As federal agencies face down a rapidly approaching deadline for managing records in electronic format by December 31, 2022, a reprieve may be in sight. In comments made at the 930GOV conference in August, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Chief Records Officer Laurence Brewer indicated that NARA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are in discussions to extend the deadline. Here’s what you need to know.
What deadlines are we talking about?
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-19-21, issued in 2019, requires federal agencies to “ensure that all Federal records are created, retained, and managed in electronic formats with appropriate metadata.” Specifically, agencies are expected to be managing all temporary records in electronic format and submitting all permanent records with appropriate metadata to NARA in electronic format by the end of this year.
Why are they considering an extension?
Many agencies are struggling to meet the deadline. In 2019, 97% of agencies expected to meet the M-19-21 target deadline for permanent records. In 2021, that number plummeted to 66%. Much of the delay comes down to Covid-19 and related issues. In a summary of 2021 Senior Agency Officials for Records Management (SAORM) submittals, NARA wrote, “Agencies indicated that there are delays in digitization projects and disposition of records, as access to hard copy records in offices and other storage spaces continued to be limited.”
How likely is an extension?
Brewer didn’t provide a lot of information, but his comments did seem to imply an extension is at least a serious possibility. NARA cannot issue an extension on its own, but he says they have entered discussions with OMB to do so. In fact, his phrasing implies that they’ve already moved on to trying to settle specific details.
What would a new deadline be?
There’s no answer to this question yet, and no indication when an answer might be forthcoming. Brewer said, “I can’t tell you what the new targets are going to be. It’s something that’s still in process.”
What should you do now?
Treat M-19-21 as though its current deadline is still the only deadline. Though the December 31 target date is only a few months away, even agencies who are behind schedule can still do a lot. As we wrote late last year, it’s only too late if you don’t get started now. There are several effective strategies agencies can use to start catching up.
What comes after meeting this deadline?
Implementing a digital government won’t end when the objectives outlined in M-19-21 are met. NARA is actively working with OMB to “to build out skillsets for records management and staff, so the next generation of managers and archivists are positioned for success.” Brewer indicated that NARA is actively working on producing new guidance to help agencies leverage advances in records management technology.
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