RECORDS MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN LIMPOPO

1. RECORDS MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN LIMPOPO SOUTH AFRICAN RECORDS MANAGERS’ FORUM 15-16 NOVEMBER 2007 REGINA MAKHUVELE TRANSVERSAL RECORDS MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF THE PREMIER

2. RECORDS MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN LIMPOPO PRESENTATION OUTLINE • Background • Challenges • Interventions • Achievements • Lessons Learnt • Way forward

3. Background • Limpopo is one of the nine provinces in South Africa. • Geographically Limpopo is situated in the northern eastern part of our country, sharing International boarders with Botswana,Zimbabwe and Mozambique and national boarders with the North West,Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces. • It has the population of about 5.27million which translate into 12% of the countries population, with the number of public servants currently standing at 112 900.

4. Background • Amalgamation of 4 former administrations • Comprises • 11 Eleven Provincial Departments - Districts, Sub-Districts and 41 hospitals • The Office of the Premier • Centre for coordination and planning • Transversal Records Management Unit • Coordinate the management of Records across departments

5. Background As a result of the amalgamation • Functions and staff were transferred to newly established departments • There were policies and plans to guide the transfer of functions and staff • No plan/guidance to determine responsibility for records management

6. Challenges Registry Function was in a state of collapse • Records were in disarray - • Huge backlog accumulated • Information incomplete and outdated • Files misplaced- could not be located • Insufficient resources • Inadequate staff to manage records • Lack of records offices • Dilapidated records storages • Insufficient budget [District offices and institutions were hard hit]

7. Challenges Records Management Challenges • Service delivery compromised • Delay in processing of employee benefits [pension, leave gratuity] • Insufficient institution memory • Non-Compliance • Lack of records to serve as evidence • Audit queries • Non-adherence to National Minimum Information Requirements

8. Interventions The Provincial Administration developed and approved a Strategy to Restore the Integrity of Records : November 2000. Strategy recommended the following solutions: • Establishment of a project to immediately respond to challenges of records management. • Establishment Records Management Function • Automation of records management systems through the implementation of IDRMS [ECM]

9. InterventionsProject to Update Manual Records Project to Update Manual Records Aims • Improve the status of paper-based records Objective • Establish basic registry function in each department • Address loose filing Scope • Human Resource Records • Extended to cover general records Project Sponsors • Integrated Provincial Support Programme [foreign funding] and the • Office of the Premier Management • Transversal Records Management and Departments

10. InterventionsProject to Update Manual Records Project Implementation [2001-2006] • Project piloted in two Districts [Departments: Education, Public Works, Agriculture and Health and Social Development] • Piloting done with the assistant of Consultants, the DPSA [2001] and 145 temporary staff. • Best practices were documented with the aim of developing a best practice guide to be utlised during the Project roll-out • Project roll-out to all departments and covered all records during 2002-2006 [done without consultants] with assistance of 380 temporary employees

11. InterventionsEstablishment of RM Units The structure of the Transversal Records Management Unit:

12. InterventionsEstablishment of RM Units Model : Departmental Records Management Structure Below Deputy Manager level- are various posts at operational levels

13. Achievements Project to Update Manual Records: [2001-2006] • Backlog on loose filing addressed • Functional registries [HR, General and Patients Records] established. • Records storage facilities improved • Spacious registry space • Moveable bulk filing cabinets supplied, including versatile boxes and file plastic containers • Best Practice Model developed and implemented

14. Achievements Establishment of Records Management Units HOD Resolution: 2003 to establish records management units in Departments. Resolution implemented as follows: • RM Units created during 2003-2006 in all departments • 8 Departments have Records Managers at level 13 • 3 Departments – Records Managers at level 11/12 RM Units also created at districts offices and hospitals [level 9-12] • All departments appointed Records Managers • The process of filling the posts is on-going [about 60% of 950 posts are filled]

15. Achievements • Policy, Procedure and Record Keeping Systems

16. Achievements Promotion of Access to Information • PAIA implementation with effect from 2001- Launched in 2002 • Published an article on PAIA in the InterNews [provincial magazine] • Guidelines developed in 2005 • Highlights: 2007 • - Won the Openness and Responsiveness Award • [Dept. of Health and Social Dev.]

17. Achievements • Records Management/DIO Forum establish in 2004 and launched in 2005 • purpose • to co-ordinate records management and PAIA implementation • to monitor and evaluate the progress made with each implementation; • to satisfy the need for intervention; • to serve as a centre of records management knowledge in the province • To promote Records Management profession

18. Achievements Through the Records Managers’ Forum the following were achieved: • Developed training manuals • Process of developing disaster recovery plans • Identified vital records [all departments] • Developed inventory • Coordinated the development of departmental RM Business Plans • Developed Provincial General Disposal Authorities Policy Guidelines

19. Achievements ENTERPRISE CONTENT MANAGEMENT Inception : September 2006 Scope : 11 Departments • User Requirements Specifications conducted. • Report approved. • Solution Design Specification • Document being finalised

20. Lessons Learned • Executive management buy-in and support • Meaningful structures and dedicated records staff to work with records- • Appointment of Records Managers at SMS level • Provision of Budget for the Programme

21. Way Forward • Intensify the training and awareness on Records Management and PAIA • Extend the RM Forum to Municipal level • Implementation of the remaining ECM Phases

22. END Inkomu Merci