Federal agencies are always watched closely to ensure they follow all the rules, and the complete list is often overwhelming. Every tiny detail is regulated, and failure to comply can have serious consequences. A new rule is in effect that dictates how you archive information and maintain electronic records. It´s called the M-19-21 directive, and it represents a significant change to previous document management and storage regulations.
What Is the M-19-21 Directive?
The National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) issued the directive on June 28, 2019, updating the previously existing directive, M-12-18. The point of this new directive is to move more government records to electronic storage and filing. The hope is that this will improve efficiency, accuracy, and storage space usage for all government agencies.
The specifics of the directive explain how filing should be done to maintain compliance. All federal records have to be created, managed, and kept in electronic format. Agencies are required to transfer paper records to a Federal Records Center or an approved commercial storage facility. They also have to designate a dedicated officer for records management.
Compliance has to be achieved by the end of 2022, and it will be an ongoing affair. That means newly created documents will have to continue in this new fashion. The directive doesn´t simply demand that you make digital copies of your records. It changes how you are allowed to store and manage them moving forward.
What to Know Before Converting Paper Documents to Electronic Records
The directive makes significant changes to previous document requirements. The biggest difference is the new deadline and the stipulation that permanent and temporary files have to be digitally stored. To keep up with the new rules, agencies will have to think carefully about some of the significant issues associated with this transition.
The first thing to understand is that paper and electronic files have to match up perfectly. Many agencies and offices will try to hybridize document management to make the transition a little easier. That makes perfect sense, but it could cause problems. If the electronic and paper files do not perfectly match each other, it will create accuracy issues and potentially harm compliance.
To maintain a high level of accuracy, agencies will have to invest time, money, and labor into the endeavor, which brings up the next significant consideration. This process requires an upfront investment. In addition to extra labor costs, you’re going to need appropriate hardware and software to get the job done. You also have to think about security and its associated costs. Work out a budget and once you know what you can spend, and look for affordable solutions that will help keep you compliant.
But, spending money won’t be enough. No matter how much automation you try to incorporate into your methods, digitizing everything is going to take time. There is no way around it. Intakeq, a group specializing in healthcare compliance, says that their average turnaround time for documenting active patient files is 12 months. If you are going to catch up to the new deadline, immediate action is necessary.
How Your Federal Agency Can Ensure Compliance By Transitioning to Electronic Records
Getting your electronic records to a compliant state is an enormous task, but you don’t have a choice. It has to be done by order of federal policy. That means you need a good strategy to meet the deadline. For that strategy, think carefully about these two things: automation and security.
Automation is an essential part of all of this. It can help you achieve the highest levels of accuracy, reliability, and speed. Automated digitization tools and services take a lot of the workload away from your internal office staff. Utilizing these tools saves time and helps to ensure you´re fully compliant with the new rules.
Security is the other vital consideration. Many of the records you must digitize include protected data. That means they will be subject to existing security and information protection regulations, making compliance that much more complicated. The only way your agency can trust that it is compliant on all fronts is to carefully audit and review current security protocols. With a professional review, you can list and execute every necessary change to get your security in line.
All of this points to an inevitable conclusion. Your agency could use a little help, and that professional help is available. We can audit your document management and review processes for accuracy, efficiency, and security.
Our team can go over all of your Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware government agency’s methods to ensure they are compliant and help you automate as much as reasonably possible. It’s all available, and it all starts when you contact IMR Digital, a KDI Office Technology company. Get in touch with us today!