Cabinet to Receive Draft Information Management Policy

A draft Integrated Records and Information Management Policy to standardise the management of official Government data is to be submitted to Cabinet shortly.

This policy, an initiative of the Cabinet Office, along with the Jamaica Archives and Records Department (JARD) and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), comes out of a five-year Record and Information Management programme to create a platform for increased data sharing.

The policy will also provide the necessary capacity for JARD to carry out its mandate.

Acting Principal Director in the OPM, Mrs. Sonia Hyman, addressing the opening of an Access to Information Responsible Officers training at Jamaica House, today (September  23), said the policy will ensure that all activities of the Ministries and decisions by the Government are fully and adequately documented, managed and monitored in accordance with the regulatory framework.

“Proper records management is also necessary for the efficient administering of the (Access to Information) Act,” she said.

The training session, hosted by the Access to Information (ATI) Unit, included 40 officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies. It is intended to equip the practitioners with the strategic insight and practical thinking skills and competencies to carry out their obligations as the persons responsible for administering the Act in their respective organisations.

An additional 45 persons are to be trained in October. The trainees were given an overview of the Act, as well as how to carry out their duties.

Noting that it is important that quarterly training sessions are held, Mrs. Hyman congratulated the ATI Unit for their sustained effort in ensuring that its duties are carried out in an efficient and effective manner.