A SURVEY OF THE FILING PROCEDURES IN THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH ENUGU
ABSTRACT
    This study is on the survey of filing procedures in the Federal Ministry of Health.
    The researcher carried out research on Federal Ministry of Health Enugu.  Questionnaire were distributed to the respondents from where data was obtained for the study.  The researcher attired at the following.
1.    People who are not to have access to the files handle them.
2.    Filing staff are not trained files are not properly checked before they are released.
    Based on the above findings, the researcher also went on to make the following recommendations
1.    Staff who have the responsibility for files and filing should be trained
2.    Rules and procedures should follow strictly to make for efficient in office.
3.    The filing system adopted should be cleared defined.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.1    Background of the study                   
1.2    Statement of the problem                
1.3    Objective of the Study          
1.4    Significance of the study                 
1.5    Scope of the study                        
CHAPTER TWO
Review of literature                     
2.1    Concept of filing                       
2.2    Rules and procedure in filing           
2.3    Efficiency of filing in the office           
2.4    Need for training filing staff                
2.5    Filing as secretary essential job                
2.6    Summary of related reviewed literature     
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology                             
3.1    Research design                         
3.2    Area of study                           
3.3    Population of the study                    
3.4    Sample and sampling procedure          
3.5    Instrument for data collection             
3.6    Validation of the research instrument             
3.7    Reliability of the research instrument      
3.8    Method of administration                 
3.9    Method of data analysis                 
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation and Results                 
CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion, Implication Recommendation            
5.1    Summary of Result                     
5.2    Discussion of Result                
5.3    Conclusions                          
5.4    Recommendation                     
5.5    Suggestions for further Research            
5.6    Limitation of the Study                       
References                               
Appendix                              

CHAPTER ONE
1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
    The correspondences and records of a ministry or a department are essential to its successful operation and every paper must be filed so that it can be found when required.  A document is lost when it cannot be found when required.  This leads to serious consequences on business efficiency.
    Documents should be kept if they are to have future use filing is the basis of record keeping.  It means the enclosure of letters and other vital documents in a folder to pressure them for future reference.  A file is made up of letters received and dispatched minutes, instructions, rulings reports etc.  The essence of a file is that it should contain all the relevant matters relating to one subject matter only so that when the file is taken up for future reference, the whole story is there.
    Papers and other vital documents e.g, plans, maps, certificates etc, which are in the file mainly for ease of reference, should never be left loose in the file.  Such documents should be kept in an envelope gummed at the back cover of the file.
    The first essential feature of filing is that once document if filed it should be found than to put it in wrong place.  Filing is one of the important duties in the ministries and departments.  Filing is so important that organization call in consultant to give advice on the system and method of filing required for the efficiency of the office.
    Secretaries who are knowledge able in the rules and procedures would be given free hands to direct filing clerks and the mail room.
    Filing is carried out for two primary reasons.
To preserve correspondence and other documents ie, keep them tidy and clean.   To have the information contained in the papers available for quick and easy future reference.
    There are many types of filing system which include.
    The book system
    The split system
    The flat system
    The box system
But the main ones in use in government offices are the book and split systems.
The book file system:    This is the method whereby letters and minutes are enclosed from the left hand side, face to cover, in chronological order and are numbered in the same fashion as a book.  The first page is the oldest paper in the file and each page of the file on which there is a written material is numbered.
The split file system:    This is the method of filing whereby all minutes are put on the left hand side of the file and separately numbered, while the correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, is placed on the right hand side and numbered consecutively from the bottom to the top as in a book.
Opening of files:    When no existing file is suitable for the subject of a newly received letter, it is necessary to open a new file.  The principle of filing is that there should not be more than one file on the same subject.  When opening a new file careful consideration must be given to the title of the file.  The matter should be defined as closely as possible.  So that no file deals with a wide range of subjects.  The file title should be concise relevant no normally exceeding ten words in length.  The subject matter of the file must be entered by the clerk opening the file in an appropriate file register and given the next number.
File tags:    The enclosures in a file are secured by means of a tag, known as an “India tag, having a metal close bar at each end.  The papers to be enclosed are punch-holed and the metal end of the tag slipped through the hole.
Punching of holes:    Papers should be carefully thoughtfully punched one in from either side of the top left hand corner of the paper.  The top hole of the file jacket should also be punched one inch from the top edge and from the back fold.  On no account should the tag be pushed through an enclosure without first punching a hole in and pasting a reinforcement paper.
Page Numbering:    Every page in a file with something written or typed on it must be numbered consecutively in the top corner nearest the outside edge.  All papers with the exception of enclosures to letters, must be numbered in red pencil; enclosures or attachments to letters are numbered in blue, pencil.  Where lengthy reports or pamphlets are enclosed in a file as a permanent record, the front cover of the document only should be numbered.
Cross Referencing:    If reference is made in a letter to another document, which is either in the same file or in another file, the number of the page or the file and page where the document referred to can be found, should be indicated in red ink or red pencil in the left margin of the letter immediately opposite where the reference appears in the context.  This is known as a “Backward reference” and should made for all references quoted in the letter.
Filing is one of the activities in the record management programme.  It is defined as a systematic arrangement and keeping of business correspondence and records so that they may be found and delivered when needed for future reference.  Filing is, therefore, a form of record keeping.
    The three main objects of filing are proper arrangement of records proper sorting of records; and easy availability of records.
The importance of filing in an organization arises from the fact that a large number of papers and documents cannot be presence and handled without proper arrangement.  All future planning is done by the executives on the basis of past performance and records. Certain records are maintained under the provision of the law.  In business correspondence, a reference may be made to the previous letters, documents etc.
    In purchasing, an order may have to be followed up of a repeat order may have to be placed in which case a reference is made to old records in the event of a dispute, records provide documentary evidence.  Nothing causes more chaos in an office than unsystematic record management.  However, a good filing system ensures a systematic preservation of various types of information for various purposes.

