of the academic units the records management staff were not involved in the training, records appraisal and disposal processes, as well as in the destruction and/or transfer of records to the Mozambique Historical Archives (MHA), as required by legislation. The study concludes that most EMU units do not comply with archival legislation resulting in few provisions of the Act being implemented. The study therefore recommends that the records management function at EMU should put in place the basic procedures of control for records management systems with the leadership taking a proative role in the strategic planning, budgeting and monitoring. A further empirical study on the assessment of the state of implementation of the National Archives and Records Management Act throughout the entire public sector in Mozambique is recommended.