In records management, transparency is often overlooked as a success factor, yet it is a critical and necessary ingredient in any effective records management program.
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) itself stresses the importance of transparency. Laurence Brewer, the NARA’s Chief Records Officer, explicitly told Federal News Network, “Our goal … is trying to get to a place where records management is transparent to the user.”
Not all records are public, of course, but the kind of transparency we’re talking about here isn’t about just making document available to anyone who wants them. Instead, it’s about ensuring insight, visibility, and control over records. As researchers write in the International Journal of Information Management (IJIM), “Transparency requires records management systems that make it possible to control records and, by extension, their content and other information resources from the very moment of their creation and throughout their entire lifecycle.”
Operationally, a transparent records management process is one in which it’s clear (or easily discoverable) how records are handled and by whom. Users can find records at need and track how those records are being used, accessed, and/or altered. Transparency means being able to log into your records management system and find almost any information about the record and its history.
With that kind of transparency in place, users can:
- Know what happens with files. Figure out if your records management processes are actually working or, if there are failures, identify where those problems are occurring. When it comes to physical files, transparency can help ensure organizations can locate the records anywhere they may travel.
- Know your problem areas. If there are problems or gaps, a transparent system will ensure users detect them before they fester and turn into some sort of crisis. For instance, if files have been accessed or modified inappropriately, a clear record history can tell you who handled the record when and where.
- Improve auditability and compliance. Transparency enables agencies to know the state of their records at any time and to gauge their audit-readiness. If they know they have problems areas, they can take steps to preemptively correct any compliance issues before they turn into violations.
- Increase accuracy and reduce errors. The IJIM research mentioned above specifically looked at the relationship between transparency and records management and found that greater transparency can reduce the incidence of data loss, inaccuracies, improper access or modification of files, compliance violations, and even help prevent the concealment of governmental corruption.
In short, transparency makes users’ and administrators’ lives easier.
It does something else, too, at least as important as anything mentioned above: it fosters trust. In fact, trustworthiness is itself a foundational element of successful records management. Organizations’ ability to get their work done and to ensure the support of the public, their customers, and their stakeholders depends on trust, which in turn depends on transparency into their activities.
About PSL
PSL is a global outsource provider whose mission is to provide solutions that facilitate the movement of business-critical information between and among government agencies, business enterprises, and their partners. For more information, please visit https://www.penielsolutions.com or email info@penielsolutions.com.