Planning for machinery of government change

If the transfer of information between organisations is not managed effectively there are considerable risks that vital information could be lost and that organisations will fail to comply with information legislation, therefore it is important that organisations plan for machinery of government changes.

A wide range of information needs to be considered when planning for a machinery of government change:

  • paper files – relevant paper records, including personnel and index file
  • digital information, including documents held on shared drives, contacts, databases, CRM systems, emails, information stored in Electronic Document and Records Management Systems (EDRMS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), case management systems and datasets
  • relevant publications, guidance or training manuals and procedural information, whether in hard copy or digital format
  • system and contract information
  • knowledge held informally in personal folders or not written down

Risks of poor management and how good management and transfer of information and records can help.

What both organisations affected by the machinery of government change should do.

Both the transferring and receiving organisations will need a project management team who should manage the change and oversee the transfer of people and functions.

Transferring information is a complex and demanding project, so it is vital that there is a clear plan and it is managed well.