Senior Agency Officials for Records Management (SAORM) Bulletin Issued

We are pleased to announce the release of NARA Bulletin 2017-02: Guidance on Senior Agency Officials for Records Management. The Bulletin clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the pivotal SAORM position and consolidates existing guidance into one source. The Bulletin incorporates relevant content from the joint OMB-NARA Managing Government Records Directive (M-12-18), NARA’s Frequently Asked Questions about Senior Agency Officials (SAOs) Appointments (now superseded), and OMB Circular A-130).

In addition to consolidating guidance on the SAORM position and describing their roles and responsibilities, the Bulletin states that the expectation is the SAORM serves in a more strategic role whereas the Agency Records Officer should generally serve in a more operational role. The SAORM bridges the gap between the agency head and the Agency Records Officer in order to provide strategic direction for the records management program. The Bulletin also outlines how Departments and agencies designate their SAORMs and Agency Records Officers.

Please comment here, or if you prefer, email PRMD@nara.gov with any questions or comments.

Thank you.