IRMT : an approach to building excellence in Electronic Records Management in English-speaking Africa

Doctor Anne Thurston established the International Records Management Trust in 1989 to  develop and share solutions internationally through research and development, capacity building and consultancy services.

During the late nineties, in cooperation with ICA, IRMT developed a resources pack including courses, training materials, and a procedure manual to help building competencies in Electronic Records Management. These resources are available on line, on the IRMT web site, and can also be sent by cd with a request to the Trust.

Now focusing on Southern and Eastern Africa, the Trust seeks to develop a new approach. Its efforts aim to establish a Centre of Excellence for the Management of Electronic Records to serve regional needs. It would be a way to raise awareness, and it would help governments to build skills and knowledge.

The Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) in Kampala, Uganda has agreed to host this Centre.  This is a great opportunity, as the Centre is owned by ten countries and will be used by others, and as it will be a reference for Sub-Saharan Africa education.

EASTARBICA is partner in the project. The Trust hopes to establish partnerships with universities and work closely with the National Archives of the countries concerned.

While they hope to provide free training to archivists in public institutions, at the moment lack of funding has kept the Centre from opening its doors.