Monitoring framework

The organisations we regulate have told us that they want clearer guidance, advice, and benefits from our monitoring. We’ve designed our new monitoring framework (the Framework) to help us focus our work as regulator of the performance of public sector information and records management. We’ll use what we learn from monitoring to support the sector more effectively to improve information and records management practice and performance. 

Two key components form the Framework. Together these will provide a comprehensive view of the performance of information and records management in the public sector:

• Annual survey of public offices and local authorities’ information and records management

• Audit of public offices information and records management

The Framework is part of a larger work programme to implement our long term strategy, Archives 2057, and feeds directly into our strategic focus areas of upholding transparency and building systems together. These focus areas demonstrate our intention to support open government principles and shape the processes and systems of public sector information and records management.

The Framework also directly contributes to the Open Government Partnership Third National Action Plan. We are leading Commitment 10, supporting transparency in government by developing and implementing our new approach to monitoring and openly reporting the findings.

Our objectives

Through the Framework, we will:

• form a complete picture of the information and records management performance of public sector organisations

• track improvement in performance over time

• identify and respond to risks, challenges, and opportunities in the management of information and records

• identify emerging trends in public sector information and records management

• provide visibility of regulated organisations’ performance

• provide recommendations and insights on how to improve performance

• inform our improvement of our regulatory activity such as education, advice and future monitoring

• identify ways we can improve our relationship management and leadership of public sector information and records management

• support the work of other regulators and leaders in related fields, including official information, privacy, security and public sector data.