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Records Management Handbook

1. Introduction

In Summer 2003 a project team was established within the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) to look at how the Office manages its records environment after five years in existence. The team comprised Des O'Neill, Mary Byrne and Cathal Duffy and following staff surveys and a review of existing arrangements, a report was produced in Autumn 2003 which provided a number of recommendations as to how the Office should manage its records environment going forward.

The report was then referred to PA Consulting who were engaged to provide the OIC with expertise in the area of records management. Following consultation with the Committee, a Records Management Framework document was agreed and presented to management which incorporated a prototype operational handbook which outlined the standards, policies and procedures required to put in place a fully functioning records management infrastructure.

A Records Manager (Cathal Duffy) was then appointed and, as an essential interim step, an overhaul of a number of the existing databases was undertaken particularly OIC Typists General and Office Files. The Framework document was also copied to all staff who were invited to make submissions, comments or recommendations on its content in advance of the publication of a formal Records Management Handbook.

The Handbook has now been finalised having regard to all of the various staff contributions and in the context of changes brought about as part of the records management project, such as the installation of a new hi-spec scanner.

The process also involved meeting with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the National Archives and securing their agreement to proceed on the basis as outlined in this Handbook.

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