Records and Information Management

What Is Records Management?
Records management is an established theory and methodology for ensuring the systematic management of all records and the information they contain throughout their lifecycle.

According to International Standard ISO 15489: 2001, records management is defined as: The field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including the processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records.

What is a record?
Traditionally records were held on paper, microfilm or microfiche, but are now predominantly created and held in electronic format or within electronic systems. The core concept underpinning records management theory is that of the lifecycle, which sees records having a series of phases from creation to final disposition ultimately resulting either in their controlled destruction or being retained on a permanent basis as an archival record.

The principle reason for applying the lifecycle concept to records/information management is to ensure that the records being created and held by the institution are being managed and maintained in such a way that they:

• meet all internal business needs
• enable the defence of the rights and interests of the organisation and its stakeholders
• enable the content of the record to be accessed, used and reused in a controlled and efficient manner
• is compliant with all regulatory and statutory requirements
• is capable of providing evidence of a transaction or business process which is admissible in a court of law
• is kept and maintained/stored in the most economical way consistent with the above objectives
• is disposed of in a way which is auditable, and meets all environmental and other requirements

According to International Standard ISO 15489: 2001 records management includes the following activities:

• setting policies and standards
• assigning responsibilities and authorities
• establishing and promulgating procedures and guidelines
• providing a range of services relating to the management and use of records
• designing, implementing and administering specialized systems for managing records and
• integrating records management into business systems and processes

Why Is Records Management Necessary?

For example, in a large and complex organisation, with hundreds or even thousands of staff, undertaking varied range of functions and having complex administrative structures straddling multiple geographical locations, striving to operate as modern, agile, efficient organisations and be able to sustain growth and manage change, it is essential that they have effective control over the records they create and use. Historically the way in which internal records have been managed has developed in a piecemeal, organic fashion - often in response to local departmental requirements. It is now increasingly recognised that a more proactive, consistent and comprehensive approach is required for the organisation to be able to cope with current and future demands.

Organisations and their staff are under pressure to do more for less. Creating accurate, reliable records; providing controlled, ready access to them and only retaining those worthy of preservation are all part of the essential infra-structure necessary to meet these challenges. This is especially true as it becomes less and less possible to rely on the knowledge and experience of individual members of staff. Increased staff turnover and regular organisational restructuring mean that the records an organisation creates now represent its 'collective memory' to a far larger degree than ever before.

Organisations are also becoming increasingly aware of the potential value contained within the internal records they hold. This could be the lessons they contain from past experiences, allowing organisations to learn both from their successes and their failures. Alternatively as knowledge-rich, research-driven organisations it could be the competitive advantage or even commercial gain that can be acquired through the effective exploitation of their information assets.

As the evidence left behind from the activities we undertake, records are also an organisation's best ally in terms of protecting its rights and interests. Effective records management ensures that the organisation can call upon a body of reliable evidence if required to justify its actions, or defend its position. This may prove a critical strength as we move into an increasingly litigious society.

Finally, organisations are also under ever-mounting pressure to proactively demonstrate their accountability and good standards of corporate governance. This may take the form of internal audit, submissions to funding bodies or public scrutiny through legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations and Data Protection Act. Compliance with all of these is only possible if the appropriate body of records exists to prove what actions were taken, why they were taken and on whose authority, and what their outcomes were. This is only possible with effective records/information management.

Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole is the President and Founder of Records and Information Management Awareness Foundation (RIMA Foundation), a Not-for-profit NGO that seek to promote proper management and security records and information for the benefit of the society and humanity. He can be contacted at: president@rimaw.org or www.rimaw.org