It's all in the technique! Using project management tools and principles can help RIM professionals succeed in efforts to create or improve their companies' records management programs.

• Author: Strait, Cheryl L.

As organizations increasingly focus on establishing or maturing their records management program, managers are experiencing a range of challenges--from defining and beginning the program to managing the complex involvement of many different functional organizations and ensuring they have the executive support and organizational authority needed to succeed.

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Historically, managers assigned to difficult or complex initiatives have turned to project management tools and techniques to enable successful management of their projects. It has long been known that project management helps managers to foresee--and then deal with--shrinking budgets, tight schedules, and scarce resources. In fact, managers can use these same tools and techniques to successfully initiate and manage efforts associated with the implementation or the maturation of records management programs.

An Introduction to Project Management Methodology

According to the Project Management Institute's A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (also known as the PMBOK[R] Guide), published in 2004, "A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result." A project exists only after a decision has been made to address a specific business need, funding is available to support its execution, and measurable goals and objectives are defined. Even though establishing or refining a records management program is not necessarily considered a temporary endeavor, it does address a significant business need that must be accomplished within a specified time period and it can be run as a project.

Establishing or maturing a records management program includes considering, developing, or updating five key business components:

1. Corporate records management policies and procedures

2. Record retention schedules

3. Technology

4. Organizational change management (used to engage and educate employees)

5. Mechanism for performance monitoring (used to ensure compliance)

   Managers assigned to establish or further nurture a records management program must consider what is included within their initiative and then determine how to begin, define what needs to be done, determine who will perform the work, and agree to a timeline for when work is to be accomplished.

   Using project management techniques enables managers to:

   * Define in detail the activities that need to be performed

   * Determine what resources will be required

   * Establish a timeline for when activities will occur

   * Identify how all of this is to be accomplished

   Project management ties the resources and components together and enables successful completion of the records management initiative. This includes organizing the work into defined phases. Using a phased approach allows the manager to break down the project into workable segments.

   PMBOK defines five phases for a project, which are referred to as "process groups." These process groups include initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing, and they aid managers in coordinating, managing, and controlling their records management initiative. This article explores project management's five process groups and discusses how they can be used to manage a records management initiative.

   Initiating

   The initiating process begins with securing the support and participation of the entire organization. The authority for securing this broad support must come from executive leadership, who provide the vision...