Scottish Government records management plan

Element 1: Senior management responsibility

An individual senior staff member is identified as holding corporate responsibility for records management.

Section 1(2)(a)(i) of the Act specifically requires a RMP to identify the individual responsible for the management of the authority's public records.

An authority's RMP must name and provide the job title of the senior manager who accepts overall responsibility for the RMP that has been submitted.

It is vital that the RMP submitted by an authority has the approval and support of that authority's senior management team. Where an authority has already appointed a Senior Information Risk Owner, or similar person, they should consider making that person responsible for the records management programme. It is essential that the authority identifies and seeks the agreement of a senior post-holder to take overall responsibility for records management. That person is unlikely to have a day-to-day role in implementing the RMP, although they are not prohibited from doing so.

As evidence, the RMP could include, for example, a covering letter signed by the senior post-holder. In this letter the responsible person named should indicate that they endorse the authority's record management policy (see element 3).

Best Practice might include:

• Senior management responsibility is recorded in both the RMP and the RM Policy statement (see element 3).
• The post-holder is named in the RMP and confirmed in each report to the Keeper (see element 13).
• The Keeper is promptly advised of any change in post-holder.
• The post-holder should satisfy themselves that they understand their responsibilities.

Read further explanation and guidance about element 1.

Scottish Government Statement

The Director General Corporate Lesley Fraser, has senior responsibility for all aspects of records management, and is the corporate owner of this document.

Lesley Fraser is also the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) for Scottish Government (SG).

The bodies who are named in the act and opted to be included within the Scottish Government plan have all confirmed they use the SG eRDM system for filing information and are happy that our SIRO has signed off the plan.

Evidence

E01: SG Records Management policy

E02: Data handling -Roles and responsibilities - SIRO

E59: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Chief Medical Officer - Confirmation response

E60: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Authorities and Assistant Inspectors of Fire and Rescue Authorities - Confirmation response

E61: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland - Confirmation response

E62: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - HM Inspectorate of Constabulary - Confirmation response

E63: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Scottish Agricultural Wages Board - Confirmation response

E64: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Chief Dental Officer - Confirmation response

E67: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Her Majesty's Inspector of Anatomy for Scotland – Confirmation response

E70: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission – Safeguarders Panel – Confirmation response

E71: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission – Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland – Confirmation response

E73: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Independent Prison Monitors and Prison Monitoring Co-Ordinators – Confirmation response

E74: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland - Confirmation response

E76: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Accountant in Bankruptcy – Confirmation response

E77: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Disclosure Scotland - Confirmation response

E78: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission - Transport Scotland - Confirmation response

E79: Scottish Government Records Management Plan Submission – Student Awards Agency for Scotland - Confirmation response

Further Development

No additional actions have been identified in relation to the Senior management responsibility.