Policies and Procedures - Document Management Information
It is advised to ensure that Policies and Procedures are in place. You should implement an Information Policy recognising documents as important organisational assets, a Retention Policy, based upon a schedule for each type of record and an Information Security Policy.
Procedures for their classification, structure, security, management and monitoring should be put in place based upon their individual type.
This should state retention periods (irrespective of whether the format is paper, microform or electronic), criteria for review/disposition and procedures for controlled destruction. Useful guidelines are provided on the UK Public Record Office site.
An Information Security Policy, ensuring confidentiality (see also the section on Data Protection) and the protection of the integrity of information assets. A Business Continuity Policy should be included to ensure that vital records are protected in the event of major equipment, environmental or personnel failure.
Overall, in implementing electronic document management, roles, responsibilities and procedures should be defined for:
Document preparation and batching
Photocopying
Scanning
Indexing
Quality control of captured images and data
Rescanning
Document workflows
Revision control
File transmission/migration
Backup and recovery
System maintenance and administration
Retention and disposition
Full systems description manuals should be maintained for all hardware and software components. Please also see the section providing advice on the maintenance of comprehensive Audit Trails.
