EDRMS Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the EDRMS Panel?
• How was the Panel Established?
• Which Suppliers and Solutions are on the Panel?
• When did the Panel become Available?
• Can Other Solutions Be Added to the Panel?
• Who Needs to Comply with the Procurement Panel?
• Why Procure a Compliant EDRMS Panel Solution?
• Do all Agencies Need to have an EDRMS?
• What if an Agency EDRMS is non-compliant?
• What is the EDRMS Panel Exemption Process?
• What is Required for Digitising Records?
• What are the Agency Pre-Procurement Activities?
• What is the Process to Procure from the Panel?
• What are the requirements for EDRMS Accreditation?
• Further Information?

What is the EDRMS Panel?

The Across Government Electronic Document and Records Management Systems (EDRMS) Panel of products is a panel of approved suppliers and solutions that meet the South Australian Government's Recordkeeping and ICT Technical Standards and commercial requirements:

• Adequate Records Management Standard 2002;
• Document and Records Management Systems Standard 2001; and the
• South Australian Recordkeeping Metadata Standard (SARKMS) 2003.

These Standards are all based on ISO Standard for Recordkeeping 15489 and provide a framework for all EDRMS implementations in South Australia required by the State Records Act, 1997 Part 2.5(1).

Related Information:

• Adequate Records Management Standard 2002
• Document and Records Systems Standard 2001
• South Australian Recordkeeping Metadata Standard
• Australian Standard AS ISO 15489 2002

How was the Panel Established?

An open Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued to the market for the establishment of a contractual arrangement (Heads of Agreement) with qualified providers of solutions.

The evaluation process consisted of two stages:

• Pre-accreditation: Evaluation of the supplier responses to the RFP; and
• Compliance: Compliance testing of pre-accredited solutions. This stage was only carried out if a solution achieved pre-accreditation.

For a solution to be pre-accredited, the RFP required that all, 100%, of the mandatory requirements were met by the proposed solution.

Pre-accreditation consisted of three phases or steps. At each phase/step of the evaluation, clarification was sought to ambiguous or misinterpreted supplier responses. Where a Supplier's proposal, in the context of their clarifications, was evaluated as not meeting 100% of the mandatory requirements in a phase, the proposal was deemed non-compliant and eliminated from further evaluation.

Pre-accredited solutions (those that passed all three phases/steps) were subsequently compliance-tested in Adelaide for functional and technical requirements. Standard test scripts were used to perform compliance testing.

Solutions that were determined compliant upon completion of the testing phase were invited to be on the Panel - subject to agreeing to the South Australian Government's Contractual Terms and Conditions.

Which Suppliers and Solutions are on the Panel?

Current Panel Suppliers of compliant solutions are:

• Company: Tower Software
  Solution: TRIM
• Company: Objective Corporation
  Solution: Objective

When did the Panel become Available?

The Panel became available to Agencies for procuring an EDRMS from the 9 August 2004.

Can Other Solutions Be Added to the Panel?

Following tender calls in 2003 and 2006, only the current Suppliers and Solutions are accredited EDRMS Panel Members. This arrangement will continue until 31 July 2009.

Who Needs to Comply with the Procurement Panel?

Agencies, as defined by the State Records Act, 1997, that intend to procure or upgrade to an EDRMS system are required to procure a compliant solution from the Panel, unless the State Procurement Board and the Director State Records of South Australia grant exemption.

Why Procure a Compliant EDRMS Panel Solution?

Agency Savings

The EDRMS Panel delivers the following savings to agencies:

• Agencies do not have to tender the market for a compliant solution (see What are the Agency Pre-Procurement Activities?). Savings from not having to tender the market are significant;
• A reduction of approximately 25% in software licence fees which ensures that all agencies can purchase licences at the discounted 1000 seat rate as a minimum or can negotiate a better rate if they have a higher seat capacity;
• Supplier hourly rates competitive with the South Australian industry standard;
• Capped increases to Supplier service costs limited to yearly CPI.

