IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ARCHIVING SYSTEM AT THE HOUSING AND SETTLEMENT AREAS OFFICE (PERKIM) OF BANDA ACEH CITY

Abstract

Archival records management is a fundamental component of public administration because it preserves institutional memory, supports accountability, and enables the efficient retrieval of information. This qualitative descriptive study examines the implementation of the archiving system at the Regional Housing and Settlement Areas Office (PERKIM) of Banda Aceh City, with the aim of describing current archival practices, identifying the obstacles that hinder effective record-keeping, and examining the measures taken by the office to address these obstacles. Data were collected through library research, in-depth interviews, direct observation, and documentation study conducted from January to March 2026 at the General Affairs and Human Resources Subdivision of PERKIM Banda Aceh. The findings show that the archiving practices carried out by the office are generally consistent with established archival theory, covering the creation, storage, retrieval, transfer, and disposal of records in accordance with the applicable standard operating procedure; however, their implementation has not yet reached an optimal level of effectiveness. The main obstacles identified were the limited number of staff with formal archival or administrative education, the absence of a formal decree appointing a designated records officer, and inadequate storage facilities that constrain the development of a digital archiving system. As a result, records continued to accumulate and required ongoing improvement. The study concludes that PERKIM Banda Aceh needs to strengthen staff competency through archival training, formally appoint personnel responsible for records management, and improve its storage infrastructure to support a more effective and sustainable archiving system.