Development of a web-based record management system for primary cooperative societies in Tanzania: a case of Kilimanjaro region

Abstract

Co-operative societies in Tanzania play a vital role in the country's economic development, serving as a means to combat poverty and enhance members' economic prospects. However, the current in-house methods of documentation and record-keeping in co-operatives poses challenges for stakeholders such as District Co-operative Offices (DCOs), Regional Co- operative Offices (RCOs), the registrar of co-operatives, and researchers. Manual processes or limited-access summary reports hinder real-time data availability for management and decision making. This study addressed these challenges by developing a Centralized Record Management System (CRMS) for District Co-operative Offices and their members. To collect user requirements, administered questionnaire was used among District Co-operative Offices (DCOs). the Registrar of cooperatives and researchers in the co-operative arena. The study revealed that both hard and soft copies were used for record’s keeping purposes interchangeably. Physical files such as clip and spring files, as well as file cabinets, were commonly used for storing hard copies, while electronic files in various formats (e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, pdf, and images) were employed for digital record-keeping. Both manual tools (pens and papers) and electronic tools (computers, smartphones, and cameras) were used for data processing. Following careful analysis of user requirements, CRMS was designed and implemented using a Joint Application Development Model incorporating an Evolutionary Prototyping (EP). The developed CRMS facilitates online registration and approval of cooperative societies, reporting of cooperative data to the DCO, DRCO and Registrar, and disseminate the generated cooperative reports to the stakeholders. By implementing the CRMS, primary co-operative societies can benefit from streamlined processes and improved access to data, ultimately fostering their growth and contributing to a more transparence and thriving co-operative sector.