Bruce, you mentioned Bob Baird in an earlier post.  Bob spoke to our 
Calgary chapter a couple of weeks ago, specifically about ARMA and its 
current direction (it was in celebration of our chapter's 40th anniversary).



I have to say that it was the most honest, refreshing discussion about 
ARMA I've heard since I joined the organization almost 15 years ago.  
Some of the things he said:



1. ARMA has problems that need to be addressed.  (Maybe that was an 
obvious observation.)

2. ARMA's constituents fall at least relatively equally into two camps:  
those that want RM and those that want IG.  He said that for ARMA to be 
successful it has to address both camps.

3. In relation to AIIM, Mr. Baird said that the philosophies of the two 
organizations are significantly different and ARMA would continue to pursue 
its own philosophy on that (e.g. not so vendor-driven).



In my 15 years I've worked for 6 companies.  In some companies my role 
was very RM oriented - for example, they needed a RIM program or 
needed a retention schedule.  That was my job.  In other companies, and 
especially in my current role, my role is wider in scope - it's very IG 
oriented.  RM is part of my responsibility, but I have staff looking after it.  
In the meantime I'm busy developing policy and meeting with Legal and 
trying to build relationships with IT.



Yes, records managers have been doing all those things already.  But more 
and more, for better or worse, I recognize that all around me RM is seen as 
an operational duty.  IG is not operational; no matter how you define 
it, "governance" is a non-operational, strategic approach to information.  
Strategic isn't better than operational; one leads to the other, and 
organizations need both or they don't work.  That's perhaps why IG fills a 
niche, and based on Mr. Baird's comments, it resonates with at least a 
good portion of the ARMA membership.



The next step is exactly as Patrick suggests:  what's next?  ARMA 
abandoning RM was a big mistake, and I believe, based on Bob Baird's 
comments, that they'll backtrack on that.  Agreeing with previous posters, 
I believe ARMA needs to a) define the differences and b) provide the 
support and promotion of both.



Wayne Hoff, CRM

Calgary, AB



Comments are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my organization.

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