Electronic records
The vast majority of government records are now created electronically. The Lord Chancellor’s Code of Practice on the Management of Records under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act (56KB) 
states,
states,‘The principal issues for the management of electronic records are the same as those for the management of any record. They include, for example, the creation of authentic records, the tracking of records and disposal arrangements.’
The increase in the use of Information Technology in the creation of records presents new challenges to those responsible for the records management function in any public authority. More members of staff have the opportunity to create, amend and dispose of electronic information. If this is carried out in an uncontrolled manner, there is a real possibility of loss of material or unnecessary duplication.
The main driver so far has been the corporate Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Electronic Document Records Management Implementation (EDRMI) project (now known as Records NI ) – the first transfer to, and ingest of, these records by PRONI may be as early as 2010 (see also PRONI’s Digital Records Statement (28KB) ).
) – the first transfer to, and ingest of, these records by PRONI may be as early as 2010 (see also PRONI’s Digital Records Statement (28KB) ).The following documents contain reports, guidance and best practice advice on recent developments in the field of electronic records management in the Northern Ireland public sector:
- ‘Lessons learned’ reports describing PRONI’s experiences as being one of three lead implementers in the RecordsNI project:
