Agency Records Management: Is a Lack of Confidence Emerging? by Lisa De Luca

The concepts of transparency and accessibility to government information are foundational goals for both Federal agencies and the public at large. The increasing pressure for government information to be more digitally accessible and transparent has brought us landmark initiatives such as the Freedom of Information Act, Open Government Directive, Presidential Directive on Managing Government Records and the Open Data Policy, to name a few. There are still many challenges that block the way to the ideal open government. One very large part of this is the government's ability to manage the massive amount of information that is constantly being generated and disseminated, and in both digital and physical formats. Effective control over information is crucial. After all, how can the government provide access to records that are at risk of being lost or mismanaged?

As a result of the exponential growth of information and move towards digital formats, coupled with decreases in agency funding, the federal records and information management landscape has reached a tipping point. A lack of confidence has resulted from growing amounts of risk rooted in a lack of formal training and the inability to meet federal compliance requirements. Faced with this dilemma, agencies have many questions to consider in finding the right balance between mitigating risk and maximizing the value of information assets to agencies and citizens.

A new Market Connections Inc. blind study underwritten by Iron Mountain - seeking to ascertain the current state of information management confidence among 150 Federal respondents responsible for records keeping - found that current record management practices are seen as lacking, leading Federal employees to believe their records are at risk and not properly protected. In fact, the study found that an incredible 85 percent of Federal employees surveyed said they are not fully confident current records management policies are meeting the needs of their agency, and only 33 percent of respondents said they were very confident their records were not at risk.

This risk is being exacerbated by the formal training gap present among Federal employees who are involved in records and data management processes. The study found that only 40 percent of respondents indicated that all employees receive formal training to appropriately manage records under their immediate control, and that 19 percent indicated having never received any training - even informally. Overall, less than half (46 percent) of respondents defined their records management training as very effective. Without consistent and effective training, it is impossible for agencies to establish confidence. A regularly trained staff is a more confident staff and likely one that offers less risk to records. The good news is, when training is taken, 98 percent say it is effective.

Taking that a step further, properly established training processes will result in agencies having a much easier time complying with the wide array of Federal laws and regulations that govern records management policies and programs. Currently, 72 percent of respondents believe there is room for improvement in either the tools or procedures available to ensure compliance with records management laws and regulations affecting their agency. This majority indicates that transparency shortcomings do not stem from agencies' culture or attitude, but rather cut to the core of agencies' ability to function with limited budgets and tools at their disposal.

The lack of agency confidence regarding records and information management practices is a problem that is driven by alarming levels of risk that have come about as a result of improper training and an inability to fulfill compliance requirements. By addressing these source issues, agencies will be able to realize their full ROI Return on Information and will be able to more effectively achieve their agency-specific missions. Increasing the value of existing information will ultimately drive value for citizens and result in a more transparent and accessible government.

For the full survey report and associated infographic, visit: www.ironmountain.com/federalrecordsatrisk

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2015/industry/federal-government-records...
	See more stories from ironmountain

Most recent headlines