Dear colleagues,
What a timely subject. The same topic is being discussed on the Australian
RMAA Listserv under a slightly variant topic name.
As Elizabeth Laiche states, she or her organisation use the concept of
Functional Classification as the basis for their document/records operations
and entire electronic file plans and that the subject is dear to her heart.
I wish to advise that this subject of Classification and its relationship as
the foundation stone of all RIM processes and activities is also my passion.
I also congratulate Elizabeth on her definition of a Function and that it is
not an RIM thing but a representation of the organisations BUSINESS
PROCESSES and its subparts as in her wording as Action or Sub-Functions.
The Australianisation of the process is identified as follows:
Level one in the hierarchy as: Function, Keyword, Top Level Term or Level 1.
Level two in the hierarchy as: Activity Descriptor, Descriptor or Level 2.
or to use Elizabeth's terminology, Sub- function or Action.
Level three in the hierarchy as: Subject Descriptor, Descriptor, Topic or
Level 3.
Level four in the hierarchy as: Free text providing further details and an
expansion of the details of the Level 3 Subject Descriptor.
Of course you also have the need for the addition feature of identifying
Non-preferred Terms under the heading of e.g. Non-preferred Terms, Forbidden
Terms, Stop Terms or Variant terms leading you to the organisation wide
agreed Controlled Vocabulary term acceptable for use within the
organisations RIM system.
To further assist ----- in regard to the original request to the List by Sue
Medhurst:
>for a live\working example to illustrate how the same record series would
appear under a functional, departmental and subject >classification scheme.
The following information from the State Records of New South Wales (SR NSW)
who are the final answer on these things via their product Keyword AAA since
1996 may be of assistance. I am certain that the SR NSW would only be too
happy to assist you and sell you a copy of their Keyword AAA product.
Definitions located in the Glossary of Recordkeeping Terms of the SR NSW
available online @
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/glossarytoc.htm in
regard to this subject are as follows:
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a controlled list of terms linked together by semantic,
hierarchical, associative or equivalence relationships. Such tools act as a
guide to allocating classification
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/A-C.htm#Classificati
on> terms to individual records
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/P-R.htm#Records> .
In a thesaurus the meaning of the term is specified and hierarchical
relationships to other terms shown. A thesaurus provides sufficient entry
points to allow users to navigate from terms which are not to be used to the
preferred terminology adopted by the organisation.
AS ISO 15489 Part 2 Clause 4.2.3.2
Keyword classification
Keyword classification involves grouping records into broad, functionally
based areas represented by keywords
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/g-o.htm#Keyword> .
Records are further classified by the use of activity
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/A-C.htm#Activity
descriptor> descriptors and optional subject
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/S-Z.htm#Subject
descriptor> descriptors.
Business activity
Umbrella term covering all the functions
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/D-F.htm#Function> ,
processes, activities
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/A-C.htm#Activity#Act
ivity> and transactions
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/S-Z.htm#Transaction>
of an organisation and its employees. Includes public administration as well
as commercial business.
AS 4390 Part 1 Clause 4.6
Function
Functions represent the major responsibilities that are managed by an
organisation to fulfil its goals. Functions are high-level aggregates of the
organisation's activities.
Functions are generally not based on organisational structures because they
are more stable than administrative units, which are often amalgamated or
devolved when restructuring takes place.
Activity descriptor
The level of descriptor that follows a keyword
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/G-O.htm#Keyword> .
The activity descriptor reflects the activity
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/A-C.htm#Activity#Act
ivity> performed within the function
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/D-F.htm#Function>
that is represented by the keyword. Used in records management thesauri
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/S-Z.htm#Thesaurus> .
See Keyword
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/G-O.htm#Keyword
classification> classification
Subject descriptor
The level of descriptor that follows an activity
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/A-C.htm#Activity
descriptor> descriptor. Subject descriptors define the subject content of
the activities
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary2/A-C.htm#Activity>
represented by the activity descriptor.
See Keyword
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/G-O.htm#Keyword
classification> classification.
Transaction
The smallest unit of business
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/A-C.htm#Business
activity> activity. Uses of records
<http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/rk/glossary/P-R.htm#Records>
are themselves transactions.
AS 4390 Part 1 Clause 4.27
Of course you have the addition feature of the identified Non-preferred
Terms under the heading of e.g. Non-preferred Terms, Forbidden Terms, Stop
Terms or Variant terms leading you to the organisation wide agreed
Controlled Vocabulary term acceptable for use within the organisations RIM
system.
