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Information and records management systems and the impact of information
culture on the management of public information
Svärd, P.
Publication date
2014
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
Svärd, P. (2014). Information and records management systems and the impact of
information culture on the management of public information.
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APPENDIX 3
Interview Guide – Study Three
The purpose of this interview guide is to elicit responses regarding Enterprise Content Management (ECM) as a new information management construct and long-term preservation of information. The questions are directed at archivists, web editors, IT-managers, and system-co-ordinators. The data that will be collected will enable me to answer some of my research questions and hence contribute to a better understanding of the challenges of digital information management and to establish whether ECM factors can mitigate these challenges. The interview will be 45 minutes long and upon consent of the participant, it will be recorded. The interviews will only be used for research purposes.
1.0 The management of structured and unstructured information
Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is defined as the technologies used to capture, manage, store, preserve and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization’s unstructured information, wherever that information exists,” (Macmillan and Huff, 2009:4). (ECM) is now being used in the private sector to manage both structured and unstructured information.
1.1 Have you heard about ECM before?
1.2 If yes, can you kindly explain to me what your understanding of ECM is? 1.3 Do you think that the municipality is using an ECM approach to its information management? If yes, how has it been implemented? If no, are there plans for its implementation?
2.0 ECM is closely linked to business process analysis and enterprise architecture (Macmillan and Huff, 2009, Butler Group, 2003). In order to identify relevant information, the processes that generate the records need to be identified and this is also emphasized by the Technical Report on Work Process Analysis for Records ISO/TR 26122 (2008).
2.1 Do you know if the municipality has an Enterprise Architecture? 2.2 Have you ever undertaken information architecture?
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2.4 Has the municipality undertaken business process analysis?
2.5 How were you involved in business process analysis as a means of identifying where records are created across the whole organization?
2.6 If so, what processes were identified?
2.7 How were the personnel involved in the process mapping exercise?
2.8 What information and recordswere identified based on the process mapping exercise?
2.9 Was the unstructured information identified as important for the management of the municipal activities?
3.0 Organizational Changes
3.1 What organizational changes has the municipality undergone in order to meet with the current demands of high quality service delivery through the effective management of information?
3.2 How have the changes affected the archives?
3.3. How is the function of the archive supported by top-management?
3.4 Have you been involved in change management? If yes, how was it carried out and what did it involve?
3.5 How did you perceive it and how do you think the municipality managed it?
4.0 Information Overload
4.1 Do you in your role as archivist experience an information overload? 4.2 If yes, how has information overload affected the archives?
4.3 Email management and social media are posing challenges to established rules of information management. In what ways are you helping your municipality to deal with this problem?
4.4 How aware are personnel of the obligation to manage email correspondence and social media?
4.5 How are emails captured into the archives?
5.0 Effective Information Management aims to elevate efficiency, enable organizations to meet with compliance and to deliver quality services. These are some of the reasons behind an ECM initiative.
5.1 What is your understanding of effective information management?
5.2 What are the rules and regulations that govern the management of information in the municipality?
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5.3 To what extent does the municipality comply with the rules and regulations that govern the management of public information?
5.4 What are the measures that you undertake as an archivist to ensure compliance?
5.5 What measures has the archives section undertaken to guarantee information security?
5.6 Are the personnel aware of these security measures?
5.7 Are the personnel aware of the legal framework governing public records?
6.0 Long-term Preservation of Information
The management of digital information requires long-term strategies if it is to be made available over time. The capture of both structured and unstructured digital information will pose challenges of dealing with the different formats.
6.1 What is your understanding of the challenges of long-term preservation of information in the systems the municipality uses?
6.2 What is your understanding of long-term preservation of information in systems outside the archival unit? Do you as an archivist know anything or are you consulted about long-term preservation of records and information in business systems like the personnel and finance systems?
6.3 Are the challenges of managing digital information over time discussed before the acquisition of the information systems?
6.4 How has the implementation of the Case and Document handling system affected the archives?
6.5 What are the problems posed by stand-alone systems and how has your unit dealt with the challenges?
6.6 What policies are in place regarding the long-term preservation of information?
6.7 Is the expertise of the municipal archivist consulted to ensure that plans are instituted to manage information over time before the information systems become obsolete?
7.0 Storage repositories responsible for preserving electronic records for a long time face two major challenges: the limited useful life of digital storage media and constantly changing digital technology (Dollar 2000:45).
7.1 What measures has the municipality undertaken to deal with the problem of limited life time of digital storage media and the constantly changing digital technology?
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7.2 What challenges does the possession of many systems per unit pose to the long-term preservation of information? What steps is the municipality taking to deal with the problem?
(2010.11.01)
Interview Coding for Study Three:
Table of Participant Codes
Participant Code Municipality Role
E1 A Project Manager E2 B Officer E3 A Officer E4 B Officer E5 A Administrative Manager E6 A Officer E7 B Officer E8 B IT Manager E9 A Officer E10 A IT Manager E11 B Officer E12 B Officer E13 B Officer E14 A Officer E15 A Officer
