About This Course
In today's data-driven landscape, organisations generate and receive unprecedented volumes of electronic records — emails, scanned documents, databases, multimedia files, and cloud-stored content — all of which must be systematically captured, organised, retained, and disposed of in line with legal, regulatory, and operational requirements. Failure to manage these records effectively exposes organisations to audit risk, litigation, data breaches, and loss of institutional memory.
The Electronic Records Management and Digital Archiving Training programme by TrainingComplex is designed to close the critical skills gap between how organisations currently handle digital information and how they should. Over five structured days, participants gain a thorough grounding in international standards such as ISO 15489 and ISO 14721 (OAIS), records classification and retention scheduling, metadata design, electronic document management systems (EDMS), and long-term digital preservation techniques.
Beyond the technical, the course addresses the governance and policy dimensions of records management — helping participants draft or review records management policies, align with freedom of information legislation, satisfy audit requirements, and champion a records-aware culture within their organisations. Whether participants are establishing a new ERM programme or strengthening an existing one, this course provides the structured knowledge and practical tools to do so with confidence.
TrainingComplex delivers this programme through a blend of expert-led instruction, peer learning, and applied practice, ensuring that every participant leaves with actionable plans, ready-to-use templates, and the professional credibility to lead records management transformation in their workplace.
Who Should Attend
- Records managers and document controllers seeking to professionalise their practice
- Information managers and knowledge managers transitioning to digital environments
- Archivists and librarians managing institutional or government digital collections
- IT officers responsible for deploying or administering document management systems
- Compliance officers and legal administrators managing evidence and audit trails
- Government officials responsible for public records and e-government initiatives
- Audit and risk professionals who rely on reliable records for assurance work
- Administrative managers overseeing organisational filing and document workflows
Learning Objectives
- Explain the principles, standards, and legal frameworks governing electronic records management and digital archiving
- Design and implement a functional records classification scheme and file plan suited to an organisation's operational context
- Develop and apply retention and disposal schedules that comply with statutory and regulatory requirements
- Evaluate, select, and configure electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS) to meet organisational needs
- Apply metadata schemas to enhance the discoverability, authenticity, and long-term integrity of electronic records
- Implement digital preservation strategies, including format migration, emulation, and trusted digital repository concepts
- Draft and review organisational records management policies, procedures, and governance frameworks
- Conduct records surveys and audits to identify gaps and risks in current information management practice
- Manage the transition from paper-based to electronic records management, including digitisation workflows and quality control
- Plan and execute a basic digital archiving programme aligned with the OAIS reference model and ISO 14721 requirements
Course Modules
Module 1: Foundations of Electronic Records Management
- Defining records, documents, and data — distinctions that matter in law and practice
- The records lifecycle and continuum models and their relevance to digital environments
- Key international standards: ISO 15489, MoReq2010, DoD 5015.2, and their application
- Legal and regulatory drivers — freedom of information, data protection, and sector-specific requirements
- Roles and responsibilities: records managers, system administrators, and information owners
- Common challenges and failure points in ERM programmes and how to address them
Module 2: Information Governance and Records Management Policy
- What information governance means and how records management fits within it
- Components of an effective records management policy — scope, principles, accountabilities, and sanctions
- Aligning records policy with corporate governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks
- Drafting a records management policy: structure, language, and approval processes
- Embedding records management responsibilities in job descriptions and organisational procedures
- Monitoring policy compliance and managing policy review cycles
Module 3: Records Classification and File Planning
- Principles of business classification: function-based versus subject-based approaches
- Designing a hierarchical classification scheme aligned to organisational functions
- Developing a file plan: naming conventions, folder structures, and controlled vocabularies
- Managing shared drives and cloud storage environments using a file plan
- Versioning, linking, and cross-referencing records within a classification scheme
- Common pitfalls in classification design and how to test and validate a scheme
Module 4: Retention Scheduling and Disposal
- The purpose and legal basis of retention and disposal schedules
- Identifying retention periods: statutory requirements, operational need, and archival value
- Building a retention schedule: format, triggers, disposition actions, and review dates
- Appraisal methodologies — functional analysis, sampling, and macro-appraisal
- Managing disposal: secure deletion, physical destruction, and transfer to an archive
- Documenting disposal decisions and maintaining an auditable disposal register
Module 5: Metadata Design and Management
- What metadata is and why it is essential for electronic records authenticity and retrieval
- Types of metadata: descriptive, structural, administrative, and preservation metadata
- International metadata standards: Dublin Core, PREMIS, and ISAD(G) for archival description
- Designing a metadata schema tailored to an organisation's records and system capabilities
- Automatic versus manual metadata capture and strategies for improving metadata quality
- Using metadata to support access control, retention enforcement, and audit trails
Module 6: Electronic Document and Records Management Systems (EDRMS)
- Functional requirements for an EDRMS: capture, classification, search, security, and disposition
- Overview of leading EDRMS platforms and open-source alternatives
- Evaluating and selecting an EDRMS: developing a requirements specification and scoring matrix
- Configuring an EDRMS: user roles, access permissions, workflow rules, and retention triggers
- Integrating an EDRMS with email systems, ERP platforms, and collaboration tools
- Change management and staff training strategies for successful EDRMS rollout
Module 7: Digitisation and the Transition from Paper Records
- Planning a digitisation project: scope, resourcing, equipment, and quality targets
