The Archives and Information Governance Office (AIGO) is excited to announce a new initiative aimed at enhancing how our parishes manage both current and historical records.
In line with our Serving the Church in the Digital Age: The Archdiocese of Perth’s Information Governance Strategy, the AIGO is inviting parishes to embrace Microsoft Teams for digital, contemporary record keeping.
This transition to Microsoft Teams is a critical step in ensuring the security and preservation of the Archdiocese stories and information assets, such as documents, records, and data.
Not only does this move reflect best practices in record-keeping, but it also demonstrates the Archdiocese’s commitment to embracing the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
AIGO Director, Odhran O’Brien, shared insights on the project’s rollout, explaining that parishes will be invited to opt-in on a staggered basis over eight to 12 weeks.
“In the first week of August, we initiated the MS Teams for Parishes project by reaching out to parishes – via email – in the Central and Canning zones. Bishop Don’s video message invited each parish to join us in utilising Microsoft Teams for their record-keeping needs,” Mr O’Brien said.
“To ensure a seamless onboarding experience, the AIGO team has implemented a combination of automation and a kanban system—a visual tool that enables real-time communication and full transparency of the onboarding process,” he continued.
“This system allows our small team to monitor progress and provide timely support to parishes,” he said.
Understanding the MS Teams Onboarding Process for Parishes
The AIGO team has designed the MS Teams onboarding process for parishes based on their successful work with Archdiocesan offices, agencies, and organisations.
This process is aimed at helping parishes adopt MS Teams for more secure, accessible, and effective information management.
- The onboarding process involves four easy steps:
- Completing a 20-30 minute online information request form.
- Attending a one-hour consultation with our Information Governance expert.
- Participating in two one-hour online training sessions on the Business Classification Scheme and using Microsoft Teams.
- Gaining access to Microsoft Teams, along with support resources and a feedback collection tool.
Bishop Don shares “why MS Teams for our parishes?”
We extend our sincere thanks to Bishop Don for his unwavering support of this project.
In his video message, Bishop Don emphasised the importance of adopting Microsoft Teams, saying,
“As custodians of our faith, it is our duty to ensure that the significant stories and records of our Church are secured and preserved for generations to come. Moreover, we must embrace electronic record-keeping practices in accordance with the recommendations set forth by the Royal Commission. Microsoft Teams allow us to manage electronic documents and records in an organised filing system, making, sharing, and accessing files easier and faster.”
As we roll out this initiative over the next eight to 12 weeks, starting with parishes in the Canning and Central zones, we invite any parish eager to participate immediately to contact the Teams Parishes project team via email.