Much of the digital records accumulated by the government over the past 20 or so years “is poorly organised, scattered across different systems and almost impossible to search effectively”, admits a report compiled by the Cabinet Office in response to Sir Alex Allan’s ‘2015 Review of Government digital records’.
This not only undermines government’s ability to structure and preserve long-term records, it creates immediate risks for accounting officers, who may be unable to provide evidence for past decisions and actions or meet statutory freedom of information obligations.
Lack of access to searchable digital legacy information can also result in civil servants recreating policy ideas that have been found not to work. The Cabinet Office estimates that up to £500,000 a year is being wasted on re-drafting plans and policies that have already been dismissed as unworkable.
The Cabinet Office report recommends that government departments should
- evaluate the level of risk they face from legacy digital information collections and take appropriate action
- undertake renewed efforts to drive information management compliance across their business
The Cabinet Office, The National Archives and Government Digital Service should continue to
- support departments to manage legacy risks and improve information management
- identify and progress strategic initiatives to improve government information management structures and processes cross-government
‘Better Information for Better Government’ links both to Sir Alex’s review and the Cabinet Office’s response.