Authors

• Heikkilä, Anssi (University of Jyväskylä. Department of History and Ethnology)

Keywords

data, data management, electronic archiving, information processing, local government, records management

Abstract

The survey charted how the classification of local government functions as well as the records management plans (digital archiving plans for records, eAMS) had been implemented in Finnish municipalities and federations of municipalities.

The first set of questions covered whether the municipality/federation of municipalities used a records management system, who was the provider of the system, whether there was a records management plan in use, when the plan had been first introduced and how the records were classified. Next questions focused on the classification of local government functions. The respondents were asked whether the classification was in use, when it had been introduced, on which levels it was in use (main tasks level, lower levels etc.) and, if the classification was not in use, when the municipality/federation of municipalities was going to introduce it. Further questions included how well the classification functioned and what its advantages and disadvantages were.

The final questions covered the use of the electronic records management plan. The respondents were asked whether the plan was in use, when it had been intoduced, where/how the plan had been implemented, when it was going to be introduced (if not in use already), whether there were plans to get help/support in its use from outside, how well the plan had performed, how useful it was and how well it could be integrated into other systems of the administration.

Background variables included the archives district of the municipality/federation, number of inhabitants in the municipality/federation, number of employees, man-years used for records management and archive, and whether the responding unit was a municipality or federation.