Another item in the OMB/NARA Managing Government Records Directive that we have been working on is item B4. This item called on us to identify a government-wide analytical to help agencies evaluate the effectiveness of their records programs.
We have been working with the Federal Records Council on this project and are now pleased to announce that the Records Management Maturity Model (.xls spreadsheet) and separate user guide (.pdf) are now available on the directive website.
Using an analytical tool such as a maturity model can be a good way to assess your records and information management programs to determine where improvements are needed most. Maturity models provide a framework based on a set of core principles and standards to measure strengths and weaknesses and identify challenges that may undermine effectiveness. It provides a data supported method for planning and assigning resources. There are many good records and information management based models available (both public and private) to choose from. We encourage you to consider these types of tools when assessing your records management program. Feel free to adjust our maturity model to best fit the needs of your program.
Special thanks to the Department of Homeland Security (whose existing RM3i model was used as the starting point for this tool) for their support on this project. Additionally, many thanks to the records officers at the Departments of Justice, Transportation, Interior, and the Securities and Exchange Commission for their contributions to this project. We have also made the maturity model available on the Federal Records Officer Network (FRON).
We are always interested in hearing about new tools and best practices to help agencies. Also, if you have any questions please leave a comment below or send them to prmd@nara.gov.