Reduction in Costs

• Capped licence fees for infrastructure and client software at the 1000 seat licence rate for all agencies;
• Capped Supplier rates including design, development and implementation personnel as well as Per Diems, accommodation and travel expenses; and
• First level help included in the 20% maintenance fee.

This means that:

• Small agencies do not pay any more than the rates set by the Heads of Agreement thereby limiting their costs and in addition gaining the benefit of the 1000 seat licence rate; and
• Large agencies are not inhibited in achieving economies of scale by negotiating lower software, services and maintenance costs than the rates set by the Heads of Agreement thereby also reducing their costs.

Support and Maintenance Benefits

• Common guaranteed resolution service levels of calls;
• Common escalation procedures, call levels and across government priorities for software enhancement; and
• Maintenance fee does not commence until after an Agency's first acceptance/pilot milestone, as detailed in the mutually agreed project plan.

Contractual Benefits

• Common escrow agreement;
• 90-day warranty for Supplier resource outputs - for example business analysis, design, configuration, customisation, project management, implementation, custom developed software solutions, etc; and
• Multiple warranties within larger agencies for each project milestone.

Commitments from Panel Suppliers

• To support pooling for on-site maintenance services and shared infrastructure services;
• To negotiate further reductions in licence and delivery costs for larger agencies; and
• All software training, except specialised training, to be provided in Adelaide.

Other Business Benefits

Business benefits of procuring a compliant EDRMS solution include, but are not limited to, assisting Agencies to:

• Improve efficiency and lower operating costs:
  • Staff are able to be more productive because of quick and easy access to the information they need; and
  • Minimises duplication of records - It avoids the same information being kept in different places or by different staff members.
• Preserve and to make accessible the corporate memory:
  • The collection of evidence from within the Agency provides a historical record, or memory, of the Agency as a whole.
• Access information in a timely manner:
  • Delivering information to people in a timely manner improves the organisation's credibility in the eyes of its customers and stakeholders.
• Improve accountability:
  • Agencies can show evidence to the public that it has conducted its business in a proper manner;
  • Agencies are able to effectively report on organisational performance through the use of its records; and
  • Captures and managing both hard-copy and electronic records including emails, digitally born documents and digitised information.
• Minimise the risk of litigation:
  • Ensures that evidence of your business is available when questions are asked.
• Comply with all Commonwealth, South Australian State and Local Government legislative and regulatory requirements including the State Records Act, 1997 and Standards under the Act.

Related Information:

• Guidelines for Records Management

Do all Agencies Need to have an EDRMS?

The Adequate Records Management (ARM) Improvement Matrix and Evidence Toolkit defines Agency benchmarks for an Adequate Records Management Program. The ARM Improvement Matrix enables Agencies to identify where they meet the Standards requirements and where they do not. State Records formally audits Agencies to determine/confirm that Agencies are meeting the ARM Standard outcomes.

Agencies do not necessarily need an EDRMS to comply with the ARM Standard, as long as they are meeting/achieving the benchmarks. For example, a small Board of three staff located in a single office, operating independently of an agency or department, that is able to apply rigorous controls over the hardcopy and electronic records it receives and generates may not need an EDRMS.

However, if Agencies are intending to implement an EDRMS solution to assist in managing their paper-based and/or electronic records they will need to procure a compliant solution.

Guidelines to assist State and Local Government in South Australia to achieve adequate records management. This is an improvement matrix to assist agencies in their progress. Adequate Records Management Improvement Matrix (346 KB PDF File) 

Related Information:

• Adequate Records Management Standard 2002
• Accreditation of Records Management Practices

What if an Agency EDRMS is non-compliant?

Agencies that have installed a non-compliant EDRMS solution will need to work with the Supplier of their current solution so that the solution can be accredited as compliant by 2009. Alternatively, Agencies can procure and migrate to a compliant system by 2009.

State Records provided suppliers of non-compliant solutions with information about EDRMS accreditation requirements and the tender process before the May 2006 tender call to the EDRMS market.

What is the EDRMS Panel Exemption Process?

