Knowledge and Records Management Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Records Managers, Knowledge Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-KRM-020

Before you join: Participants should have experience working with business documents, records, shared repositories, content systems or operational information processes.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Knowledge and records are often dispersed across shared drives, email, collaboration platforms, business systems and paper files. Without clear ownership, classification, retention and access controls, staff cannot find approved information quickly, decisions are repeated, confidential material is exposed, and defensible records may be missing during audits, investigations, litigation or regulatory review. Effective management requires more than filing structures: it requires governance, usable processes, metadata, technology controls and staff adoption.

This course develops the practical capability to design and operate an integrated knowledge and records management approach. Participants examine knowledge flows, identify critical knowledge assets, establish governance roles, create taxonomies and metadata schemes, define records categories, apply retention and disposition rules, and set access controls. The course addresses physical and digital records, email, cloud collaboration tools, enterprise content management systems, information security, privacy, legal holds and audit evidence.

Participants work with realistic cases involving public-sector correspondence, bank customer records, engineering project files, NGO programme evidence and corporate policy repositories. Short instructor briefings are followed by case analysis, facilitated design work, classification decisions, process simulations and peer review. Each participant develops a knowledge and records management operating pack for a selected business area, including governance, taxonomy, retention schedule, controls, implementation actions and performance measures.

The course suits managers and practitioners responsible for information assets, records, document control, compliance, operations, digital transformation or organisational learning. It is particularly relevant where teams must preserve institutional knowledge while meeting legal, regulatory, contractual or audit requirements.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess knowledge and records management risks using a structured information asset review
  • Design a knowledge governance model with defined ownership, accountabilities and decision rights
  • Build a business taxonomy and metadata model for reliable classification and retrieval
  • Create a records retention schedule using legal, operational and risk requirements
  • Apply ISO 15489 principles to record creation, capture, storage and disposition
  • Develop access, privacy and security controls for sensitive knowledge and records
  • Plan migration, digitisation and quality assurance for legacy information repositories
  • Produce and present an integrated knowledge and records management operating pack

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible retention and disposal decisions
  • Lead knowledge governance discussions with senior stakeholders
  • Design usable taxonomies and metadata structures
  • Recognise records risks before audits or investigations
  • Translate policy requirements into workable information processes

For your organisation

  • Faster retrieval of approved information and operational evidence
  • Reduced exposure from unmanaged sensitive records and duplicate content
  • Clearer retention decisions that reduce unnecessary storage costs
  • Stronger audit trails for regulatory, contractual and legal requirements
  • Better preservation and reuse of critical organisational knowledge

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish knowledge, information, documents and records and explain their management implications.

  • Knowledge, information, documents and records distinguished by purpose and evidential value
  • Explicit, tacit and embedded knowledge mapped through business activities
  • Records lifecycle stages from creation through retention and authorised disposition
  • Information asset concepts linked to accountability, value, risk and control
  • Business consequences of poor retrieval, duplication, loss and uncontrolled access
  • ISO 15489 principles introduced for authentic, reliable and usable records

Participants can assess current-state capabilities and prioritise improvement needs.

  • Maturity assessment dimensions covering governance, people, process, technology and measurement
  • Current-state evidence gathered through interviews, repository reviews and policy analysis
  • Pain-point analysis separates symptoms, root causes and control failures
  • Risk heat maps rank information issues by likelihood and business impact
  • Gap statements compare current practice against target operating requirements
  • Prioritisation matrices sequence quick wins, foundational controls and longer-term changes

Participants can identify critical knowledge and define a focused knowledge management strategy.

  • Critical knowledge identified through process dependency, scarcity and consequence analysis
  • Knowledge risk assessment considers loss, obsolescence, concentration and transfer barriers
  • Strategic knowledge objectives linked to service, risk, innovation and continuity
  • Knowledge maps show sources, users, repositories, gaps and handover points
  • Communities of practice structured around shared problems, standards and expertise
  • Lessons learned processes capture validated insights after projects and incidents

Participants can establish governance roles, decision rights and policy structures.

  • RACI matrices assign accountability for creation, classification, retention and disposal
  • Information governance councils define escalation routes and approval authorities
  • Policy hierarchies separate principles, policies, standards, procedures and work instructions
  • Records ownership assigned to accountable business functions and information custodians
  • Decision rights specify who approves taxonomy changes and retention exceptions
  • Control attestations provide evidence that assigned responsibilities are being performed

Participants can build a business classification scheme aligned with organisational functions.

  • Functional classification groups records by enduring business activities and accountabilities
  • Business process analysis identifies transactions, outputs, triggers and recordkeeping requirements
  • File plans translate functional classes into usable folders and system structures
  • Classification levels balance retrieval precision, maintenance effort and user understanding
  • Naming conventions standardise titles, dates, identifiers, versions and status labels
  • Crosswalk tables map legacy folder structures to approved classification categories

Participants can design taxonomy and metadata controls that improve findability and management.

