"Records and information are the lifeblood of any organisation. They are the basis on which decisions are made, services provided, and policies developed and communicated." Scottish Ministers’ Code of Practice on Records Management by Scottish Public Authorities*
The GSA's records are key resources, providing evidence of our business transactions and activities, supporting the creation of new knowledge, and contributing to GSA’s corporate memory.
Records include:
- physical and electronic documents (including written and typed documents and annotated copies), and files such as databases, spreadsheets and presentations
- emails
- diary records
- intranet and internet web pages
With good records management, the GSA will benefit from information being easily and efficiently located, accessed and retrieved, and better protected and securely stored; as well as records being disposed of safely and at the right time.
The GSA has a Records Management Policy for all staff, which was updated in July 2018.
Records Retention Schedules
GSA's draft records retention schedules (RRS) provide guidance on which records to keep, how long to keep them, and what to do with them afterwards. Please note that these RRS are still under development, in liaison with the relevant GSA staff.
Who to contact for advice and support
If you have any queries or would like to find out more about records management, please email Nicola Siminson, Institutional Repository and Records Manager at the GSA, at n.siminson@gsa.ac.uk, or call 0141 566 1417.
Publishing and reviewing GSA policies
Guidance on publishing and reviewing polices at the GSA can be found here.
The GSA policy cover sheet template should be completed and attached to all GSA policies.
The GSA policy publication and review schedule should be completed periodically by GSA Heads of Department.
Further information
* Scottish Ministers’ Code of Practice on Records Management by Scottish Public Authorities, under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/933/0124124.pdf
How does records management support Freedom of Information (FoI) and Data Protection?
Records and information management is closely connected with Freedom of Information (FoI), and with Data Protection (DP). Good records management is essential for the effective and efficient answering of FoI requests, as it enables stored information to be located and retrieved easily within the statutory timescales, or a reason to be given why information is not held. Strong records management practice also supports the appropriate handling and storage of confidential information and personal data, and compliance with DP legislation.
Page last updated May 2019
