Managing Personnel Records - International Records Management ...

database does not meet
user requirements
data on the computerised
management system are
inaccurate
collapsed personnel registries
• data are incomplete and difficult to
access
• ghost workers in the payroll system
are difficult to identify
payroll data and surveys
are used as source data
Using Other Data Sources
Source data trap
Figure 12: Source Data Trap
MANAGING PERSONNEL RECORDS
116
computerised personnel
management system is
commissioned
project deadlines are too tight
for clean-up of records for use
as data source
While paper-based files are the primary source of legally verifiable information, other
sources can be used in constructing computerised personnel information systems.
Data for computerised personnel information systems tend to be drawn from personal
files held in registries, nominal rolls and other databases and surveys, including head
counts.
Nominal Rolls
Line ministries are often required to maintain lists of the staff they employ. Initially
this may appear to be a useful source of the basic data needed for a personnel
database, such as name, age, position, and so on. However, maintaining the nominal
rolls is often considered a low-priority task; therefore the record may be out of date.
If there is a discrepancy in the information, it is still necessary to go back to personal
files to resolve the problem. On their own, nominal rolls are not a sufficiently
accurate source of information on which to base a new personnel system.