Boards are the governing bodies of public sector entities. Board members set the overall strategic direction for the entity, and monitor and manage the performance of senior management. They also oversee operations and regulatory compliance, and have an important role in keeping responsible ministers and government departments aware of the major risks that their entities face. Effective boards set policies to mitigate these risks and promote transparent, accountable governance.

Ordered to be published

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER May 2017

 PP No 246, Session 2014-2017

Figure D1 lists the records management clauses that agencies are required to include in their third-party outsourcing agreements and contracts.

Figure D1

PROV requirements for records of outsourced activities

Figure C1 presents the results of our compliance assessment of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Education and Training (DET).

Figure C1

Compliance with records management standards

Figure B1 provides an overview of Victoria's records management standards and their respective specifications.

Figure B1

Records management standards and specifications

We have professionally engaged with the Public Record Office Victoria, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Health and Human Services throughout the course of the audit. In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 we provided a copy of this report or relevant extracts to those agencies, and requested their submissions and comments.

Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.

Responses were received as follows:

The Public Record Office Victoria's (PROV) records management standards set out how agencies must make and manage records, so they can be trusted as a true reflection of an agency's activities.

The standards cover all records in all formats, media and business systems, and consist of:

The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) is Victoria's primary authority on how to ensure that the evidence of government business is trustworthy—specifically, that it has integrity and is authentic, reliable and usable.

PROV is also responsible under the Public Records Act 1973 (the Act) for assisting agencies to meet the Act's requirements for effective records management programs.

A transparent and accountable government depends on the accessibility and reliability of its records. Effective records management requires a robust framework of legislation, centralised governance and oversight, monitoring, and disincentives for noncompliance.

There are four well‑documented barriers to achieving fully effective records management in Victoria: