Putting the international in ARMA International.

• Position: Recommended strategies include international seminars

ARMA currently has approximately 350 members in more than 30 countries outside North America. Three years ago, ARMA brought as many of these members together as possible at its first International Day program at the annual conference. The one-day program has afforded many of our international members an opportunity to share their international perspective on archives and records. It has also facilitated communication with ARMA.

Many of the issues that emerged during the International Day discussions in Las Vegas in 2000 became the focus of ARMA International's International Relations Committee (IRC). In its January 2001 meeting, the IRC focused on building an understanding of the strategic role of international affairs in accomplishing ARMA's mission and on defining an effective strategy for international activities. This strategy could then be used as a "litmus test" for addressing tactical issues.

The IRC identified several basic challenges to this effort, most notably cultural and language differences, communications, and funding. Each issue was discussed in terms of identifying success indicators, integration into the association's overall strategic operational plan, and hurdles and risks and what means are necessary to overcome them.

Out of this discussion came recommended strategies regarding

* international seminars

* cultural issues

* partnerships

* language

* International Ambassadors

* communication

* funding

The top three recommendations were to

* maximize relationships with the International Council on Archives (ICA)

* expand services by offering content in French and Spanish, particularly on the Web site

* ask the ARMA board to allocate resources to international initiatives

Underlying ARMA's international strategy is a decision by the board several years ago to focus on building collaborative relationships to help us serve the diverse international market.

Perhaps the defining milestone was the "Accord" agreement ARMA entered into in 1996 with ICA and the International Records Management Trust (IRMT). The Accord established ARMA's cooperative relationship with ICA, the world's most influential and credible echelon of archivists and records managers from nearly 200 countries. Developing a working relationship with ICA is the most important step that could be taken to gain worldwide visibility and exposure for ARMA.

The IRMT is still functioning today, albeit on a more limited basis. The Accord, still loosely in effect, remains...