National Policy for Digital Transformation in Archiving: Towards Effective Electronic Management of Archival Documents (A Case Study of the Civil Registry – Misrata)

Abstract

This research aims to examine the impact of the national digital transformation policy on the development of the electronic archiving system within Libyan government institutions, through an applied study on the Civil Status Registry in Misrata. The study comes in the context of the global trend towards digitization, enhancing e-governance, and improving the efficiency of government document management. The descriptive analytical approach was adopted, with data collected via a field questionnaire distributed to a sample of 35 employees out of the 50 who represent the study population. Data were analyzed using statistical tools such as Cronbach’s alpha for reliability and the Pearson test, with the goal of measuring awareness, technical readiness, and human resource efficiency towards digital transformation.

The results showed that implementing the national digital transformation policy has contributed to improving the archiving process and reducing dependence on paper documents, as well as enhancing administrative work efficiency and speeding up access to information. Nevertheless, the study revealed challenges related to weak technical infrastructure, insufficient regulatory legislation, and a lack of training and financial support. The findings also demonstrated a strong and significant positive correlation between digital transformation and the effectiveness of electronic archiving (correlation coefficient = 0.874).

The study concludes that digital transformation in archiving represents a strategic option to achieve transparency and good governance in Libyan public administration, and that the success of the national policy requires the integration of advanced infrastructure, qualified human resources, and supportive legal frameworks. The researchers recommend the development of a unified national plan for digital archiving, enhancement of cybersecurity measures, provision of ongoing training programs for staff, and the establishment of a permanent national committee for digital archiving to oversee the implementation and monitoring of national policies in this area. This study represents an important scientific contribution to understanding the reality of digital transformation in Libya and helps lay the scientific foundations for the development of public administration in line with the requirements of the digital age