Records Management
"The importance of records as evidence of activity in government and the wider public sector has increased substantially in recent years. There is an important new focus on transparency as a means to ensure public bodies are accountable for their performance, and the citizen has new powerto ensure protection of their data and free access to information. As such, effective record-keeping also makes a valuable contribution to public policy, including the modernisation of public services, education and social inclusion, and an enabling mechanism to help public bodies meet new demands for corporate governance. Without good records management systems in place, public authorities are unlikely to satisfy demands for greater accountability, transparency and efficiency."
Oliver Morley, Acting Chief Executive, The National Archives
It was always clear that a major impediment to the successful implementation of the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations was the lack of investment over many years in record and information management - particularly in the wider public sector and in relation to paper records. While there are beacons of good practice, this is an area which has been vastly under-resourced and where there has been little or no investment of time or money or both.
The National Archives, formerly the Public Records Office, has provided clear leadership for those involved in work on access to information across the public sector and the role of the Archives has been enhanced and broadened in terms of policy advice and guidance. The Archive is now positioned as the public sector leader in this field.
Experts such as Kelvin Smith, Susan Healy and David Chin have changed the perception of Records and Information Management and the quality of the advice and guidance which has been forthcoming has been extremely high. Standards have been set and action plans published to help us all move forward.
For those of you who are interested in this subject, Kelvin Smith has published a book on the Freedom of Information Act and Records and Information Management. This can be accessed by contacting Facet Publishing - the book is called ' Freedom of Information' - surprisingly enough!
The Section 46 Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice on the Management of Records is an invaluable tool for practitioners in this field, as is the Section 45 Code of Practice on the Discharge of Public Authorities' Functions under the Act. Further advice on practical aspects of Records and Information Management including exemplar policies and procedures which you can amend to meet your own needs can be found at these links.
It is very clear that unless public sector organisations know what information they hold and where it can be found they are unlikely to achieve compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations. Information that may be relevant to requests under the Data Protection Act is usually, but not always, well organised, but this does not generally follow through to information about the wider corporate function. The only way in which to put the necessary policies and procedures into place is to start with an Information Audit. P-PACT has developed a range of options which are designed to meet varied needs and budgets. Go to our section on Information Audits or contact chris.gifford@publicpartners.org for further information.
