International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

The Design and Assessment of a Church Records and

Information Management System
Cris Norman P. Olipas1, Romabelle Cheline M. Sawit2, Rubelyn M. Esperon3
1
College of Information and Communications Technology, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Cabanatuan City,
Philippines
2,3
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College of Guimba, Inc., Guimba, Philippine

Abstract: Information Technology (IT) has provided an a few. Information Technology plays a vital role in optimizing
opportunity to improve the quality of processes performed in their processes in organizations and different institutions from
society's different areas. Parishes are essential components of a the different sectors of society. Countless numbers of IT
society in which spiritual development is exercised. Aside from solutions have been deployed and utilized and have
being an avenue for parishioners to express and appreciate their
significantly impacted how operations are handled. Efficiency,
religion, parishes also handle essential files and records that need
to be properly managed. Problems were encountered using the accuracy, security, and increased productivity are the benefits
manual process of data management; thus this study aimed at of having an IT solution in an organization. Today, more and
designing and assessing a Web-Based Church Records and more organizations and institutions deploy IT solutions to reap
Information Management System (CRIMS) for a Parish to the benefits and positive effects of the technology.
provide a basis for adopting an IT solution to aid in the
management of data, and produce essential information relevant The church is one of the society's sectors that handle different
for the management of the parish. The research's descriptive- kinds of data and produces various information based on their
developmental design was utilized in this study, involving thirty records. Like business organizations, parish churches need to
respondents to assess the system developed for the parish. The effectively and efficiently handle their files and records to
system was assessed based on the following criteria: Content, provide reliable results to their parishioners. Several studies
Functionality, Reliability, Understandability, and Security. about the development of a Church Information System have
Results revealed a very satisfactory rating from the respondents, been made like Kurniawan and Cassandra (2014) and Shaibu
indicating that the CRIMS can be a basis for developing a system (2018), but there is a need to conduct more studies to
for a parish.
contribute to the existing pool of information to provide
Keywords: Church Information System, Records Management knowledge and new insights. The researchers conducted this
System, Descriptive-Developmental Research study to provide new realizations and information about the
design, development, and assessment of a Church Records and
I. INTRODUCTION Information Management System.

T The advent of new technologies has brought significant

impacts on people's lives, which is evident in the different
technological solutions present from society's different areas
This study aimed to design and assess a Church Information
and Record Management System (CIRMS). Specifically, it
sought to describe the CRIMS design based on the Software
and industries. This significant impact was caused by Development Life Cycle (SDLC), which includes the
computer technology, resulting in the information revolution Planning, Analysis, Design, and Testing stages. However, the
(Deitel and Deital, 1986). Kamalov (2016) asserts that the Implementation and Maintenance Stages of the SDLC were
information revolution has brought people in the age of the not included in this study since it only covered the design,
internet in which a massive amount of data is continuously development, and assessment of an initial prototype to draw
transmitted over a communication network to different areas insights for future study. Also, it sought to assess the CRIMS
of the globe. The ability to quickly transfer data from one based on the Content, Functionality, Reliability,
point to another had opened new possibilities, including Understandability, and Security from the perspective of Parish
improving the different services, capabilities, and features of Staff and Selected Parishioners.
the establishments, institutions, and organizations that can be
found on the internet. In line with this, Brey and Soraker II. METHODOLOGY
(2009) explained that the information revolution has caused This study utilized a quantitative method of research to
inequalities in society and has created a digital divide wherein understand the design and assessment of the system.
those who have the means and capabilities to use information Specifically, it used a descriptive-developmental method to
technology effectively can enjoy its benefits while others are describe the researchers' processes to develop the CRIMS.
left behind. Advancement in technologies has positive and Developmental research covers a systematic approach in
negative impacts as cited by Sutton (2013), indicating its developing the system. It covers the design, development, and
impact on technology and education and Legg and Johnson assessment of the output (Bridle, 1989). Studies of Olipas
(2020) in psychological, social, and health of people, to name

www.rsisinternational.org Page 48
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

