1.
Introduction to Records
Management
Course Instructor : Mr. SANCHAWA, D

2.
Introduction
• Records management offers tangible benefits to
organizations, from economic good practice in
reducing storage costs of documents, to enabling
administrative, financial and legal requirements
to be met.
• Poor management of record system makes the
performance of duties more difficult, costs
organizations time, money and other resources
and e.t.c

3.
Introduction (ctd)
• Thus, in this lecture we are going to see the
concepts of record, document, record
management, record life cycle , the benefits of
records management, the principles for
effective records management and other
areas which deem to be necessary

4.
Definitions of related terms:
Records
• Records are official documents that should be
stored for later use
• Records and Archives management Act,2002
defines records as recorded information
regardless of form or medium created, received
and maintained by institution or individual in the
pursuance of its legal obligations or in the
transaction of its business and providing evidence
of the performance of those obligations

5.
What are records?
• Thus, records are information kept in various
forms such as paper or computer disk needed for
carrying out the activities of the organization.
The captured information can be in form of :-
• Paper (e.g. Files, reports, maps, print outs
invoices etc)
• Microfilm
• Compact disk
• Tapes and etc

6.
What are records?
• Records are information that have been
documented by an organization in the course
of its business and maintained in pursuance of
certain obligations.
• Records are document created, received,
maintained and used by an organization or an
individual in transaction of business which it
provides evidence.

7.
What are records?
• Healy, S (1997) sees records as documented
information consist of books, papers, maps,
photographs or other forms regardless of
physical characteristics made or received by
any public or private institution in connection
to functions, policies, procedures, operations
and activities of an organization

8.
Document
• A document is any piece of written information in
any form, produced or received by an
organization or person. It can include databases,
website, email messages, word and excel files,
letters, and memos.
• Recorded information, which can be treated as a
unit (URT, 2011)
• Structured unit of recorded information either
published or unpublished, in hard copy or
electronic form and managed as discrete units in
information systems( Standard Australian, 1996)

9.
A document and a record
• When document s are kept as future evidence
they become official records.
• In other words, all records start off as documents,
but not all documents will ultimately become
records.
• A FILE : An organized physical assembly (usually
within a folder) or documents grouped together
because they relate to the same subject, activity
or transaction (URT, 2011)

10.
Question : ( 5minutes)
• Define the following
• 1. A file
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• 2. Information
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11.
What is record Management
• Record management refers to administrative
management concerned with systematic
planning, controlling, creating, maintenance,
efficient and economic use and disposal of
records throughout the entire life cycle of
records of an organization (Samson, 2012)

12.
What is record Management ?
Activities involved in controlling the life cycle of a
record, beginning with its creation and ending
with ultimate disposition
Leads to prevention of creation of unnecessary
documentation
Early identification of papers lasting value and
systematic planning of retirement procedures

13.
Forms of records may INCLUDE?
• Paper reports, directives, forms,
correspondence
• Phone call notes
• Photographs, videotapes, posters
• Maps and drawings
• Databases
• E-mail
• Microfilms and etc

14.
What is NOT a record?
• Material that does not meet the statutory
definition of the record include but not limited
to (Samson, 2012) :-
i. Technical reference material
ii. Catalogs , trade journals, manual
iii. Extra copies
iv. Black forms
v. Some electronic information

15.
Why records?
To ensure continuity in administration
To ensure tax-payer’s interest is protected at all
times
For providing evidence in case of disputes
For planning & scheduling organization activities
For historical value
To make available needed facts, figures,
correspondence etc

16.
Why records ?
• Documentation of workforce performance
• Provide evidence about past actions and
decisions
• For accountability and transference purpose

17.
Criteria in creating records
• Is it necessary?
• What constitutes adequate
documentation?
• Is it desirable to have it in a consistent
format?
• What is its future life ?
• What is the best way to store and
retrieve it?

18.
What are the characteristics of a
record?
• Records are evidence of actions and transactions
• Records should support accountability, which is
tightly connected to evidence but which allows
accountability to be traced;
• Records are related to processes, i.e.
“information that is generated by and linked to
work processes” [Thomassen, 2001, p 374];
• Records must be preserved, some for very short
time and some permanently.

19.
• Authenticity : proven to be purport to be
• Created and sent by the Person implied to have
sent/created them
• Integrity : Must remain complete and unaltered
over time
• Usability : Can be located, retrieved, presented
and interpreted
• Reliability: contents can be trusted as a full and
accurate representation of the transaction to
which they attest

20.
Records contain information from
which?
• Decisions are made
• Plans are developed
• Policies are made
• Objectives are realized
• Obligations are discharged
• Questions can be answered
• Historical evidence can be taken
• Investigations can be handled and etc

21.
What are the categories of records?
• Records can be categorized in a number of
different ways:- Commonly recognized
categories include: (Standard Australian, 1996)
• Administrative Records : procedures
documentation, forms and correspondence ;
examples are staff manuals, rosters, logging of
property maintenance jobs, travel bookings

22.
What are the categories of records?
• Accounting records : reports, forms and
related correspondence. Examples are
invoices, bank account reports, customer
billing reports
• Project reports: correspondence , notes ,
product development documentation e.t.c
related to a specific project

23.
Categories of records (ctd)
• Case files: client records, personnel records,
insurance, contacts and lawsuit files

24.
Question : 15minutes
• Describe records according to their use or
values……………………………………………………………
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