Sometimes, public trust looks like a ruler held against the pillars of FOIA, Records Management, and Privacy.

At first glance, the image is simple. But its meaning is powerful.

It reminds us that trust is not an abstract concept. It can be measured, evaluated, and strengthened through the way government agencies manage information.

In today’s era of digital transparency, information governance is no longer just a backend administrative function. It is a central mechanism through which agencies earn, maintain, and demonstrate public trust.

The Pillars of Public Trust

Public trust in government is built on three foundational pillars.

FOIA: The Commitment to Openness

• FOIA reflects the government’s obligation to transparency. It ensures the public has access to information that allows them to understand how decisions are made and how institutions operate.
• When FOIA programs function effectively, they demonstrate that government is accountable to the people it serves.

Records Management: The Backbone of Accountability

• Records management ensures that information is created, preserved, and governed properly across its lifecycle.
• Without strong records management, transparency cannot exist. Agencies must know what information they have, where it resides, and how it can be retrieved.
• Effective records practices ensure continuity, reliability, and defensible access to government information.

Privacy: The Protection of Individual Rights

• Privacy programs safeguard personal information and protect individuals from the misuse or exposure of sensitive data.
• Privacy ensures that transparency does not come at the expense of dignity, fairness, or democratic values.

The Architecture of Trust

When FOIA, records management, and privacy programs work together, they form the architecture of trust.

Each pillar strengthens the others:

• Transparency must be supported by accessible and well-governed records.
• Records must be protected by privacy and ethical data practices.
• Privacy protections must coexist with responsible transparency.

When these functions align strategically, they create systems that are resilient, credible, and capable of sustaining civic confidence.

Measuring Trust Through Governance

Trust cannot remain an abstract ideal. It must be measurable.

That is why I am developing the Transparency Trust Index™, a framework designed to help agencies visualize and benchmark how effectively their information governance practices build public trust.

The goal is to provide agencies with a way to evaluate how well they are performing across key governance pillars such as:

• Transparency and FOIA performance
• Records management maturity
• Privacy and data protection safeguards
• Cross-program collaboration and governance integration

By measuring these indicators, agencies can move from assumptions about trust to evidence-based insights.

Moving Beyond Silos

For too long, FOIA, records management, and privacy programs have been treated as separate operational functions.

But when these programs remain siloed, agencies miss the opportunity to strengthen governance and improve public confidence.

It is time to rethink that model.

Instead of treating these disciplines as independent programs, agencies should view them as interconnected components of a broader information governance strategy.

Because when government begins to measure what truly matters, it can begin to strengthen what matters most.

Public trust.

Related reading: More insights from Dr. Moya Hill | Explore the Unified Information Governance Model