Cuts, reforms and changes of government can mean headaches for public servants nationwide, especially when it comes to dealing with sensitive data.

A new information sheet will make the management of records and data during changeovers easier, in Western Australia at least.

The paper has been published by the WA State Records Office (SRO). 

The SRO says big administrative or MoG change can occur at any time, and dealing with data is often a significant hassle.

“The basic principle to remember with any administrative change is that, for the most part, records remain with the originating organisation,” it said.

“Government organisations involved with administrative change must ensure the effective business continuity; accountability of government and preservation of the historical record of government; and its provenance.”

SRO says the term ‘records’ includes all government-recorded information - hardcopy, digital, data and metadata relevant to a function or business activity.

The information sheet says that when organisations receive a new function, including from abolished Agencies, they must consult with the organisation giving up that function to work out the type and format of records required to continue the function.

It says records of current activities can be provided to agency continuing the function, or “alternatively, only the current and active records relevant to that function can be transferred,” the SRO said.

“Non-current or legacy records relating to the function may be loaned to the receiving organisation for a specified period of time.”

The SRO said loaned records must ultimately be returned to the originating organisation, but given that they are often in digital form, it can get tricky.

“Where records of the function are maintained in electronic systems, consideration must be given to the applications, systems and media used to capture, store and manage those records,” the SRO said.

“If there is little or no compatibility between the electronic systems of the respective Agencies, transfer could be complicated,” it said.

The State Records Office says it must be consulted if records and data are to be relinquished to a different tier of government or a different State or Territory.