Alan
if you look at the PRO website you will find a working draft of the Lord
Chancellor's code of practice on records management, to be issued under
clause 45 of the FOI Bill. The code sets out the basic elements of records
management to be put in place by all public authorities covered by the FOI
Bill - and that basically means the public sector. The Information
Commissioner will enforce it (clauses 46-47), consulting the Keeper of
Public Records in respect of public record bodies, and I think we can expect
her to take her responsibilities seriously.
I think you will find this concentrates the mind of your authority!
By the way, we at the PRO have been charged with preparing model action
plans for reaching compliance with the code. We are working on one for
central government at present - it is due for completion by the end of the
year.
I am sure others can let you see their RM policy documents but if it helps I
can send you three anonymised model policy documents that I have acquired
for the purposes of the ISO Technical Report that will complement the ISO
Records Management Standard ISO 15489 (currently out as a draft for voting
and comment). I have one for a government department (oz origin), one for a
university (UK origin) and one for a business. I'll send them direct, not
to the list.
Susan Healy
PRO
> ----------
> From: Alice Lock[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 11 September 2000 22:27
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Records management quandry
>
> Hello,
>
> We have spent the last year preparing a report for Tameside MBC on a
> possible records management system for its modern records. The authority
> is a fairly large urban metropolitan borough on the outskirts of
> Manchester. It has never had any records management provision. The
> report reccomended the employment of a records management staff and the
> setting up of a proper rm system, particularly in the light of FOI and
> the various related codes of practice.
>
> This has backfired somewhat in that whilst the council recognises the
> need for records management provision it is not prepared to make any
> money available (and yes we've used the "it will save money in the long
> run" argument). We have been asked therefore to write a proposal for a
> "minimal" approach, ie what is the minimum we can do in the light of
> existing and forthcoming legal requirements and legislation?
>
> The natural tendency is to just give up, but bearing in mind that as we
> do nothing at the moment so anything is an improvement and that the
> authority only employs one professional archivist/ records manager (me)
> and that any time I spend will have to come out of other core
> activities, does anyone have any suggestions as to what such "minimum
> requirements" should include?
>
> Also, we have been asked to supply examples of records management
> policy/strategy/procedure documents from other local authorities. Does
> anyone have any that they are willing to let us use copies of, please?
>
> Please reply on or off list, but use our alternate address for any
> emails which contain attachments: [log in to unmask]
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Alan Carter,
> Archivist,
> Tameside Local Studies and Archives Unit.
>
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