Mapping the way toward records compliance.

• Author: Maurer, Blair
• Position: RIM FUNDAMENTALS

When senior leaders support records management implementation, the organization is strengthened and the results clear. The initial success of a records management initiative at the University of Washington (UW) provides convincing evidence of that.

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Four years after Vice President of Human Resources (HR) Mindy Kornberg and her management team saw the need to bring records management best practices to its 160 HR employees and established a cross-departmental HR Records Management Group to accomplish that, its vision--that "records management practices are adopted by the whole campus. They become a habit, part of our muscle memory"--is beginning to become a reality.

The roadmap this group created in its drive to realize its vision can be followed by other organizations with the same goal.

Starting Point: Create a Cross-Departmental Team

The team that was assembled by UW's director of HR Business and Finance, Evelyn Harris, includes seven other members that represent their departments: Benefits, Compensation, Campus HR Operations, Medical Centers HR Operations, Information Systems, Labor Relations, and Professional Development.

For a mentor and ally, the team reached across the aisle to consult with UW's director of Records Management Services, Barbara Benson, who serves as advisor and regularly attends its meetings.

Will Chase, an analyst representing Information Systems, commented on how the team has gelled: "We work together amazingly well. There's a myriad of strengths independently brought to the team, whether it's expertise in abstract policy or effective writing skills. Leadership is great; Evelyn keeps us on task and is fully committed."

Describing the team's mission, Chase continues, "We are here to promote and enlighten people on records and information: its uses, its proper application, and storage. And to convey why it's important. The goal is to maintain data effectively."

Mile Marker 1: Check for Clear Direction, Top Support

"When the group formed, the management team provided a clear directive on what they wanted us to accomplish," Harris said. "As the team moved forward in its work and delivered its first products, Mindy [Kornberg] was so pleased that she extended the mandate. At that point, the team's charter went from the macro view to the micro, and the team became a permanent improvement initiative for HR. Watching this develop has been exciting."

Kornberg's support of the mission is palpable. She reinforces the need for each HR employee to take action. She also funds and attends the annual April event marking National Records & Information Management Month and has her managers attend with their staff.

The responsible mindset is clear from the top: documents at the state-supported university are subject to the Washington state Freedom of Information Act and considered public records, they are valuable to the enterprise, and they should be managed properly.

Mile Marker 2: Make the Trip Fun

Creativity is in high demand in order to achieve compliance across UW Human Resources (UWHR). The HR Records Management Group devises an annual project and communications plan that guides its outreach and publication schedule for the academic year. Sub-committees identify pain points and prioritize best practices, and the effort to produce tools, trainings, and events is open and collaborative.

The team devises innovative ways to instill records awareness. It's top of mind for the members that their topic hits people as a bit ... dry. They...