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Records Management Policy

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1. Policy statement

The Department of Education (the Department) undertakes records management in accordance with legislative and business regulations for recordkeeping.

2. Policy rules

All employees must:

  • complete the required records management induction and/or training; and
  • comply with the Records Management Procedures.

Guidance

The Department operates a devolved recordkeeping environment where all employees have recordkeeping responsibilities. It is an offence for a government organisation employee to remove, destroy, or to have unauthorised possession or to transfer possession of government records. Offences under the State Records Act 2000 incur a penalty of $10,000.

 

3. Responsibility for implementation and compliance

Implementation of the policy is the responsibility of line managers.

Compliance monitoring is the responsibility of the Director Business and Customer Services.

4. Scope

This policy applies to all employees.

6. Definitions

A record (also known as a state archive) that is to be preserved permanently (never to be destroyed) because of its enduring value (i.e. historical, evidential or etc.).

An organised collection of hardware, software, supplies, policies, procedures and people, which stores, processes and provides access to an organisation’s business information; or an automated system that creates or manages data about an organisation’s activities.

This includes applications with the primary purpose of facilitating transactions between an organisational unit and its customers - for example, an e-commerce system, client relationship management system, purpose-built or customised database, finance or human resources systems.

Provide evidence of the business activity of the organisation. Corporate records are those that:

  • contain information which is of administrative, legal, fiscal, evidential or historical value and is not recorded elsewhere on the public record; including electronic messaging (see Appendix A for examples);
  • document important communication and/or a transaction between employees or between an employee and another party; and
  • document the rationale behind policy, senior employee decisions and directives.

Any record of information within the meaning of Section 3 of the State Records Act 2000 that exists in binary form, and that requires combinations of computer hardware and software to be read and understood. These records may include, but not limited to:

  • emails;
  • sms mobile text messages;
  • web sites;
  • database applications;
  • word processed documents;
  • spreadsheets; and
  • digitised reproductions of documents.

The removal of records from the organisation and their subsequent destruction or transfer to the State archives collection for permanent retention as state archives.

For the purposes of the Records Management Policy and Procedures employee is defined as:

  • a person employed under the School Education Act 1999 or the Public Sector Management Act 1994; or
  • a person who is engaged by the Department, whether under a contract of services or otherwise; and
  • including, in the case of a government organisation referred to in item 5 or 6 of Schedule 1 (State Records Act 2000), a ministerial officer (as defined in the Public Sector Management Act 1994) assisting the Department.

A record which has only short-term value to the organisation with little or no on-going administrative, fiscal, legal, evidential, or historical value and do not need to be captured into the corporate recordkeeping system.

Any’ record of information’, however recorded, pursuant to section 3 of the State Records Act 2000, and including:

  • anything on which there is writing or Braille;
  • a map, plan, diagram or graph;
  • a drawing, pictorial or graphic work, or photograph;
  • anything on which there are figures, marks, perforations, or symbols, having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them;
  • anything from which images, sounds or writings can be reproduced with or without the aid of anything else; and
  • anything on which information has been stored or recorded, either mechanically, magnetically, or electronically.

The systematic organisation and control of recorded information in any format from the time it is created to its final disposition.

A document that sets out how an organisation manages its records as required under Parts 2 and 3 of the State Records Act 2000.

A system to capture, maintain and provide access to records over time that displays features for ensuring authentic, reliable, complete and usable records that function as evidence of business transactions.

A systematic approach to the creation, maintenance, use and disposition of records.

Establishes the minimum retention period for each type of record listed in the schedule regardless of medium, and dictates the final action for the record.

The name of the mandated electronic document and records management system used by the Department of Education in central services and education regional offices to support compliant recordkeeping practices.

7. Related documents

8. Contact information

Policy manager:

Director, Business and Customer Services

Policy contact officer:

Policy Officer Recordkeeping

T: (08) 9264 4371

Other:

Corporate Information Services Help Desk

T: (08) 9264 4867

E: recmanhd@education.wa.edu.au

 

9. History of changes

Effective date Last update date Policy version no.
28 April 2015 3.0
Major review undertaken and split into policy and procedures. Endorsed by Corporate Executive 13 February 2015.
28 April 2015 5 May 2015 3.1
Minor change to remove duplicate definition of Digital Record on page 4 of Policy document. D15/0156729
28 April 2015 22 July 2015 3.2
Minor change to update references of TRIM to HP Records Manager to reflect the HPRM upgrade D15/0284563.
26 September 2017 26 September 2017 3.3
Change to mandatory content under ss3.3 and 3.4 of the Records Management Procedures on Recordkeeping Awareness course and updated links endorsed by Director General at Corporate Executive on 27 July 2017.
26 September 2017 27 August 2018 3.4
Minor changes to include reference to electronic messaging under the definition of significant records, updated contact information to reflect organisational changes D18/0377111 and updated legislation links D18/0207680.
26 September 2017 14 November 2018 3.5
Minor updates linking to IKON pages. Approval D18/0505628.
3 December 2019 4.0
Major review undertaken and endorsed by the Director General on 31 October 2019. D19/0541621.
3 December 2021 25 May 2021 4.1
Minor changes to reflect Ikon links D21/0276358

10. More information

This policy:

Download policy PDFRecords Management Policy v4.1


Supporting procedures:

Download Procedures PDFRecords Management Procedures


Policy and all supporting documents:

Download Policy Bundle ZIPRecords Management Policy Bundle


Policy review date

3 December 2022

Policy last updated

25 May 2021