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Digital Government, Digital Services, Records Management Cindi Mansell
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DIGITAL TOOLS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES NEED TO MEET PUBLIC RECORD DEMANDS

Public records requests are an important facet of state and local government
administrative operations even if they don’t take up a large portion of an
agency’s mindshare on a day-to-day basis. Vital to democracy, public records
promote effective and efficient government and preserve the contributions of
governments for future generations.

The enormous body of work generated by agencies and organizations can be
daunting. Nearly everything an organization does is documented with a public
record and creates an enormous body of work to document, file, maintain and
share. Success lies in knowing what records exist and in which systems they
live.


THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY

Public records, created or filed as part of public law or business processes,
traditionally come in paper form. Many government agencies have taken the first
step toward modernizing public records by moving toward digital copies which can
be stored and accessed via online databases. But often, these digital processes
are still manual, creating new bottlenecks. Combining spreadsheets with wall
calendars and manual marker redactions can create opportunities for errors,
missed deadlines, and other problems.

Public records technology is changing. Modern cloud-based solutions, such as
GovQA, and on-premise digital solutions (for example, custom databases residing
on computers or servers in-house) offer the following benefits:

 * Ability to complete your work remotely when necessary (now, and for future
   crises)
 * Increased agility & greater visibility into your process and statuses
   critical during schedule changes, disruptions and furloughs (such as those
   caused by COVID-19)
 * Better preparation for spikes in request volume to prevent future backlogs
 * Cost-effectiveness due to reduced need for IT time and financial resources
   and cost-savings in physical materials.
 * Organizations can do more with less when they choose a scalable platform that
   solves other challenges beyond public records; allowing consolidation of
   training, procurement, and more.
 * Reduction in risk of errors and missed deadlines (thus avoiding potential
   litigation and fines)
 * Increased data security and reduction in cybersecurity threats
 * Enhanced customer experience

Many organizations often find themselves saddled with underfunded mandates or
handcuffed by limited funding. Implementing technology, though, can save time
and money, while allowing agencies to better serve the public. Here are some
ways to get started with the digital evolution of your public records processing
systems:


UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS THAT SOFTWARE MEETS

The breadth of the public records process is being met by technology crafted to
meet the individual needs of each process. One of the first pieces of software
most agencies purchase for public records is a records management database that
houses records in a digitized form ­– whether the record is natively digital
(such as an email) or digitally scanned.

Instead of walking to physical filing cabinets or driving to off-site storage to
access boxes, digital filing systems allow searches for responsive records in
seconds or minutes. It’s important to note that very few agencies
have every record in digital form, but it’s good practice to default to
digital or scan as many records as possible (implementing plans to scan useful
older records as feasible).

Some of the solutions available for agencies and organizations include:

 * Creation of Records
   * Word and Data Processing Tools: Microsoft Office 365
   * Email: Microsoft Outlook
   * Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
   * Instant Messaging: Slack, Mattermost, Microsoft Team
   * Web Pages: Granicus, Civica, CivicPlus, E-GovLink, GovOffice, Muniweb
   * Webinar Tools: Granicus, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Zoom
   * Operations Software (permits, licenses, code enforcement, work orders):
     Granicus, Accela, Comcate, iWorq, Cartegraph, IBM, Cityworks, Lucity,
     Mygov, CityView, OpenGov
   * Cameras and Recording Devices: Axon, Motorola
 * Hold/File/Store Records
   * Databases: Granicus, Microsoft SharePoint, OnBase, Laserfiche, Documentum
   * Case Management: Genetec Clearance, Evidence
   * E-Discovery Crawlers: Smarsh, Archive Social, Backupify, Pagefreezer
 * Secure/Maintain Records
   * Security and Email Encryption Tools: Mimecast, Barracuda, Proofpoint
   * Single Sign-On Tools: Microsoft Active Directory, Okta
   * Payment Porcessors: USA E-pay, Govolution, Kubra, Elavon, PayPal,
     Authorize.net, Converge
   * Document Destruction Services: ProShred Security, Shred-It, Iron Mountain
 * Share Records
   * Public Meetings: Granicus
   * Open Data Portals: Socrata, Power BI, OpenGov, LexisNexis
   * Redaction Software: Adobe Acrobat, Granicus
 * Automate Management
   * Workflow Management: Granicus

While many organizations may rely solely on software such as Microsoft Office
Suite to meet all these needs, new dedicated technologies are helping address
each stage of the records request process:

 * Records Creation or Receipt
 * Records Distribution, Maintenance, and Use
 * Records Disposition


RECORDS CREATION OR RECEIPT

The COVID pandemic changed many of the ways that governments interact with their
residents. One area that saw a dramatic change was in public records and the
need to acquire specific technology to allow for business continuity in the
creation and receipt of records.

 * Instant Messaging Platforms
   Options such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, became critical during this time
   and have taken a strong presence in public records offices as these programs
   allow users to see all the conversations about a single project in one place
   instead of sifting through email chains. By organizing conversations in
   instant messaging channels, conversations and files become a searchable
   archive that becomes more useful with time. They can provide answers and
   context, allowing better decisions without having to chase down people or
   information.
 * Webinar Tools
   Another solution that has become increasingly popular, webinar tools such as
   Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom, gave employees the ability to hold
   virtual meetings, which could be recorded and easily archived. These tools
   remain popular, in part, for that reason even as organizations return to
   in-person work.


RECORD DISTRIBUTION, MAINTENANCE, AND USE

The largest part of the records lifestyle, distribution, maintenance, and use
needs can be met through several options. Moving beyond manual processing and
release of paper copies and sharpie marker redactions to a 21st century public
records request management solution is an excellent way for agencies to boost
relations with the public.

Cloud-based tools make it easier to improve access and insight into the inner
workings of your government. They help meet the calls for greater transparency
while maintaining the necessary confidentiality of protected data. But the
choice of solution can make a big difference: Organizations should consider a
solution that they won’t outgrow, one that can handle not just public records
but other types of requests including subpoenas, legal holds, claims,
complaints, and interagency.

 * Take a Systemic Approach
   Software solutions that integrate applications, workflows, and notifications
   into one system increases ease of use for staff and customers, as well as
   transparency. Such systems also make it easy for staff to search and respond
   to records requests.

 * Implement E-Signature Software
   Another impact of the reduction in in-person services during the pandemic has
   been the rise of e-signature software. As more residents expect a digital
   experience from government, software such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign are
   becoming critical. Integrating e-signature solutions also can relieve
   manually intensive processes for contracts and the cost of courier services.

 * Hold/File/Store Records Databases
   The days of Excel spreadsheets to track records requests are gone. Today,
   systems, such as GovQA, provide databases designed with the needs of public
   records requests in mind. They provide not only the ability to hold entity
   records but offer powerful e-discovery search. And when integrated with
   systems for agendas, minutes, or public meetings, (like those offered by
   Granicus govMeetings) this level of searchability becomes even more potent.

 * Redaction Capabilities
   Responding to FOIA requests is something that all organizations dealing with
   public records will face at some point. Having software that can quickly,
   accurately, and securely apply redactions to records is incredibly important.
   If this can be done within the tool rather than downloading, redacting, and
   uploading it makes the process faster and more secure.


RECORDS DISPOSITION

Just as with physical records, digital records require safe, secure, and
convenient periodic cleaning according to any organization’s defined retention
schedule. Keeping systems up to date with necessary documents makes responding
to records requests much easier, as records will not be full of unnecessary
documentation or include ROT information (Redundant, Outdated, or Trivial).

While companies such as Shred-It and Iron Mountain provide reliable physical
record destruction, the increase in digital records and requests leaves many
organizations creating piecemeal approaches that could create more hassle than
necessary.

This is one area where automated workflows save significant staff hours and, as
a result, money. Many software solutions allow rules related to cleanup to be
added to their workflows. Users can also schedule periodic drive cleanups
manually to make sure that they have the most control over what records are
destroyed and what information is retained in case of future records requests.


CLOUD APPLICATIONS VS. ON-PREM AND POINT SOLUTIONS

Cloud-based software (such as GovQA’s automated workflow management platform)
requires no on-site storage on an agency server and automatically runs updates
to make sure that all staff are using the most up-to-date software version.

On-prem solutions, however, must be installed either taking up desktop or server
space. And, unlike cloud-based software, on-prem solutions must be manually
updated, maintained, and patched when needed.

This puts more pressure on IT staff and resources to make sure that agencies
maintain inflexible old systems, which can lead to increased layers of
complexity and cost onto legacy technology that may be falling behind in
capabilities.

The COVID pandemic exposed many outdated processes when it came to government
services, including public records. From telecommuting communication challenges
to request backlogs due to inaccessible records, the weaknesses of on-prem
solutions could be seen in many agencies.


THE TIME IS NOW FOR DIGITAL EVOLUTION

Public records requests continue to be an important part of state and local
government administrative operations. The more modern and efficient an agency’s
software technology, the more time that organization can spend on their true
mission.

There has never been a better time for agencies to modernize public records
processes with a solution that provides flexibility, automates time-consuming
processes and offers long-term scalability in managing public records,
subpoenas, claims, complaints, and more.

Learn more!






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