Volume 8 Issue 2
For the Record
Zoological Registrars Association Newsletter
Summer 2015 • zooregistrars.org
The ZRA Vision and Mission
Mission
To enhance the value of zoos and aquariums through leadership, professional
development, standardization and service to its members
Vision
ZRA will inspire registrars to develop their careers to full potential by providing
opportunities for professional enrichment, growth and development
ZRA will provide training and continuing education opportunities to ensure registrars have
the skills to meet changing business needs
ZRA will provide leadership in the development and use of the highest standards
achievable in managing animal transactions and the records and information that support
them
ZRA will take a leadership role in animal transport, legislation and legal compliance
ZRA will continue to expand its network of professional partnerships within the zoo and
aquarium industry and with associations that provide related services
President’s Message
President’s Message
This year seems to have sped by and it is now time to once again meet
for the ZRA Annual Conference. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing
old friends and colleagues as well as meeting new members of ZRA. Our
Annual Conference is always an informative and motivating time and I am
sure this year will be no exception.
It has been a busy year for the Board of Directors as we persevered with less than a full
slate. We struggled sometimes to get the business of the Association done under these
conditions as it created challenges meeting quorum.
continue to page 2
Barbara Outerbridge, MBA, Vice-President/Acting President
Lynn McDuffie, Treasurer
Rae Lynn Haliday, MBA, CRM, Secretary & Newsletter Editor
Mary Noell, Director
Krista Adelhardt, CRM, Director
Rae Lynn Haliday, MBA, CRM, Secretary
& Newsletter Editor
For the Record
The incoming Board for 2015-2017 will face similar
challenges and it is becoming increasingly clear that
leadership succession is of paramount importance for the
future of ZRA. The current leadership has been investigating
several ways to address this problem and will share their
thoughts and efforts to date with the membership over the
duration of the conference – both in the form of the focus
of the Leadership Development Program as well as through
presentations and panel discussion.
The Annual Business meeting will bring with it the end of
my appointed term as Vice-President. I will have served my
maximum number of terms, and according to our current
Bylaws, will need to step off the Board for a five-year period.
My commitment to ZRA does not end however and I will
remain available to assist the incoming Board and Committee
Leadership as needed. I would encourage all eligible
ZRA members to involve themselves in the Association’s
leadership to ensure its longevity.
ZRA Board of Directors Leadership Report
The Board of Directors met by WebEx on 17 December
2014 to discuss, amongst other things, issues being faced
by the Membership Services Committee, transition of
website management and the ZRA Records and Information
Management (RIM) program. Beth Bahner, Chair of
Membership Services, joined the Board for the initial part
of the call to present some specific issues concerning
membership.
The January Board meeting was held by WebEx on 23 January
2015. Mary Noell, newly elected Director, was welcomed
to the Board. The majority of the meeting concerned the
planning and progress of the 2015 Annual Conference
and associated Leadership Development Program as well
as reviewing attendee feedback from the 2014 Annual
Conference.
The ZRA RIM Program, Annual Conference, website
management transition and For the Record Newsletter
progress were all on the agenda for the Board meeting held
on 27 February 2015. At that meeting the Board appointed
Kelly Brown as the Website Manager and Jennifer Page as the
Website Assistant Manager. With a view to mentoring and
succession planning the Board also agreed that the website
training also include Stephanie Eller who expressed an
interest in becoming involved with the website management
in the future.
The March Board meeting held on 20 March 2015 was
focused primarily on the 2015 Annual Conference with the
Board needing to approve several items related specifically to
that. In addition the Board reviewed and approved quotes
for website development designed to address some of the
challenges involved with membership renewal and improving
member experience with the website.
The ongoing business of the 2015 Annual Conference and
newsletter issue were discussed on 20 April 2015 in the April
Board meeting. New business included the upcoming 2015
election, updates on the Bylaws amendment process and
submissions and contributing to the 2015 AAZK Conference.
The Board also approved the expenditure of the Survey
Monkey annual membership fee to have the ability to use this
tool as needed for Association business.
The May meeting was held on 18 May 2015 and addressed
the revised timelines for the nomination and election process
for the 2015-2017 Board of Directors as well as discussing the
introduction of a confidentiality agreement for use within ZRA
leadership. Krista provided the Board with additional updates
with respect to the Annual Conference.
On 19 June 2015 the Board met and approved the official
notices for the opening of 2015 Election of Officers and
Directors. Rae updated the Board with respect to the RIM
policy and potential partnership with another organization
to hold the Association’s historical records. General
discussions were held regarding the current Bylaws, proposed
amendments and the need for a greater re-examination of the
Bylaws in their entirety.
The July Board meeting held on 17 July 2015 focused largely on
the imminent election and the need to address current gaps in
committee membership as a result of the nomination process.
The Board reviewed the various documents associated with
the RIM program as well as approving several conference
related announcements.
Adrienne Horrigan, newly-elected Secretary, joined the Board
for its August meeting held 17 August 2015 as part of the
training and orientation for this position. Krista provided the
Board with an update on the Annual Conference and the Board
approved related announcements. Several of the RIM Program
documents were also reviewed and approved. Rae updated
the Board on the status of the 2014 Financial Review.
The September Board meeting addressed the transition of
leadership that will take place at the Annual Business meeting.
The Board discussed recognition awards, committee vacancies
and the incoming Board. There were also additional RIM
documents reviewed and approved as well as updates on the
Annual Conference and the work of the Bylaws Committee.
The Board also appointed several members to the Ethics
Committee.
