Overview & Purpose

The life of a record begins at the moment of its declaration . This means it is already information of some maturity by the time it enters its active use. For records then the active use phase may be characterised less by constant use and rapid change than for other, more informal types of information. Instead the emphasis remains on ensuring the maintenance of the specific qualities and properties of the record which give it is value throughout this first stage of its use.

All of the guidance contained in the general Information Lifecycle Management strand of this infokit for the active use phase remains relevant and the contents of this section is intended to build upon this work. What follows relates specifically to the management of records during the active use phase and should be read and considered in addition to this earlier guidance.

As such it will be of use to those tasked with managing records within the institution, quality managers, auditors and those responsible for the design of new systems and processes.

The topics covered within this section include: