record management - association county commissioners of georgia :
TRANSCRIPT
R E C O R D M A N A G E M E N T
THE STATE OF GEORGIA’S COUNTIESAssociation County Commissioners of Georgia50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1000Atlanta, Georgia 30303404-522-5022 • Fax 404-525-2477www.accg.org
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INTRODUCTION
Counties have historically been charged with managing many important records that impact the daily lives and well-being of its citizens. Whether property records, leans on property, tax records, voter information, or records of birth, marriage and death they are all important to the individual and the county. The management of these records is a critical function of county government. Preserving these documents is an awesome responsibility in that without proper care, the history of the county and its citizens can be lost, misplaced or damaged. In order to carry out the task of managing its records, counties must be able to create and maintain an efficient record management system to identify, locate, and preserve its records.
A good record management system is also vital in order to provide customer service. The ability to create and maintain such a system depends on the ability of the staff person assigned to maintain the records, which is why training is so integral to this process. It is the responsibility of the county to respond to inquiries regarding county records. Whether these inquiries come in the form of an open records request or from a student working on a county history project, the county must be able to locate the record in question in an efficient manner and be able to give instructions on how to handle that document. Maintaining county records can also allow staff to be more productive by reducing the time it takes to find records and will allow for smoother transitions when new employees are hired.
In August 2006, the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board (GHRAB) awarded a grant to the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) to survey 159 counties for the purpose of determining the status of record management within our counties. We were very pleased to receive responses from all 159 counties. The results of the survey are compiled within this report and show the areas where counties are excelling and where they need assistance. Through the continued partnership of GHRAB and ACCG, we hope to provide increased awareness of the importance of record management and provide access to the tools necessary to improve record management practices within our counties.
Jerry R. Griffin David CarmichaelExecutive Director DirectorAssociation County Commissioners Georgia Archivesof Georgia
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OffICERSThomas J. McMichael
ACCG PresidentHouston County Commissioner
Virginia Burton GrayACCG 1st Vice President
Clayton County Commissioner
Jan B. TankersleyACCG 2nd Vice President
Bulloch County Commissioner
Lamar ParisACCG 3rd Vice President
Union County Sole Commissioner
BOaRD Of MaNagERSGlenda M. Battle
Decatur County Commissioner
Mike BergDawson County Chairman
Bobby BlizzardBaldwin County Commissioner
Clarence BrownBartow County Sole Commissioner
Paul C. BryanJefferson County Administrator
Billy CrokerPolk County Chairman
Melvin DavisOconee County Chairman
Heidi DavisonAthens-Clarke County Mayor
James M. DixonBurke County Chairman
Eugene DyalBacon County Chairman
Walter G. ElliottLowndes County Attorney
Burrell EllisDeKalb County Commissioner
Richard English, Jr.Troup County Commissioner
Pam GibsonWare County Clerk
Stephen W. GoochLumpkin County Chairman
John GrahamWarren County Chairman
James V. HamMonroe County Commissioner
Benjamin HaywardMitchell County Chairman
James KhouryPeach County Chairman
Charles LingleDougherty County Commissioner
John D. McIverLiberty County Chairman
D.M. MullisLaurens County Commissioner
O.D. NetterBen Hill County Commissioner
Sam OlensCobb County Chairman
Clinton PerryTaylor County Chairman
Walter SandersGreene County Commissioner
Jerry N. ShearinPaulding County Chairman
Helen StoneChatham County Commissioner
John StricklandClinch County Chairman
Aaron VarnerNewton County Chairman
H. Jay Walker, IIIHouston County Commissioner
ExECUTIvE DIRECTORJerry R. Griffin
ACCG Executive Director
association County Commissioners of georgiaBoard of Managers
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georgia Historical Records advisory Board
Mr. Ross King, GHRAB Chairman Association County Commissioners of Georgia
Dr. Thomas R. Dirksen, GHRAB Vice Chairman Augusta Genealogical Society, Inc.
Mr. R. Lee Kinnamon Americus-Sumter Performance Learning Center
Ms. Kaye Lanning Minchew
Troup County Archives
Ms. Rebecca H. Amerson Woodstock High School
Dr. Catherine Oglesby Valdosta State University
Mr. Rodney M. Cook, Jr.
The National Monuments Foundation, Inc.
Ms. Sheryl B. Vogt The University of Georgia Libraries
Dr. Toby Graham
Digital Library of Georgia
Dr. Jamil S. Zainaldin Georgia Humanities Council
Mr. Paul S. Goggin THINK Interactive
Secretary of StateKaren Handel
State archivistDavid Carmicheal
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ......................................................................................... 5Methodology ................................................................................................... 6Issues of Interest .............................................................................................. 7Findings ............................................................................................................ 7
General County Information....................................................................... 7Record Retention Schedules and Management ........................................ 10Record Creation and Requests .................................................................. 11Record Storage ........................................................................................... 11Record Security .......................................................................................... 14County Comments and Recommendations ............................................. 16
Implications and Recommendations ............................................................ 17Acknowledgements ....................................................................................... 19APPENDIX A ................................................................................................. 20
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Executive SummaryThe Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) received a grant from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board (GHRAB) for the purpose of collecting information on the status of record management within Georgia counties. A survey was created, with feedback provided by Georgia Archives, and distributed to the county clerk of each county for completion. ACCG received responses from all 159 of Georgia’s counties. Achieving a 100% survey response rate is very rare. ACCG commends all the county employees and officials that took time and made the effort to complete the survey.
