By Aminata Kuyateh
National Records Service under the Personnel Management Office has held its 18th in-service training programme for records personnel funded by the Government of the Gambia.
The program, held at GTMI campus in Kanifing, targeted thirty-two participants from various institutions across the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, director of NRS, Elizabeth Bahoum-Mendy, said they are the ambassadors of the national records service and they are challenged to manage government information resources effectively and efficiently.
The guest speaker of the ceremony, Pateh Jah, PS at PMO, said records play a crucial role in decision making process and help keep track of events which are essential for organisations to operate effectively.
“Records play vital role in preservation of organisation’s identity and contribute significantly in the realisation of good governance,” he said.
“Properly managed records contribute to policy formulations and implementation. It serves as a tool for management,
accountability, operational continuity and legal evidence, “he added.
He said the ongoing Commission of Inquiry wouldn’t achieve its objective without the documents or records available before them.
He added that records facilitate organisational efficiency as well as help researchers, practitioners to understand the genesis of institutions and facilitate institutional straightening through knowledge creation and management.
“In this regard what it takes is for them to know the ethics of their profession and apply the standard required.”
He said they have a long way on road to modernising their records system but they are on the right track, especially with the efforts taken to introduce electronic records management system.
