A common framework for measuring the impact of records management
There are many reasons why institutions do, or should, invest resources in improving the way in which they manage their records and other sources of important internal information. Over the past decade or so the majority of these have focused around 'intangible' benefits which may be critically important but are, by definition, difficult - if not impossible - to measure. New legislation such as the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Freedom of Information Act (2000) have bought legal compliance arguments to the fore, whilst high profile corporate scandals such as the collapse of Enron and disastrous losses of personal data by a number of government departments have focused attention on the role that records management can play in ensuring standards of governance and corporate accountability and reducing risk. These trends have led many records managers to assume that the case for records management is beyond question and need not be subject to the kind of close economic scrutiny that most other proposals presented to management would expect to be.
JISC infoNet has undertaken to create a common framework for measuring the impact of records management. The framework comprises of two main tools to assist organisations with assessing the impact and current status of their records management initiatives within their institutions. These are:
Tool 1: Records & Information Management Impact Calculator
This tool will include the means by which any organisation considering or currently engaged in an initiative to improve the management of records and information can capture and measure three distinct sets of data: performance information before and after completion of the initiative and the costs of implementing it. A comparison of the three sets of data will enable a more complete picture of the impact of implementing records management solutions to be derived through looking at its results in the immediate, short and medium term. Download the Impact Calculator»
Impact Calculator Pilot Projects: Call for Expressions of Interest»
Tool 2: Records Management Maturity Model
A Records Management Maturity Model which will comprise of a set of questions, grouped into themes, which can be used to plot where a particular institution is in terms of its own journey towards maturity in records management. The questions and the results returned will be non-judgemental in tone and designed to allow institutions to assess their current strengths and weaknesses in this regard and as a result, where any investment of resources may most profitably be targeted. This tool is designed to help further and higher education institutions to assess where their institution currently sits in relation to meeting the recommendations set forth within the revised Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice on the management of records issued under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 issued on 16th July 2009. Download the Maturity Model»
As a prelude to these tools an assessment of the current evidence base demonstrating the benefits of investing in the improvement of records management has been carried out.
The full literature review is now available to download and a summary of the main themes is also available.
For further information please contact
Steve Bailey, Senior Adviser, JISC infoNet - steve.bailey@northumbria.ac.uk