Funding for proper record management is a critical need for counties. Of the survey respondents, the survey results concluded that ninety-seven counties (63%) did not have a budget for their archives program and ninety-two counties (62%) indicated their funding was inadequate. Only twenty-one of responding counties (14%) believed their archives program budget was sufficient. One possible explanation for the minimal funding stems from the lack of available education opportunities for County Commissioners on the importance of record management. Overall only fifteen counties (9%) claimed to have met the statutory requirements in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-99, record management programs for
local governments and O.C.G.A. § 36-9-5, erection, repair, and furnishings of
county buildings; storage of county documents. The first statutory requirement, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-99, requires each county to approve by resolution or ordinance a record management plan that includes record security and maintenance provisions, a retention schedule, and a designated record retention officer. The second statutory requirement, O.C.G.A. § 36-9-5, requires the fire marshal in each county to inspect the storage area for county documents. Although these statistics are concerning on their face, it may reflect a lack of knowledge as to whether the county has complied with the statutory requirements due to staff turnover and newly elected officials, rather than refusal by the county to comply with the law.
Sixty-six counties (42%) have a designated record retention officer. Of those officers, nineteen (29%) are dedicated to record management on a full-time basis. The balance of designated record retention officers that are not committed to record management full-time have job duties that vary widely. Thirty-four (66%) of the designated record officers are either the county clerk or deputy/assistant clerk. The remaining thirteen (19%) have various job titles such as County Commissioner, Information Technology
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Director, Personnel Director, Executive Assistant or Secretary. It is evident from these statistics that county employees charged with the responsibility of record management often lack the time and personnel to devote to this task. Aside from the difference in responsibilities of record maintenance personnel, the survey also indicated that there was a wide range of knowledge, skill level, and education as well.
Two consistent themes were prevalent throughout the survey: 1) the lack of funding to run and maintain a stable ongoing record management program and 2) the lack of knowledge as to the type of assistance that Georgia Archives can provide to counties. Of the responding counties, 112 (73%) are aware that Georgia Archives can provide assistance to counties, however only thirty-eight (25%) have contacted Georgia Archives within the past year and eighty-three counties (54%) said their county has never contacted Georgia Archives to their knowledge. While Georgia Archives provides storage for certain types of county records, very few counties are taking advantage of this service. Of the responding counties only ten (7%) responded that they stored their historical records (records that predate 1878) with Georgia Archives, fifteen (11%) store security or magnetic media, and eighteen counties (12%) responded to storing back-up records with Georgia Archives.
Although the funding aspect is an area that needs to be addressed more specifically at the local level, ACCG and Georgia Archives should consider working together in order to ensure that counties are fully aware of all the available technical assistance and financial resources for record management.
Based on the results of the survey ACCG offers the following recommendations to improve record management:
Create a best practices publication on record management to be sent 1. to the clerk or record retention officer of each county. Develop an ongoing relationship between ACCG and Georgia 2. Archives in an effort to disseminate information on grants, training and services offered through Georgia Archives.Implement training on record management into the ACCG County 3. Commissioners Training Program.
MethodologyACCG developed a survey with assistance from Georgia Archives. State and Local Government Services Manager Amelia Winstead and Circuit
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Rider Archivist Dr. Randall S. Gooden provided comments and suggestions to ACCG based on their experience working with counties on record management issues.
In order to expedite the data collection and result analysis process, ACCG elected to use Zoomerang, an on-line survey tool. The survey was sent electronically and by mail to the County Clerk of each county. The Clerks were asked to complete the survey or forward it to the most appropriate person within the county, such as the designated record retention officer, for completion. Surveys were completed on-line, by fax, by mail or through a phone interview. Respondents that submitted their survey prior to January 12, 2007 were eligible for one of seven grants given by ACCG from the GHRAB grant proceeds for record management purposes.
Data was collected from December 5, 2006 through March 15, 2007 on-line by self entry of the respondent or entered by ACCG staff if a survey was submitted by fax, mail, or through a phone interview. Data is believed to be true and accurate to the best knowledge of the county staff person that completed the survey. For purpose of the report, ACCG reviewed both the raw results for occurrences to each question as well as filtered responses and cross tabulated reports.
Issues of InterestWhen first creating the survey, certain issues of interest were identified, which include:
Where are counties with regard to record management requirements •
in the law?What is the current state of county record management• ?What needs do counties have with regards to their records• ?How can Georgia Archives and ACCG better assist counties with •
record management?
findings
general County InformationFor survey purposes, county populations were divided into four categories: 0-11,999; 12,000-24,999; 25,000-74,999 and 75,000+. The data collected from the survey has been cross tabulated where appropriate with these population groups to establish trends and will be used throughout the report. Although surveys were received from all 159 counties, not every county answered every question. To that end, the percentages that are presented
throughout the report reflect the percentage of the questions answered.
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Of the responding counties, ninety-seven (63%) did not have a budget for their county’s archives program. The survey illustrated that thirty-six counties in the 0-11,999 population group did not have an archive budget; thirty-four counties in the 12,000-24,999 population group did not have an archive budget; twenty-one counties in the 25,000-74,999 did not have an archive budget and most concerning, six counties from the 75,000+ population group did not have an archive budget as shown in Figure 1.
figure 1
Of the responding counties fifty-six (37%) have a budget for their county’s archives program, of those thirty-two counties (57%) have less than $25,000. The survey results furthered showed that those counties represent all population categories with the highest incidence being in the 12,000-24,999 population range. Even more unsettling is the fact that seven counties with a population over 75,000 people only have an archive budget of $25,000 or less as shown in Figure 2.
figure 2
An overall view of counties with an archives program budget is shown in the following chart in Figure 3. Thirty-two counties (57%) have less than $25,000, seven counties (12.5%) have between $25,000-$49,000, seven
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counties (12.5%) have between $50,000-$99,000, five counties (9%) have $100,000-$200,000 and five counties (9%) have more than $200,000.
figure 3
Sixty-eight counties (43%) have adopted a resolution or ordinance approving a record management plan. As previously discussed, the lack of adoption of a resolution or ordinance may be linked to the lack of institutional knowledge assigned to the position due to high staff turnover and newly elected officials, rather than lack of compliance. Furthering the confusion on this point is the lack of training on the necessity of approving a record management plan. Therefore, it is possible that more counties have adopted a resolution or ordinance but that no one within the current staff is aware of its existence.
Ninety-three counties (58%) do not have a designated record retention officer. Sixty-six counties (42%) have a designated record retention officer. Of those officers, nineteen (29%) are dedicated to record management on a full-time basis. The balance of designated record retention officers that are not committed to record management full-time have job duties that vary widely. Thirty-four (66%) of the designated record officers are either the county clerk or deputy/assistant clerk. The remaining thirteen (19%) have various job titles such as County Commissioner, Information Technology Director, Personnel Director, Executive Assistant or Secretary. With county clerks often being designated as the record manager, it is important to note that thirty-six respondents have attended the County Clerks Certification training program for record training.
There is evidence to show that clerks who have attended record training have improved record management systems within their county. These staff people represent all sizes of county government. Of the Record
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Retention Officers that have attended the clerks training, ninety-four percent are the counties designated record retention officer. Of the counties represented with this trained staff, seventy-five percent have adopted a resolution or ordinance, sixty-four percent have a record retention policy, sixty-one percent use digital imaging technology, and sixty-nine percent destroy records that no longer need to be retained at a minimum, on an annual basis. There is however concern that even though these staff members have the appropriate training, sixty-five percent of them still have no annual budget for archives and seventy-one percent believe their budget funding is inadequate.
An abundance of counties do not have periodic training for personnel. Of the responding twelve percent of counties that provide training, the majority of the respondents (8) came from the 75,000+ population range, with the other three population groups having eleven respondents among them. Figure 4 below signifies a possible correlation with the population size of a county and the incidence of periodic training for personnel.
figure 4
Record Retention Schedules and ManagementOf the responding counties, 110 (71%) can identify the records they have and 112 (73%) can identify their location (73%) however, only sixty-three counties (40%) have a record retention policy. One major issue identified is the lack of knowledge of what constitutes a “vital record.” In the ever increasing world of technology, electronic mail (e-mail) has often times been left as an afterthought. Realizing that any correspondence in this matter is also subject to open records request, an appropriate
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schedule for e-mails is certainly a point to be considered. A total of 114 counties (75%) in Georgia do not have a separate schedule/management system for e-mail. This statistic was particularly concerning in that more and more correspondence is being conducted via e-mail. Additional training in this area is a must so that counties will learn to treat these records on the same level as they treat written communications.
Record Creation and RequestsOf the responding counties, 124 (80%) have a request policy in place for records and 143 (97%) indicated that they accept written requests. With the improvements in technology, there is a trend of accepting various forms of requests for records. A total of 103 counties (70%) indicated that they receive request through e-mail and fax and forty-three counties (29%) specified that they also receive requests through the county website. The use of website requests is clearly correlated with the size of the county. There are only five counties within the lowest population category that accept this form of request.
Record StorageCounties retain many types of records at varying levels of frequency. Of the responding counties, 154 (100%) specified that the records they retained most frequently include paper, 143 counties (93%) indicated that they retained maps, and ninety-nine counties (64%) claim to retain electronic records. The survey results indicated that counties are least likely to store video, film, and audio records. Fifty-nine counties (38%) responded that they stored video, with seventy-two counties (47%) indicating that they stored film, and eighty-eight (57%) specifying that they stored audio records.
Of the responding counties, 145 (91%) have updated their software within the past five years. Of those that have not, they are typically in the process of updating or expect to update in the coming year. Although counties are very active in updating their software, of the responding counties ninety-four (64%) do not use record maintenance computer software.
There is a direct correlation with the counties that do not use digital imagery (scanning) technology and their population size. Of the smallest population group, fifteen counties use this technology whereas twenty-eight do not. The trend of smaller population counties not using digital imagery could be attributed to the high cost of software.
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Over one-third of small population counties are however using digital imagery. At the other extreme in the counties with the largest population, almost all of the twenty-eight counties in this category use digital imagery. See Figure Five.
figure 5
There is a clear need for counties with regard to record storage, specifically physical space. Of the responding counties, thirty-eight (25%) have a record retention center and fourteen of those counties indicated that they do not have adequate space for their storage needs. Ninety-six of all counties that responded (64%) say they currently do not have adequate storage space. When asked about the environment of the documents stored, fifty-seven of the responding counties indicated that they have stabilized temperature, forty-four have stabilized humidity levels for paper between forty and fifty percent and twenty-five have stabilized humidity levels for microfilm between twenty and thirty percent. Of the responding counties, 100 (67%) keep their documents out of ultraviolet light.
Of the responding counties, twenty (13%) reported they were utilizing the storage services of Georgia Archives for all or some of their records that predate 1878. All records that predate 1878 are considered to be historic in nature, regardless of the content. There however is a concern that forty-six counties (30%) cannot identify where those records are located and thirty-eight counties (25%) do not have records that predate 1878. It is possible that more counties are storing these types of records with Georgia
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Archives, but again due to turnover of elected officials and staff, no one presently in the county may be aware. Counties that may not be aware they have records stored with Georgia Archives must make a request in order to receive a current list of records stored within their facilities. Georgia Archives is not authorized to contact the county or provide a list of records being stored on their behalf without first being contacted by that county. There is a need to provide information that it is the responsibility of the county to make the request in order to determine where their records are stored.
Of the responding counties, sixty-nine (45%) discard or destroy records on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis. Having a set schedule will facilitate storage space availability. Fifty counties (33%) were unsure as to when records are destroyed, whereas the balance of thirty-three counties (22%) reported that they are destroying as needed, or on a different type of regular schedule such as a two, five, or seven year plan. One county only addresses the destruction of their records when “the basement is full” and there is no other place to store. Counties sited the need for staffing, time, and funding in order to destroy their records.
There is a definite need to clarify the importance of backing up records. Of the responding counties, 112 (81%) back up their electronic records on a monthly schedule if not a daily schedule. A total of 104 counties (77%) either do not back up their paper records or considered the question not applicable to them.
When asked the locations they store their backup records, counties indicated that their records are being stored in a variety of places. A total of 105 counties (73%) responded that their records are stored at the courthouse, ninety counties (62%) store their records with off-site storage, 18 counties (12%) store their records with Georgia Archives, 1 county (1%) stores its records with another county, and twenty-six counties (18%) store records in “other” locations. Counties selecting “other” as a location of their backups cited fire proof vaults, different departments in the county, at their record retention center, and at banks for their backup records. Please keep in mind that this question allowed counties to select “all that apply.” Therefore, a county may have backup records stored in each of these areas. See Figure Six.
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figure 6
Only fifteen of the responding counties (11%) store security or magnetic media at the security backup vault housed at Georgia Archives. Twenty-seven counties (20%) were not aware this was an option.
Maps and inventories documenting the location of records and backups are being utilized by thirty-three counties (22%). This information is kept in various locations including off-site storage within the county, the courthouse, Georgia Archives, electronically, within the county administrative building and in the commissioner’s office.
Record SecurityPursuant to O.C.G.A. §36-9-5, the local fire marshal is charged with monitoring record storage within the county offices. Of the responding counties, forty-six (33%) state their fire marshal inspects the conditions of storage areas either on an annual or semiannual basis.
Maintaining a safe environment for county records is important for their preservation. The survey results showed that 130 (88%) of the responding counties account for their building keys and 119 (78%) have locks on windows. Only twenty counties (13%) have alarms on windows and doors where records are stored. As to the conditions in which responding counties records are stored, ninety-seven counties (65%) indicated that their records are not stored near windows, 108 (72%) do not store records beneath plumbing and 83 counties (55%) store records at least four inches off of the floor.
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Backup Records Stored
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In response to the survey question regarding loss of records, sixty-three of the responding counties (40%) indicated that the highest incidence of occurrences to records resulted from loss or misplacement, with twenty–three counties (14%) listing flood damage, and eighteen (11%) citing unauthorized/accidental destruction. The lowest occurring incidences included wind/tornado damage with one county (1%), hacking or phishing with one county (1%), and two (1.3%) with vandalism. Within the context of this question counties were asked to select “all that apply”, therefore, a county may have had multiple categories selected. The top five categories are shown on Figure 7.
figure 7
A total of 156 counties (98%) indicated they have up-to-date insurance policies with ninety-one counties (76%) covering acts of God, eighty-eight (73%) with recovery, 104 (87%) with replacement, and sixty-six (55%) with flood. Additionally, 139 (90%) respondents have a disaster preparedness plan.
A total of 107 counties (67%) restrict access to certain types of records, these typically being personnel, medical records, payroll, and court documents.
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Top 5 Reasons for Loss of Records
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County Comments and RecommendationsThe final section within the survey gave counties an opportunity to provide open ended feedback on their needs, what programs are successful within their county, and to also provide ways they believe Georgia Archives and ACCG can assist them. A brief summary of each question is provided below, with the complete listing of open ended comments provided within the appendix. (Beginning on Page 20).
Counties indicated that their greatest needs, in priority order, were funding, additional storage space, and inventory and record keeping software. Aside from these areas of need, additional staff, time to deal with records, and additional training were also mentioned.
Counties were asked what procedures or software they used that they felt would be beneficial for other counties. Many counties indicated they did not have any procedures or software that would be beneficial or were not proud of the way their records were managed. Of counties that provided ideas they included software and electronic methods such as Laserfiche for minutes and scanning of documents, the creation of an in-house electronic records management system, using Microsoft Office Access to create a database for retention schedules and tracking inventory, and the use of Zasio Versatile Enterprise software. With the high cost of software for records management some of the grass roots efforts such as a database created in Microsoft Office Access could be very beneficial to counties that have little or no budget for archives. This sharing of information between counties could help to raise the level of record management throughout the state and specifically assist smaller counties. Additionally counties offered their plans for implementing disaster preparedness, a ten year strategic plan, and their records policy manual as something that could be beneficial to other counties.
Counties felt ACCG could be of assistance by educating elected and appointed officials on the importance of record management and a best practices guide. Counties also indicated a need for ACCG to help them learn about archive funding opportunities for counties, training, the circuit rider program, and on-site inspections. These programs are offered by Georgia Archives and the information for these opportunities can be disseminated through ACCG to its members.
When asked how Georgia Archives could be of assistance, counties indicated a need for additional information on the services that they offer
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and better communication and advertisements of those available services. Additionally, counties indicated a need for one-on-one assistance, such as assistance in designing a joint county/city record storage facility, or with record retention schedules. Once again counties indicated a need for funding from Georgia Archives and specifically requested financial assistance information, assistance with the training of elected officials, and the development of an archives database software program for their use.
Implications and RecommendationsTwo consistent themes were prevalent throughout the survey. The majority of counties do not have the funding that they need to run and maintain a stable ongoing record management program. The funding needed could possibly come through the education of a county’s elected officials on the importance of record management. However, educating an elected official will only provide some of the missing funds. In counties that are financially limited, grants are a necessary source of funding. ACCG was proud to be able to assist seven counties by allotting part of the grant proceeds received from GHRAB for this survey to counties with record management needs. The second theme is the need to expose counties to the many resources that Georgia Archives can provide. This mission can be accomplished through the continued partnership of ACCG and Georgia Archives to “get the word out” to counties on the many record management opportunities available.
Based on the survey results, ACCG offers the following recommendations in order to improve record management:
First, with the balance of ACCG’s grant funds as noted above, create a best practices publication to be sent to the county record manager/clerk of each county. The guide would include the following:
Specific reference to the law and what is required•
Sample Ordinance and Resolution•
Record Management Plan•
Retention Schedule•
Compact Disc of sample database programs used in counties •
(Microsoft Office Access) which would be easy for a county without electronic record management to useCopy of the survey report•
Case study samples that counties could provide to assist their peers•
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Second, develop an ongoing relationship between ACCG and Georgia Archives to partner in keeping counties updated on record management. This ongoing relationship will allow for the proper dissemination of information to the appropriate persons within the counties for training, grant funds, as well as the availability of services provided by Georgia Archives to assist counties. This can be accomplished in several ways:
ACCG to provide contact information for each county’s clerk as •
needed.Use of the ACCG list serves for disseminating information to key •
county staff regarding meetings, grant funds, etc. Clerks List Serveo
County Manager/Administrator List Serveo
Attorney’s List Serve o
ACCG E-Newsletter (County Line)o
ACCG Website (www.accg.org)o
ACCG Magazine ( Georgia County Government)o
ACCG and Georgia Archives have already begun to work together •
in this fashion sending out communications regarding the Circuit Rider Archivist Program.
Third, in an effort to address the need of County Commissioners and appointed officials to be educated on the importance of records management, the ACCG Training Committee should consider adding basic information within two existing classes of the County Commissioners Training program where there is a natural fit with the current course material. It is important that commissioners, although they are not the person maintaining these records, understand what is required by law and understand the importance of good record management practices in order to appropriately support their record management staff person in their job duties. This recommendation, if implemented, will give commissioners a brief top line discussion that addresses what they as county elected officials need to know. For each course described below, presentations regarding record management would take 15-30 minutes within the course.
In the required curriculum course “County Government Law/Personal Liability,” the Open Records/Open Meetings law is discussed. Effective record management certainly plays a role when a county is subject to an open records request. A discussion of what is required by law for record management would certainly fit with this discussion. Within the advanced certification elective course “Technology Solutions for County
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Government” training on Public Records Technology, will allow county commissioners to understand the importance of having an up-to-date tracking and management system for record management as well as the options available to them within the realm of technology.
acknowledgementsThe Association County Commissioners of Georgia would like to acknowledge the staff that made this project possible -- Heather Ould, Survey Administrator, and Michele NeSmith, Research Director. Thanks should also be given to the ACCG 2007 spring policy interns, Matt Garrett and Bernice Butler, for their assistance with collecting survey information and Ross King, Deputy Director, for his assistance with editing the report and supplying much needed guidance throughout the duration of the project. Additionally, ACCG would like to thank Georgia Archives and GHRAB for the opportunity to complete this project as well as their support in using a portion of the grant funds to provide assistance to seven Georgia Counties with their record management needs. Those counties receiving grant assistance from this project include Jackson, Jones, Coweta, Georgetown-Quitman, Brooks, Effingham and Walker County. Most importantly, we would like to thank the county staff throughout Georgia that took the time to participate, without their assistance it would not be possible to have 100% participation by all counties in the state.
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appendix a
ACCG is very proud of the 100% response rate by our counties to the Record Management Survey. Although surveys were received from all 159 counties, not every county answered every question. To that end, the percentages that are presented within this appendix reflect the percentage of the questions answered.
