Dimension: 1.5.6 Document management
This dimension concerns document management systems that support the collection, categorization, analysis and storage of data and information, and their distribution and dissemination.
Document management is essential as it maintains a record of parliament’s work, provides the information MPs and staff need to conduct their business, enables parliament to keep the public informed about its work, and underpins parliament’s institutional memory.
For the purpose of this dimension, “document management” covers all documents generated by parliament, MPs and parliamentary staff. This includes the formal documents and information generated in the course of parliamentary business, as well as the records of the parliamentary administration and documents generated by MPs when fulfilling their representative duties.
See also Dimension 1.3.8: Record-keeping, Indicator 2.2: Institutional integrity, Indicator 3.1: Transparency of parliamentary processes and Indicator 3.2: Parliamentary communication and outreach.
Aspiring goal
Assess your parliament against this dimension
Assessment criteria
No 1: Rules and procedures
Parliament has document management rules, procedures and processes in place covering the creation, processing, categorization, storage, archiving, retrieval, deletion and dissemination of information.
No 2: Central repository
All parliamentary documents are stored securely in one or more central repositories.
No 3: Access to parliamentary documents
Parliamentary documents can be accessed by MPs and staff as required and by members of the public in accordance with document management rules and procedures.
How to complete this assessment
This dimension is assessed against several criteria, each of which should be evaluated separately. For each criterion, select one of the six descriptive grades (Non-existent, Rudimentary, Basic, Good, Very good and Excellent) that best reflects the situation in your parliament, and provide details of the evidence on which this assessment is based.
The evidence for assessment of this dimension could include the following:
- Document management rules, procedures and/or processes
- Evidence of one or more central repositories for parliamentary documents
- Evidence that documents are available through the parliamentary website, or by email and/or in hard copy on request
- Cybersecurity reports
Where relevant, provide additional comments or examples that support the assessment.
Sources and further reading
- International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Implementing a records management strategy to complement Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. ’s knowledge management initiatives (2015)
- Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Technological Options for Capturing and Reporting Parliamentary Proceedings (2014)
- IPU, World e- Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. Report 2020 (2020)
Get help with this assessment
The assessment of indicators involves diagnosing and considering strengths and weaknesses, i.e. the things parliament is doing well, and the things it could do better or more effectively, taking into account established good practices that are described in the indicators.
Read the assessment guidance to find out what to consider when conducting an assessment against the Indicators. Find out how to prepare, how to set the objectives of the assessment, how to organize the process, and more. Contact the project partners for expert advice.
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