The Importance of Records Management

Prepared by:Danique Arthurs

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Definition of RecordsRecords are information created, received and maintained as evidence received by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligation or in the transaction of business. Records Management is the systematic control of all records from their creation or receipt, through their processing, distribution, organization, storage and retrieval, to their ultimate disposition.

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Definition of Records Management

Records Management usually falls in one of the three categories (1) service/effective and efficient (2) profit (or cost avoidance) (3) social (moral, ethical & legal) responsibility.

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The purpose of Records Management

• To control the creation and growth of records

• To reduce operating cost

• To improve efficiency and productivity

• To stimulate new records management technology

• To ensure regulatory compliance

• To minimize litigation risk

• To safe guard vital information

• To support better management decision making

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The life cycle of records

Disposition or

Destroy

Archive or Access

Creation/Receipt

Use & Disseminat

e

Maintain & Protect

Records Retention Schedule

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Record RetentionRecord retention represents the period of time a document should be kept or "retained" both electronically and in paper format.

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Retention Schedule

A retention schedule is a document listing all the titles of the records series, length of time each document or record will be retained as an active record, the reason for its retention and disposition agreed by the user, receiver, Retention committee..

Types of Records

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Vital Records

• Vital records are records that will be needed in anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours after a disaster to get your office up and running again.

• They are records that, if lost or destroyed, would be both costly and time consuming to recreate - if they can be recreated at all.

• They can be active (currently used by the office) or inactive (in storage).

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Usefulness of Vital Records

• Vital to the function and mission of any organisation.

•  Essential for the continuous operation or reconstruction of any organisation.

•  Necessary to protect and ensure the rights and interests of the employees and clients of any organisation.

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Essential Records

• These are records that will be needed within 72 hours after an emergency.

• It may be costly and difficult can be reconstructed or replaced from other sources.

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Useful Records

• These are records which can be easily replaced.

• The time and cost of reproducing or accessing these records would be minimal because of the ready availability of these records at other locations.

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Non-essential Records

• These are records that are of little or no value to the office and probably should never have been retained.

• Examples would be stores catalogs, brochures, extra forms, etc

• They are useful in a sense.

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Advantages of keeping records safe

• provide accurate records of the agency’s contact with the client and aid in continuity of case management between co-workers

• aid/jog memory as over time it can be difficult to recall the specifics of each case

• lend credibility - particularly if one is called to give evidence of a particular fact or matter

• may add credence to a claim by a client - especially about sexual abuse or domestic violence incidents

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Benefits of using a systematic method of storing documents

• know what records they have, and locate them easily

• increase efficiency and effectiveness

• make savings in administration costs, both in staff time and storage

• support decision making

• be accountable

• achieve business objectives and targets

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Continuation of benefits

• provide continuity in the event of a disaster

• meet legislative and regulatory requirements, particularly as laid down by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act and the Data Protection Act

• protect the interests of employees, clients and stakeholders

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Percentage of Organizations that Uses Records Management in Jamaica, 2010-2013

2010 2011 2012 20130

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Year

Perc

enta

ge o

f Org

aniz

ation