Staff resourcing model

Organisational size based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics business size categories:

• Small (0-19 persons employed)
• Medium (20-199 persons employed)
• Large (200 or more persons employed).

Skill level based on the National Archives of Australia: capabilities for information management professionals:

• Foundation - entry level, minimal experience with some awareness of requirements, understanding of good business process
• Practitioner/Skilled Operational - skilled level with some experience or training, understanding of requirements, ability to support others in management of records, assess requirements against processes or systems
• Management/Specialist - higher level experience, with probably qualifications, which can provide direction and authority of requirements, contribute to the selection of systems, provide advice on relevant legislation and policy
• Executive/Lead - high level experience and qualifications, which can champion, endorse, advocate for recordkeeping requirements throughout an organisation and provide input into strategies.

This framework is important for organisations to understand what level of skills are needed within an organisation. Skill level will vary for organisations, dependent on their size and structure, but will also depend on individual experience. For example, level 1/2 system support (EDRMS: access, searching, creation) can vary significantly to higher level advisory work (assessing process and practices to support and improve business function). It is important to acknowledge that certain skills should be realised and expected when managing recordkeeping obligations.

• For small organisations, the role may be part of another one, integrated with other responsibilities. Oversight must be maintained at a management or executive level
• Numbers can be scaled up for projects, for example large digitisation projects, legacy sentencing or Machinery of Government (MoG) changes
• The volume of transactions can include multiple systems, applications and process
• Critical records managed by your organisation will impact on the assessment of minimum requirements:
  • Compexity of legal obligations to manage records - your organisation may come under several Acts or have legal sensitive records (e.g., care leaver records or other records likely to be subject to litigation). Agencies should understand what their particular responsibilities are to manage records
  • Rigor of regulatory environment - is there a need to continually demonstrate compliance with external regulations and mitigate risk?
• The complexity and maturity of the organisation in terms of information and records management needs must be considered to understand if the minimum required number will work for the organisational needs.

• Establish a strong central governance framework to support effective management of records for the organisation, this could include an Information Management Governance Committee (IMGC)
  • It is a requirement for certain agencies to establish and maintain an IMGC. An existing governance body may adopt the functions of an IMGC if they meet the requirements. See our guidance on Governance. 
• Establish a regular review of recordkeeping strategy and process, and report on findings
• Understand if the recordkeeping roles are responsible for operational tasks in addition to policy and advisory work
• Including your recordkeeping requirements in strategic planning and resourcing will support good records management.

• Recordkeeping staff need to have a variety of skill level and competency (skillset) to manage requirements. These range from legislative aptitude to technical know-how. Such skillsets include:
  • the ability to inform and write policy
  • to support and train organisations to manage physical and digital records
  • to understand and appraise business needs for the development and implementation of classification schemes and the retention and disposal of records
  • to capture and describe records including an understanding of metadata requirements
  • to ensure compliance with laws and regulations
  • support procurement or IT/business systems
  • to keep up with best practice 
  • facilitating audits and developing continuity or disaster recovery planning strategies.
• Organisations will need to consider skillsets and skill levels in the recordkeeping staffing needs
• Skillsets can vary for managing physical records and digital records and should be taken into consideration accordingly
• Skill level can vary from clerical to highly qualified; quality of experience may be beneficial over quantity of staff.

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• Information management, recordkeeping, records management and archiving can sometimes be used interchangeably but can mean different things to different roles and organisations. Understanding the difference can support hiring the right specialist for the right role. See our topic pages on Information Management and Glossary. 

• Ensure appropriate support and training is provided for recordkeeping specialists (especially if this is only one part of their role)
• Consider a program of succession planning to ensure that there is a structured approach to developing and nurturing talent within your organisation
• While the model focuses on dedicated recordkeeping specialists, it is important to remember that everybody in your organisation has responsibility for keeping records 
• Ensure a culture of recordkeeping responsibilities is created through ongoing training of all staff and leaders in your organisation
• PROV provides free online training modules to help Victorian agency staff to better understand their recordkeeping responsibilities. These can be accessed through our online recordkeeping training page, which also provides links to external providers of relevant training.

• Consideration for quantity and complexity of technology (system assessment, development, maintenance and support, which may include vendor support) must be included in assessment of recordkeeping compliance needs
• Most organisations work with hybrid environments that include systems, applications and paper records; this will impact the variety of skillsets required
• Ensure recordkeeping requirements are considered and specialists are consulted before and during the procurement of systems. More information can be found on the procurement topic page.

For an organisation of 10, a minimum of a 0.5 recordkeeping staff allocation is recommended under this model. This may be allocated to part of a single role, for example a business support officer may be required to maintain an information asset register and provide data and clerical support. Higher level understanding of recordkeeping requirements and duties then needs to be considered in a management or executive level.

For an organisation with 140 staff, a minimum of four recordkeeping staff would be recommended. This should incorporate at least one at a management level with oversight from executive. 

A large organisation of 2,500 staff would have a minimum requirement of 9.6 recordkeeping staff, with a minimum of one management or executive, and a mix of specialist, practitioner or foundation depending on the complexity and volume of information required to support the organisation.

Further examples