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What is records management?
Records management is ensuring the proper maintenance of a record´s lifecycle. From a record´s creation and day-to-day use, to its eventual disposition, procedures have to be put into place for the effective control of information about the record and the record itself. Records management covers all media such as paper records and electronic records.
Tools used in records management may include file plans, indexes, classification schemes and security measures. A schedule may also be used to inform the retention and disposition of records.
A good records management system will ensure that a record can be easily retrieved for use and is both accurate and up to date. It will also provide an audit trail, which will ensure a record´s accountability for legal admissibility purposes, as well as for any statutory obligations, such as in the Public Records Act, Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act. Good records management will also aid the archivist in identifying records for permanent preservation at the end of their lifecycles.
We provide extensive advice and guidance on records management for central government and the wider public sector on our website in the section for Records Management and Electronic Records Management. The more generic advice can be used as a reference tool by all those employed in or learning about records management whatever the sector or type of records being managed.
In the National Advisory Service we cooperate with international colleagues on the development of standards and guidance for our records management. Our main focus is on electronic records management. This work is delivered through the Records Management Advisory Service.