FUNCTIONS OF THE FILING SYSTEM
    A good filing system performs the following four major functions these include:
LIBRARY FUNCTION:    This is achieved through sorting and ranging records for future use
ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION:    This is achieved through maintenance of records of previous decision which help the executive in framing business policies.
INFORMATION FUNCTION:    Filing accomplishes this function by maintaining, protecting, and supplying the various types of information for various uses and purposes.  
HISTORICAL FUNCTION:    Filing accomplishes this through the preservation in a systematic manner the important records bearing on the progress of the organization.
1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
    The filing systems have been the bane of the civil service.  The ancient and absolute system of filing pervade the entire civil service.  Some still use the box file.  In some other establishment the files are put in the ceiling and the staff use ladder to climb to the ceiling to pick the files.
    The consequences is that the files are always missing.  People who are not supposed to have access to the files handle them at will.  Information are removed from individual files.  In some cases, some staff lose their promotion because their files are not seen.  Thus a situation arise where temporary files that contain little or no information about the staff are the only thing available for that particular staff.  Some staff settle their differences by hiding their opponents files so that they cannot be promoted. The filing staff are not trained and are insensitive to any instruction to change their filing attitude to make it possible for easy tracing of files in the offices.  In view of the above the researcher decided to delve into the problem that creates malfunction ethics in the civil service filing system.
1.3    OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
    The objectives of this study include the following
1.    To identify the filing system used in the ministry of health Enugu
2.    To identify the problems of the filing system in use in the federal ministry of health
3.    To find out the causes of such problem
4.    To provide solution to these problems

1.4    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY/BENEFIT
    This project will be useful to filing clerk, senior, junior and middle management staff of federal ministry of health Enugu.
    It will be of useful to organization who will have the opportunity to read this project, and also be immensely benefit to secretaries who are responsible for filing of documents.  This study will be of immense benefit to all engaged in the study of intellectual and social phenomena.  These groups are the researchers, students and business organizations and mostly civil service.
    To the researchers, it will help use to have first hand knowledge of what research work is all about.  This study will also serves as a reference point to both under graduates during their research work.  To the civil service to know the filing system they will adopt and category of secretaries who will man the movement of files.
    Finally, this project work will also serve as a model to other researchers from other institutions of higher learning who may wish to embarks on similar study.

1.5    SCOPE OF THE STUDY
    This study covers federal ministry of health Enugu.
HYPOTHESIS
    The researcher seeks to find out the problems and solutions.
H01:    What system of filing do you practice in your office?
H02:    How often does your office experienced missing files?
H03:    How do you secure the information contained in lost files?  
Questions on the objectives
1.    What are the roles of a secretary in filing system
2.    To what extent does missing file constitute problem in the ministry.
3.    What are the impart of filing on the work of a secretary.