You are the direct beneficiary of the Georgia
Records Act's clarification of the government records management process. Your
role is to accomplish a very fundamental and important function of government. The Act
gives you the power and the right to apply your professional knowledge
and familiarity with your agency's functions as you manage its records.
Since you are the records manager, it is your right to make
the decisions on how to utilize your agency's expertise to complete the records management
duties assigned by the Act. Granting you this authority is not only fair to you and your
agency, it is good business practice.
Innovative Techniques And Appropriate Technologies ^
You have been empowered by the Act to select the
technologies and systems most effective for use in your agency. You are encouraged to be
innovative and creative. In doing so, you will be more likely to arrive at pragmatic
solutions to your agency's information access and maintenance problems.
There is a far greater range of choice in technology today
than at any time before. However, as most administrators have learned through experience,
a system that is right for one agency may not be adequate for another.
Therefore, identification and selection of the best tools,
methods, and techniques must be accomplished with the needs of your agency in
mind. Restrictions on budget and time always place outside limits on choice. These need
not restrict you from considering and adopting an innovative blend that best suits your
agency's specific needs. Variety increases the chance for success.
Just because a system or approach has not been tried, does
not mean that it may not be tried. The solutions that permit the best combination
and application of your available resources are going to yield the best results.
Take full advantage of the possibilities to reduce
information and records management costs through cooperative efforts. Evaluate both
internal and external opportunities. Intra- and inter-governmental records management
activities have already paid tremendous administrative dividends at all levels. The range
of possible options for cooperative activities is unlimited.
Pay close attention to in-house agencies. These are an often
under-utilized and under-appreciated source of cooperative support, particularly, when it
comes to opportunities for shared resources and mutual assistance. They offer excellent
potential for making improvements in both daily activity and for help during unexpected
emergencies.
Proactive management of your records puts you in control.
Reactive management puts your records in control. Georgia government administrators are
free to improve their agencies. They can determine the best use of available resources to
meet compliance with the Georgia Records Act. Once there, ongoing oversight and routine
upkeep will make it easy to remain in compliance.
You have at your disposal a pool of professional, and
commercial record and information management specialists who are very willing to work with
you in identifying solutions. As the range of goods and services in the marketplace
expands and becomes more sophisticated, you will also find that representatives of product
manufacturers and vendors are becoming better trained and more cooperative than ever
before.
The procurement personnel in your organization, a wide range
of no-cost or low-cost technical programs and publications, and numerous external agencies
and professional associations are also available to help empower you in your role as
information and records administrator. You have the right to utilize them! <<>>