Survey Results - actual questions as noted in survey
ACCG Historical and Vital Records Survey
gENERaL COUNTY INfORMaTION
1. Please select your county. 2. Please select the population group that most closely represents your county’s current population. 0-11,999 45 28% 12,000-24,999 48 30% 25,000-74,999 37 23% 75,000 and above 29 18% Total 159 100% 3. What is your annual budget for your County’s archives program?
No funding for archives in our local government 97 63% Less than $25,000 32 21% $25,000-$49,999 7 5% $50,000-$99,999 7 5% $100,000-$200,000 5 3%
More than $200,000 5 3% Total 153 100%
4. Do you think the funding level for your archives program is adequate? Yes 21 14% No 92 62% I don’t know 20 14% Other, please specify 15 10% Total 148 100%
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5. Does your county have an up-to-date insurance policy? Yes 156 98%
No 3 2% Total 159 100% 6. Please select all areas that are covered under your insurance policy.
(Please select all that apply) Acts of God 91 76% Recovery 88 73% Replacement 104 87% Flood 66 55% 7. Does your county have a disaster preparedness plan?
Yes 139 90% No 16 10% Total 155 100% 8. Has your county by resolution or ordinance approved a record man-
agement plan? Yes 68 43% No 91 57% Total 159 100% 9. Does your county have a designated record retention officer? (If you
answered “no”, please skip to question 14, if “yes” please proceed to the next question)
Yes 66 42% No 93 58% Total 159 100% 10. Please provide their contact information. If no, please skip this question. 159 Responses
11. Is that person dedicated to record management on a full time basis?
Yes 19 22% No 50 58% Not Applicable 17 20% Total 86 100%
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12. Has that person attended record training at the Municipal and County Clerks Certification Training Program? (If you answered “no”, please proceed to the next question, if “yes” or “not applicable” please skip to question 14)
Yes 36 43% No 31 37% Not Applicable 17 20% Total 84 100% 13. If not, why have they not attended this training program?
Unaware the training existed. 8 25% Lack of funds to pay for training. 1 3% Training too far away. 2 6% Other, please specify 21 66% Total 32 100%
14. Does your county have periodic training in record management and recovery for your personnel?
Yes 19 12% No 138 88% Total 157 100% 15. Are you aware that the Georgia Archives can provide assistance to
counties in the form of retention schedules, record management advice, instructions for transferring records to the Archives or the State Records Center, training opportunities, emergency assistance, and grant
opportunities? Yes 112 73% No 42 27% Total 154 100% 16. When was the last time you contacted or requested assistance from
Georgia Archives? Within 3 months 12 8% Within 6 months 7 5% Within the past year 19 12% Within the past 5 years 32 21% Never to my knowledge 83 54% Total 153 100%
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RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULES aND MaNagEMENT 17. Does your county have a comprehensive record retention policy?
Yes 63 40% No 96 60% Total 159 100% 18. Can you easily identify the types of records you have?
Yes 110 71% No 44 29% Total 154 100% 19. Can you easily identify the location of your records?
Yes 112 73% No 41 27% Total 153 100% 20. What do you consider to be vital records?
117 Responses
21. Does your schedule/management system for email differ from the record management system for your other records? Yes 15 10%
No 23 15% Do not have a schedule/ management system for e-mail. 114 75% Total 152 100% 22. How often does your local fire marshal inspect conditions of storage
areas containing property records or wills? Semiannually 10 7%
Annually 36 26% Infrequently 41 29% Never 54 38% Total 141 100%
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23. Please select “1” for “YES”, “2” for “NO” or “N/A” for the following question regarding how your records are stored.
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom
% is percent of the total respondents selecting the option. YES NO N/A Records stored at least 4 inches 83 62 5 off of the floor on shelving 55% 41% 3% Records stored near windows 46 97 7 31% 65% 5% Records stored beneath or 34 108 7 near plumbing 23% 72% 5% 24. Please select all forms of records that your county retains. (Please select all that apply)
Paper 154 100% Video 59 38% Photograph 94 61% Maps 143 93% Film 72 47% Electronic 99 64% Audio 88 57% RECORD CREaTION aND REQUESTS
25. Does your county restrict access to any of your records? (If you
ansered “yes” please proceed to question 26, if “no” please skip to question 27).
Yes 107 67% No 52 33% Total 159 100% 26. If so, what type of records are restricted?
104 Responses
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27. Does your county have a request policy for records in your county? Yes 124 80%
No 31 20% Total 155 100% 28. Please select all applicable formats that are accepted for these requests. (Please select all that apply) Verbal Request 84 57% E-mail 103 70% Internet Request 43 29% Fax 103 70% Written Request 143 97% Other, please specify 5 3%
RECORD STORagE
29. When was the last time your county upgraded their computer hardware or software?
Within the past year 63 40% 1-2 years 41 26% Within the past 5 years 37 23% Other, please specify 18 11% Total 159 100% 30. When was the last time your county upgraded its record maintenance computer software?
Within the past year 24 16% 1-2 Years 14 10% Within 5 years 14 10% County does not use computer or software for records maintenance. 94 64%
Total 146 100% 31. Does your county use digital imagery (scanning) technology?
Yes 88 58% No 65 42% Total 153 100%
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32. Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability re-garding what your county currently has. (Select “1” for “Yes” and “2” for “No”)
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option.
