About Records Retention Schedules
What is a Records Retention Schedule?
A Records Retention Schedule is a document which sets out the periods of time for which an organisation's business records are to be retained. The basic components of a Records Retention Schedule are:
- a description of each category of records which the organisation generates;
- a retention period for each category of records.
A more detailed Schedule may also contain information about:
- reasons for retention (e.g. legislative requirements);
- actions required at the end of retention periods (e.g. destruction);
- responsibilities for retaining records and for taking required actions at the end of retention periods.
Why develop a Records Retention Schedule?
A Records Retention Schedule is an essential component of an effective records management programme. It sets out an organisation's policy on retention of its business records. This provides a basis for consistent action across the entire organisation and eliminates the need for individual employees to make decisions about the retention of the records which they produce or receive in the course of their work.
A comprehensive Schedule, consistently implemented, protects the organisation's interests by ensuring that its business records are:
- retained for as long as they are needed to enable it to operate effectively, to comply with legislation and the requirements of regulators, and to demonstrate accountability to its stakeholders and to wider society;
- retained for only as long as they are needed, enabling efficient use of space and minimising the overall costs associated with maintaining records.
A Records Retention Schedule also provides the basis for decisions on what media/formats should be used for records, where and how records should be stored and how they should be destroyed when they are no longer needed.
What is the HEI Records Retention Schedule?
The HEI Records Retention Schedule (the Schedule) is a generic Records Retention Schedule for UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It provides high-level guidance on retention of records which HEIs generate in the course of their work. It has been developed to provide a framework which any institution can adapt and extend to produce a customised Records Retention Schedule.
The Schedule was developed through extensive research and consultation with a range of HEIs. It covers records which are generated by the business functions and activities in the HEI Business Classification Scheme. However, it is not intended to be either prescriptive or exhaustive.
For more information about the Schedule, contact JISC infoNet.