Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Records management is a process of ensuring the proper creation, maintenance, use and
disposal of records to achieve efficient, transparent and accountable governance
Sound records management implies that records are managed in terms of an
organisational records management programme governed by an organisational records
management policy.
Advantages of effective records management
A sound records management programme is advantageous because:
the orderly and efficient flow of information enables the organisation to perform
its functions successfully and efficiently;
a retention and disposal programme ensures that the organisation maintains only
those records it really needs for functional purposes; and
controls are exercised to ensure that only authorised persons have access to the
information, thus preventing information and/or the records themselves from
being stolen or damaged. This ensures the protection of privacy and
confidentiality, and prevents the inappropriate disclosure of information that could
harm the organisation or infringe the privacy rights of individuals.
Records are considered a resource and are utilised fully and cost effectively to
realise business objectives;
Each governmental body creates and maintains a culture which will promote
effective and efficient records management to facilitate efficient and timely
decision-making.
Areas of responsibility
Broad responsibility
Records manager
Users
All users should be aware of the policies, procedures, and tools for managing
records and they should be capable of applying them consistently to all records.
The full co-operation of the users is necessary to file documents into the filing
system and to protect records against loss and damage. Without this, there will
be no records to manage.
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The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act, 1996 empowers
the National Archives and Records Service to ensure the proper management and
care of all public records. To this end the National Archivist mandated the Records
Management Division of the National Archives and Records Service to promote
sound records management practices in governmental bodies.
Each governmental body should implement and maintain the following prescribed
recordkeeping systems:
Register of files opened, which contains a description and opening dates of all
files that were actually opened according to the subject provisions in the filing
system.
Destruction register, which contains information on the year in which nonarchival records are due for destruction.
Disposal programme
A systematic disposal programme should be implemented -
by ensuring that retention periods are determined for all non-archival records
when the disposal authority has been issued; and
by ensuring that the disposal authorities are carried out on a regular basis.
Training
Records managers should attend the National Archives and Records Service' Records
Management Course to equip them with the necessary skills to enable them to perform
their tasks.
After attending the course the records managers should ensure that all staff members
are capable of reading the filing system and allocating file reference numbers to
documentation. They should also ensure that all staff members are conversant with the
proper registry procedures to enable them to support the Registry to function properly.
The records managers should ensure that all registry staff are equipped with the
necessary skills to enable them to carry out their functions properly.