Appraisal is the practice of promoting the efficiency of records management by discerning the records which are to be preserved because of their values and meanings. With the aim to find the practical implication of the function Appraisal method based...
Appraisal is the practice of promoting the efficiency of records management by discerning the records which are to be preserved because of their values and meanings. With the aim to find the practical implication of the function Appraisal method based on business analysis, this study discusses paradigm change in the production and management of records in the electronic environment, and examines the changes in the evaluative practice of the electronic record which is separated from its original content, structure, and context. In records Appraisal in the paper environment, the structure and context, the essential elements that define the quality of a record, are represented on the material medium paper so that it is possible to confirm and decipher the material through the eyes and to evaluate it even after a long duration of time since the creation of the record.
However, in the electronic environment new problems have emerged such as the structural changes of organization, the massive production of records, the overlapping of values, and the need of database Appraisal. Furthermore, the traditional boundaries within records management has been blurred, so that now the electronic records are classified by logical boundaries which are separate from one another, being invisible to the users: as a result, the field of records management is undergoing a paradigm change. Such a new environment of records production requires the Appraisal based on the understanding of the context of a given record, which in turn necessitates a thorough preliminary investigation on business environment. The purpose of business analysis that this study proposes is to design a records management system that produces and obtains records in the process of business performance, while the records have been obtainable only after comprehending the entire business environment.
As a methodology, this study has analyzed the records management in ISO15489, the Appraisal program development guide proposed by ARMA International, and Skupsky's legal regulation method. Through these analyses, it has induced a function assessment method based on business analysis, and examined South Korea's Appraisal system based on the records management standards along with its limitations so as to propose its improvement plan. This study has conducted not only preliminary investigations such as the contextual analysis on the inner and outer environments of the S institutional organization, the legal regulatory environment, and the function of the organization, but also an analysis on practical businesses performed in the organization.
It has also delineated through process mapping the practices of official seal management, the public release of record, and the construction of important records database, while at the same time investigating on related regulations, produced records, and the interested parties. Moreover, this study has confirmed the efficiency of the legally administered methods by analyzing the currently imposed time-amount for records preservation, proposing the proper time-amount for records preservation through function assessment, and applying the methods to practical situation. The analysis through business process mapping has offered an insightful knowledge about records production in the initial phase, enabled us to understand the movement of records, and helped us to emphasize the processes in which records need to be obtained.
The results of this study suggests that the comprehension of overall business classification system, not a mere classificatory logic, should be mobilized in conjunction with records classification system, and that the cooperation between business managers and records managers should be reinforced. In addition, it proves to be important to understand and utilize the values regarding the responsibility of the business and legal explanations in accordance with the characteristics of the institution concerned. To do it, the records Appraisal through the analyses of the inner and outer environments of an organization and of business performance is to be promoted.