The Municipality of Southwest Middlesex, in partnership with the County of Middlesex IT department, is undertaking Phase 1 of a municipal records governance and digital accessibility initiative focused on improving the management, accessibility, and long-term organization of key corporate records.
While the Municipality currently utilizes Laserfiche for records storage, practices are inconsistent across departments and are not fully aligned with a standardized corporate records framework. This creates inefficiencies in document retrieval, increases administrative burden, and introduces governance and compliance risks.
This project will focus on establishing a standardized digital records structure for high-value municipal records, including bylaws, council agendas and minutes, agreements, and retention schedules. The project will align records practices with The Ontario Municipal Records Management System (TOMRMS) principles while improving consistency, accessibility, and workflow efficiency within Laserfiche.
Key objectives include conducting a records inventory and process review, developing a standardized classification structure and retention framework, supporting pilot workflow improvements for agreement tracking and document organization, and creating staff guidance and training materials. The project will also assess future opportunities for AI-assisted document search, summarization, metadata tagging, and information retrieval using tools such as Microsoft Copilot.
A major deliverable will be a phased modernization roadmap outlining future implementation priorities, system recommendations, governance considerations, and resource requirements for broader municipal adoption. The final outcome will establish a foundational records governance framework that improves operational consistency, supports future modernization initiatives, and creates a scalable model for small and rural municipalities.
The selected student will require strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with an interest in records management, public administration, information governance, or digital transformation.