End date: 1 February 2004
Funding programme: Digital Preservation and Records Management Programme
JISC theme(s): Information environment, e-Administration
The original study of the records lifecycle was first published in 1999.
The aim of the study was to provide professional guidance on good practice for the management of records and archives in HE institutions and to provide models to assist institutions in developing their own systems and procedures. It contained:
- HEI Function and activity model
- HEI Records Retention Schedule
- HEI Archival Selection Criteria
- Outline Scheme for Presentation of HEI Archival Records
The study was warmly received by those involved in records management in the sector and has been widely used as a general point of reference and as the basis for the development of policies and procedures within many individual institutions.
It is professional good practice is to review records retention schedules every 2-3 years, to ensure that they continue to reflect the business functions and activities of the organisations concerned, their operational needs to retain records and current legal and regulatory requirements. The forthcoming implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 also provides an additional impetus for revising the core of this work as many more institutions prepare to implement a records management programme for the first time – as recommended by the Lord Chancellor’s Code of Practice issued under Schedule 46 of the Act. For these reasons, JISC has asked Emmerson Consulting to research and produce new editions of the HEI Function & Activity Model and the HEI Retention Schedule for 2003.
The revision process has involved a wide-scale consultation within the HE sector, approaching records managers, archivists, administrators, data protection officers and others for their views on the current Model and Schedule and to capture ideas for their development and improvement.
The new editions of the Model and Schedule will be launched in April 2003 and will be available in both hardcopy and via electronically via the JISC website.