ICT professionals
Standard on digital recordkeeping
The prime document which guides digital recordkeeping in the NSW public sector is the Standard on digital recordkeeping. This standard sets out the minimum compliance requirements for NSW public offices for defining their digital records, digital recordkeeping system functionality and the creation and management of recordkeeping metadata for digital records.
The Standard is supported by a Short guide to implementing the Standard on digital recordkeeping which provides further advice on meeting the minimum requirements of the Standard, including case studies of digital recordkeeping implementations.
Online module What records management can do for you!
This module, available on the e-learning page, provides an overview of how records management techniques and skills can assist ICT professionals to address some of the problems faced.
Problems recordkeeping may help you to address
We can’t find business information
We have overwhelming volumes of data
We have systems that don’t meet business needs
Our employees don’t keep the right business information
We have difficulties in maintaining digital continuity
We are struggling to provide appropriate access to business information
We struggle to deal with the challenges of new and emerging technologies e.g. cloud computing
If you have other problems not listed here, that recordkeeping may help you to address, please contact us.
Note: Some of the resources listed have been designed specifically for ICT professionals. Others are directed to records managers. All contain information that may be valuable in understanding problems and determining solutions.
| Problem | Means to address it | Resources available |
|---|---|---|
We can't find business information |
Has a classifications scheme been implemented? |
The following guidance might assist you: HB5301-2011 Records classification handbook (Standards Australia - can be purchased from SAI Global) Strategies for documenting government business: The DIRKS manual - Step B, Analysis of business activity |
| Are there standards for document titling and version control? |
The following guidance might assist you: Sample procedures for staff - managing shared drives (downloadable Word doc), with examples of document titling conventions |
|
| Is there a tailored metadata schema for your organisation? |
The following guidance might assist you: Introducing recordkeeping metadata (Recordkeeping in brief 18) Short guide on implementing the Standard on digital recordkeeping (Guideline 23) – Appendices: Metadata mappings; Case studies Metadata guidelines (coming soon!) Sample metadata schema (coming soon!) |
|
We have overwhelming volumes of data |
Has the business information that needs to be saved been identified? |
The following guidance might assist you: Strategies for documenting government business: The DIRKS manual - Part C Identification of recordkeeping requirements Examples of recordkeeping requirements and how they can be built into processes Downloadable spreadsheet for recording recordkeeping requirements as part of systems assessment (from RIB 42) |
| Is it clear how long business information needs to be kept and when it can be destroyed or archived? |
The following guidance might assist you: Disposal at a glance (Recordkeeping in brief 48) List of authorised Functional retention and disposal authorities List of authorised General retention and disposal authorities |
|
| Have disposal measures in digital systems been implemented? |
The following guidance might assist you: University of Sydney case study on automating disposal in an EDRMS We are conducting research in this area. If you would like to discuss your experiences please contact goverec@records.nsw.gov.au |
|
We have too many file formats |
Have file formats that are suitable for long term business information been defined? |
The following guidance might assist you: Managing digital records (Guideline 22), particularly 1. make digital recordkeeping achievable for your organisation and 5. Target specific formats that are causing you problems Recommended file formats for digital continuity (coming soon!) |
We have systems that don’t meet business needs |
Have the requirements for the system been defined? |
The following guidance might assist you: Downloadable spreadsheet for recording recordkeeping requirements as part of systems assessment (from RIB 42) Examples of recordkeeping requirements and how they can be built into processes |
| Have systems been assessed to see if they can meet requirements and gaps addressed? |
The following guidance might assist you: Checklist for assessing business systems (Recordkeeping in brief 42) – including downloadable spreadsheet for systems assessment and recording recordkeeping requirements Managing recordkeeping risk in business systems - free 3 hour workshop based on RIB42 Keeping recruitment records using e-Recruitment (RIB 56) Managing digital records (Guideline 22), particularly 2. Keep your digital records in recordkeeping systems |
|
Our employees don’t keep the right business information |
Have business rules and procedures (including definition of what records need to be kept) been formulated? |
The following guidance might assist you: Sample procedures for staff - managing shared drives (downloadable Word doc), with examples of document titling conventions Examples of recordkeeping requirements and how they can be built into processes Managing digital records (Guideline 22), 5.1 Managing email |
We have difficulties in maintaining digital continuity |
Are there strategies in place for digital continuity? |
The following guidance might assist you: Policy on digital records preservation |
| Have the file formats that are suitable for long term business information been defined? |
The following guidance might assist you: Recommended file formats for digital continuity (coming soon!) |
|
| Is it clear how to protect business information during migrations? |
The following guidance might assist you: Managing digital records (Guideline 22) 4. Effectively manage the migration of your digital records General retention and disposal authority – Source records that have been migrated (GA33) – section 3.2 Conditions for the destruction of records Migration and disposal Recordkeeping in brief (coming soon!) |
|
We struggle to provide appropriate access to business information |
Are there security classifications for business information (which work in tandem with system security)? |
The following guidance might assist you: Department of Finance and Services Guide to labelling sensitive information Recordkeeping and the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (Recordkeeping in brief 55) |
We struggle to deal with the challenges of new and emerging technologies e.g. cloud computing |
Have the risks to business information in cloud computing arrangements been defined and assessed to minimise risk? |
The following guidance might assist you: Storage of State records with service providers outside of NSW (Recordkeeping in brief 54) General authority - Transferring records out of NSW for storage with and maintenance by service providers based outside of the State (GA35) Managing recordkeeping risk in the cloud (PDF 72KB) |
| Is the business information on the organisation’s websites/intranets being managed? |
The following guidance might assist you: Keeping web records (Guideline 20) Records management and Web 2.0 (Guideline 24) |
|
| Are there tailored metadata schemas in place to ensure business information can be reused and repackaged? |
The following guidance might assist you: Introducing recordkeeping metadata (Recordkeeping in brief 18) Metadata guidelines (coming soon!) Sample metadata schema (coming soon!) |
