Workzone is AU’s system for keeping records. Its purpose is to support knowledge sharing across the organisation and ensure compliance with the university’s document management obligations.
The Danish Ombudsman describes the obligation to keep records as follows:
“The administrative authorities are obliged to keep records. This obligation applies to all documents that are received or dispatched by the authorities in connection with the administrative processing of cases relating to the activities of the authority concerned. However, the obligation to keep records only applies to documents which are important for a case or for case processing in general. The obligation also applies to internal documents in their final form.
The rules relating to record-keeping can be found in section 15 of the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act.
The objective of record-keeping is to support people’s right of access to documents and ensure that individual cases are documented as required. Correct record-keeping also provides a clear overview of case documents, as well as making case processing easier and supporting the quality and effectiveness of case processing by the authorities.
Inadequate record-keeping leads to a risk that the authorities will have to invest extra resources in the recovery of documents that have been mislaid or deleted, for instance. It also reduces the quality of case processing and diminishes the legal rights of citizens.”
Right of access to documents under the Danish Public Administration Act
The Danish Public Administration Act contains rules giving citizens various rights and powers in connection with case processing by the authorities. Part 4 (section 9) of the act, entitled “Party Access to Files”, contains specific rules relating to access to files in connection with cases in which a decision has been or will be made. In some circumstances, these rules on party access to files provide more far-reaching access to documents than the rules of the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act.
Right of access to documents under the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act
The objective of the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act is to ensure that the authorities maintain an open approach allowing all citizens to apply for access to official documents (section 7). The current act is based on a report issued in 2009 by Offentlighedskommissionen. The act came into force on 1 January 2014.
Right of access to documents under the Danish Environmental Information Act
Ministerial order no. 980 of 16 August 2017 on the right of access to environmental information.
“The authorities are obliged to take notes in cases in which a decision has been or will be made when they receive information (including oral information) regarding the actual basis of the case or expert external assessments which are important with a view to resolving the case.
The obligation to take notes also applies in relation to significant steps taken during case processing.
The authorities concerned must produce notes as soon as possible. However, the obligation to take notes does not apply if the information, assessments or steps taken during case processing are already shown in the case documents.
The obligation to take notes helps to ensure that it is possible at a later date to establish what happened in the case (documentation), and to check effectively whether the authorities concerned have acted correctly (control).
The rules relating to the obligation to take notes can be found in section 13 of the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act.”
Section 1: The act’s rules relating to public archives apply to all the activities carried out by the public administration and courts.
Section 4: The objective of the Danish National Archives is:
to ensure the preservation of archives which have a historical value or which serve to document issues of administrative or legal significance for citizens and the authorities
to ensure that it is possible to dispose of public archives which are not worth preserving in collaboration with the authorities covered by the act
to make archives available for citizens and the authorities (including research purposes)
to advise citizens and the authorities about the use of archives
to carry out research and disseminate knowledge of research results
The objective of the General Data Protection Regulation is to improve the degree of protection provided by companies for personal data. One of the greatest demands made on companies is the demand to provide evidence that personal data is dealt with according to the rules. See comments above.
More information about GDPR at AU