Sample records management short and long term plan

1 Purpose | 2 Planning context | 3 Revisions | 4 Vision | 5 Mission | 6 Long term goals Jul 2002- Jun 2007 | 7 Short term goals Jul 2004-Jun 2005

Note: Planning documentation should conform to the needs and standards of the particular public office. The information provided below is an example of one way that planning might be documented. Sample information contained in this plan may not be relevant to all public offices.

1 Purpose

The purpose of this plan is to outline the long and short term goals of the [public office's] Records Management Program. Long term goals are for the 2002-2007 financial years and short term goals are for Jul 2004-Jun 2005.

2 Planning context

This plan has been developed within the context of the [public office's] Corporate Plan Key Result Area 7: Implement records management best practice.

The plan also draws on areas for improvement identified through external audits of the [public office] and when completing the Records Management Survey from State Records NSW.

3 Revisions

The plan will be revised at regular intervals, in light of changing priorities and workloads, by the Administration Manager in consultation with the Records Management Project Team.

4 Vision

The [public office] is committed to ensuring that its Records Management Program can provide timely and efficient service to support decision making and meet business needs, legal, evidential and accountability requirements and fulfil community expectations.

5 Mission

The Records Management Program of the [public office] will achieve this vision by ensuring compliance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 and other legislative requirements for records management and recordkeeping and by developing staff knowledge and experience to meet their responsibilities.

6 Long term goals Jul 2002- Jun 2007

Key Goals Jul 2002-Jun 2003

• Establish an official file register.
• Write a Records Management Policy, approved by CEO, to document the Records Management Program. Circulate to all staff to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities.
• Write Records ManagementProcedures explaining how to meet the Policy and keep full and accurate records. Circulate to all staff to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities.
• Establish a plan for long and short term goals to guide the Records Management Program. Create a business case to fund goals contained in these plans.
• Assign appropriate responsibilities for records management/recordkeeping in position descriptions, work plans and the Policy to to ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities.

Key Goals Jul 2003-Jun 2004

• Train all staff in Records Management Policy and Records Management Procedures to ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities and how to meet them.
• Conduct a skills audit and training needs analysis of staff with records management responsibilities to determine what additional training is required. Organize training within budget parameters.
• Identify recordkeeping requirements and assess business system to see if it is meeting requirements.

Key Goals Jul 2004-Jun 2005

• Create a thesaurus to establish consistency in file titling for records.
• Create a functional retention and disposal authority (FRDA), a legal instrument authorising when the [public office's] records should be destroyed or if they are required as State archives. Have the FRDA authorised by the Board of the State Records Authority of NSW.

Key Goals Jul 2005-Jun 2006

• Implement a project to rationalise storage, dispose of records in accordance with retention and disposal authorities and reduce storage costs.
• Introduce a monitoring regime to monitor the records management program against performance objectives. Address areas for improvement in future planning.
• Investigate means to improve service delivery to internal and external clients.

Key Goals Jul 2006-Jun 2007

• List the organisation's vital records
• Create a Counter Disaster Plan, train staff in its use and test the plan.

7 Short term goals Jul 2004-Jun 2005

[Snapshot at April 2005]

Short term goals Jul 2004-Jun 2005

© State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority, 2005.
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