Agencies, as defined by the State Records Act, 1997, will need to submit a strong Business Case, which has been approved by the Agency's Chief Executive or Chief Executive Officer, to State Records and Contract Services (Department of Treasury and Finance). The Business Case will need to include but is not limited to:

• Details of the preferred solution and the Supplier;
• A case not to procure from the Panel;
• Cost analysis; and
• Risk analysis to both the records and the Agency of not procuring a compliant solution from the Panel.

State Records and Contract Services will review the Business Case, and provide a recommendation to the Director of State Records and the State Procurement Board.

Note: Exemption from procuring a compliant solution from the EDRMS Panel still requires that:

• the solution meets:
  • South Australian Government's Recordkeeping Standards;
  • 100% of the mandatory recordkeeping functional requirements; and
  • South Australian Government's ICT policies and standards.
• the suppliers are:
  • a commercially viable service provider (as defined by the South Australian State Procurement Board);
  • prepared to sign the common EDRMS Panel Deed Agreement; and
  • undertaking full VERS compliance for their product or have received full VERS compliance for their product.

Further details are available on the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) website being developed by the Public Records Office of Victoria.

The 2006 functional compliance requiremenst for any EDRMS to be on the Panel. 100% mandatory for RFP 06/211 EDRMS Functional Compliance Requirements 2002 (277 KB PDF File)
This document covers the Information technology technical standards relevent to document and records management. It supports RFP 06/211 South Australian Government IT Technical Standards (108 KB PDF File)

Related Information:

• Adequate Records Management Standard 2002
• Document and Records Systems Standard 2001
• South Australian Recordkeeping Metadata Standard

What is Required for Digitising Records?

Agencies, as defined by the State Records Act, 1997, which are considering digitising current or archival records, including photographs, will need to procure a compliant EDRMS solution from the Panel (if they don't already have one) that can interface with their digitisation solution.

Agencies will also need to refer to the Digitisation of Official Records and Management of Source Documents Guideline 2004. This can be downloaded from the link below.

Guidelines to assist State and Local Government in South Australia to enable them to digitise official records and manage the source documents. It is directly related to GDS 21. Digitisation of Official Records (197 KB PDF File) 

Related Information:

• Guidelines for Records Management

What are the Agency Pre-Procurement Activities?

To procure from the Panel, Agencies do not need to issue a tender to the Panel Suppliers.

Agencies are required to undertake and complete business, records and technical procurement and pre-implementation activities so that they are able to select the most appropriate EDRMS to meet their business needs. These activities are described in brief in this section.

To assist Agencies to procure from the Panel, State Records has prepared an EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline. The Guideline is available for download from the link below.

Prior to procuring from the Panel, the EDRMS Panel Checklist, which is available in the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline, needs to be endorsed by the Agency's Chief Executive or Chief Executive Officer, State Records, and Contract Services (Department of Treasury and Finance).

The guidelines for all activities to be performed by Agencies before procuring and implementing an EDRMS from the Panel. EDRMS Procurement and Pre-Implementation Guideline (389 KB PDF File)

What are the Business Procurement/Pre-Implementation Activities?

Agencies will need to undertake a number of business planning activities to facilitate the EDRMS procurement and implementation. Please refer to the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline 2004 for a complete checklist of business requirements. Examples of business requirements include:

• A written funding guarantee via an approved Business Case;
• A risk analysis of the current recordkeeping environment;
• A specification of functional and technical requirements, specifically for those requirements not included in the South Australian Government EDRMS Functional Compliance Requirements 2002; and
• A Records Migration Strategy for existing official records.

What are the Records Management Procurement/Pre-Implementation Activities?

Agencies will need to develop/procure fundamental records management tools to ensure their EDRMS implementation:

• meets their business and legislative requirements;
• meets the Adequate Records Management Standard 2002; and
• mitigates their risk of inadequate records management.

