A while back I had a discussion with an Eastside ARMA member about the challenges of making recommendations for ERM systems and that I was looking for a standard to help drive the importance of good recordkeeping and governance. She suggested I look at the Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principals (GARP) standards to use as part of the analysis. The GARP principals fit perfectly with my established process and added an industry standard component that gives creditability to the ERM analysis. Now, for the first time it was not just me saying that Enterprise Records Management needed standard taxonomy, better organization, and executive oversight of the records program. There was a standard that could be referenced and provide meaningful advice from the non-profit RIM Professional Organization – ARMA International.
The purpose of GARP is to give organizations a baseline for current Records Management practices that can be compare against other organizations and used to help develop a roadmap for the future. The eight GARP principles address the primary components needed to develop an information governance best practices plan for the organization’s Records Management Program.
The following eight principals can be used to determine the level of development of a records management program and to analyze how the organization is positioned to take on new projects and benchmark against other organizations.
The goal of the GARP analysis is to overcome the functional, technological, and business issues associated with developing a Records Management Program and introduce a structure for guidance when implementing or maintaining ECM systems overall. Managing records and information according to the GARP principles will increase the effectiveness of information governance and aid in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
When getting started in ERM or looking at process improvement it is important to review the GARP principals along with the records policies and procedures that are critical components for information governance. I have found that the GARP analysis helps as an ERM Professional to define the challenges in the as-is state of records management and quickly identify areas that require recommendations to achieve better governance. My next Blog will cover how to perform the GARP analysis.
Leigh Woody ERMM
Program Manager
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