February 13, 2001

NWM 08.2001

MEMORANDUM TO AGENCY RECORDS OFFICERS: Update on NARA Project Information Gathering, Analysis, and Report on Current Recordkeeping and Records Use within the Federal Government

As most of you know from previous announcements, NARA has begun a project to examine the current Federal recordkeeping environment in order to evaluate our own records management program. Periodically we will send out updates on the project. Additional information will also soon be available on the NARA Records Management web site.

Web Survey

As part of that project, our contractor, SRA, International, is using the Internet to conduct a survey of records management officers concerning records management practices within Federal agencies. SRA will send a letter to each of you explaining the survey and requesting your participation. We urge each of you to take a few minutes and complete the confidential survey. The survey is open to all agency records officers and records liaisons so you may share the SRA letter with other records officers or liaisons who may not be on the NARA contact list. The survey will ensure that all agencies have input as NARA examines its records management policies and procedures. If you do not receive a survey by March 15, please notify Susan Cummings of the Policy and Communication Staff by email at susan.cummings@nara.gov, or by telephone at 301-713-7360, ext. 238.

Delays in Other NARA Activities

Planning for change--as with the Current Recordkeeping and Records Use project--is time consuming, but essential if we are to update our processes and serve our customers better. In the short run, however, time spent on this initiative will delay the processing of some pending records schedules as well as other records management activities. We will work with you to ensure, if at all possible, that your most urgent schedule submissions, training requests, or other records management needs are addressed. Please discuss your priorities with your headquarters liaison in the Life Cycle Management Division (NWML), or the appropriate regional records management coordinator (NR).

We anticipate completing the NWML and NR portion of the project by early summer and will then return to our regular records management activities. Other tasks and the analysis phase of the Current Recordkeeping and Records Use within the Federal Government project will continue after that, and these will be completed by late fall 2001.

MICHAEL L. MILLER Director Modern Records Programs

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2001