26 Nov 2023

Archives and records management professionals from various ministries, independent departments, parastatals, local authorities and institutions of high learning are expected to meet to build efficiency in public sector records management.

  This will occur as the Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS) hosts its 4th annual conference in Gaborone from November 30 to December 1.

The conference will be held under the theme, Archives and Records: Enriching Knowledge Societies.

Addressing a press conference in Gaborone on November 23, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Kagiso Kemoeng said the two-day conference is also aimed to strengthen collaborative partnerships and share expertise.

This, he said, is in order to be able to provide proper guidance and further increase archives and records management knowledge base, which were key to achieving efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.

“Expectation is that information professionals will deliberate on pertinent issues that affect their profession as well as come up with innovative ideas that will improve safeguarding, preservation as well as provision of access to information by communities,” Mr Kemoeng said.

He added that records and archives management were fundamental areas that immensely contributed to good corporate governance, accountability, transparency and adherence to the rule of law.

Mr Kemoeng also indicated that countries worldwide had adopted and implemented Information Communications Technology (ICT) to drive their economies, improve their competitiveness and general service delivery, adding Botswana should therefore not be left behind.

He said BNARS had thus repositioned itself to be able to align to the transformational plans as a way of ensuring that information was available and easily accessible to all sectors of communities.

Mr Kemoeng further indicated that BNARS had made concerted efforts to leverage on ICT by implementing the National Archives and Records Management system.

Again, he said government continued to invest in infrastructure as it intended to construct two specialised records centres in Gaborone and Ghanzi as part of the two-year Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP), which was to end in the 2024/2025 financial year.

He said records centres were not ordinary buildings for keeping records and archives but futuristic and iconic buildings that will also represent the documentary and cultural heritage in its entirety.

“Once the facilities are complete, they will increase accessibility and safekeeping of information, the results of which will be felt in the affected communities as they will be able to have easy access to information in their localities,” he added.

Furthermore, he said BNARS had been given the authority to collect, preserve and facilitate access to the nation’s documentary heritage.

It also provides direction in the management of public sector records by developing standards procedures and providing professional advice and guidance. ENDS