Mapping an approach for successful content management: combining a records management and electronic document management program to create an enterprise content management program produced notable results for the County of San Diego and provided a road map for others to do the same.

• Author: Grudman, Rich
• Position: Lessons Learned

Historically speaking, records management (RM) is something that few wanted to address. Typical attitudes towards it were, "I'm just too busy to deal with it" or "I just save everything." With mindsets like those, it is line wonder that RM can be a challenge for organizations to coordinate and enforce.

The County of San Diego was no different. Its RM program practices were dated. Staff had limited communication with departments or management and did not use current technology. Some information about the RM program was being distributed but not in a consistent manner, and the limited RM information that was getting out was not always going to the correct people. Additionally, very few county departments were aware of the risks associated with not managing records properly.

Recently, the County of San Diego RM underwent a major overhaul. The county combined its electronic document management (EDM) program with the RM program when it realized they had similar goals. The joint programs are now collectively referred to as the enterprise content management (ECM) program. This program directly affects all county departments and indirectly affects all county employees and the public.

With the merger of these programs, executive support, revised administrative policies, new resources, and a proactive attitude, the county now has a clear path for managing electronic files and paper. Additionally, new awareness of the importance of managing records as part of daily operations has been drastically raised. This awareness will reduce the potentially large costs of disaster recovery, litigation, and staff time and very likely will save the county money. The county is now in the forefront of local governments for proper content and RM practices. The approach it took and the lessons learned from the county's experience provide helpful guidance for other organizations working toward the same goals.

A Litany of Problems

Prior to the transformation, a result of outdated practices and ineffective communication, the county faced several problems. Existing records staffs had retired or were close to retirement, with no succession plan or knowledge transfer plan in place. Worse, there were limited communication tools available to county departments; those that did exist badly needed updating.

A significant challenge was that only 24 percent of county departments had approved records retention schedules in place. The few departments that did have retention schedules did not fully understand how to use them--much less comply with them. Retention schedules existed, but most were not sure why, so compliance with the schedules was brushed aside. In addition, most departments (both with and without a retention schedule) were unsure as to what was actually a "record." Terms like "record," "official record" "public record" and "document" were commonly used interchangeably; there was no enterprise understanding of what the terms implied.

It is no wonder that the county found itself with nearly 175,000 boxes stored at an offsite storage facility at a cost of almost $400,000 per year. Departments commonly sent to storage boxes whose contents were either unknown or included unnecessary paperwork that was saved "just in case" Of those, almost 100,000 boxes had no destruction date, and about 18,000 boxes were stored well past their...