(2019), Olipas and Esperon (2020) and Crossman (2020) In the planning stage, the researchers gathered data through
utilized the descriptive-developmental method to understand observations of daily operations performed by the Parish
the design, development, and assessment of an I.T. solution. Church staff. Also, transactions involving parishioners were
observed and recorded to draw additional insights. Aside from
In terms of the respondents, the researchers used a purposive
observation, the researchers conducted interviews to gather
sampling technique to identify the Parish Staff and Selected
additional information. This information was essential during
Parishioners who had joined and assessed the developed
the requirements analysis in this stage. The requirements
system. Crossman (2020) mentioned that purposive sampling
gathered were part of the basis in planning how to develop the
is a type of non-probability sampling that regards the
CRIMS. To guide the researchers in utilizing their schedule
characteristics of a population and the study's objective in
and time correctly, a Gantt chart was utilized. Gantt chart is an
choosing who participates in a study. This study is essential to
effective tool that guides researchers and software developers
utilize a purposive sampling technique since the needed
in managing time and schedule. When time is managed
respondents were only Parish Staff and Selected Parishioners.
properly, the development of the system can be effectively and
In subjecting the developed system for assessment, the efficiently done.
researchers explained the study's objective and asked for the
Analysis
respondents' permission to participate in evaluating the output.
The researchers also assured the respondents that all the The analysis stage is the phase in which the researchers
gathered information was treated with the utmost collected, organized, and analyzed the requirements essential
confidentiality. After the respondents' approval, the for the system's development. Based on the planning stage
researchers presented the system and allowed them to use and results, the researchers were able to manage the stage
explore the features and capabilities of CRIMS. When the procedurally and adequately since there was a concrete plan
assessment was done, the researchers asked for additional created during the previous stage. Although the plan was
feedback for future enhancements of the system. continuously enhanced, revised, and revisited, it was still vital
in guiding the researchers on how to analyze the system
Table 1 presents the rubric used for assessing the system of the
requirements, end-user requirements, functional and non-
developed Church Records and Information Management
functional requirements, and other requirements relevant for
System.
the software development.
Table 1: Rubric for Data Analysis
This was the stage where the overall direction of the project
Numerical was identified. In developing CRIMS, it was in this stage
Qualitative Rating Verbal Description
Rating
CRIMS meets all the required
where the researchers conducted the relevant activities in
4.20 – 5.00 Very Satisfactory standards of software. Very analyzing requirements such as elicitation, validation,
minimal or no alteration is needed. specification, and verification. The outputs of this stage were
CRIMS meets almost all the then used in the next stage of the system development life
3.40 – 4.19 Satisfactory required standards of software.
Least revisions are needed.
cycle.
CRIMS meets some of the required Figure 1 presents the manual system's flow chart, while Figure
2.60 – 3.39 Fairly Satisfactory standards of software. Some
revisions are required. 2 presents the flow chart of the developed system as a result of
CRIMS fails to meet the standard of analyzing the requirements and other relevant information for
1.80 – 2.59 Unsatisfactory making software. Major changes the development of CRIMS.
are required.
CRIMS fails to meet the standard of
Very
1.00 – 1.79 making software. Needs to be
Unsatisfactory
rebuilt to oblige its purpose.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Development of the CRIMS based on the stages of the
SDLC
Planning
In undertaking software development projects, the planning
stage plays a vital role in the endeavor's overall success
(Olipas, 2019). In the planning stage, all the essential
requirements were identified, including the scope of the
project and its limitations. In the planning stage, the
researchers came up with a plan that served as a solid
foundation of what should be done to achieve the set goals. Figure 1. Flow chart of the manual process

www.rsisinternational.org Page 49
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