- Scanning standards and image quality: resolution, file formats, and colour management
- Indexing and metadata capture during digitisation workflows
- Quality assurance processes: error checking, completeness verification, and validation
- Legal admissibility of scanned records and managing the destruction of paper originals
- Managing hybrid environments where paper and electronic records coexist
Module 8: Digital Preservation Principles and Strategies
- The challenge of digital obsolescence: hardware, software, and format dependency risks
- The OAIS (Open Archival Information System) reference model — ISO 14721 explained
- Digital preservation strategies: migration, emulation, normalisation, and format standards
- Creating and managing Submission Information Packages (SIPs), Archival Information Packages (AIPs), and Dissemination Information Packages (DIPs)
- Integrity checking: checksums, fixity verification, and detecting bit rot
- Building a preservation policy and a digital preservation plan for an organisation
Module 9: Security, Access Control, and Disaster Recovery
- Classifying records by sensitivity and applying appropriate access restrictions
- Role-based access control, audit logging, and chain-of-custody documentation
- Encryption, digital signatures, and ensuring the authenticity of electronic records
- Backup strategies, off-site storage, and cloud-based records security considerations
- Business continuity planning for records: identifying vital records and protecting them
- Disaster recovery procedures for electronic records systems — testing, rehearsal, and review
Module 10: Records Audit, Programme Evaluation, and Action Planning
- Conducting a records survey: methodology, tools, and reporting findings
- Auditing records management compliance against policy, standards, and legal requirements
- Key performance indicators for ERM programmes: volume, retrieval times, disposal compliance, and user satisfaction
- Identifying and prioritising improvement actions using a maturity model framework
- Building a business case for ERM investment — articulating risk, cost, and value arguments
- Personal action planning: each participant develops a 90-day implementation roadmap for their organisation
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least one year of experience working in records management, administration, information technology, compliance, or a related field. A basic familiarity with computer applications and file management concepts is assumed. No specialist technical qualifications are required, and prior formal training in records management is helpful but not a prerequisite for attendance.
Training Methodology
- Structured expert-led presentations introducing frameworks, standards, and concepts with real-world examples drawn from government, corporate, and NGO settings
- Hands-on classification exercises where participants build a records classification scheme and file plan using sample organisational documents
- Case study analysis of real ERM implementation projects — including successes and failure points — drawn from East African, Southern African, and international contexts
- Guided policy drafting workshops where participants produce or critique a records management policy, a retention schedule, and a disposal authorisation form
- EDRMS demonstration sessions using representative software interfaces to practise metadata entry, records capture, version control, and access permissions configuration
- Digital preservation scenario exercises where participants assess the risks of format obsolescence and design a basic migration or emulation strategy
- Records survey simulation in which participants conduct a mock information audit of a fictitious organisation and present findings and recommendations
- Peer review and group critique of participants' classification schemes, retention schedules, and policy drafts with structured facilitator feedback
- Reflective action-planning sessions at the close of each day to help participants connect learning directly to their workplace context
- Take-home toolkit comprising records survey templates, metadata schema examples, retention schedule frameworks, and a policy checklist for post-training application
Organisational Benefits
- Reduced legal and compliance risk through properly managed, auditable electronic records
- Improved operational efficiency as staff locate and retrieve information quickly and reliably
- Stronger information governance supported by documented policies, procedures, and retention schedules
- Greater readiness for regulatory audits, freedom of information requests, and litigation discovery
- Reduced storage costs through systematic appraisal, disposal, and migration of digital records
- Protected institutional memory and organisational knowledge through sound digital preservation practices
- Enhanced data security and access control aligned with records classification and sensitivity levels
- A workforce that understands and applies records management principles consistently across departments
Where Is Electronic Records Management and Digital Archiving Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Nakuru, Pretoria, Kisumu, Naivasha, Abuja, Zanzibar, Dubai, Riyadh, Addis Ababa, Mombasa, Arusha, Lagos, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Accra, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
17 Oct 2026 – 8 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,500 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
+235 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a background in IT to attend this course?
No specialist IT background is required. The course is designed for records managers, administrators, compliance officers, and related professionals. Technical concepts are explained in accessible terms, and any system demonstrations are guided and practised as a group.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend the full five days and complete the end-of-course action plan receive a TrainingComplex Certificate of Completion in Electronic Records Management and Digital Archiving, which can be used for continuing professional development (CPD) portfolios.
Is this course relevant to government agencies as well as private organisations?
Absolutely. The course content covers both public-sector records management requirements — including freedom of information obligations and government archives regulations — and private-sector compliance needs, making it equally valuable for government ministries, parastatals, NGOs, and corporate entities.
What materials and tools will participants take away?
Participants receive a comprehensive digital toolkit including records survey templates, a retention schedule framework, a metadata schema example, a records management policy checklist, and a digital preservation plan outline — all ready to adapt and apply in their own organisations.
Can this training be delivered in-house for our entire records management team?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery of this programme for organisations that wish to train larger teams or tailor the content to their specific systems, policies, and regulatory environment. Contact us directly to discuss your requirements and receive a bespoke proposal.
