Effective Records and Information Management Critical – COX

Effective Records and Information Management (RIM) is critical in an increasingly digitised world to create safeguards and processes to strengthen data protection, says Acting Principal Director, Information Division, Office of the Prime Minister, Damian Cox.

Addressing the official launch of RIM Month 2023, at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) in Kingston on April 5, Mr. Cox said the practice of RIM is closely related to digital transformation, emphasising the necessity for the strengthening of the capacity and core competencies of RIM professionals to provide the services that are needed now and in the future.

“In this time, we face increasing cybersecurity threats. So, how we process the information that we have, how we maintain it, how we protect it, all those things are interconnected with what we do in terms of records and information management,” he said.

Throughout the month of April, affiliate agencies and stakeholders will be recognised for their critical role in governance systems.

Mr. Cox said that as technology evolves, greater vigilance is vital to protect sensitive information housed within government institutions.

“These technological issues we are going to continually have to face, and that is why the underpinning of what we need to do, we have to get RIM right. That is the foundation,” Mr. Cox added, noting that the Data Protection Act, which is to come into effect shortly, is also essential in the interconnected RIM system.

“RIM is a core activity that is fundamental to our achievement of becoming a developed country and taking our rightful place in the community of nations,” Mr. Cox said.

At the ceremony, the Office of the Prime Minister recognised eight entities that have successfully implemented the manual component of the new Government of Jamaica RIM programme. They were presented with certificates of achievement and plaques.

They include the Auditor General’s Department (AGD), Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), HEART/NSTA Trust, Institute of Jamaica, Jamaica Archives and Records Department (JARD), Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of Justice, and the Office of the Cabinet.

Other entities are being encouraged to implement the Government of Jamaica Records and Information Management Policy.

The RIM programme is being implemented by the Jamaica Archives and Records Department (JARD), an agency of the Ministry of Education and Youth, in collaboration with the Cabinet Office.

All ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are being targeted under the initiative, which was officially launched in October 2018, following Cabinet’s approval of the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) RIM Policy.

The policy outlines standards for effective records and information management by MDAs through standardisation of their operations, thereby reducing the timeline for retrieval of material being requested by the public.

RIM Month 2023 is being observed in April under the theme ‘Reigniting a Nation For Greatness: Managing and Preserving the Records of Our Nation’. The ceremony was hosted by JARD.