Categories
EDRMS and ECM Records Management

The National Archives: providing inspirational leadership

Bright, enthusiastic and driven to bring information management to the fore in the minds of the nation’s leaders, Natalie Ceeney, the youthful ‘Keeper of the Records’ at The National Archives delivered an inspirational opening address to the delegates of the twenty-first Records Management in Government conference in Newcastle on the 4th of October, 2006.

Categories
Data protection Records Management

Disaster recovery planning: prepare your records now

Disasters in a records management context involve situations that could cause irrevocable damage to an institution’s records. As far as both paper and computer records are concerned, disasters can range from a small fire setting off some sprinklers to the complete flooding of a basement where an organisation’s records are stored, to a slow leak […]

Categories
Calendars Freedom of information Records Management

Online records and knowledge management events calendar

There are a number of sources for training seminars, workshops, conferences and other events in UK knowledge, records and information management sector, but none seem to bring them all together. Enter the Information Handyman’s Information Calendar:

Categories
Freedom of information Open Source Software

HowTo: Putting the FOI Monitor into action

A help file to assist you with using the free Freedom of Information Act monitoring software available from the ‘FOI Monitor’ link above.

Categories
Information audit Records Management Software

HowTo: Putting the Information Auditor into action

A help file to assist you with using the free Information Auditing software available from the ‘Information Auditor 2.3 link above.

Categories
Classification Information audit Records Management

Conducting an information audit

Many of us find the data and information we store to be in all sorts of areas, be it in the basement VHS collection, on the bookshelf, emails on the home computer, or spread out over an organisation in various silos. If we wanted to access all the information we had on hiring staff we’d […]

Categories
Records Management

Information management policies – why we need them

Let’s start by asking what is an information policy? Though organisations will vary on the scope of a policy, it is generally a document that has been approved by senior management that covers how employees create, access, store, and dispose of information whether of a personal or business nature. It should cover all the information […]

Categories
Freedom of information

Freedom of information: answering requests

We’ve covered how to ask a Freedom of Information Act question to a public authority, but how should you expect your public authority to reply? Or, for those who are receiving a request, how do you best go about answering it? Openness, transparency and a willingness to be accountable for actions are the bottom line, […]

Categories
Software

Quicklaunch: configuring the taskbar

Most of us use a particular set of applications, folders and webpages on a more regular basis than others. Since Windows 95 there’s been a clever solution to allow you to start those items directly from the taskbar beside the ‘start’ button with one click. It’s called the ‘Quicklaunch toolbar’ and, properly configured, ought to […]

Categories
Freedom of information Records Management

UK Freedom of Information: How to submit a request

There was much ado in January 2005 when the Freedom of Information Act came into force, with newspapers publicising some high profile instances where they had used the Act to obtain information. However, many people are still in the dark as to how exactly to submit a request. “Is there a special form to fill […]