ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT OF VIETNAM ARCHIVES

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1 ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT OF VIETNAM ARCHIVES MA. Nguyen Thi Ha Deputy Director - Center for Science and Technology of Records Management and Archives (SRADV) Since the 1990s of the 20 th Century, Vietnam has speeded up the implementation of national policies regarding the application and development of Information Technology. Information Technology has been applied in almost all of socio-economical aspects and helped to increased productivity, quality and effectiveness. Rapid development of information technology has leaded to the formation of a new kind of document to record and transfer information and many other kinds of accompanying media to create, transfer, save and use that kind of document. The application and development of information technology in Vietnam initially gained fruitful results and created a foundation for management of electronic records in the future, which includes: Information infrastructure: a system of infrastructure for producing, transmitting, collecting, processing, saving and exchanging information has been developed with telecommunication network, internet network, computer network and database. The computerization of state management projects only have developed and upgraded more than 100 local computer networks in different scales in 61 administrative offices of provincial people s committees and 52 ministries and central agencies with more than 600 hosts and 10,000 servers. Especially, telecommunication network has been developed nationwide; computer network has been established not only to link computers within organizations but also link with other organizations and agencies. Software development: Apart from system software and special software, many common software for an agencies or for many organizations, such as accounting software, human resource management software, in-coming and out-going document management software, database management software have been developed, maintained and effectively used to support the managing or producing activities.

2 Human resource development: Being aware of the importance of human resource development, the government encouraged training centers in developing training scale and enhancing training quality. Up to now thousands of information technology staff have been trained to work in organizations nationwide. Besides the above-mentioned achievements, electronic record management has many issues needed to be solved in the coming time. 1. Electronic record management s situation Previously, electronic records management in Vietnam has been supported by many legal documents launched by government and related agencies, such as Electronic Transaction Law launched by the National Assembly on 29 November, This is the initial legal basis for legal activities concerning electronic records in electronic transaction. Then, Decree No. 64/2007/ND-CP on application of information technology in government agencies was launched by the Government on April 10, The State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam also launched document No. 139/VTLTNN- TTTH dated March 14, 2009 to provide guidance on management of incoming and out-going records and creating records in network environment. Among tasks assigned to the State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam in Decision No. 89/2009/QD-TTg, preservation of digital information is one of the most important one. In that spirit, Vietnam archives is step by step studying and learning experience to implement the task. Many organizations have developed software for record management and effectively implemented the application therefore helped to preserve a large number of electronic records created during their transaction. Many other organizations have fixed the management of electronic records in their working regulations and record management regulations. The survey results have showed that fifteen percent of organization has guiding document on electronic records management. However, there are not specific regulations for creating files, collecting, preserving and accessing to electronic records in organizations. In addition, storage medium is also a matter. Organizations use different kind of storage media for electronic records. According to a survey, twenty six percent of organizations save most of their electronic records in server s hardware, which belongs to the management of Informatics Department. Twenty percent 2

3 of organizations preserve their electronic documents on both server s hardware managed by Informatics Center and CD, DVD or removable hardware managed by Archives division. The other thirty two percent keep their electronic documents in personal computers for easy access. Following is main issues in electronic records management in Vietnam: Firstly, the existence of both paper-based documents and electronic documents in records management Up to now, most of organizations are unable to computerize their records management as required. The computerization is limited in composing document, registering out-going documents (metadata and attached document), registering in-coming document (mainly metadata, not many organizations attach incoming document), , sending and receiving document, establishing database and accessing to information on Internet. Work is mainly processed through paper document. Although the volume of digital document is increased, it s still supporting while paper document is considered as official. A survey has been carried out and showed that seventy six percents of people participating in the survey usually use computer to draft document; twenty two other percents don t usually use computer. Seventy two percents of staff in government organizations draft documents on computer, then print out for leaders approval or comments; twenty other percents draft document and send it to leaders for further comments through word processing software and sixteen other percents use both two above mentioned methods for different types of document. This affects to the effectiveness of information technology application, requires twice investment for records management and affects to the quality and quantity of records being preserved in archives institutions. Up to now, there is no kind of document to prescribe and instruct the management of electronic records and the transferring/colleting electronic records from organizations to archives institutions. That is a big problem, a challenge of the Central archives. Secondly, issues relating the validity, integrity, authenticity, reliability and availability of electronic records Up to now, organizations have not officially used electronic signature and have not established a division exercising the function of verifying electronic 3

4 signature in exchanging and processing digital information. The Electronic Transaction Law has come into effect from 1 March, 2006 but up to now technical infrastructure and supporting services for verifying electronic signature in e-transaction among government organizations, government organizations with private organizations and citizens have not been implemented. Therefore, digital record has no legal value. It s impossible to ensure the validity and reliability of digital record to replace paper record in administrative transaction. Thirdly, issues on digitization of archival records Database in archives institutions is mainly metadata, or in another word information about records. Up to now, the digitization of archival records in national archives centers is as following: - First level information database: about 2 millions picture files have been digitized. - Second level information database: database on about 300 archives fonds have been established. Now, we are continuously implementing digitization of archival records for security preservation but this is only for rare and valuable records in poor physical condition. National archives centers still provide reference services on both original records and second level information database. Currently, there is a large number of archival records in National archives centers that has not been digitized. Digitization of those document can not be completed in a short time. It need to have a concrete plan and budget. Digitization of archival records is a necessary and time-consuming issue for archives institutions. 2. Solutions for electronic records management 2.1 Study to establish legal framework for e-records, e-archives and matters concerning e-archives - Prescribe validity and copyright of electronic records - Prescribe legal value of digital signature and technical standards applied on digital signature and digital signature verifying service - Prescribe duty of organizations in preserving and using electronic records. 4

5 2.2. Study to establish standards, professional procedures for e-archives and prepare human resource to meet requirements of preserving electronic records - Establish an electronic records management system with a suitable classification and retention schedule. - Establish standards and professional procedures on creating electronic files, naming electronic records, apprising electronic records, accessing or publicizing electronic records and disposing electronic records - Equip IT staff with archives knowledge and records managers with IT Knowledge Study to select format, develop software and select method and media for preservation of electronic records. - Selecting non-restricted formats for electronic records like PFD/A and XML is suitable for long term preservation. - Study to develop application software, such as software for electronic records management, management, website management, data and metadata management; apply same procedures for all organizations nationwide. - Select suitable method of preservation for suitable record s condition and accessing requirements Establish electronic record management program - Propose a national electronic records management policy with participation and close cooperation of archives institutions and government s information technology program. - Define important tasks in electronic record management; establish a concrete plan; define time, money and human resource needed to implement the plan. 5