How to manage your information

Thorough planning is essential for good information management.

• Machinery of Government and organisational change
• Departmental Record Officer
• Records management code
• Information principles
• Knowledge principles
• Guiding principles
• Planning tips
• Requirements for an offsite store

Our Information Management Assessment (IMA) programme provides government departments and public bodies with an independent and bespoke assessment of how well they are managing their information.

• Introduction to the Section 46 Code and Maturity Assessment Tool
• Introduction to the Digital Appraisal, Selection and Sensitivity Review Maturity Assessment Tool
• M365 KIM Maturity Self-Assessment Tool

These pages provide guidance on the selection and transfer of records.

• Step 1: Appraising your records
• Step 2: Selecting your records
• Step 3: Sensitivity reviews of selected records
• Step 4: Cataloguing and preparation of records
• Step 5: Planning and arranging delivery of records
• Step 6: Accessioning your records
• Borrowing accessioned records
• Glossary of record selection and transfer terms

The National Archives receives transfers of any digital formats.

• Transfer Digital Records (TDR)
• Born-digital records and metadata
• Digital transfer steps
• Further guidance and forms for digital transfer
• File formats for transfer

The National Archives is tackling the challenges of digital preservation, ensuring continued access to digital information in the future.

• Our role
• Digitisation
• Guidance
• Download DROID: file format identification tool
• Research and collaboration

Public inquiries investigate issues of serious public concern, scrutinising past decisions and events. It is therefore crucial that information created or used during the course of an inquiry is managed to ensure its survival for future policy makers and researchers.

• Roles and responsibilities
• Information management policy
• Filing structures
• Technical considerations
• Creating an official inquiry website
• Copyright and ownership
• Appraise records
• Sensitivity review
• Prepare records for transfer
• Top tips for good inquiry management

To realise the value of your information you need a combination of policies, process, tools and technology that take account of legislative and business requirements.

• Disposing of records
• Managing digital continuity
• Managing digital records without an EDRMS
• Managing emails
• Managing Private Office records
• Legal obligations for transfer
• Reviewing records management in government
• Reviewing digital records management in government

Public records from Magistrates’ Courts, Coroners’ Courts, Prisons, NHS organisations, Coastguards and other local Public Records Bodies are required to be transferred to the appointed local Places of Deposit.

You should have a clear understanding of the information risks that face your organisation, including cyber threats.

• Information security
• Exporting and transferring electronic data
• Planning for machinery of government change
• What to do with digital records and information
• What to do with paper records and information
• Transferring knowledge and information
• Organisational status change
• Private office and parliamentary considerations
• Complying with legislation
• Security considerations

Find resources providing guidance on keeping your information secure and managing information risk.