Introduction

Welcome to my Weblog. This site is dedicated to my thoughts, views and understanding on anything that touches upon records management, archives management as well as information management in Malaysia. I believe in becoming a 'functional and meaningful' information professional, the term I refer to as person who can function in many ways possible for the betterment of this discipline. Interested parties, may reproduce or quote materials published with the condition that they are credited to alwiyunus.blogspot.com Comments must be accompanied by names or pseudonyms. Anonymous postings and those containing profanities and obscenities will be rejected. http://adf.ly/8Y1UN

Sunday, September 14, 2014

All are related to policies, standard operating procedure/practices and records keeping practices.........

Dear all...

Like it or not, the issue indicates strong concern over the records keeping practices.

The leak is either related to or due to improper record keeping practices.....by virtue of lack in proper policies, standard operating procedures and other records related malpractices....

Damage has been done, the impact is greater, thousands of students are affected by this emotionally, physically.......time and resources are wasted! Organization in charged of it, faces public scrutiny and reputation is damaged by just only this case! 

Blaming each other for this is not going to solve the problem. Hence, please stop blaming each other, instead of it, moving forward is the best policy as such finding concrete solutions to avoid the recurrence of it is the best thing to happen.

As a matter of fact, human factor is the biggest culprit for this issue, thus, the solutions must address the human factor combined with proper standard operating procedure and record keeping practices that keep the highest concern for possible future leak. 

Indeed....It is an interesting issue to be discussed from records management point of view!

What say you??

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Dalam_Negeri/20140912/dn_32/Kertas-UPSR-bocor-Tiga-dipanggil-beri-keterangan



                     


              



Friday, September 5, 2014

The nerve of Records Management

Dear all...


Our body system is interconnected with internal nervous system. It is the nerve that makes our body system works. It functions is greater to the whole body otherwise our body becomes numb and dysfunctional. The same goes to records management. According to Theodore R. Schellenberg the father and earliest theorist in records management, the function and relationship of records management is like a living organism. It is interconnected and inter related to each other.

What is the nerve of records management?

This is not totally subjective but classification and filing system is to me the nerve of records management. You can have everything on earth with regard to records management but if the filing and classification is malfunctioned, you have nothing at all! All system in records management are broken down. Records are there but in a mess, people are confused, daily operations are hampered with inefficiency of records keeping. It is there but it is nowhere. Works will be delayed, accountability and efficiency of organizational operation are jeopardized. Why?? Just because the classification and filing system is not in order.

Why it is not in order?

People take things for granted when it comes to filing and classification system. Naming conventions are not given proper and due attention. Subject classification is not properly in place. Function and subject of operations are not synchronized hence leaving huge gap in records keeping. The internal nervous system of records management is not properly operational therefore records management as a whole is not functioning. You have the records but the records could not be found, everywhere and anywhere. You know it is there but you could not find it. More time is taken to refer or to take a records or to keep a records, more manpower is needed to manage the existing records. Your records is everywhere and nowhere now. Just imagine if this thing happen in your organization. How are you going to work and make deliverable if the "nerve system" broke down.



When the nerve of the system fails to operate in utmost manner, the whole system collapse and breaks down!

Take care your filing and classification system, then the record keeping system will be fully operational efficiently and economically! 

Reference:

nerve: one of the groups of fibres in your body that carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body, communicating pain, pressure, feelings of heat and cold etc

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Embracing records management is not easy

Just another view to ponder with.......

The theme of my discussion is "embracing records management is not easy". Indeed, its look simple but it ain't easy. It is even harder when you are alone, me myself alone and we 'the records professionals' are all do thing 'in silo'. 

Someone just take up records management as his or her focus of study, never come across about it before and slowly climbing up the uphill tasks of understanding the term 'records' and 'records management'. So much so in the case of Malaysia and its education. It is not that the education system is not right, it is not that no focus is given during the primary and secondary years of education. It is just that......some missing links here and there. The awareness is not given properly and thus appreciation is not developed for records and archive. 

History was learnt, studied and explored but to the extend that it is mere 'spoon feed' approach. Students were not exposed to exploration and researching, and such initiatives were rare. Only many years back when the education policies were changed and things started to change there on. Awareness and realization set to pour in. 

Can one just imagine that, someone who is having background in geology or mathematics or whatever specialization, educated in different background and later is given task to run and manage records department. What a worse thing could happen?? 

In other instance, can one just imagine that, in situation where the sole purpose of existence for newly set up company or organization is to make it run, move it and capitalize on every possible chance in order to make it grow, making and reaping profit as much as possible in order to sustain; during which time does records management is a major concern?? 

Suddenly, when establishment has been achieved, organizations be it private or public organization begin to realize the importance and critical role of records management. More so when the public organization was inherited from the British administrations (in the case of Malaysia), there are some standing policies, rules and procedures governing records. Such is a blissful things to happen, with limitation on the manpower and expertise who knows about records management and professionals who can really understand and manage records and run records management program in organization. Government agency like Arkib Negara Malaysia (National Archive of Malaysia) has stand still and strong from the very beginning of Malaysia in keeping up historical and long standing Malaysia records materials. Such pivotal role of Arkib Negara of Malaysia must be recognized and appreciated. 



In the case of private organization, logic and reasons becomes a benchmark for records management. Best practices from other organizations are emulated and absorbed prior to the setting up of the company. Such is the normal case of private organizations in Malaysia. (this require in depth discussions, this statement is written for the purpose of putting some views which is not conclusive, some data are needed to compensate it). 

Each and every single organization has its own records management policies, standards and practices, implemented, derived and inherited from???....such practices is continued for many years until........one fine day, a young man comes in to work for the organization. After several years of study and graduated from local or international university. Having trained and specialized in records management,  the young man comes to work with full of energy, motivation and commitment when suddenly he realizes that whatever he LEARNS is not what being PRACTICED! He tries many ways and many times to make some improvement but the situation keep on the same. 

A 'VICIOUS CIRCLE' and long standing WORK CULTURE  are difficult to amend. The young man faces a very uphill tasks to make CHANGE. He is alone, and to some extent he is considered as too ambitious by his colleagues, he lost pride and respect and the middle and top management does not even take a look or listen to him. More so his immediate superior who keeps on telling him to proceed with the existing practices. He now realizes that embracing records management is not that easy!

What happen then??........YOU FIGURE IT OUT!!




Friday, July 25, 2014

Professional Records Management Training Course

Dear all, 
Records management is a hot topic in organisations where compliance with law and regulations is a key corporate governance issue. Thus, good records management is essential for meeting these demands.Sound policy, clear standards and effective processes are all aspects of first-class records management programmes that MARMS unique training team can help you deliver.

Malaysia Records Management Society (MARMS) in collaboration with AI Associates will held a Professional Records Management Training 2014 on Creation of Records. The training will be held at Shah Alam, Selangor (venue will be determined later), on August 25 to August 26, 2014. 

Objective

This training will expose participants with professional records management and develop understanding of effective and efficient records management and document management skills. The training shall enhance knowledge of records management practices and document controls operation and impart professional skills in managing and handling records and document in organization. By the end of the training course, participant shall understand the concept and practicality of records management and apply this in the organization.

Who should attend

This training course will suit  private and government sectors, administrators, executives, managers and officer with records and non-records management background. Designed for people who require an understanding of both why and how records management is done to support organization efficiency and effectiveness, everyone is invited to submit your participation details. 


Training Details is as follows:

Fee

RM 1700 per person, include modules, food and refreshment, accommodation, certificates and access to guides materials.


Speaker


  1. YM Prof. Dato’ Dr . Raja Abdullah  Raja Yaacob (Info)
  2. Dr. Rusnah Johare (Info)

You can download the training brochure here:

Payment must been made before 11 August 2014 in cash or cheque payable to:
AI ASSOCIATES, ACCOUNT: 
CIMB : 8600-5815-45
Once payment has been made, please send a payment slip by fax to 03-60384886 or scan and email to ai.associates@yahoo.com. Please note that all participation registration and payment submissions must be made by at least before August 11, 2014. All participation details must be submitted to marms.malaysia@gmail.com.
If you have any inquiries, you can contact 011 32131740(HP) or just drop an email to marms.malaysia@gmail.com.

"When an agency or an organization or a person does not do control process of records and salvaging the only available space and storage to keep records, when we don't decide and do appraise records that we need to determine which one is to be kept for how long and which is to be disposed of IMMEDIATELY and AFTER SOMETIME, then we would be having problem of not enough space to keep our works, our documentary, our records and our valuable evidence of transactions......"

Monday, March 24, 2014

Dealing with ERM software@system!

Dear all,

When implementing electronic records management system in organization, a lot of things need to be considered. Whenever the records system is in place, the SOP is ready, the staffs are aware of and fully understand the operational and purpose of records system, the last thing to do is to use proper e-records management system. It is the platform by which transactions and the  keeping of evidence are kept in th sytem using e-rms software.


The questions arise here;

What type of e-records software can be used?


What requirement need to be fulfilled first by the system@software before 
purchase?


How do the software works? What it can do and what it cannot do?


Does the software manage e-records according to proper records keeping system?


Does the software follows standard and requirement as well as fulfills legal and policy requirement of an agency?

These are among the factors that records professionals need to check and verify before PURCHASING any on shelf e-records system or self claimed records management sofware! More often than not, the use of the erms system and the purchase of any of it is based on self proclaimed vendor's promotion and claims! These are wrong basis for making decision to purchase and use any erms software. Another flop is that, does the organization do have records professional or the experts in ERMS to do the checking on the software or it just relies on its the so called IT experts to do it, thinking that its IT experts know everything? 
ERMS software is not similar like any other software for use in an agency! The bottom line is that, agency@organization need to ensure the evidentiary records are kept properly, the transactions are recorded accordingly, while authetic and reliable e-records are maintained throughout its existence. What people in IT department or purchasing or administrative department normally do not realize is that, they tend to make decision to use and purchase erms system from totally wrong basis and get themselves misinformed and mislead by vendor's claims of their product@erms system. 


No checking is made on the technical an operational requirement as well as records management requirement and standard are made at all. At the end the multi million ringgit of e-records system purchased is if no use at all when it comes to authentic permanent evidential value if records and transactions! What a waste investment!

Think about it!


Sent from my iPhone

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Malaysia Records Management Society

Dear all.....

This is to announce and inform the Alma Mater of Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Puncak Perdana that we now have the Malaysia Records Management Society......

Thank Allah for His blessing that the Malaysia Records Management Society or MARMS have been duly approved by the Malaysia Registrar of Society bearing registration no NSID-015-03122013 (temporary no), date of registration is 3rd of December 2013.


In short, this MARMS is our platform to networking, strengthening records and archive management discipline, establishing career development of archivists and records professionals, developing research and development in records and archive, conducting peer group sharing session, generating market employability of records professionals, certification and training body, knowledge growth activities and many others.

I call upon all of you to become part of this new and growing organization and let us spur the potentials of records management in Malaysia.

 Together, let us do it.......