Overview & Purpose

This final phase in the records lifecycle leads to two logical outcomes: either the record is destroyed, or it is retained as a permanent, archival record. The main objectives of this phase is to ensure that each record follows the correct path and that the decisions which decide this are made according to pre-determined rules and criteria. For those records which are retained, so new records may in turn be created which draws upon their content or the learning contained within them - thus perpetuating the lifecycle.

All of the guidance contained in the general Information Lifecycle Management strand of this infokit for the final outcome phase remains relevant and the contents of this section are intended to build upon this work. What follows relates specifically to the management of records during the final outcome 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, archivists and those responsible for the design of new systems and processes.

The topics covered within this section include: