ARMA International, a not-for-profit professional association for managing records and information, published a set of Generally Acceptable Recordkeeping Principles® (GARP) that describes how business records should be maintained. It also provides a recordkeeping and information governance framework with associated metrics. The first sentence of each principle is stated below.
- Principle of Accountability: An organization shall assign a senior executive to appropriate individuals, adopt policies and processes to guide staff, and ensure program auditability.
- Principle of Integrity: An information governance program shall be constructed so the records and information generated or managed by or for the organization have a reasonable and suitable guarantee of authenticity and reliability.
- Principle of Protection: An information governance program shall be constructed to ensure a reasonable level of protection to information that is personal or that otherwise requires protection.
- Principle of Compliance: An information governance program shall be constructed to comply with applicable laws and other binding authorities, as well as the organization’s policies.
- Principle of Availability: An organization shall maintain its information in a manner that ensures timely, efficient, and accurate retrieval of its information.
- Principle of Retention: An organization shall retain its information for an appropriate time, taking into account all operational, legal, regulatory and fiscal requirements, and those of all relevant binding authorities.
- Principle of Disposition: An organization shall provide secure and appropriate disposition of information in accordance with its policies, and, applicable laws, regulations and other binding authorities.
- Principle of Transparency: An organization shall document its policies, processes and activities, including its information governance program, in a manner that is available to and understood by staff and appropriate interested parties.
