Collaborative Engagement

DEFENITION

Digital preservation is a shared responsibility so the organization with a mandate to preserve permanent electronic government records in accordance with accepted digital preservation standards and best practices is well served by maintaining and promoting collaboration among its internal and external stakeholders. Interdependencies between and among the operations of records producing units of government, legal and statutory requirements, information technology policies and guidance, and historical accountability should be systematically addressed.

No collaborative digital preservation environment exists in the state/territory.

Move Up to Level 1:

Engage with agency records officers, legal/compliance professionals, and IT staff to identify projects, records systems, and risks associated with managing permanent electronic government records in your state/territory. Use this exercise to understand current practices and records preservation and access mandates.

This investigation can form the basis upon which relationships and objectives to improve lifecycle management of electronic records can be built. A collaborative framework on digital preservation can provide a structure for sharing information and tracking initiatives across the state/territory.

The Archives/RM unit is working to establish a framework for collaborative engagement on digital preservation issues in the state/territory.

Move Up to Level 2:

Establish a working group to raise the profile of digital preservation and engage a spectrum of stakeholders to discuss their requirements for managing, preserving, and ensuring access to their permanent electronic government records. Agency records management requirements are the Archives’ requirements!

The Archives/RM unit has successfully engaged or is currently engaged in identifying specific digital preservation requirements for selected records producing units. The Archives/RM unit has successfully or is currently engaged in collaborative digital preservation projects with external stakeholders.

Move Up to Level 3:

Apply experience gained in these processes to develop templates and tools to capture and cross-reference digital preservation requirements from agencies on a go-forward basis. Work with electronic records analysts and agency records officers to prioritize agencies and records collections and share findings with enterprise IT and resource allocators.

The Archives/RM unit has successfully engaged in or is currently engaged in identifying the specific digital preservation requirements of most government records producing units.

Move Up to Level 4:

Congratulations! Your efforts have yielded an enterprise-level view of long-term and permanent electronic records and a robust set of requirements. Formalize the processes for gathering and sharing requirements with other stakeholders to keep pace with business and technology changes.

The Archives/RM unit continuously monitors and updates the collaborative framework of digital preservation requirements of all government records producing units.

Sustain Level 4:

Institutionalize the process of monitoring and documenting the evolving requirements for electronic records lifecycle management in your state/territory. Use the information to keep stakeholders educated and engaged in meeting the requirements through investments in technology, specialized expertise, and collaboration.


HELPFUL HINTS

Even if your Archives/RM unit is not mandated to preserve or provide access to all permanent electronic government records, it would be helpful to complete an assessment of electronic records management operations in the state/territory and 1) identify where there is overlap between agencies or institutions, 2) pinpoint where agencies lack intellectual, technical, and financial resources, 3) identify and engage professionals and partners for knowledge exchange, and 4) actively support initiatives that advance good electronic records lifecycle management practices.