Process Design and Data Management Plan for Madison Police Department
Background: In 2021, the City of Madison Police Department (MPD) records retention policy changed from 99 years to 35 years. This leaves a need to review up to 64 years’ worth data in files that need to be reviewed and digitized or purged. The oldest records on file are from 1945. Records exist in three formats (microfilm, paper, and digitized/not sorted). This project will start with the microfilm, which are in chronological order. Eventually the paper and digitized-not sorted data will need to be reviewed.
This project is a process design and data management effort for the MPD to come into compliance with their updated records retention policy. Students will help create a standard operating procedure for how to decide which records to keep and which to discard to comply with records management policies. Students will be expected to work with MPD’s microfilm scanner to access these files. The project involves assessing every record that existed before 1994 (onset of electronic system) and create a process for digitizing anything they need to keep so everything is one place.
This student will work with the MPD IT department and other records management supervisors to design a process that will be followed by other team members. The student will need to test and iterate on their proposed SOP to ensure it can be replicated by other MPD staff. Students would be responsible for creating:
- A document that outlines the proposed process STEP BY STEP, with thorough instructions that could be followed by future staff
- A training PPT that would be used by supervisors who will train their staff on how to implement the process
This is the first phase in a multi-phase project. If successful in phase one and interest aligns, the student selected for phase one work may be invited to continue into future phases of this project.
About UniverCity Alliance: UniverCity Alliance is a coalition of faculty, staff, and students across University of Wisconsin-Madison to ensure the university is responsive to the needs of local governments. UCA brings UW-Madison and Wisconsin communities together to address local challenges through engagement, university research, and state-of-the-art problem-solving approaches. Launched with the Wisconsin Idea in mind, this program bridges university resources with community knowledge to improve sustainability, resilience, livability, and the general well-being of Wisconsin communities.
Responsibilities:
- Designing a standard operating procedure (SOP) that helps MPD comply with records management policies
- Clearly document the SOP in accordance with the format and language decided upon collaboratively between the student and staff
- Work with the MPD microfilm database to assess which files should be retained
Minimum Qualifications:
- At least junior standing
- Basic computer literacy skills
- Ability to learn new computer systems (to be able to use the MPD database)
- Strong practical writing and communication skills, including documentation of processes
- Demonstrated ability to work both independently and in teams
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning
Preferred Qualifications:
- Basic understanding of or a strong desire to learn microfilm systems
- Attention to details
- Experience working with off-campus clients from a past class-based or employmentbased
experience - Knowledge about process documentation improvement
- Knowledge about archives and records management
- Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, students,
and community leaders.
Compensation: Students will receive a $3000 stipend/scholarship at the conclusion of the
Project
Commitment: Hours are flexible, and work can be done remotely. We anticipate that this
project will take 5 – 10 hours per week and could be done over the semester and into the summer.
The student selected to work on this project will need to go through a basic security screening due to the sensitive nature of the documents.
To Apply: Submit a resume and a cover letter explaining related experience doing policy
research and why your experience makes you the best fit for this opportunity to Gavin Luter,
luter@wisc.edu.
Questions: If a student has questions about the role, please direct them to Gavin Luter,
luter@wisc.edu.
Priority Deadline: Applications received by Tuesday, January 21 will be given priority, though
students can still submit after this deadline.