C17 Territory records

The Directorate continues its commitment to delivering good governance and compliant records management practices in accordance with the Territory Records Act 2002 and related standards.

Records Management Program and Procedures

The Directorate's Records Management Program review has been a focus this year. The revised document has been drafted in line with the Territory Records Office Model Records Management Program and is divided into four sections: Introduction, Policy, Procedures and Business systems. The process is in its final stages with the policy submitted for endorsement, business systems identified, procedures expanded from nine to 19 and consultations with stakeholders underway. The new program will be much easier to read and provide better records management support to staff. Until the endorsement of the new program, the current program is available to all staff via the Directorate's Intranet and is further supported by regular records management training.

Storage Arrangements

The Directorate has a contract with the offsite storage provider Grace Records Management. This arrangement supports the Directorate in meeting its legislative requirements regarding compliant records storage standards as defined in the Territory Records Standard - Number 7: Physical Storage of Records. Work is underway to vary the contract to allow for a one year extension so that the Directorate is covered until an anticipated whole of government tender takes place.

Records Management Training

The Directorate continues to offer two comprehensive records management training workshops per month and regular records presentations have been conducted at Business Managers and School Psychologist forums. Workshops were attended by 111 staff during the reporting period. Other initiatives that are being explored are compulsory training for new employees, inclusion of records management in the biannual School Compliance Report and improved records references available for staff.

Records Management Practices

Best practice records management remains a focus for the Directorate. The number of records registered as files has increased significantly in the 2012-13 financial year resulting in over 70,000 records created. The final figure for 2011-12 was 42,793. This is a record for the Directorate. The high number is due to greater staff awareness of records management obligations coupled with the results of the Student Records Archiving Project. The Student Records Archiving Project commenced to reduce the quantity of records held on-site at schools. Through the project schools are offered records management assistance and support in the capture and management of records before movement to offsite storage facilities. Fifty percent of schools have completed the project resulting in 24,258 records registered as files and archived.

Work continues to identify and preserve records relating to people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent so that people can establish links with their heritage. Specific inclusion in the records management policy and procedures as well as training workshops has been made to ensure greater awareness of the Directorate's need to conservatively manage these records. All staff must let the Records Management Section know if a record establishes links. The Records Management Section will subsequently make a note on the Directorate's records management system (TRIM) that the registered file is not to be destroyed and contains Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage information as per Territory Records (Records Disposal Schedule for preserving records containing information that may allow people to establish links with their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage) Approval 2011 (No 1).

Public Access

Since July 2008, the Access to Records provisions of the Territory Records Act 2002 has provided public access to records older than 20 years. Directorate records that are older than 20 years were identified and assessed. Requests are lodged with Archives ACT through a website and records viewed in joint-funded facilities, within the Woden Library. The Directorate received seven public access requests in 2012-13.

Records Disposal

The Administrative Arrangements 2012 (No2) included the transfer of the childcare services and regulation function from the Community Services Directorate to the Education and Training Directorate. The Records Disposal Schedule – Children, Youth and Family Support Records now applies to Directorate records as a result.

Table C17.1: Records disposal schedules used by the Directorate

Source: ACT legislation register.

For more information contact:
Director
Information, Communications and Governance
(02) 6205 9328