Let's start with three general principles. Firstly, a classification system
(according to ISO 15489-2) is a hierarchal representation of the
organization's business activities (perhaps supplemented by sequential
representations of business processes). I interpret this to mean that the
legal department is an organization within OMERS whose FUNCTION is to
provide legal services. Secondly, in large legal organizations there are
usually specializations. Thirdly, lawyers typically work using a case
management approach that may involve a range of issues.

The logical question to ask is what activities does this legal function
carry out that can be more or less clearly defined? Activities pension
matters, real estate, litigation, regulatory, etc. The legal department may
make organizational distinctions that reflect these specialized activities
or that, if they don't, assign specific cases to lawyers with specialized
skills in a particular legal area.

If I am correct, the result would be:

primary=legal function, secondary=activities, tertiary=client,
quarternary=subject.

I hope this helps.

Gerry van Houten
Information Policy Adviser
Archives of Ontario

-----Original Message-----
From: Joanne DeRepentigny [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: April 14, 2005 8:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Advice on classification system for corporate legal department


Good Morning fellow listservees,

I am an active follower of the postings on this listserv and have posted a
time or two before and received great advice and suggestions.  Once again, I
come to the knowledge hub to seek guidance on a particular matter.

I am in the process of establishing a corporate wide classification scheme.
Progress has been slow but steady.  The structure is a three-tier function
based classification scheme (primary=function, secondary=activity,
tertiary=subject).

The initial area inventoried and analysed was governance (i.e. Board
documents, Committee Documents, Policy Development and Application,
Incorporation, Annual Reports, etc).  The challenge is we have a newly
minted corporate legal department who are now part of Governance and have to
be included into the file plan.  I have presented them with a proposed
structure based on the same premise as that of the organization and they
have expressed the fact that the function based system simply will not work
for them.

Most of these lawyers are from firms and are used to client/matter-centric
RM. I have tried the route of saying we are a pension company and not a law
firm but that really didn't hold that much water with them.

My question is, what would be the best structure for the legal department's
file plan and classification system.  Noting, that I do not wish to
compromise the months of work and the integrity of what I have already
developed for the organisation.  Can I make an exception for this department
and keep the three tiers but redefine the parameters?  That is,
primary=client, secondary=subject, tertiary=function and just document the
exception to structure?

Any guidance, examples, or advice would be most appreciated and welcome.

Thank you

Joanne de Repentigny
Records, Information & Office Management
OMERS
One University Avenue, Suite 700
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2P1
E-mail: [log in to unmask]




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