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1. www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk Records Management A Strategic Toolkit Alan Cameron Records Management Consultant

2. What is Records Management? Records management is a process for the systematic management of information recorded on all media; traditionally paper but increasingly in electronic systems. It encompasses the whole life cycle of information from creation through to final disposal. Based on the principles of regular review and controlled retention or destruction the general aim is to ensure cost-effective business processes, legal and regulatory compliance and good practice.

3. Permanent Record The Archive Processing >10% Information creation Semi-current information Final Review Time-Limited current information Processing 90%+ Transactional information Destroy destroyed as updated

4. Why is Records Management Necessary Now? • - HE and FE operate in a complex legal and regulatory environment • - The FOI Act is aimed at increasing organisational openness • - Increasingly litigious society -actions must be traceable • - Demand for Improved Corporate Governance in Education • - Institutionalising corporate memory • staff turnover • regular organisational change within HE/FE • - Need to be transparent in decision-making processes

5. What Records Management Offers • -Only the right information is created in the first place • -Information is kept as long as is necessary and no longer • -Information can be retrieved in a controlled and timely manner • -Information is secure

6. Specific Drivers • -FOI and Data Protection • -Other Legislation • -Spotlight on Corporate Governance • Turnbull report • -TQA • -Research Quality • -Risk Management and Disaster Planning • -Financial Audit • -New Technology

7. Why Records Management?

8. Steps to Good Records Management 1 • Senior Management • - Assign overall responsibility for RM to senior member of Management team • Commission an Audit of existing practice and business processes • Develop a Records Management Policy for the Institution • Allocate appropriate resources to implement policy

9. Steps to Goods Records Management 2 • The Records Manager -May well also cover FOI and DP roles in small colleges -Ensures policy covers the following • Filing classification schemes • Retention schedules • Storage and maintenance of records • Final disposition---historical archive or controlled destruction • Monitors Codes of Practice and new legislation/regulation - Communicates

10. Steps to Good Records Management3 • Every Member of Staff • -be aware of their responsibilities under DP and FoI • -be aware that after 2005 their files may be open to public inspection • -regularly engage in ‘good housekeeping’ disposals according to the retention schedules • -keep an accurate record of activities

11. The Information Audit • Objectives • -To establish organisational structure • -To Identify which functions create which records • -Identify what records are used for. • -Where they are kept and by whom • -How long they are kept and how long they should be kept

12. The Information Audit • Method • -Functional Analysis of business structure • -JISC Study of the Records Life Cycle http://www.jisc.ac.uk/recman • -Questionnaire • -Interview key members of staff

13. The Information Audit • Outputs • -Detailed Map of information/records location • -Core series of retention schedules • -Access Control/ Information Security • -Identify material for inclusion in Publication Scheme

14. Further Information • Links and Further Reference Material are included seperately in the packs

15. Thank You www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk