Mobile messaging apps - usage and policy: guidance

Recordkeeping considerations

As Scottish Government handles a lot of information, good record keeping is essential. We have legal responsibilities to manage our records carefully, and all colleagues must follow guidelines and help to maintain the corporate record on eRDM.

eRDM is used as the corporate repository to store our information and helps to ensure we manage it in line with the arrangements set out in our records managment plan.  For organisations that do not use eRDM,  users must ensure that they follow their organisation’s local information management governance policies and procedures.

Our records management policy explains what our responsibilities are. You must ensure the records you are responsible for are complete, accurate and stored promptly in eRDM. This only applies to those listed within the records management plan.

Information which must be retained for the corporate record is deemed to be of business value and requires to be formally recorded as it may be referenced in the future.  It may provide evidence of a decision, action or activity and the rationale behind how this was reached. Use your professional judgement when considering these factors and if you are still unsure, please consult the information management guidance.

Where information is currently stored on any mobile messaging application (MMA) or non-corporate communication channel (NCCC) on either a corporate or personal device and it is judged that this information requires to be stored for the corporate record to be accessed in the future.

The important points of the exchange must be captured into a document on the SCOTS platform and saved into the appropriate file in eRDM for the corporate record as quickly as possible to prevent information loss.  Taking this action will ensure that the corporate record is maintained.

Only once saved in eRDM should the information be deleted from the MMA or NCCC. This will ensure the information is stored in the correct location and is retained for the appropriate period of time. Protecting key government information and ensuring good record keeping.

It is the responsibility of the policy area to store relevant Ministerial correspondence in eRDM for the corporate record as quickly as possible. Ministerial Private Office teams do however have an obligation to ensure the corporate record is maintained for anything that policy teams may not be directly notified of/have provided ministerial advice on.  

Everybody has a responsibility to effectively manage information records in accordance with specified legislation, such as Freedom of Information Act 2000, Inquiries Act 2005 and Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011,  as well as in line with your organisation’s records management policy guidelines. It is important to manage our information ethically as gatekeepers to the historical record.