An organized records management programme is essential for efficient and effective government. The Access to Information Act (ATI) has made the subject of records management very relevant, as unless records are organized and listed, they cannot be retrieved when requested by members of the public.

In fulfillment of its mandate to assist government entities to better manage their records, JARD has produced the following documents:

Organizing your records for ATI which provides basic guidelines on establishing a records management programme.

Records and Information Management Policy for the Government of Jamaica Each institution should have a written policy regarding the management of its records within the overall government policy.  This draft
document sets out the main areas of goverment's policy on records management.

Moving towards an ERMS provides guidance on establishing an electronic records management programme and the steps which should be taken before a software package is obtained.

Policy guidelines for the Management of E-mails in the Government of Jamaica
Electronic mails (e-mails) received or sent by institutions are official records and policies and procedures for handling them are essential. Each institution should have its own policy and guidelines to manage these materials

Terms of Reference of a Records and Information Management Committee

It is recommended that each institution establishes a records committee which is a working group to advise on records (in all formats) and Information management issues within a entity. This can include matters relating to access to official documents by members of the public under the Access to Information Act

JARD, the G-RIM Network and the MIS Officers Group of CITO (Central Information Technology Office) have produced a document outlining the functional requirements for an ERMS system. As it is still in draft form, it is not available to the general public but authorized persons in government entities can obtain a copy by contacting the Government Records Centre at grecords@jard.gov.jm