Figure 4. Data Flow Diagram of CRIMS

Figure 2. Flow chart of the computerized process
Testing
Design
Software Testing is a vital activity in software development.
The design stage of the Software Development Life Cycle This activity ensures that the end-product conforms to the
helps define the essential components of the proposed project. specified requirements and that developing the system's goals
It allows the researchers to construct blueprints that would and objectives are achieved. In the testing stage, the
guide them in the process of development. Olipas and researchers employed several testing activities. The
Urmatan (2019) developed a series of models and diagrams to researchers test the system's performance, back-end, front-end
aid them in developing a Disaster Preparedness Application. components, and the over-all user interface to provide a better
Also, Olipas and Villanueva (2019) performed similar user experience. Through these activities, the researchers were
activities to guide them in developing the proposed system. able to draw insights and identify rooms for improvement for
Concerning the activities they have undertaken, the present CRIMS's betterment.
researchers also developed several diagrams that would aid
them in the SDLC design stage. Use-Case Diagram and Data The Assessment on CRIMS by the Parish Staff and Selected
Flow Diagram helped the researchers fully understand the Parishioners
requirements gathered in the earlier SDLC stage. Also, it Table 2: The Assessment on CRIMS based on Contents
served as a guide in the design of the system. Figure 3 and
Figure 4 present the Use-Case Diagram and the Data Flow Item Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation
Diagram used in this study. C1 4.43 Very Satisfactory
C2 4.23 Very Satisfactory
C3 4.90 Very Satisfactory
Average 4.52
Verbal Interpretation Very Satisfactory

Table 2 shows the parish staff and parishioners' assessment of

the developed CRIMS based on its contents. The respondents
very satisfactorily agree that the system's interface was
appropriately designed with a mean rating of 4.43 and that the
text on the system are readable, allowing users to view and
understand the contents easily with a mean rating of 4.23. In
terms of contents organization, the respondents rated the
system with a mean rating of 4.90 with a very satisfactory
verbal interpretation, indicating that the CRIMS' contents were
properly organized. Overall, the CRIMS contents got an
average mean rating of 4.52 with a verbal interpretation of
very satisfactory. This result denotes that the CRIMS in terms
of its contents are very much acceptable to the parish staff and
parishioners.
Figure 3. Use-Case Diagram of CRIMS

www.rsisinternational.org Page 50
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

Table 3: The Assessment on CRIMS based on Functionality The result of the assessment on CRIMS based on
Item Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation
understandability is presented in Table 5. Results show that
the system provides a satisfactorily user-friendly interface
F1 4.20 Very Satisfactory with a mean rating of 4.10. The system can also be easily
F2 4.00 Satisfactory manipulated because using it is clear and straightforward, as
F3 4.00 Satisfactory can be seen on the mean rating of 4.83, interpreted as very
satisfactory. Lastly, the system met the user's expectations,
Average 4.10
making it easier for them to understand how to use it with a
Verbal Interpretation Satisfactory mean rating of 3.90. Overall, in terms of understandability,
CRIMS got a very satisfactory rating with an overall mean of
4.27.
Table 3 shows that the respondents viewed CRIMS’
functionality as satisfactory, with an overall mean rating of Table 6: The Assessment on CRIMS based on Security
4.10. Specifically, the system’s ability to process data to Item Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation
provide valuable information was viewed way faster than the
manual system of operating with a mean rating of 4.20, S1 4.10 Satisfactory
translated as very satisfactory. Also, results show that the S2 4.83 Very Satisfactory
system satisfactorily satisfied the users’ job requirements with S3 3.90 Satisfactory
a mean rating of 4.00. Lastly, the users thought that the system
Average 4.27
could help them satisfactorily lessen the time and efforts in
performing the parish church’s operations and activities, as Verbal Interpretation Very Satisfactory
evident in the mean rating of 4.00.
Table 4: The Assessment on CRIMS based on Reliability In terms of security, the result of the assessment on CRIMS is
Item Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation
presented in Table 6. CRIMS got a satisfactory rating with a
mean rating of 4.10 in terms of its feature of enabling
R1 4.33 Very Satisfactory password protection for information assurance and security
R2 4.06 Satisfactory mechanisms. The system only allows users to access the
R3 4.00 Satisfactory system privilege given to them, and this feature is rated as
very satisfactory with a mean rating of 4.83. Lastly, there is a
Average 4.13
restriction from the different types of users. This feature that
Verbal Interpretation Satisfactory covers the system's security function got a Satisfactory rating
with a mean rating of 3.90. In general, CRIMS's security
feature got a Very Satisfactory rating with an overall mean
Table 4 shows the parish staff and parishioners’ assessment
rating of 4.27.
results in terms of the systems’ reliability features. The
respondents viewed the system’s reliability feature to provide IV. CONCLUSION
clear and informative data as very satisfactory, evident on the
The design and assessment of the Church Records and
mean rating of 4.33. The respondents also thought that the
Information Management System (CRIMS) was the study's
system produces consistent results resulting in better system
primary goal. The researchers utilized a developmental
integrity, as evident in the mean rating of 4.06 translated as
method guided by the Software Development Life Cycle
satisfactory. Lastly, the system produces correct and
stages with the following stages: Planning, Analysis, Design,
comprehensive results resulting in a satisfactory mean rating
and Testing. The implementation stage was not covered in this
of 4.00. As a whole, the respondents viewed the system as
study. Based on the results of the assessment made by the
reliable. Thus, processes and activities performed in the office
respondents, the developed system has very satisfactorily
become more effective and efficient.
achieved good ratings in terms of Contents, Understandability,
Table 5: The Assessment on CRIMS based on Understandability and Security. On the other hand, it achieved a satisfactory
Weighted rating in terms of its Functionality and Reliability. In general,
Item Verbal Interpretation
Mean the developed CRIMS was beneficial and feasible to be
U1 4.10 Satisfactory improved and implemented in the parish.
U2 4.83 Very Satisfactory V. RECOMMENDATIONS
U3 3.90 Satisfactory
Based on the conclusions drawn, the researches came up with
Average 4.27 the following recommendations:
Verbal Interpretation Very Satisfactory
1. The developed CRIMS may serve as a starting point
in transforming the manual process into
computerized operations in the parish;

