Managing Personnel Records - International Records Management ...

If an employee is found to have two different reference numbers (and therefore two
separate files), the files should be merged in the way described above. One or other
of the numbers should be deleted by removing the surplus card from the master index
and by renumbering all relevant papers within the file. The card that remains in the
master index should be annotated with an agreed form of words such as ‘FILE
NUMBER XXX FOR THIS EMPLOYEE DELETED’. The deleted number should
be indicated, with an agreed form of words such as ‘MERGED WITH FILE
NUMBER YYY’, on the list, if there is one, and on the master file or on the relevant
docket sheets.
If an employee has been registered under two different names, the files should be
merged and one of the two reference numbers deleted, as described above. Both
names should appear on the merged file, with an indication that the employee is (or
has been) known by more than one name. In addition, one name should be
cross-referenced to the other in the master index.
CENTRALISATION VERSUS
DECENTRALISATION
Personnel files may be managed in one of two ways: in a centralised within one office
of the organisation, or in a decentralised system in different departments. In a
centralised personnel management system, personnel details are sent to the central
government department responsible for managing activities such as recruitment,
posting, promotions and pensions. In a decentralised system, individual departments
are given responsibility for managing and reporting on the personnel management
function. Sometimes only certain activities, such as pension administration, are
centralised, while others, such as recruitment and promotions, are decentralised.
Moreover, some of the principal users of these records may be in the capital and some
in the regions, making access to information more challenging.
Deciding whether to manage personnel records centrally or
in a decentralised system will depend on how the personnel
records system should interact with other parts of the
organisation.
When determining whether to manage personnel records centrally or in a
decentralised system, it is necessary to consider how the personnel records system
should function and interact with other parts of the organisation. Every situation is
different, but the following factors must be considered.
? Stakeholders. The record system must support the operational objectives of the
organisation. It is essential to know who has a stake in the system and what they
want to achieve. For example, if the head of civil service wants to transfer
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