| Records should be made
to document decisions at meetings |
Meetings may be formal or informal. In either case, significant decisions
are often made in meetings that need to be documented. If records
are not made of meetings, organisations and individuals are at risk
of not being able to account for decisions taken or actions committed
to, and important information about the business conducted will not
be available or accessible across the organisation.
Formal meetings of committees and boards are often governed by
standard procedures and rules. It is important that such procedures
and rules identify the records that must be created and kept of
the business conducted at the meeting as well as outlining responsibilities
for creating records of the meeting. Normally, business conducted
in formal meetings is documented in minutes that are circulated
for comment and signed or otherwise confirmed as a true and accurate
record of the meeting. The Audit Office's On Board: Guide to
Better Practice for Public Sector Governing and Advisory Boards
(1998) provides guidance on what records are needed for effective
Board meetings.
Informal meetings, including meetings of ad hoc groups and meetings
with clients, may simply be documented in a note for file or report
prepared by the convenor of the meeting. File notes or minutes that
have been confirmed should be captured into an appropriate records
system.
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