Hi--
Having been the pivotal person in charge of beginning such programs at least
3 times in my career, starting from ground zero, I would say that the most
important thing is not yet on your list.
That is: Recruit top-level management to support you by whatever means
necessary. These folks have to believe that there will be benefits for them
and for the agency if you expect to get them to pay your program the respect
and lip-sevice it will require, and that will be a significant amount in the
beginning. This will mean finding out what hot buttons there are and how
your program will help them and make them look good in addition to adding
substance and efficiency. Network, research, and make friends with their
secretaries!
A.S.Elizabeth Fairfax, MA, CA
Island County Records and Information Management Program
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x5569
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Bergeron, Paul
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 9:44 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Starting an RM program from scratch
Tim:
I have used the following bullets in presentations that I have given in the
past. There is considerable overlap with your list, but perhaps a few that
you could use or add:
Foundation for a Successful Records Management Program
l An enthusiastic activist
l Grounding in law (state and local)
- Designated RMO
- Assigned responsibilities & authority
l Network of advice and support
- Municipal Records Committee
l Professional connections
- Training, Credibility
l Clear direction; incremental approach
You do not have a good records management program if:
l There is no legal authorization for one.
l RM policies and procedures are out-of-date or do not exist.
l Records inventories are out-of-date or do not exist.
l Records are not retired from active status and disposed of
systematically.
l There is no training or management support for RM
A beginning point, locally:
l Obtain approval for a RM plan by naming a person who will assume
that responsibility.
l Secure passage of an ordinance or resolution that authorizes a RM
program.
l Establish a municipal records committee.
l Inventory the types of records you have, including those essential
to the operation and those of permanent or historical value.
l Become familiar with state retention requirements.
l Write RM policies and procedures.
l Retain records only as long as required.
l Train staff.
l Request - compete for - management support of program.
Paul
Paul R. Bergeron
City Clerk
229 Main Street
Nashua, NH 03060
603-589-3004
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Tim Barnard
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 11:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [RM] Starting an RM program from scratch
I need the wisdom of the Listserv in what shouldn't be such a problem.
Part of my job is what I call a records management evangelist, trying to get
our state's city and county governments to develop their own records
management programs. Then I have to train them on how to do it. But how
does one start a program from scratch?
It seems that everything I find in books and articles deals with training a
records manager for an existing program or strengthening or promoting an
existing program, but surprisingly very little on how to actually start
one.
This is the basic outline of what I have so far:
* Appoint an overall records officer (manager) and records liaisons
for each department.
* Fund the records management program. In our state, local
governments can elect to charge an additional $1 to any document filing fee
for their RM program.
* Conduct a records inventory.
* Identify and prepare storage areas for both active and inactive
records.
* Make an initial purge of records already eligible for disposal.
(We issue statewide retention schedules, so local governments don't have to
create their own.)
* Establish policies and procedures.
* Train all employees in basic records procedures.
* Develop a disaster recovery / COOP plan that includes vital
records.
These steps may not be in perfect order, but some can be done
concurrently.
It seems like I'm still missing something. Any ideas?
Tim Barnard
Local Government Records Office
Miss. Dept. of Archives and History
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