Choosing the right archiving solution for your public sector agency

In Part 2 of our interview, Don DeLoach, former Chief Information Officer for City of Tallahassee and consultant to local government firms, gives us an inside look at what public sector organizations should look for in an automated archiving solution, and how to conquer obstacles that may arise when it comes to purchasing.

What are some important features to look for when comparing automated technology solutions?
There are a variety of automated archiving solutions on the market, but when compiling your list of must-haves, there are four key features that should be at the top.

Make sure the solution can archive and produce content fully threaded and in its original format. As I mentioned in Part 1: Lessons in Archiving for Public Sector Agencies, all records must be produced for review and look exactly as they did when they were shared. All messages must be fully intact and remain unaltered to avoid violating the Freedom of Information Act and local laws. Avoid archiving solutions that flatten communications into an email-like format, which removes the functionality of embedded links or images that may lead to other resources or pertinent information.

A robust search function is essential to responding to records requests in a timely manner, or performing e-discovery tasks. It should allow you to do basic searches, but also be equipped to handle wild-card and matching-word queries to widen the net and return all possible archived messages. You also want to retrieve answers quickly. You do not have hours or days to wait for the query to be resolved. Failure to respond in a timely manner can open your organization to various fines and sanctions, and a breakdown in trust between the agency and its public.

Look for a solution that can grow with you. Public agencies, the laws and regulations they abide and enforce, and the physical communities they serve are living, breathing things that change. To avoid purchasing multiple standalone solutions, look for one that can keep up with changes—including archiving new communication types such as social media and text messaging.

And though it might sound a little cliché, the solution you choose must be easy to use. It’s of the utmost importance that your solution reduces the time it takes to get from request to response, and unloads the burden from IT—or whomever is responsible for managing the process. A powerful search function and the ability to produce content in its original format is great, but if the technology itself is cumbersome or difficult to navigate, you may damage organizational buy-in, which can create additional obstacles for your agency.

What are some of the obstacles to securing an automated solution for a public sector organization?

The two greatest obstacles for public sector are the same as any other industry or sector: time and money. An automated solution reduces the number of people involved and the time it takes to respond to record requests or e-discovery. Your IT unit is happy because the technology is a hosted environment and vendor solution, not an in-house issue that takes time to manage. Implementation will not upset the current workflow of the organization because it can be done in the background, rather than causing IT to work weekends or spend hours walking from desk to desk.

The number one obstacle is securing funding to purchase the technology. Government agencies don’t want to spend more money. It can look bad, depending on the agency or even the location. The solution has to be cost effective, and the best way to determine that is to perform a cost-benefit analysis. Compare the cost of your current workflow—including manual labor and processes—to the cost of the suggested technology. Purchasers are more likely to approve the spend if the technology costs less than the workflow, and you can make clear the greater impact on the agency and the public, such as saving taxpayer dollar by avoiding lawsuits, and providing higher levels of efficiency and service.

Upcoming: In Part 3 of the Smarsh interview with Don DeLoach, learn how establishing stakeholder roles and internal-use policies can help you respond to records requests.

Also, join Don DeLoach on October 5 at 10am PST / 1pm EST for Text Messaging & Public Record Management: Compliantly Use SMS in Your Department. This webinar covers what you need to know to embrace text message communications, mitigate risks, and properly archive SMS messages. Watch the On-Demand webinar here.

Don DeLoach has more than 32 years of state and local government involvement. Don was the Chief Information Systems Officer for the City of Tallahassee, and was responsible for all of the city’s technology needs. He is also a former president of the Florida Local Government Information Systems Association, and a former member of the board of directors for Public Technology Institute. Don was recognized in 2008 as a Premier 100 CIO by Computer World Magazine.