  • Controlled vocabularies reduce inconsistent labels, synonyms and ambiguous search results
  • Taxonomy design combines hierarchical terms, facets and approved business language
  • Metadata elements distinguish descriptive, administrative, technical and preservation information
  • Mandatory metadata fields support ownership, sensitivity, retention and retrieval requirements
  • Metadata inheritance reduces manual entry while preserving accurate contextual information
  • Data dictionaries define field names, values, sources, rules and stewardship

Participants can define controls for creating and capturing complete, reliable records.

  • Recordkeeping requirements identify evidence needed for decisions, transactions and commitments
  • Capture points specify when emails, approvals and case materials become records
  • Version control distinguishes drafts, working papers, approved copies and final records
  • Document templates embed identifiers, classification fields, owners and review dates
  • Email capture rules address decisions, authorisations, commitments and customer correspondence
  • Quality checks test completeness, authenticity, reliability and usability before filing

Participants can create retention rules and make defensible disposition decisions.

  • Retention schedules assign classes, triggers, periods and authorised disposition actions
  • Legal research identifies statutory, regulatory, contractual and evidential retention requirements
  • Operational value assessment distinguishes active reference needs from historical value
  • Retention triggers define events such as closure, expiry, termination or supersession
  • Disposition authorities document approval for transfer, destruction or permanent preservation
  • Destruction certificates provide auditable evidence of approved and completed disposal

Participants can preserve relevant records during legal, investigative and audit events.

  • Legal hold notices suspend normal deletion for identified records and custodians
  • Scope definitions identify relevant matters, date ranges, systems and information owners
  • Chain of custody records transfers, handling, access and evidential integrity
  • Audit trails demonstrate actions, approvals, changes and access history within systems
  • Investigation protocols separate fact records, privileged material and working analyses
  • Hold release decisions document authority, rationale and reinstated disposition actions

Participants can apply access and handling controls to sensitive knowledge and records.

  • Information classification labels distinguish public, internal, confidential and restricted material
  • Role-based access control grants permissions according to defined job responsibilities
  • Least privilege limits access to the minimum information needed
  • Privacy impact assessment identifies personal data uses, risks and safeguards
  • ISO 27001 control concepts connect information assets, threats and treatments
  • Access reviews remove outdated permissions after role changes and departures

Participants can specify business controls for digital repositories and content platforms.

  • Repository requirements cover classification, metadata, search, access, retention and audit trails
  • Enterprise content management features assessed against defined recordkeeping use cases
  • Collaboration platform controls address shared workspaces, channels, files and conversations
  • Configuration decisions separate system defaults from approved business-specific requirements
  • Search design combines metadata filters, full text indexing and synonym management
  • User acceptance criteria test filing, retrieval, permissions, retention and reporting

Participants can manage physical and hybrid records using controlled storage and tracking.

  • Physical file inventories record location, owner, classification, condition and retention status
  • Barcode tracking controls file movement, borrowing, returns and overdue items
  • Storage standards address environmental conditions, security, access and disaster protection
  • Hybrid file rules define authoritative copies between paper and digital formats
  • Scanning quality assurance checks completeness, legibility, indexing and image resolution
  • Digitisation plans prioritise high-risk, high-use and deteriorating record series

Participants can capture critical expertise and transfer it through repeatable methods.

  • Knowledge elicitation interviews extract decision rules, exceptions, contacts and workarounds
  • After-action reviews capture intended results, actual results, causes and lessons
  • Standard operating procedures convert expert practice into controlled reusable guidance
  • Knowledge transfer plans identify departing experts, successors, milestones and evidence
  • Expert directories connect staff to validated subject knowledge and responsibilities
  • Validation workflows confirm captured knowledge before publication and reuse

Participants can design knowledge-sharing practices that support reliable reuse.

  • Knowledge article templates structure problem statements, solutions, ownership and review dates
  • Communities of practice use charters, facilitation roles and contribution standards
  • Editorial workflows assess accuracy, relevance, duplication and publication readiness
  • Content lifecycle rules define review dates, archival criteria and retirement actions
  • Reuse metrics track search success, article use, resolution time and contribution rates
  • Incentive design recognises validated contributions without encouraging low-quality content

Participants can assess information quality and plan remediation of unmanaged content.

  • Information quality dimensions measure accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness and validity
  • Content inventories identify duplicates, orphaned files, obsolete material and missing metadata
  • Sampling plans test repository quality without reviewing every item manually
  • Remediation rules determine correction, reclassification, consolidation, archival or disposal actions
  • Duplicate detection methods compare titles, identifiers, content hashes and metadata
  • Exception registers record unresolved quality issues, owners, deadlines and risk ratings

Participants can plan controlled migration or digitisation of records and knowledge content.

