Council on archives international records management trust
Priority 3: Revise Legislation
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- Priority 4: Identify Existing and Planned Systems
- Priority 5: Assign Adequate Resources
- Priority 6: Co-ordinate Systems
- Priority 7: Develop Strategies
- Priority 8: Contribute to the Design of Systems
Priority 3: Revise LegislationPublic records legislation is designed to ensure that records with ongoing value are destroyed and archives are preserved permanently. Officials may be under the impression that this legislation only applies to paper records; they may even fail to understand that electronic records are indeed records. Officials need to understand that the failure to manage electronic records has major implications for accountability and for efficiency. Moreover, some of the government’s electronic records are of archival significance and form part of the written record of the past. These records enhance social consciousness and provide a sense of identity and context. Management needs to understand why archives are so important and recognise the organisation’s obligation to future generations under public records legislation. Even in the private sector, internal policies and regulations can be amended to recognise the importance of records and ensure the protection of electronic records. Priority 4: Identify Existing and Planned SystemsTo be credible to senior management, the records manager needs to know the scale of the electronic records management problem in his or her organisation. Implement a survey of existing systems as described in Lesson 4. This will provide the basic facts and figures that will allow you to decide whether the priority needs to lie with ensuring the preservation of existing electronic records, or with the design of future systems. Priority 5: Assign Adequate ResourcesThe advantages of relying on electronic records should be set against a realistic appraisal of the resources the organisation can afford to spend on an electronic records management programme. Resources will be needed for the purchase and maintenance of appropriate hardware and software and to ensure there are sufficient numbers of trained personnel to build, support and maintain the electronic records system. Priority 6: Co-ordinate SystemsIt is essential to co-ordinate computerised systems with associated paper-based systems. Many organisations make the incorrect assumption that computerised systems, especially systems for storing scanned images of documents, will make paper systems unnecessary. Such an assumption is not only incorrect but dangerous, for it may lead to the destruction of critical paper records without adequate safeguards for the protection of electronic records. In most countries in the world, there will continue to be a need to maintain a mixed paper and electronic system for the foreseeable future, for several reasons.
Priority 7: Develop StrategiesComputer technology is continually changing. Organisations must develop strategies for preserving and providing access to electronic records over time so that all relevant information can be easily retrieved. Only in this way will policy makers and managers have access to the ‘complete picture’ before making a decision. Essentially there are two options for keeping electronic records: store them electronically or print them out. The emerging international recommendation is that records generated electronically should be preserved and accessed electronically. However, the organisation must evaluate the costs involved, the local capacity to store and maintain electronic records safely and the risks involved. If there are doubts in any of these areas, the prudent option is to print the records to paper and file them, so far as this is possible. The catch phrase is ‘when in doubt, print it out.’ In some cases it will be impossible to print out the electronic record to paper. For example, it would be impossible to print out a multi-media document that included electronic links to a video clip or a voice mail message. Thus, printing electronic records to paper and keeping them on paper files is likely to be a transitional or short term tactic. Governments need to ensure that the systems can provide access to records for as long as they are needed for administrative and other purposes. Priority 8: Contribute to the Design of SystemsIn general, the decision to automate parts of a particular administrative function will be taken by management, with technical advice from information technologists. However, records managers within the records and archives institution should contribute to the design of the new system by giving advice on records systems requirements. These requirements are as follows.
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