The document discusses equipping staff at Victoria University for digital preservation tasks. It outlines the university's decentralized records management approach and issues like inconsistent disposal, storage, and identification of records. It emphasizes defining skillsets and responsibilities, developing training programs for different staff groups, and providing ongoing post-training support. Training includes topics like electronic records, disposal frameworks, and identifying records champions in each area to support colleagues. The goal is to give staff the skills needed to properly manage records throughout their lifecycle in accordance with legislative requirements.

1. EQUIPPING
STAFF
FOR
DIGITAL
PRESERVATION
TASKS
Adelaide Parr
Victoria University

2. VICTORIA
UNIVERSITY
• A multi sector institution with
courses in higher education
and TAFE sectors
• Strong profiles in research and
community engagement
• Over 50,000 students both on
and off shore
• Over 3000 staff across 10
campuses
• the University for the West –
serving the western suburbs of
Melbourne.

3. RECORDS MANAGEMENT
AT VU
• A public agency under the Public
Records Act 1973 (Vic)
• Decentralised records management
(and other functions) handled by each
business area
• Issues with disposal, storage and
identification of records
• An identified lack of consistency, and
consequent risk to the university
• Increased desire within administrative
areas to adopt a ‘scan and destroy’
approach

4. DEFINING General
SKILLSETS principles
• Determine your records management
responsibilities – both legislative and
business requirements
• Determine the records management
model including levels of
preservation and migration
• Determine the tasks to be
undertaken by each group or
individual
• Consider the potential employment
lifespan of core staff
• Develop cross training and skills
fertilisation opportunities across
internal business units

5. DEFINING VU
SKILLSETS Case Study
• Retaining the decentralised
environment
• Identifying key issues for practical
day to day records management
for staff
• creation
• retention
• disposal
• Storage
• Determining the balance for
Records Services between
undertaking and supporting tasks

6. DEVELOPING General
TRAINING principles
• Training should meet the user where
they are
• Training should skill each user with
the skills that they need
• Training should understand, anticipate
and acknowledge the user’s
environment
• Training should understand that
records management is not the key
focus of most users
• Training should promote the idea that
records management is integral to the
work of all users and that they have
responsibilities in this area

7. DEVELOPING VU
TRAINING Case Study
• Training should be engaging
• Four key groups identified across the
university:
• General users
• Academic and research staff
• Managers (direct reports)
• Records Champions
• Training to be done sequentially:
• Records Essentials training
• Broad focus
• Meets immediate need
• Overview
• Induction training
• Project MIRRA training
• Specific to key areas
• Specific to new system
• Provided as part of implementation of new
regime

8. YOUR Records Essentials
RECORDS MANAGEMENT Slide 4
RESPONSIBILITIES
Making records Keeping records
•Records must be created to support the •Records must be kept in logical structures
business of the University both electronic and paper based
•Records must be full and accurate •Records must be able to be found by others
•Records are the property of the University •Records must be tracked as to location and
access
Storing records Disposing of records
•Records must be stored in conditions that •Records must be kept as long as they have
stop them deteriorating or from being lost to by law
•Records must be kept securely so that others •Records can’t be destroyed without the
can’t wrongly access them authorisation of the manager of the area
•Destruction of records must be recorded

9. BENEFITS Records Essentials
OF Slide 5
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
• Find what you are looking for
• Effective sharing of information and resources
• Know where information can be found
• Know who has accessed what information
• Know when a record was created, accessed, changed or disposed of
• Comply with legislative requirements

10. MANAGING RECORDS Records Essentials
WITH A
Slide 7
BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION SCHEME

11. ELECTRONIC Records Essentials
RECORDS
Slide 11
What are electronic records?
Electronic records are records that
are born digital and the
authoritative version is in digital
form.
Electronic records have benefits and
considerations.
What do you think are some of the benefits?
What do you think are some of the considerations?

12. DISPOSAL Records Essentials
Slide 17
FRAMEWORKS
Records have rules about
how long they should be
kept.
Some records are
permanent and some are
temporary.
We know whether records are permanent or temporary through using the
appropriate Retention and Disposal Authority.
You should contact Records Services to help you with the disposal of
records.

13. Records Essentials
CONTACT Slide 21
DETAILS
<Name> <Name>
Records Services Records Services
PHONE PHONE
EMAIL EMAIL
records@vu.edu.au

14. POST TRAINING General
SUPPORT principles
• Users need to know that they are not
alone
• Users need access to identified and
visible experts
• Users need to have time to consider
and question their role and how to
fulfil it
• Users need the opportunity to identify
ongoing training needs and to have
these needs met either individually or
as a wider group

15. RECORDS Records Essentials
Slide 19
CHAMPIONS
• Identified individuals in each
business area
• People who have an interest in,
or work with records within their
area
• First point of contact for
colleagues with problems
• Supported by Records Services
• Regular meetings and training
for support
• Add to your SPDP!

16. OBSOLETE
TECHNOLOGY
• Identification of vital and non vital
technology to support
• Determine appropriate migration
strategies
• Determine ‘historic’ value of records
dependent on specific technologies
• Determine cost balance between
migration and support
• Identification of appropriate
individuals/roles to support
technology needs

17. QUESTIONS?

18. CONTACT
DETAILS
Adelaide Parr
Senior Records Consultant
Records Services
Victoria University
Footscray Park Campus
Ballarat Road, Footscray
PO Box 14428
Melbourne Vic 8001 Australia
Phone +61 3 9919 5345
Fax: +61 3 9919 5340
Email: adelaide.parr@vu.edu.au