Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh

Viviane Frings-Hessami; Md Khalid Hossain; Joy Bhowmik; Jemima Jahan Meem

doi:10.1002/pra2.777

Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh

Viviane Frings-Hessami
, Md Khalid Hossain
, Joy Bhowmik
, Jemima Jahan Meem

Department of Human Centred Computing

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Records play an important role in supporting business activities and in ensuring accountability in all types of organisations. However, recordkeeping research has mostly focused on the government sector and on large organisations. Little attention has been paid to small organisations which have limited resources to create and manage the records that they are required to produce and the records that could support their engagement in diversified activities. In this paper, we report the findings from 16 focus group discussions with community-based organisations in Bangladesh which are in the process of transitioning from informal to registered organisations and, in order to do so, must formalise their recordkeeping practices. We discuss the recordkeeping needs and capabilities of these organisations and the recordkeeping problems that they are experiencing. We argue that it is important to support the development of a recordkeeping culture as part of capacity-building in these organisations so that they can function effectively and be sustainable.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology
Editors	Ian Ruthven, Heather O'Brien
Place of Publication	Leesburg VA USA
Publisher	The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
Pages	156-165
Number of pages	10
Volume	60
Edition	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.777
Publication status	Published - Oct 2023
Event	Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting 2023 - London, United Kingdom Duration: 27 Oct 2023 → 31 Oct 2023 https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23739231 (Proceedings) https://www.asist.org/am23/ (Website)

Conference

Conference	Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting 2023
Abbreviated title	ASIS&T 2023
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	London
Period	27/10/23 → 31/10/23
Internet address	https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23739231 (Proceedings) https://www.asist.org/am23/ (Website)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Keywords

Bangladesh
Community-based organizations
Recordkeeping culture
Recordkeeping practices

Access to Document

10.1002/pra2.777

Cite this

Frings-Hessami, V., Hossain, M. K., Bhowmik, J., & Meem, J. J. (2023). Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh. In I. Ruthven, & H. O'Brien (Eds.), Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology (1 ed., Vol. 60, pp. 156-165). The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T). https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.777

Frings-Hessami, Viviane ; Hossain, Md Khalid ; Bhowmik, Joy et al. / Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. editor / Ian Ruthven ; Heather O'Brien. Vol. 60 1. ed. Leesburg VA USA : The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), 2023. pp. 156-165

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title = "Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh",

abstract = "Records play an important role in supporting business activities and in ensuring accountability in all types of organisations. However, recordkeeping research has mostly focused on the government sector and on large organisations. Little attention has been paid to small organisations which have limited resources to create and manage the records that they are required to produce and the records that could support their engagement in diversified activities. In this paper, we report the findings from 16 focus group discussions with community-based organisations in Bangladesh which are in the process of transitioning from informal to registered organisations and, in order to do so, must formalise their recordkeeping practices. We discuss the recordkeeping needs and capabilities of these organisations and the recordkeeping problems that they are experiencing. We argue that it is important to support the development of a recordkeeping culture as part of capacity-building in these organisations so that they can function effectively and be sustainable.",

keywords = "Bangladesh, Community-based organizations, Recordkeeping culture, Recordkeeping practices",

author = "Viviane Frings-Hessami and Hossain, \{Md Khalid\} and Joy Bhowmik and Meem, \{Jemima Jahan\}",

note = "Funding Information: The findings from our research show many limitations in the recordkeeping practices of the community‐based organisations due to a lack of resources and skills to manage records. Their recordkeeping systems are mostly paper‐based and ad‐hoc and they do not have a formal strategy for creating, capturing and preserving records. As the community‐based organisations were formed during projects supported by NGOs, they received a lot of assistance from the NGOs with the activities they performed, including with keeping records of these activities. Their transition towards registered organisations near the end of the funded projects was also supported by the NGOs. From that time onwards, they had to start creating and keeping more records because they were required to present a number of records when applying for registration and to keep those records since they could be audited. For grassroots organisations, records required for registration as cooperatives included a list of members, a resolution book, copies of the identity cards of committee members, photos of leaders, and bank account papers showing a positive balance. After registration, they must keep those records and keep a resolution book, meeting minutes, attendance sheets with signatures, and evidence of all financial transactions. Youth organisations who wanted to register with the Department of Youth Development also needed a constitution and a membership policy. After registration, they must keep all the records they presented for registration, hold frequent meetings and keep evidence of the events they organise and of all their financial transactions. The registration process was supported by the local cooperatives and youth development officials and by the local NGOs which advised them on the records that they needed to create and keep, their format and their content. After registration, the cooperatives can provide micro loans to their members and the youth organisations can apply for funding to organise events, all of which require the creation and management of more records and better recordkeeping practices. Publisher Copyright: 86 Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science \& Technology | Oct. 27 – 31, 2023 | London, United Kingdom. Author(s) retain copyright, but ASIS\&T receives an exclusive publication license.; Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting 2023, ASIS\&T 2023 ; Conference date: 27-10-2023 Through 31-10-2023",

