Information Management Chronicles: Part 1

Over the next few months Paula McClure will be producing a series of articles called ‘Information Management Chronicles’ focused on Information Governance and Records Management topics. Rather than a detailed how-to, the series will offer viewpoints and experiences on these topics that will engage both the novice and seasoned information professional. This is Part 1: Information Governance and the Records Coordinator role.

An often overlooked, but crucial, role in Information Governance is that of the Records Coordinator within business areas. The Records Coordinator works within their business unit to champion and implement organisational records management processes. This role does not form part of the central Information Governance or Records Management function, staffed by a Records Manager.

Sometimes also called ‘Focal Points’, or ‘Document Management Correspondents’, Records Coordinators have a reporting line to managers in other business areas, and typically combine their job with additional Records Management duties. A Records Coordinator may be a 20% FTE (Full-Time Employee) in small business areas, rising to a 50-100% FTE in larger business areas.

Records Coordinators are in a key position to embed and help implement Records Management practices and processes. Unlike a Records Manager working in a central Records Management function, they have permissions to access their business area’s information and systems. They also have expert knowledge of processes in their business area. The Records Coordinator role can have a transformative effect on Information Governance, offering benefits to the organisation as well as to the role-holder.

Records Coordinator Activities

Activities that Records Coordinators perform may include:

Day-to-day records management tasks

• Approving disposition for paper and digital records
• Sending paper records to storage/retrieving from storage
• Registration of incoming/outgoing correspondence
• Keeping business area file plans up-to-date
• Annually attesting to retention/disposal of data in applications

Records Management liaison/Change Management

• Providing input for development of a corporate Records Schedule
• Providing input for Records Management system implementation. This may include providing information for developing retention labels and policies, sensitivity labels, group permissions, SharePoint sites, Teams, etc.

Guidance and training

• First-point-of-contact for Records Management queries
• Helping to train staff on new record systems and processes
• Helping their business area embed best practices. For instance, sending links rather than attachments, or using collaboration tools with versioning.
• Helping colleagues to identify ‘ROT’ (Redundant, Obsolete, Trivial) documents

Records Coordinators, moreover, are invaluable for Records Managers as advocates, positioned to persuade their own management of the value of Records Management initiatives. Records Coordinators normally have additional training to help them with their duties.

The Records Coordinator role is recognised as a best practice. ARMA International[1] points to the importance of the Records Coordinator role:

 ‘In addition, the IG program needs a network of coordinators within the business units who can liaise with the IG team to share their knowledge about their unit’s key business processes and information assets and train the business unit staff on IG policies and procedures. These collaborative relationships facilitate routine feedback and usually result in more successful IG program implementation. The coordinator role is generally a part-time responsibility.’ 

The challenge of creating a Records Coordinator role

The main challenge in creating a Records Coordinator role is convincing senior management that it is necessary. This may be the case even in organisations that have hired a Records Manager.

A reason for this is that organisations often have assigned other information governance duties to staff in business areas. There are Data Governance roles, such as Data Owners and Data Stewards, primarily focussed on data within applications; and Data Protection roles, such as Privacy Stewards, focussed on maintaining the IAR (Information Asset Register) entries for their business area, and conducting DSARs (Data Subject Access Requests). Understandably, management may be reluctant to add more duties to non-information management staff.

While I’ve seen staff take on records management duties unofficially, it’s only when these are formally recognised that they can be done consistently, and to a required standard. Coordinator duties should be formally assigned. After all, when organisations decide to create a Records Coordinator role, the impact can be transformative and bring benefits to the organisation as well as to the role-holder.

The Records Coordinator role in organisations

At an international public sector organisation where I served, staff that took on coordinator duties did not initially have their roles officially recognised. Their tasks, which ranged from correspondence registration and management of paper records to input into development of extensions to the EDRMS, were performed voluntarily. Naturally, support was inconsistent. Their roles were later formalised and acknowledged as part of their annual performance appraisal, resulting in benefits for both the organisation and the duty-holders.

At another organisation, where staff lacked Records Management experience, they were encouraged to pursue further training, including studying for online master’s degrees in Records Management and Archives. The level of expert support for records management in business areas was significantly increased. This organisation was known for its world-class Records Management System.

At a large financial services company, business areas were instructed by Compliance to dedicate resources for the Records Coordinator role. Records Coordinators were expected to be either hired externally, or internally appointed. There was a formal job description for the Records Coordinator role.  This programme is now mature and successful.

A UK public organisation is now considering the creation of a Records Coordinator role to help embed Records Management. It is a small size organisation and today there is no Records Manager in place.  The organisation sees the Record Coordinator role as a good first step in setting out a programme to better achieve its records management goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Records Coordinator role will significantly help the implementation and maintenance of an Information Governance program. It is our hope that this discussion has provided you with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the vital contributions that Records Coordinators make to their organisations, paving the way for improved information governance and operational efficiency.

References

[1] ARMA International. (2018) Information Governance Book of Knowledge. Overland Park, KS. ISBN: 978-1-936654-90-1. Pg 26.

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