Records Creation And Maintenance

… promoting proper management & security of records and information The Records and Information Management Awareness Foundation (RIMA Foundation) Presents Good Business Management Through Record Creation and Maintenance

Overview Information Management Effective information and records management Definition of document Definition of record Types of Records File Plan Retention and Disposal

What is Information Management? Information Management describes the means by which an organisation create, plan, organise, control and disseminate information.

Effective records and information management Effective records and information management is extremely important. Records and Information must be kept in such a way to: Meet internal business needs. Defend the Organisation and employees against external demands. Comply with regulatory and statutory requirements. Provide evidence of a transaction or business process that is admissible in a court of law. Ensure Organisation resources (staff, information storage) are used in the most economical way to meet the objectives above.

What is a Document ? A document is work in progress. When a document is in its final form it has the possibility of becoming a record. A document can be any written, printed, recorded, magnetic, graphic matter, or other documentary material, regardless of form or characteristic.

What is a Record ? A record is “Any information created, received and maintained as evidence and/or information by an organisation or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business” (ISO 15489). A record can also be any document conveying information by any means in any medium, for example: Paper documents E-mails Maps and plans Hand written notes Invoices and contracts Audio, video or digital record

Documents and Records Individual organisation standards should dictate that when a document becomes a record the contents of that record should remain unaltered, without any deletions or revisions. When information is added to an existing hard copy record, for example by annotations, the additional information should be initialled and dated. This system provides an audit trail of revisions made, and ensures that all records remain accurate and true.

Records Creation Identify an owner and author Title the record consistently, in line with related records Quote all sources or references A large amount of records are generated within the Organisation on a daily basis; these newly created records should be subjected to a set of guidelines. Consider the following when creating new records: New records should be maintained along-side existing records. There should be a clear relationship between new and existing records. Maintaining records is a key activity. If full and accurate records are not maintained effectively, then decision-making processes will suffer within the organisation.

Types of Records There are two types of records namely: Ephemeral Records and Vital Records:

Ephemeral Records These records have no business or evidential value. Ephemeral records lose value quickly (normally after a few days) and must be disposed of on a regular basis. Examples of ephemeral records include: Simple queries to a department Invitations to meetings and conferences Rough drafts Reference copies of records retained elsewhere

Vital Records Certain records are critical to the organisation’s activities. These are known as vital records. Without these records, a department could not operate, for example highways planning teams require accurate maps of current roads and pathways. The Organisation must protect its vital records so that, in the event of a disaster, they can be recovered quickly and efficiently.

File Plan A corporate record of the Organisation must be contained in a formal structure of files. This promotes good business management and makes it easier to control the Organisation's information. This also facilitates the implementation of Freedom of Information legislation, thus making it easier to retrieve information when requested.

File Plan Cont. A file plan is a hierarchical structure of folders used as a navigational aid for the storing and retrieval of records and information. A good file plan meets the following requirements Arranges information in a way that enables quick storage and retrieval Ensures information is accessible in the long-term across the organisation and beyond Arranges information in logical groups enabling effective records management and information disclosure.

Retention and Disposal Not all records created by the Organisation are worth preserving permanently. Records held do not have an indefinite life-span and should not be kept ‘just in case’. Retention schedules will provide guidance to employees regarding what records should be kept and for how long. Records need to be retained for the following reasons: To comply with legal requirements To protect against litigation To support decision making To improve performance To document activities and decisions To provide a ‘long-term’ corporate memory Retention:

Retention and Disposal Cont. Records and information should be destroyed for the following reasons: It costs money to store records indefinitely It takes administrative effort to manage stored files If you retain them, you may need to produce them It takes up valuable office space and staff resources Disposal:

Contact Information 8, Association Avenue Ilupeju, Lagos Nigeria Phone: 01-8940451, 0802-381-9008, 0804-213-5410 Email: [email_address] Website: www.rimaw.org & www.rimafoundation.org

Records Creation And Maintenance

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