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Frings-Hessami, V , Hossain, MK, Bhowmik, J & Meem, JJ 2023, Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh. in I Ruthven & H O'Brien (eds), Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 1 edn, vol. 60, The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), Leesburg VA USA, pp. 156-165, Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting 2023, London, United Kingdom, 27/10/23. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.777

Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh. / Frings-Hessami, Viviane ; Hossain, Md Khalid; Bhowmik, Joy et al.
Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. ed. / Ian Ruthven; Heather O'Brien. Vol. 60 1. ed. Leesburg VA USA: The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), 2023. p. 156-165.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research › peer-review

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T1 - Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh

AU - Frings-Hessami, Viviane

AU - Hossain, Md Khalid

AU - Bhowmik, Joy

AU - Meem, Jemima Jahan

N1 - Funding Information: The findings from our research show many limitations in the recordkeeping practices of the community‐based organisations due to a lack of resources and skills to manage records. Their recordkeeping systems are mostly paper‐based and ad‐hoc and they do not have a formal strategy for creating, capturing and preserving records. As the community‐based organisations were formed during projects supported by NGOs, they received a lot of assistance from the NGOs with the activities they performed, including with keeping records of these activities. Their transition towards registered organisations near the end of the funded projects was also supported by the NGOs. From that time onwards, they had to start creating and keeping more records because they were required to present a number of records when applying for registration and to keep those records since they could be audited. For grassroots organisations, records required for registration as cooperatives included a list of members, a resolution book, copies of the identity cards of committee members, photos of leaders, and bank account papers showing a positive balance. After registration, they must keep those records and keep a resolution book, meeting minutes, attendance sheets with signatures, and evidence of all financial transactions. Youth organisations who wanted to register with the Department of Youth Development also needed a constitution and a membership policy. After registration, they must keep all the records they presented for registration, hold frequent meetings and keep evidence of the events they organise and of all their financial transactions. The registration process was supported by the local cooperatives and youth development officials and by the local NGOs which advised them on the records that they needed to create and keep, their format and their content. After registration, the cooperatives can provide micro loans to their members and the youth organisations can apply for funding to organise events, all of which require the creation and management of more records and better recordkeeping practices. Publisher Copyright: 86 Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology | Oct. 27 – 31, 2023 | London, United Kingdom. Author(s) retain copyright, but ASIS&T receives an exclusive publication license.

PY - 2023/10

Y1 - 2023/10

N2 - Records play an important role in supporting business activities and in ensuring accountability in all types of organisations. However, recordkeeping research has mostly focused on the government sector and on large organisations. Little attention has been paid to small organisations which have limited resources to create and manage the records that they are required to produce and the records that could support their engagement in diversified activities. In this paper, we report the findings from 16 focus group discussions with community-based organisations in Bangladesh which are in the process of transitioning from informal to registered organisations and, in order to do so, must formalise their recordkeeping practices. We discuss the recordkeeping needs and capabilities of these organisations and the recordkeeping problems that they are experiencing. We argue that it is important to support the development of a recordkeeping culture as part of capacity-building in these organisations so that they can function effectively and be sustainable.

AB - Records play an important role in supporting business activities and in ensuring accountability in all types of organisations. However, recordkeeping research has mostly focused on the government sector and on large organisations. Little attention has been paid to small organisations which have limited resources to create and manage the records that they are required to produce and the records that could support their engagement in diversified activities. In this paper, we report the findings from 16 focus group discussions with community-based organisations in Bangladesh which are in the process of transitioning from informal to registered organisations and, in order to do so, must formalise their recordkeeping practices. We discuss the recordkeeping needs and capabilities of these organisations and the recordkeeping problems that they are experiencing. We argue that it is important to support the development of a recordkeeping culture as part of capacity-building in these organisations so that they can function effectively and be sustainable.

KW - Bangladesh

KW - Community-based organizations

KW - Recordkeeping culture

KW - Recordkeeping practices

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DO - 10.1002/pra2.777

M3 - Conference Paper

AN - SCOPUS:85174635701

VL - 60

SP - 156

EP - 165

BT - Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology

A2 - Ruthven, Ian

A2 - O'Brien, Heather

PB - The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)

CY - Leesburg VA USA

T2 - Association for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting 2023

Y2 - 27 October 2023 through 31 October 2023

ER -

Frings-Hessami V , Hossain MK, Bhowmik J, Meem JJ. Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh. In Ruthven I, O'Brien H, editors, Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 1 ed. Vol. 60. Leesburg VA USA: The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T). 2023. p. 156-165 doi: 10.1002/pra2.777

Development of a recordkeeping culture in community-based organisations in Bangladesh

Abstract

Conference

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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