Records
How are we doing when it comes to managing the physical and virtual embodiments of our organizations' activities - to meet legal and compliance requirements as well as to meet the need for preserving access to corporate memory? And who is in charge? With increasing awareness of the risks associated with inadequate records programs, the professional domain of Records Management is deservedly receiving heightened attention. Wikipedia describes records management as "the practice of identifying, classifying, archiving, preserving, and destroying records". (I hope "preserving" includes the concept of ensuring future generations' access to materials even though they may be "too old" for the law to mandate their retention - but that's another subject.) Here are some questions all organizations would want to answer with a resounding yes:
6a. Is there a formal policy to guide how records are dealt with? Is it updated as technology advances to create new challenges?
6b. Are employees generally aware of the fundamental records management and retention requirements applicable to the organization?
6c. Do employees understand the definitions of what constitutes a record among the many types of information objects they typically handle - and the lifecycle of those records? Are employees' workspaces free of files that are also held centrally? Do employees know what types of information objects should not be retained?
6d. Is records management a key topic in new-hire inductions?
6e. Is a Certified Records Manager in charge of the records policy and program - even if the organization does not employ a full time CRM?
6f. Is an analysis carried out periodically to assess the requirements and future options for records management, given the organization's evolution?
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