Managing records, making knowledge and good governance
| Pages | 16-25 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690910937218 |
| Published date | 20 February 2009 |
| Date | 20 February 2009 |
| Author | Stephen Harries |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
ARTICLES
Managing records, making
knowledge and good governance
Stephen Harries
Critical Information, Brighton, UK
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to stimulate debate on the future development of records management,
especially in the public sector, in the context of challenges from modernisation of government and
from social and cultural changes emerging from internet developments.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses relevant concepts of knowledge, records
and public sector change, and attempts a high-level synthesis.
Findings – The paper proposes a framework for characterising a social dimension to records
management, relating records with knowledge communities and processes, and for mapping a
records/knowledge dynamic in the policy-to-delivery process.
Originality/value – The paper integrates recent experience with electronic records management
with developments in government policy delivery and programme development.
Keywords Records management,Knowledge management, Government, Public sectororganizations
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
The last ten years have seen a wave of programmes to implement electronic records
management (EDRM) in organisations across the UK public sector, first in central
government and subsequently in local government. These initiatives have tended to
locate EDRM within the context of e-government, developing two main arguments:
that e-records are one aspect of the modernisation process, because the electronic
management of electronic information is a necessary enabler for sustainable business
change; and that better management is essential to meet information policy and
compliance requirements in this modernised environment.
As this first wave of activity falls away, there is interest in reviewing the experience
of these early initiatives; and this has led some to a reconsideration of how best records
management can respond to newer trends and challenges, and others to a retrenchmen t
of EDRM itself. The programme for “modernising government” has evolved into
“transformational government”, with more emphasis on efficiency and fundamental
change in ways of working. The UK National Archives has called for ideas on
integrating information management into business processes (The National Archives
(UK), 2008), suggesting that this is not perceived to have occurred sufficiently well in
past EDRM projects; and embarrassing press reports on lost data, in both electronic
and paper form, continue to erode public trust and confidence in data security. Many
organisations are reconfiguring their traditional records management functions,
incorporating them within a broader context of information management, knowledg e
management, or customer relationship management.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
RMJ
19,1
16
Received 9 July 2008
Revised 24 November 2008
Records Management Journal
Vol. 19 No. 1, 2009
pp. 16-25
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565690910937218
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