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Governance and Recordkeeping Around the World -
May 2009, vol. 2, no. 12
News
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General News
- Canada
- Countries (excluding the United States)
- United States
- Federal Government
- State Government
- Private Sector
Canada
Federal Government - Library and Archives Canada
Headline: Daniel J. Caron appointed new Librarian and Archivist of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada has announced the appointment of Daniel J. Caron as the new Librarian and Archivist of Canada replacing Ian E. Wilson.
Dr. Caron has been with Library and Archives Canada since its inception and is active in library and archives circles and in public administration.
Source:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/whats-new/013-396-e.html
Federal Government
Headline: Information commissioner: Access-to-information laws too weak
Calling it "an information-management crisis" Canada's information commissioner says existing access-to-information laws are too weak and lack measures that would compel the federal government to provide access to records the public has a right to see.
The Commissioner adds "There's a real need now to address what I think is a crisis that is holding access to information hostage, or access requesters victims of the fact that the government doesn't have a universal approach to the managing of its information or how to access it. In some cases, they don't even know what they have."
Source:
www.timescolonist.com/Business/Access+information+laws+weak+Watchdog
/1299170/story.html
Countries (excluding the United States)
Australia
Headline: Federal Court unveils e-Discovery rules
The Federal Court of Australia has issued new e-Discovery rules requiring all electronic documents and emails to be produced and exchanged electronically, preferably in their original formats.
The goal of these new rules is to improve efficiencies and help contain litigation costs. Organizations must meet strict obligations over the retention and handling of electronically stored information, and ensure its availability for court hearings.
Source:
www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25128873-15306,00.html
India
Headline: Government panel established for e-Governance
In order to address delay in the delivery of services and reduce red-tape, a high-level government panel has suggested implementing e-Governance and has produced a legal framework.
The panel chairman, M. Veerappa Moily, says that "the basic purpose of having e-governance is to achieve better delivery to citizens, ushering in transparency and accountability, empowering people through information, improved efficiency within governments and improved interface with business and industry."
Source:
www.zeenews.com/business/economy/2009-01-24/501438news.html
Pacific Region
Headline: Development of government recordkeeping toolkit website
Countries including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands participated in an archives workshop that is developing a government recordkeeping toolkit website for countries in the Pacific region.
The director of Australia's National Archives Adrian Cunningham says its government could learn how to improve its archiving system by adopting a technique used by Pacific countries and hopes its government will consider adopting a more straight forward recordkeeping strategy like the Solomon Islands, which in turn would cut its costs.
Source:
www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=45259
www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=45304
United Kingdom
#1
Headline: Government seeks tougher penalties for data loss
Under proposed new rules and legislation organizations could face fines for "deliberate or reckless loss of data," while government bodies could be subject to stricter oversight of their efforts to protect such data including ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act.
Source:
http://fcw.com/Articles/2008/12/01/UK-seeks-tougher-penalties-for-data-loss.aspx
#2
Headline: UK government may track communications on social networking sites
The UK government is considering mass surveillance and retention of all user communications on social-networking sites including Facebook.
Home Office Security Minister Vernon Coaker says that the European Union Data Retention Directive does not go far enough and as a result communications such as those on social networking sites and instant messaging could also be monitored.
Source:
http://notcorporatemedia.com/1606/uk-govt-may-track-all-facebook-traffic
www.neoseeker.com/news/10169-anti-terrorism-uk-govt-may-monitor-facebook-
myspace-ims/
United States
Federal Government
#1
Headline: New FOIA guidelines issued
Attorney General Eric Holder has issued comprehensive new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines that direct all executive branch departments and agencies to apply a presumption of openness when administering the FOIA.
The new guidelines, announced in a memo to heads of executive departments and agencies, build on the principles announced by President Obama on his first full day in office when he issued a presidential memorandum on the FOIA that called on agencies to "usher in a new era of open government."
Source:
http://historycoalition.org/2009/03/21/justice-department-issues-new-foia-
guidelines/
#2
Headline: Poor recordkeeping: How the US forgot to make Trident Missiles
Plans to refurbish Trident nuclear weapons have been delayed because the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) "lost knowledge" of how to make a hazardous material codenamed Fogbank.
A Government Accountability Office report states that "NNSA had lost knowledge of how to manufacture the material because it had kept few records of the process when the material was made in the 1980s, and almost all staff with expertise on production had retired or left the agency." In response, NNSA is making improvements to its management procedures.
Source:
www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2494129.0.0.php
#3
Headline: Use of social media tools assists government department
The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is using social media tools to communicate information in crisis situations.
For example, HHS's recall twitter feed has been used to quickly spread information about the nearly 4,000 products that have been recalled as a result of salmonella-tainted peanuts.
In addition, HHS set up a blog to centralize information on the recall and created a self-updating product recall widget for information providers and average citizens to embed on their own websites to inform readers on the latest recalls.
Source:
www.federaltimes.com/federal-times-blog/2009/03/31/nuts-about-social-media-
at-hhs/
State Government
North Carolina
Headline: Governor orders emails preserved
Governor Mike Easley has signed an executive order declaring that email messages are considered public records and therefore should be saved and that state officials buy a new archive system to preserve messages.
The order was in response to the recommendations of an advisory panel commissioned after it became clear some state employees had deleted email messages.
Source:
www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1364855.html
Private Sector
Headline: Facebook asks members for tips on governance
Facebook has asked their members for their input regarding the governing concepts and policies the social-networking site plans to draft and adopt.
This action has been prompted after a change to its terms of use in February ignited controversy over concerns the company was claiming perpetual ownership of all content that was ever loaded to the site.