  • Migration business cases define scope, benefits, risks, costs and success measures
  • Source-to-target mapping aligns legacy fields with new metadata requirements
  • Data cleansing rules address invalid values, duplicates, missing fields and obsolete content
  • Migration waves sequence content by business priority, complexity and risk
  • Reconciliation controls compare item counts, metadata values, permissions and retention assignments
  • Rollback plans specify decision thresholds, backups, ownership and recovery steps

Participants can plan adoption activities that make new information controls workable.

  • Stakeholder mapping identifies affected groups, influence, concerns and communication needs
  • Change impact assessments compare current behaviours, processes, roles and system tasks
  • Role-based learning plans target creators, approvers, records staff and administrators
  • Communication plans explain required actions, reasons, deadlines and support channels
  • Pilot feedback loops identify usability defects before wider implementation
  • Compliance monitoring combines coaching, reminders, exception reports and management follow-up

Participants can measure control performance and report improvement progress to management.

  • Key performance indicators measure retrieval time, classification rates and overdue disposal
  • Key risk indicators monitor access exceptions, missing metadata and retention breaches
  • Control testing evaluates whether stated requirements operate consistently and effectively
  • Internal audit evidence includes policies, logs, samples, approvals and corrective actions
  • Management dashboards present trends, thresholds, accountabilities and unresolved exceptions
  • Continuous improvement cycles convert findings into assigned corrective action plans

Participants can create a phased implementation roadmap for a knowledge and records programme.

  • Target operating models define services, roles, processes, systems and governance forums
  • Implementation roadmaps sequence policy, taxonomy, technology, migration and adoption workstreams
  • Work breakdown structures assign deliverables, dependencies, owners and acceptance criteria
  • Resource plans estimate specialist roles, business input, budget and supplier needs
  • Risk registers track implementation threats, mitigations, owners and review dates
  • Benefits realisation plans link actions to measurable operational and risk outcomes

Participants can build, review and present a complete knowledge and records management operating pack for a business area.

  • Business scenario analysis defines information assets, stakeholders, obligations and priority risks
  • Governance model assigns owners, decision rights, forums and escalation routes
  • Classification and metadata model structures content for retrieval, control and retention
  • Retention schedule specifies triggers, periods, legal holds and disposition actions
  • Access control design applies sensitivity labels, permissions and review arrangements
  • Implementation roadmap sequences controls, migration, adoption, measures and assurance activities

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Knowledge and records maturity assessment template
  2. Information governance RACI matrix
  3. Business classification and metadata model
  4. Records retention schedule template
  5. Legal hold and disposition checklist
  6. Knowledge and records management operating pack

Who should attend

  • Records Managers — establish defensible lifecycle controls and retention practices
  • Knowledge Managers — organise critical expertise, lessons and reusable content
  • Information Governance Managers — align ownership, policy, risk and assurance requirements
  • Document Controllers — improve classification, version control and retrieval discipline
  • Compliance and Risk Officers — strengthen evidence management for audits and investigations
  • Digital Transformation Managers — specify information requirements for new platforms

Skills and tools covered

Knowledge governanceRecords classificationRetention schedulingMetadata designInformation risk controlRepository implementation

Tools and standards

ISO 15489, ISO 30401, ISO 27001, RACI matrix

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor combines focused briefings with cases drawn from regulated, project-based and public-service settings. Participants analyse information failures, map knowledge flows, classify sample records, draft governance controls and test retention decisions against realistic scenarios. Small-group work compares alternative taxonomy, access and disposition choices. Simulations address audit requests, legal holds and repository migration decisions. Throughout the course, participants apply each method to a chosen work area and receive structured peer and instructor feedback on their operating pack.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience working with business documents, records, shared repositories, content systems or operational information processes. Familiarity with their organisation’s policies for confidentiality, document control, data protection or retention is useful, but not essential. The course assumes confidence reading process maps and discussing business risks with stakeholders. Prior formal training in records management, archives, information science, law or enterprise content management is not required. Participants do not need technical system administration skills, coding knowledge or prior experience with ISO standards.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should be familiar with how your team creates, stores or uses business information. No formal records management qualification, legal training or technical system administration experience is required.

Bring an example of a business area, repository, recurring information problem or planned system change you want to improve. You do not need to bring confidential records; anonymised examples and process descriptions are sufficient.

It is intended for records, knowledge, information governance, document control, compliance, operations and transformation professionals. Managers responsible for content platforms or business evidence will also benefit.

Document control focuses mainly on controlled documents and revisions, while data management concentrates on structured data assets. This course addresses knowledge, documents and records across their lifecycle, including retention, legal holds, access and organisational learning.

Participants develop an operating pack for a selected work area during the course. Its assessment, governance, classification, retention and implementation elements can be adapted for stakeholder review after the programme.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes foundations and builds core controls; the second week addresses platforms, migration, adoption, assurance and the final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

Related courses in Knowledge & Records Management