The World Bank Group Archives’ Records Management (RM) team consists of archivists, records managers, and information management professionals located within the Information Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice-Presidency of the World Bank Group (WBG). It is responsible for the strategic management of WBG records and information.
The RM team offers information management expertise and advice to support the effective management of WBG records throughout the lifecycle to improve efficiency and productivity, enable research, learning and engagement, and comply with fiduciary responsibilities.
We ensure that trustworthy records are readily available to the WBG and to the global community to foster knowledge sharing, transparency, and accountability, and reflect history to enable the effective delivery of development solutions.
What are records?
Records are recorded information, regardless of form or medium, created or received by or on behalf of the WBG in pursuance of its legal obligations or in the transaction of its business.
The WBG's operations and its reputation depend upon the integrity of its records and the ability to find and use the evidence and information contained in them. These records help avoid legal and fiduciary problems, allow the public to hold the WBG accountable, and enable staff to replicate successful operations.
Records are also fundamental business intelligence as they help staff make informed decisions. They are critical to the delivery of WBG programs and services, drive collaboration and communication, and facilitate creativity and growth.
Finally, records also form the basis of the WBG’s institutional memory, which, if permitted by the Access to Information Policy, are made available to internal and external audiences to facilitate information sharing, broaden understanding of development issues, coordinate activities with other institutions and agencies, support researchers and historians, and strengthen public support for efforts to improve the lives of people in the countries that we serve.
What is our responsibility?
All WBG records have a natural life cycle that spans from their creation to their disposition. We provide policies and guidance to WBG staff on how to manage records within each stage of their life cycle to ensure they: remain trustworthy and are managed accountably; are readily accessible, understandable, and usable; are kept for as long as required; and are valued as critical to business operations.
We do this by:
- Maintaining the WBG Management of Records Policy that sets out the WBG's requirements and procedures for managing records, and monitoring its implementation.
- Appraising the business, legal and research value of WBG records to identify the records that have permanent value as well as those that can be destroyed.
- Developing Records Retention and Disposition Schedules to document business needs for information and archival value decisions.
- Providing guidance, support, and training to WBG staff on how to manage records throughout all stages of the lifecycle.
- Providing requirements and design approaches for systems holding WBG records.
- Supporting the transfer of valuable records to the WBG Archives and the disposal of temporary records in line with best practices.
- Preserving analog and digital records of enduring value in the WBG Records Center and Archives (for analog records) and inthe WBG’s digital preservation system (for digital records).