www.rsisinternational.org Page 51
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

2. The developed CRIMS may be further improved and [7] Shaibu, M. (2018). Online Church Information System. Research
Gate. Available at
analyzed considering other factors and procedures
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323018933
performed in the parish to broaden its scope and its [8] Bridle, JS. (1989). Probabilistic Interpretation of Feedforward
functionality; Classification Network Outputs, with Relationships to Statistical
3. The developers of the system may continue to Pattern Recognition. Neurocomputing—Algorithms, Architectures
and Applications, F. Fogelman-Soulie and J. Herault, eds., NATO
improve other system features to increase its
ASI Series F68, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp. 227-236, 1989. (Book
effectiveness and efficiency. style with paper title and editor)
[9] Olipas, CNP. (2019). The Development and Assessment of An
REFERENCES Online Student Affairs System with Short Message Service.
International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research. Vol.
[1] Deitel, H. and Deital, B. (1986). An Introduction to Information 8. Issue 12. December 2019. ISSN 2277-8616
Processing. ISBN 978-0-12-209005-9. Academic Press. [10] Olipas, CNP., and Esperon, R. (2020). The Design and
https://doi.org/10/1016/C2013-0-07309-4. Development of a Cashless Payment System with An Automatic
[2] Kamalov, V. (2016). Undersea Fiber Communications Systems. Identification and Data Collection (AIDC) Technology.
ISBN 978-0-12-804269-4. Academic Press. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research. Vol.
https://doi.org/10.1016/C2015-0-00778-X. 9. Issue 03. March 2020. ISSN 2277-8616
[3] Brey, P. and Soraker, JH. (2009). Philosophy of Computing and [11] Crossman, A. (2020). Understanding Purposive Sampling.
Information Technology. ISBN 978-0-444-51667-1. North ThoughtCo. Available at https://www.thoughtco.com/purposive-
Holland. sampling-3026727
[4] Sutton, B. (2013). The Effects of Technology in Society and [12] Olipas, CNP., and Villanueva, EM. (2019). Dug-Uhay: A Blood
Education. Education and Human Development Master’s Donor Finder Application. International Journal of Trend in
Thesis.192. https://digitalcommon.brockport.edu/ehd_theses/192 Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470,
[5] Legg, T., and Johnson, J. (2020). Negative Effects of Technology. Volume-4 | Issue-1, December 2019, pp.757-762,
Medical News Today. Available at URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd29678.pdf
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/negative-effects-of- [13] Olipas, CNP. And Urmatan, D. (2019). iRubwat: A Disaster
technology Preparedness Application. International Journal of Engineering
[6] Kurniawan, Y. and Cassandra, C. (2014). Development of church Applied Sciences and Technology. Vol. 4. Issue 7. ISSN 2455-
information system (A Case Study Approach). International 2143, Pages 29-34.
Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications. Vol. 8.
10.14257/ijseia.2014.8.12.19

www.rsisinternational.org Page 52