Sintaxis de entrenamiento y predicción de la red

Lesson 6 discusses how to support and sustain an Integrated Records Management programme. The steps involved include

• promoting records services to the government and the public

• promoting training and education for records and archives personnel • developing and expanding the records and archives professions.

An Integrated Records Management programme will only succeed if it is well maintained and periodically reviewed and revised. It is not sufficient to develop new systems or structures without plans to monitor or maintain them.

Equally, it is important to develop systems that will promote the work of the records and archives institution and its professional staff in order to raise the profile of the agency and ensure it receives the support necessary to continue providing its important records and archives management services.

Note that these issues are discussed in more detail in other modules in this study programme.

PROMOTING RECORDS SERVICES

As outlined earlier in this module, a functioning records and archives institution is critical to the management of an organisation’s business. Good record keeping is even more essential in the public sector, since records form the cornerstones of the rule of law and are vital to all aspects of the management of the modern state.

Well-managed records are essential to help governments function effectively, develop and implement policies, provide public services and introduce meaningful reform programmes. Records are also critical to ensuring government accountability; records

enquiring into the performance of an organisation or an individual. And ultimately, records with permanent value – archives – constitute the collective national memory; they are the essential link in a chain of human history. Each generation’s records contribute to the growing archival heritage, providing a continuous trail of evidence over time.

Well-managed records are essential to help governments function effectively.

Consequently, it is critical that an organisation pay close attention to the administration of its records. However, many organisations – and many countries – have not focused sufficient attention on record keeping. In order to ensure records serve governments and the public as they should, it is incumbent on records and archives managers to promote the value of record keeping and encourage the use of records and archives.

The best means of promoting service to the government or corporation that created the records is to remain in close contact with creating offices, assisting them with their records management policies and procedures. Valuable services provided by the records and archives institution may include the following tasks:

• publishing a regular newsletter or bulletin about records management

• holding training and awareness sessions to inform employees of records issues • ensuring records staff participate in meetings, committees or groups involved with

any aspect of information management.

There are various ways the archival institution may promote the use of its resources to the wider public. Activities include

• publishing historical documents or texts • designing exhibits and displays

• participating in radio or television broadcasts

• offering or participating in public lectures, seminars or conferences about relevant historical or cultural topics.

Before embarking on any particular project, the officer responsible for promotion and outreach should carry out research to discover whether the proposed programme would be appreciated or effective. Once it has been established that it would, detailed research should be carried out on the best way to present the project. For example, if it is a programme aimed at school children, it will need to be presented differently from one aimed at government officials or the general public. It may be decided that expertise from outside the archival institution should be called in.

Detailed costings should be carried out before the archival institution commits to any major project. Outreach projects can provide publicity and revenue, but they can also incur considerable financial loss. As well as including any material costs, calculations

should also calculate the cost of staff time. Exhibitions and publications can absorb a large amount of time and, unless the staff complement is increased, will take staff away from their routine duties. The value of any project will need to be assessed in the light of the detrimental effect it may have on the normal running of the records and archives institution, as well as in the light of expected benefits.

The consequences of any outreach programme also need to be considered. Any large publicity programme could result in a dramatic increase in readers or written enquiries. Such an increase would be in accord with the fundamental mission of the service, but if the archival institution is unable to cope with the demands, the overall effect may be detrimental.

Activity 28

How do records and archives managers in your organisation encourage the use of records and archives and promote the importance of good record keeping? Can you identify three or four activities you might undertake to encourage a greater appreciation for records care?

Promoting Training and Education for Records and