Please refer to the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline for a complete checklist of records management requirements. Examples of Records Management tools required for implementation include:

• An independent Assessment Report of current recordkeeping practices using the Adequate Records Management Improvement Matrix and Evidence Toolkit;
• A Strategic Records Management Plan;
• A business classification scheme;
• A functional thesaurus based on the business classification scheme to classify all records; and
• A Records Disposal Schedule (RDS) approved by State Records Council.

Guidelines to assist State and Local Government in South Australia to achieve adequate records management. This is an improvement matrix to assist agencies in their progress. Adequate Records Management Improvement Matrix (346 KB PDF File) 
Guidelines to assist State and Local Government in South Australia to achieve adequate records management. Adequate Records Management Implementation Plan (170 KB PDF File)
The guidelines for all activities to be performed by Agencies before procuring and implementing an EDRMS from the Panel. EDRMS Procurement and Pre-Implementation Guideline (389 KB PDF File)

Related Information:

• Adequate Records Management - Assessment Reporting
• Designing and Implementing a Records System
• Classifying Official Records
• When to Use a GDS or an RDS
• Adequate Records Management
• What is a Thesaurus?
• Adequate Records Management Standard 2002

What are the Technical Procurement/Pre-Implementation Activities?

Agencies will need to provide details of their IT infrastructure to the solution provider/s to ensure the solution/s are fit for purpose for the current or proposed technical architecture.

Note: Panel Suppliers have submitted four architectural models, including required client and server components, for each solution. These are included in the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline.

Please refer to the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline for a complete checklist of technical infrastructure issues requirements. Examples of IT infrastructure issues to consider include:

• Technical architecture requirements (desired EDRMS topology);
• Standard Operating Environment (e.g. capacity of existing desktop PC fleet); and
• Local and wide area networks, including bandwidth capacity.

The guidelines for all activities to be performed by Agencies before procuring and implementing an EDRMS from the Panel. EDRMS Procurement and Pre-Implementation Guideline (389 KB PDF File)
This document covers the Information technology technical standards relevent to document and records management. It supports RFP 06/211 South Australian Government IT Technical Standards (108 KB PDF File)

What is the Process to Procure from the Panel?

No contracts or pilots are to commence in an Agency until:

• State Records, Contract Services (Department of Treasury and Finance) and the Agency's Chief Executive or Chief Executive Officer, has endorsed the completed EDRMS Panel Checklist, which is included in the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline; and
• Due process (evaluation and negotiation) has been followed.

A 10 step process to procure from the Panel is provided in the EDRMS Panel of Products Procurement and Pre-implementation Guideline. To complement this, a Process flow has been developed and it is available as part of the Guideline.

The guidelines for all activities to be performed by Agencies before procuring and implementing an EDRMS from the Panel. EDRMS Procurement and Pre-Implementation Guideline (389 KB PDF File)

What are the requirements for EDRMS Accreditation?

The requirements for accreditation are that:

• the solution meets:
  • the published South Australian Government Recordkeeping Standards;
  • 100% of the mandatory recordkeeping functional requirements; and
  • South Australian Government ICT policies and standards.
• the suppliers are:
  • commercially viable service provider (as defined by the South Australian State Procurement Board);
  • prepared to sign the common EDRMS Panel Deed Agreement;
  • undertaking full VERS compliance for their product or have received full VERS compliance for their product.

Further details are available on the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) website being developed by the Public Records Office of Victoria.

The 2006 functional compliance requiremenst for any EDRMS to be on the Panel. 100% mandatory for RFP 06/211 EDRMS Functional Compliance Requirements 2002 (277 KB PDF File)
This document covers the Information technology technical standards relevent to document and records management. It supports RFP 06/211 South Australian Government IT Technical Standards (108 KB PDF File)

Further Information?

For further information regarding the EDRMS Panel contact:

Preparation to Procure and Install an EDRMS:

EDRMS Project Coordinator
State Records of South Australia
Telephone: (08) 8204 8776
Email: EDRMS

Panel Contract and Procurement from the Panel:

Manager, Strategic Contracts
Contract Services
Department of Treasury and Finance
Telephone: (08) 8226 5614
Email: EDRMS