YES NO A record retention center 38 112 25% 75% Adequate space for record storage 55 96 at this time 36% 64% 33. Please select “1” for “YES”, “2” for “NO” or “N/A” for the questions
below regarding the environment in which your documents are stored.
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option.
YES NO N/A Temperature stabilized between 57 82 9 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit 39% 55% 6% Kept out of ultraviolet light 100 42 7 (Direct sunlight or unshielded 67% 28% 5% fluorescent light) Humidity Level stabilized between 44 87 16 40-50% for paper 30% 59% 11% Humidity Level stabilized between 25 72 50 20-30% for microfilm 17% 49% 34% 34. Where are your county’s records stored that predate 1878?
Within the County 44 29% Georgia Archives 10 7% I don’t know 46 30% We do not have records that
predate 1878 38 25% Other, please specify 14 9% Total 152 100%
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35. How often does your county discard/destroy records that no longer need to be retained? Monthly 5 3%
Quarterly 5 3% Annually 59 39% Not Sure 50 33% Other, please specify 33 22% Total 152 100% 36. Please select how often do you back up the following types of records.
Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option.
Monthly Quarterly Annually Less than Don’t N/A
1/year back upComputer 112 2 3 3 9 10 81% 1% 2% 2% 6% 7%Paper 19 2 9 0 66 38 14% 1% 7% 0% 49% 28%
37. Please select all locations that your county stores its backup records. (If you store backup records “with another county” please answer
question 38 otherwise skip to question 39) Courthouse 105 73%
Off site storage area 90 62% Georgia Archives 18 12% With another county 1 1% Other, please specify 26 18% 38. If you store backup records with another county, please select all infor-
mation about that county that applies. County is at least 500 feet
above sea level 1 50% County has similar record
keeping practices 1 50% The county is a neighboring
county 0 0%
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39. Do you keep any security or magnetic media at the security backup vault housed at Georgia Archives?
Yes 15 11% No 95 69% I wasn’t aware this option
was available 27 20% Total 137 100%
40. Does you county maintain a map or inventory documenting the location
of records and backups? Yes 33 22% No 119 78% Total 152 100%
41. If so, where is the map or inventory kept? (Please select all that apply)
Off Site Storage within the county 15 36%
Another county 0 0% Within the Courthouse 16 38% Georgia Archives 2 5% Other, please specify 19 45%
RECORDS SECURITY
42. To your knowledge, has your county had any of the following occurrence with regards to its records? (Please select all that apply) Loss or Misplacement 63 40% Unauthorized Access 6 4% Unauthorized/Accidental
Destruction or Disposal 18 11% Erasure or Deletion 10 6% Theft 8 5% Hacking or Phishing of
Electronic Records 1 1% Vandalism 2 1% Flood Damage 23 14% Fire Damage 16 10% Wind/Tornado Damage 1 1% Other, please specify 77 48%
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43. Are all keys to the building where the records are stored or kept accounted for?
Yes 130 88% No 18 12% Total 148 100% 44. Are there locks on all windows and doors where the records are stored or kept?
Yes 119 78% No 15 10% I don’t know 15 10% Other, please specify 3 2% Total 152 100% 45. Are there alarms on all windows and doors where the records are stored or kept?
Yes 20 13% No 117 77% I don’t know 8 5% Other, please specify 7 5% Total 152 100% COUNTY COMMENTS aND RECOMMENDaTIONS
46. What is the greatest need within your county in regards to record management and storage?
159 Responses
47. What procedures or software does your county use that you feel would be beneficial for other counties?
72 Responses
48. In what areas can ACCG assist counties in regards to record management and storage?
89 Responses
49. What additional assistance can Georgia Archives offer to counties in regards to record management and storage?
67 Responses
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Question 46: What is the greatest need within your county in regards to record management and storage?
The information contained within pages 30-36, represent the individual answers that ACCG received from the county survey participants. Technical nonsubstan-tive changes and corrections were made by ACCG staff for the purpose of correcting, formatting, spelling, grammar and syntax as necessary.
1. Better system.
2. “Best Practices” retention schedule for adoption by Board and scanning records into the computer for backup.
3. Policies and procedures for proper record management and resources to implement these policies and procedures.
4. Funding and a full time person to oversee compliance of the records and reciprocate out of state.
5. A building and microfilm records.
6. A building in which to store and maintain records that is temperature and humidity controlled, then an individual to maintain records.
7. A central location for storage and retention and numbering of records.
8. A document storage area and computer software for records management.
9. A larger and more properly equipped facility. Records center is in the old County jail building. It serves, but it not the best solution.
10. A record storage facility and staff to document and maintain the records.
11. A records management software program and additional space and training.
12. A records retention storage and organizational plan.
13. A renewal management/storage system implemented.
14. A uniform manner used by all county government departments.
15. Additional space.
16. Adequate space for record storage.
17. Adequate storage and the funding to hire a records management person.
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18. Adequate storage areas and a need for digitization of records.
19. Adequate storage space and software for records retention.
20. Adoption of records management policy and retention schedule.
21. An archive building to create a central location for county records.
22. At better organized system of storage.
23. Awareness training and funding to make the necessary changes.
24. Total restructure of the system.
25. Central records under one person.
26. Need more room for records storage.
27. Climate controlled space.
28. No formal system of record management exists. Records are main-tained by each county office individually.
29. Just purchased a building for record retention. We will be refurbishing it, so right now our greatest need would be shelving, microfilm equip-ment, scanning equipment, personnel and training.
