What does excellence in records and information management (RIM) look like to you or your organization?  Is it adherence to a recognized standard?  Is it being able to find the right information at the right time, say during discovery for a lawsuit?  Does it mean your employees are more efficient and productive because they are able to find the information they need to do their jobs and contribute to the goals of the organization?

The answers to these questions can be an indication that an organization is moving toward achieving excellence in RIM.  But it certainly is more than just these items.

ARMA International, the not-for-profit professional association and the authority on managing records and information, recognizes the cultural shift an organization makes when it embraces solid records and information management as a foundation for its success through its Cobalt Award.  This award was created and given to its first recipient in 2008. 

ARMA recognizes excellence in records and information management as:

• An acknowledgement of the importance of records and information management to the organization
• The cornerstone to compliance with laws and regulations
• Consistent policies, procedures and practices that begin at the desktop
• A contributor to organizational success
• One of the most important elements of risk and asset management in any organization.

What is not explicitly stated in this list of items is that excellence in RIM is not a project or a check box, but a continuous program.  Excellence in RIM is a journey that really doesn't have a final destination.  And it's not just something that Legal, Records Management or Information Technology can do on their own - it takes the entire organization.

This year, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is one of two finalists for the 2009 Cobalt Award (see press release here).  The Records Management Section employees for DEQ are under contract from Access Sciences.  Access Sciences has been managing the Records Management section at DEQ for several years. 

The Louisiana DEQ leadership recognized before embarking on this journey that achieving excellence in RIM was not just a project.  The organization allowed the Records Management section to establish a program based on standards (in this case ISO 15489, the International Standard for Records Management) and best practices.  Records Management has built strong working relationships with Legal and Information Technology in developing and implementing confidential records, legal holds and discovery policies and procedures, as well as upgrading the electronic records repository system and the public search interface for records. 

The Records Management organization thinks in terms of continuous improvement, measuring themselves against the standards and best practices through audits and assessments, with follow-up at regular intervals to ensure they are making progress in their journey. 

It has taken several years for the organization to reach this state, which is a prime reason they are a finalist for this award.  There has been a lot of hard work in policy and process development, training, technology implementations and cultural change.

We are certainly proud of our colleagues and the hard work they've done at DEQ.  DEQ has show incredible initiative in weaving RIM into the fiber of their organization.  They and the public they serve will reap those benefits for many years to come.

What's holding you back from achieving excellence in records and information management in your organization?