UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING RISK associated with records and information are central themes of a seminar and workshop being organised by the Barbados Association of Records and Information Management (BARIM).

Compliance with existing legislation, some of which participants may become familiar with for the first time, and the implications of pending laws will be addressed during the event at Hilton Barbados
May 29.

University of the West Indies (UWI) law lecturer Jeff Cumberbatch, and Cheryl Peterson – chairman of the board of directors of the Association of Records Management Administrators (International), the internationally affiliated United States-based organisation – are the key speakers.

BARIM's president, Cherri-Ann Beckles, said the association aimed to raise the awareness in business and Government about the fact that "there is legislation and there will be legislation that will increase their operational risk".

"We also want the participants to see that records and information management have a significant role to play in the management of risk as it relates to existing and pending legislation," Beckles added.

Minister of Commerce Senator Lynette Eastmond will deliver the opening remarks.

Anthony Yearwood, director of Illuminat, one of the sponsors, said there is greater awareness
of the role that electronic records and information management are or should be playing in all organisations.

"All companies – especially publicly traded companies, which are under more scrutiny – should definitely be aware of how they are handling their records management," he said.

Beckles said BARIM was responding to feedback for both a seminar-type event as well as a workshop, hence the decision to run the whole-day event. (HRH)