If I may be so bold as to make the following statement:
If one does not have a Business Classification Scheme (BCS) in place in a
specific environment and by association one cannot have a BCS is one does
not have a Controlled Vocabulary (VC) or whatever term you prefer e.g.
Thesaurus, Taxonomy or Ontology or whatever appropriate terminology we apply
then one can NEVER have a totally 100% effective and efficient Records and
Information Management (RIM) system that meets the requirements of the
International Records Management Standards ISO 15489 or World Best Practice.
Now how's that for a provocative statement?
Am I correct in my above view of the RIM world? The answer is irrelevant.
Do I believe in my above view of the RIM world? You bet, with a 120% belief.
Will I be proved to be correct or otherwise in regard to my above view of
the RIM world? That is for others to judge today and at some future time.
I recently provided a presentation on the 24th November 2004 titled - Why
the Americans are beating us (Australians) at Records Management. This
presentation was based on my assessment of the North American RIM
environment after attending the ARMA Long Beach Conference in October 2004
and having numerous discussions with practitioners and providers at all
levels.
One area I believe our North American Colleagues are less that active and up
to speed is in the area of Functional Classification and its application as
defined in the International Standard ISO 15489.
In my assessment that the tail is wagging the dog with Retention and
Disposal or Disposition (R&D) is the # 1 item on the agenda for various
reasons and that this is not the correct approach. Our North American
Colleagues are not alone in this concentration on R&D as the Holy Grail. To
a lesser extent we in Australia have the same or similar misconceptions.
Am I saying that Retention and Disposal or Disposition (R&D) is unimportant?
NO, I am not; as it is a critical important feature in the application of
World Best Practice in RIM.
What I am saying is that we have the cart before the horse or in library
terms we are approaching the reading of a book starting at the back page and
reading forward to the start.
The creation of a Business Classification Scheme (BCS) is first cab off the
rank. Before we can create a quality BCS we first must have a Controlled
Vocabulary (VC) or whatever term you prefer e.g. Thesaurus, Taxonomy or
Ontology or whatever appropriate terminology in place or that we apply, then
one can NEVER have a totally 100% effective and efficient Records and
Information Management (RIM) system that meets the requirements of the
International Records Management Standards ISO 15489 or World Best Practice.
With a BCS in place the creation of an R&D Schedule can be automated and can
eliminate the horrendous current environment where we are attacking the R&D
requirement from the rear end in an attempt to control the uncontrollable.
See if my thinking and proposed solution are out of whack when Millions or
even Hundreds of Millions of dollars are being expended at the point of
Litigation and the need to produce documentation in the Discovery Process.
Why? Because RIM world best practice is not in place and BCS are no
existent.
Is there an answer? Yes, there is and the software available to meet the
challenge has been created here in Australia and is only now being applied
at the highest levels to do what I am shouting from my soapbox about the
software mentioned above being implemented with great success.
Has everyone joined the march to success? And the answer is, NO!
There are still naysayer out there in Records and Information Management
Land but over time everyone will get on board with this concept and with
this current product or some other like it but for here and now only one
product, to my knowledge and experience, meets the above RIM criteria.
Are there other Thesaurus creation software products out there for creating
Roget or Library type Thesauri? Yes there are, and many and possibly all are
superior in what they do best than my preferred RIM software solution for
specialised RIM Thesauri, Business Classification Scheme creation and its
automatic linking to a Retention & Disposal Authority.
If anyone has a differing opinion to the one expressed on this subject
please respond to this posting with your preferred solution for the
assessment by of our learned colleagues in this wonderful profession of RIM.
Happy Functional Classification of Business Processes in RIM Land!
Regards, Laurie Varendorff ARMA.
Mr Daniel Lawrance [Laurie] Varendorff, ARMA
<http://www.congresswest.com.au/records/index.html>
http://www.congresswest.com.au/records/index.html
Member of the Western Australian Government - State Records Commission (SRC)
- Digital Records Working Group (DRWG).
Specialist Technical Writer on Records and Information Management (RIM) and
related subjects, available for hire.
Published Articles available @ http://www.microfilm.net.au/articles.shtml
A Records Management Professional, and proud of the fact!
Consultant/Trainer/Tutor/Presenter: Records and Information Management
Imaging and Micrographic Specialist: 30 years experience
TVC -The Varendorff Consultancy also representing: Digital Microfilm
Equipment - DME
You may care to visit our web site @ Digital <http://www.microfilm.net.au/>
Microfilm Equipment (DME) - For all things Micrographic
Alternatively email us @ [log in to unmask]
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