Without records management, FOIA wouldn’t exist…Yes, you have read that right!
FOIA is the promise of transparency. But records management is the infrastructure that makes that promise real. Let's break this down
Creation & Capture: Records management ensures government actions and decisions are documented. FOIA can’t compel disclosure of what was never recorded.
️ Organization & Preservation: Records management provides the structure—classification, retention schedules, metadata—that makes records retrievable. FOIA requests depend on this order.
- Access & Accountability: FOIA opens the door for the public, but records management ensures there’s something authentic and complete behind that door.
- ️ Legal Compliance: Records management enforces statutory requirements for retention and disposal. FOIA relies on those requirements to guarantee records exist when requested.
Transparency isn’t just about access—it’s about stewardship. FOIA is the right to know, but records management is the discipline that makes knowing possible.
Related reading: More insights from Dr. Moya Hill | Explore the Unified Information Governance Model