30. Creating a retention storage area.
31. Creating an inventory of all records and their location.
32. Determining age of records to be maintained and space.
33. Developing a records plan and temperature controlled storage space.
34. Development of retention plan.
35. Document imaging.
36. Education and money for education.
37. Education and funding.
38. Education, funding, and facility.
39. Educational classes for all departments to help them realize the im-portance of records and information management. A good software program that will help with the records inventory.
40. Establishing a records retention management center in our county.
41. Everything.
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42. Need to purge records and destroy records according to time limits stated in Georgia Archives retention schedule for local governments. County also needs proper storage bins in some areas in order to have good access to records.
43. For all county officials to understand the importance of good records management practices.
44. Full time records personnel.
45. Full time records retention manager and a more organized storage facility.
46. Funding and space.
47. Funds.
48. Getting the records room established and maintained so that records can be easily accessible to locate and retrieve.
49. Greater storage space as courthouse.
50. Having an organized schedule of retention and education for all depart-ments needs.
51. I would like to have electronic storage.
52. Inventory of all records, consistent schedule for destruction across departments, proper storage area.
53. Knowing what to keep and what to throw away.
54. Management training and storage space.
55. Microfilm backup files.
56. Migration to computer disk and more storage.
57. Money for personnel and a building for storage.
58. Money for storage and personnel management.
59. More shelving space.
60. More Space.
61. More space.
62. More space and computerized inventory records.
63. More space for storage.
64. More space in a few years.
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65. More space.
66. More staff and an up-to-date consolidated records management facility. Staff training in archival restoration and preservation.
67. More storage area, a more organized method of record retention.
68. More storage space.
69. More storage space.
70. More storage space .
71. More updated methods. Create digital copies of information.
72. County currently does not have a record management program. It would be nice to receive any information on this process.
73. Need a climate control area beside the vault for all county records.
74. Need a manageable, efficient system.
75. Need for better understanding of records management and its importance (at all levels).
76. Need more storage space.
77. New building under construction, records will be moved and organized after occupancy.
78. New software.
79. None at the present, although additional personnel will be needed at some point in the future.
80. Organization.
81. Organization.
82. Organization.
83. Organization, proper containers to store, climate control.
84. Per our grand jury, adequate space is the greatest need.
85. Physical space and personnel.
86. Policies and one person in charge of record management.
87. Policy, space, updated equipment, photocopying abilities.
88. Proper storage.
89. Proper storage area.
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90. Proper storage, now records are being stored in a storage bin.
91. Record retention schedule and micro-filming.
92. Records center to store records.
93. Re-evaluate the records program and what it needs to do to meet changing records maintenance requirements.
94. Revenue.
95. Security.
96. Software, education, space, change of mindset.
97. Space.
98. Space.
99. Space.
100. Space.
101. Space.
102. Space.
103. Space.
104. Space.
105. Space - Building needed with correct temp/humidity controls/comput-erized system of listing content of boxes, and staff to maintain and de-stroy according to the adopted resolution. We have recently adopted the state’s retention schedule.
106. Space and documentation.
107. Space and money.
108. Space and obtaining computer services capable of storing records long term.
109. Space and staff.
110. Space and training.
111. Space and training.
112. Space has increasingly become an issue as the volume, particularly for court records, has grown. Because the county does not have a cen-tralized records center, we manage four records rooms, two without sprinklers, although one of those is fire resistant.
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113. Space.
114. Space.
115. Space, comprehensive plan and money.
116. Staff to handle.
117. Staffing and transportation.
118. Storage.
119. Storage building with climate control.
120. Storage space.
121. Storage space.
122. Storage space and money.
123. Storage space and upgrading of our records management system to manage digital and paper records.
124. Storage and training.
125. The greatest need is space which can be accomplished by archiving the older records.
126. The Historic Records Restoration Project that is underway by volun-teers is the greatest need. There is no funding for this project and the room that the project is taking place is in a file room that has been loaned out for a year by the Superior Court.
127. Time; we just don’t have enough time and manpower to store and manage the records properly.
128. Time and climate controlled county facility.
129. Time and money.
130. Time to deal with the records.
131. Time to do it and space.
132. To create records management.
133. To get up to date regarding email and electronic data storage. To have imaging capability for all paper documents.
134. To have an environmentally secure area to store records.
135. To help us set up a records management program and funding to do so.
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136. To provide prompt access to our records so that we can accommodate the citizens or county officials who request records.
137. Upgrade and be consecutive.
138. We are in need of more storage space.
139. We are in the process of building a new archives building.
140. We need a Records Retention Facility with the goal to house all records in one location.
141. We need a single place to store our records and software to track it.
142. We need to have an emergency program in place if we have a disaster and we need to have our records filed by date and inventoried.
143. We need to have our records codified. Storage and space is a real problem.
144. Within our County there is not enough space, time, funding, or per-sonnel (available) to have a record retention center; each department keeps their own records.
It is the mission of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia to enhance the role, stature and responsiveness of county government in Georgia. Since the counties are the level of government closest to the people and serve all the people of the state, ACCG will promote the ability of Georgia counties to provide public services responsibly, efficiently, and cost effectively through cooperative legislative action, education of public officials, provision of quality member services and technical assistance, and increasing public awareness of critical local government issues.