Step three - best practice for information/records management
The third recommended step for any project team is to ensure that you view the procurement of an EDRM system in the context of an overall information and records management programme.
The experience of central government and the guidance provided by the National Archives and other bodies is that before embarking on a corporate EDRM procurement you should have an agreed corporate information and records management policy and a strategy for implementation. Indeed the procurement of a corporate EDRM system should be one project within an overall information and records management programme.
What such a programme should cover is reviewed in stage two as part of the guide to scoping and managing the overall programme/project.
In this step we simply provide a brief review to some of the best practice guides available to help you review best practice for information and records management policies and procedures and systems.
If you are looking for guidance to best practice for corporate information management we would recommend you start with BSI DISC PD0010 - Principles of Good Practice for Information Management. It defines five key principles.
Recognise and understand all types of information
Understand the legal issues and execute duty of care responsibilities
Identify and specify business processes and procedures
Identify enabling technologies to support business processes and procedures
Monitor and audit business processes and procedures.
If you are looking for specific guidance on records management then we would recommend you start with BSI/ISO 15489 - 2001 Information and Documentation - records management. This international standard was issued in order to standardise international practice in records management using the Australian standard AS4390 as its starting point. Although it is now under review it is recommended reading if you are setting up a records management programme or if you need to audit your existing policies, procedures and systems prior to specifying your requirements for an EDRM system.
For a thorough guide to managing business information and records you should consult DIRKS (Designing and Implementing Recordkeeping Systems); A Strategic Approach to Managing Business Information (also known as the DIRKS Manual). This was produced by the National Archives of Australia and provides the definitive eight part guide to designing and implementing new record keeping systems.
For those of you primarily focused on good records management practice to assist with meeting the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act then we would recommend Freedom of Information Act 2000; Lord Chancellors Code of Practice on the Management of Records under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act (link to References and case studies section, item 7).
Your overall records management policy should include a specific policy on electronic records. Again the National Archives website contains a model Corporate policy on electronic records which can form a good starting point.
Last but by no means least there is the excellent set of guidance provided by JISC themselves specifically for the FE/HE sector. Pride of place goes to the JISC infoNet Records Management InfoKit (link to References and case studies section, item 9) available on the JISC InfoNet web site. Equally useful is the JISC (2002a) Model Action Plan for achieving compliance with the Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice on the management of records.
An extremely valuable resource for anyone following the DIRKS methodology and conducting an analysis of their business activity and drawing up a business classification scheme is the example Business Classification Scheme and Records Retention Schedule along with guidance produced by Elizabeth Parker.
Finally, further education organisations are referred to in the excellent report produced by Northumbria University for JISC, Developing records management in Further Education.
Stage two looks at how you should scope your programme/project and includes guidance on managing an overall records management programme that includes several projects of which the EDRM procurement project is one.
