Managing government records across shared platforms and tenancies

Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) has released new guidance to help Victorian public offices manage government records on shared platforms and tenancies.

Collaborative digital tools, like MS Teams, Slack, Salesforce and SharePoint, have become an increasingly common part of the workplace. 

As a result, information may be stored across multiple workspaces, different teams or organisations may share ownership, and records may be created in new formats rather than traditional business systems.

Whether used for project collaboration, document sharing, communication, or service delivery, information created and stored in these shared platform environments may be public records and need to be managed appropriately.

Why it’s important to manage records confidently in shared platforms

Recordkeeping requirements do not change simply because work is undertaken in new digital environments. 

Important records can be difficult to locate, access, retain, or dispose of appropriately if recordkeeping is managed on shared platforms. 

As organisations embrace collaborative technologies, it is essential to ensure records remain accessible, secure, and appropriately managed.

Benefits of the guidance

The new guidance gives you practical advice on what to consider when managing records throughout their lifecycle, without removing the benefits of using collaborative platforms. 

Better information governance

The guidance helps organisations to consider governance arrangements, such as roles and responsibilities, when implementing or using shared platforms. 

Clear governance helps ensure records remain accessible, secure, and appropriately managed.

Improved accountability and transparency

Good recordkeeping ensures decisions, actions, and business activities can be evidenced over time. 

The guidance outlines how public offices can manage records effectively when working with shared platforms. 

Reduced compliance and operational risk

Shared platforms introduce risks when records are not captured, retained, or disposed. 

Applying the guidance helps organisations identify and address these risks early, reducing the likelihood of information loss, compliance issues, or difficulties responding to audits, investigations, or information access requests.

Improved access to information

When records are managed consistently, staff can easily locate the information they need to support business activities, decision-making, and service delivery. This reduces duplication of effort and improves organisational efficiency.

The guidance advises public offices on how to ensure information remains accessible, and understood, now and into the future. 

Support for digital transformation

As public offices continue to adopt new technologies and collaborative ways of working, recordkeeping considerations need to be built into platform design and implementation. 

The guidance supports organisations to incorporate recordkeeping requirements from the outset, rather than addressing issues after systems have been deployed.

Go to our shared platforms and tenancies page to read the new guidance.