King County Executive Girmay Zahilay has proclaimed April as Records and Information Management Month. This month-long observance promotes record keeping best practices, provides awareness of the records management profession, and highlights the benefits of proper records and information management on our daily operations.

Rapid technological changes have transformed how King County conducts business, creating both challenges and opportunities for managing records and ensuring records remain accessible for as long as needed to support county business and comply with the law. King County employees create and receive thousands of records every day that are necessary for the delivery of essential county services and programs. As public servants, each of us has a duty to properly manage these records.

The proper management of records and information lowers risks for King County and helps each of us find the information needed to do our jobs. It directly aligns with the “Better Government” pillar of Executive Zahilay’s 4Bs framework. It also supports various other countywide initiatives and values such as Lean/Continuous Improvement, Equity and Racial and Social Justice, and a commitment to transparency.

What you can do 

There are many ways that all employees can contribute to good records management:

• Take online Basic Records Management training (15 minutes)
• File inactive electronic records to Content Manager
• Delete transitory records
• Organize/sort records in Outlook or OneDrive
• Review your agency’s records retention schedule
• Review your agency’s standard work documentation (Standard Operating Procedures / SOPs) to ensure that records management steps are captured.

For more information, reach out to the County Records and Information Management Program (CRIMP) for more information on how to manage county records and information.