MyCouncilWorks

OneDrive is a secure online file storage tool.  From November 2021, H:drives are being replaced with OneDrive, and ICT will be contacting users identified for migration.  Guidance documents covering how to use OneDrive, and what OneDrive should be used for, can be found using the links below.

Advice on information storage

If you’re not sure what to do with the files you currently hold in your H:drive, please read the OneDrive Guidance which provides information about the type of information we’re expecting OneDrive to be used for.

Once you’ve read the guidance document, if you have further concerns or questions about the information currently stored in your H:drive and where it should go, here is some background information and suggestions which may help:

H:drives, and the replacement application – OneDrive – are intended as personal storage areas, and shouldn’t become a place for storing records or important work-related information.  The reason they shouldn’t be used for storing work-related information is to ensure the Council is meeting it’s obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018, the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011, and access to information legislation – and also to ensure colleagues who should have access to information can do so.

Individual teams and services will have different ways of managing and working with information, and will use different systems and storage areas.  Some of the main information storage places are:

• Shared network drives (also known as file shares, I:drives, network shares) – most services will have access to a network drive, which is a secure file storage area, usually with access locked down to a particular team, service or department. Access is managed by ICT, and the folder structure and content is managed by services.
• Sharepoint sites – many services are now using sharepoint to store and share files. Sharepoint offers better document management and organisation functions, and permissions are managed by staff within the services who are appropriately trained.
• Document or case management systems (such as Civica, Oracle, Comino etc) – these systems tend to be function-based, and are usually administered by an admin-user within the service.

When thinking about storing information in OneDrive, you should consider the following points:

• Is there an existing place or system where this information should be stored?
• Is it possible that colleagues may need to access the information, either if you were absent from work, or for information gathering (subject access, FOI etc)?
• Does it contain any sensitive personal information about customers / clients / third parties?
• Is it a formal record, which should be managed appropriately (i.e. retained and disposed in line with retention schedules)?

If the answers are yes to any of these questions, it’s likely that OneDrive is not the appropriate place for the information, and you should consider whether the network drive, sharepoint, or another system would be suitable.

There may be some cases that need further thought and investigation, and the Compliance and Regulatory team within Legal and Regulatory Support may be able to assist:

Fiona Anderson – Compliance and Regulatory Officer

Iain Jackson – Governance, Risk and Safety Manager

For technical questions about OneDrive, please contact the ICT Service Desk

Guidance

OneDrive guidance – using OneDrive

OneDrive guidance – accessing your OneDrive

OneDrive guidance – moving files from your H:Drive to OneDriv