Records Management Capacity Assessment System (RMCAS).

The International Records Management Trust has demonstrated that there is currently little capacity or infrastructure in the developing world for managing government records as authentic evidence of policies, transactions, activities and entitlements. Records management itself will not halt corruption and bring about accountability, but it is an essential contributor to public sector integrity. The Records Management Capacity Assessment System (RMCAS) provides a means of assessing records management policies, procedures and resources against established international standards. It uses a diagnostic model, based on the records life cycle, to identify strengths, weaknesses and risk areas, and links with a database of training and capacity-building materials that can be used to plan improvements. Designed initially to measure records and information systems in the financial management, human resource management and legal and judicial areas, it can also be applied generically. The RMCAS software application will shortly be available, free of charge, through the Internet or in CD-ROM format. RMCAS can be applied flexibly to take account of variations in size of institutions and the administrative contexts in which they operate, as well as developmental and national aspirations. It can be applied to both paper and digital records and assesses the relationship between paper and electronic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]