Establishing a records appraisal workflow.

AuthorSchmerbauch, Maik
PositionRIM FUNDAMENTALS

Although many standards and other publications advise on the ways to properly manage physical records, theoretical knowledge from reading about it is no substitute for practical experience. This case study describes the workflow established for a records and information management (RIM) project to appraise and manage the inactive records of the procurement unit in a United Nations (UN) agency in Germany.

Setting the Stage

RIM as its own operating section was established in the middle 2000s as a result of the release of the UN's formal archive and records management program, which had been authorized by the secretary general. It declared: "Archives and Records Management Section shall be responsible for establishing policy and setting standards, including the design of record-keeping systems and procedures for the management of the records and archives of the United Nations, including their use, storage, retention and disposition and access rights."

Before the RIM unit became operational, each unit of the secretariat conducted records management with unique filing techniques according to its professional requirements and stored its records in a separate repository. Shortly after the secretary general's proclamation, RIM was staffed, minimally, and the department created its own policies and procedures based on the international recordkeeping standard ISO 154891:2001 Information and documentation--Records Management--Part 1: General.

RIM therefore had to manage information to ensure that it was accurately documented, that business records were managed efficiently, and that they remained suitably accessible during their retention periods. In addition to performing its daily records and document management operations, the young RIM section functioned as the records center for inactive records with a retention requirement and as an archive for records classified for permanent preservation.

RIM conducted several records appraisal projects for such departments as human resources and the procurement unit as part of the general administrative program, which for two decades had secured inactive records in a single storage repository --a room with shelves but without archival order or any appraisal or classification procedures. Anyone who required access to the inactive records had to search for them manually.

In 2013, after RIM had conducted several smaller appraisal projects, the procurement unit requested professional help on its entire inactive...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT