Efficiency and effectiveness of the integrated case management system in reducing manual task: the case of Bindura civil court

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of the integrated electronic case management system at Bindura Civil Court in Zimbabwe. The study was qualitative in nature and adopted the interpretivist qualitative philosophy. A case study design was employed as the main research strategy. The target population consisted of court officials, administrative workers at the court and service users who interact with the IECMS on a daily basis. These included: magistrates, court clerks, administrative staff and IT personnel responsible for implementing, managing and maintaining the system.The study employed one data collection method which is the in-depth interview where the researcher administered the guide to the participants during the interviews.This study used a sample consisting of 2 magistrates, 2 court clerks, 4 lawyers and 2 IT personnel. The sample also consisted of 10 legal clients (service users) from the Bindura community who have used the service once or more. The study found out that reduction in manual tasks, time efficiency and accurate records management are some of the benefits of the system that came from the results of the findings in the study. The study revealed out that technical challenges and lack of adequate training were some of the challenges that are faced in the utilisation of the system at Bindura Civil Court. Moreover, the study discovered that capacity building and training and user awareness and support were some of the measures that can be used to improve this novel digital case management system at Bindura Civil Court. The study concluded that the IECMS is a system that has the potential to largely improve the court system and delivery of service in Zimbabwe and the world over. The study recommends that the law society of Zimbabwe should advocate more for the usage of the IECMS and that the judicial service commission should embrace the use of this system on a full scale.