The 2014-2015 Board will meet a final time at the outset of the
Annual Conference. The Annual Business meeting will provide
for the passing of the torch to the incoming Board of Directors
which currently consists of:
ZRA Treasurer – Dana Duke (2015-2017)
ZRA Secretary – Adrienne Horrigan (2015-2017)
ZRA Director – Mary Noell (2014-2016)
ZRA Director – Aletha Kinser (2015-2017)
ZRA Director – Stephanie Eller (2015-2017)
Please join us in welcoming your incoming Board of Directors.
2
Summer 2015
For the Record
ZRA Records and Information Management
(RIM) Program
certification, I am able to give testimonial to how industry
specific organizations view the credential and the level at
which their members embrace the opportunity.
The Board of Directors is happy to announce the
implementation of the ZRA Records and Information
Management (RIM) Program. The following policies,
procedures and forms are now available for the Board and
committee leaders to use in managing ZRA records and
information:
This year, in my 7th year as an ICRM Board member, I
was able to attend the Nuclear Information & Records
Management Association (NIRMA) Annual Conference in
August. Currently, NIRMA is the one organization that holds
a Special Designation under the CRM umbrella. NIRMA
represents the practitioners that are charged with managing
records in the nuclear industry; which like the zoological
profession, is also highly regulated and that has significant
impact on record keeping requirements. The ICRM, through
its Special Designation program, has provided the means for
NIRMA to further certify its members in the management of
nuclear records; thus, you can be a CRM/NS. Currently, there
are 24 CRMs representing the overall NIRMA membership,
17 of which also hold the NS; representing an overall NIRMA
membership of approximately 190 members (that is roughly
13 %). The NS program was launched in 1984. Thirty-one
years later, NIRMA remains extremely committed to the CRM
and NS Special Designation program with many of those
credentialed members contributing to the advancement
of education, professional development programs and
assuming leadership roles in the association.
ZRA Records and Information Management (RIM) Policy
ZRA Naming Convention for Electronic Records
ZRA Records Retention Schedule
ZRA Records Retention Policy
ZRA Records Hold Policy
ZRA Records Inventory Form
ZRA Records Transfer Form
ZRA Authorization for Destruction
ZRA Certificate of Destruction
As a specific action item relevant to the ZRA RIM Program
and retention process, the Board of Directors is currently
reviewing a potential partnership with the Milwaukee County
Zoo Library to hold its historical records. The Board of
Directors would like to thank Linda Rohr Bachers as she was
instrumental in bringing this valuable resource to ZRA. It
would also like to thank Shelly Roach, Chairman of the History
Committee, and its members as well, in conducting the
necessary inventory of the organization’s historical records.
The RIM Program documents will be posted on the ZRA
website, member’s side only, under Governance. Please
contact the ZRA Secretary if you have any questions;
this position has oversight for Program governance and
implementation.
Certified Records Manager (CRM)
Cerfication
As the ZRA Newsletter Editor, this will be my last issue, as
my term as ZRA Secretary will be closing at the end of this
year’s Annual Conference. I have very much enjoyed this
role because it allows us to recognize member contributions,
share meaningful and educational information and report
association achievements. The Newsletter is the most
valuable source of ZRA information you can have as a
member.
As many of you know, I also carry the role of CRM Facilitator as
a member of the ZRA Professional Development Committee.
In that position, we will be hosting the 8th annual Certified
Records Manager (CRM) Exam Prep Workshop on 28
September 2015, at the Annual Conference hotel. As an
active CRM working to encourage records managers and
mentor candidates in many industries to achieve their
3
The benefits of professional associations aligning with
relevant certification bodies are many:
1. Provides easy access and support for professional
development of membership.
2. Contributes to the growth of the individual through
commitment to obtaining and maintaining relevant skills and
competencies and helping them to deploy best practices
in Records and Information Management (RIM) in their
organizations.
3. Provides the knowledge and education to advance
best practices and standards in Records and Information
Management (RIM) through individual member’s professional
growth and development.
4. Increases the number of credentialed members raising the
overall profile of the Association.
5. Provides the ability to benchmark the quality and credit
given to the educational content delivered during the Annual
Conference (the 2015 Annual Conference has been preapproved by the Institute of Certified Records Managers for 18
Certification Maintenance Points).
6. As a CRM, the content of the Annual Conference can then
be justified not only against the requirements of the job
but the education has further validation from an outside
certifying body as meeting the standards of maintaining a
global certification.
7. The CMPs afforded to the Annual Conference helps to
use the event as a resource to draw local CRMs to present
the Exam Prep Workshop in order to meet maintenance
requirements, and they also partner with ZRA to provide highquality, educational content during general sessions.
8. The CRM mentorship and workshop process offered
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For the Record
through ZRA provides the means to partner with local
organizations like the city chapters of ARMA International
or other interdisciplinary organizations representing
librarians and archivists that also have the CRM or other
certifications where the educational content may also meet
the requirements of other credentials they may hold. The
attendance fees charged for non-member attendance helps
offset the cost of providing this service to our members.
9. The CRM Scholarship provides financial assistance to
ZRA members that want to pursue the CRM. Providing
scholarships to members provides a reciprocal flow for
both the organization and the members to help each other.
There are currently 1161 CRMs and 1107 CRM candidates;
the average profile of both groups indicates a high level of
contribution and leadership involvement in professional
associations.
This year the ICRM celebrates its 40th Anniversary. The
current ICRM Newsletter Editor wrote a very eloquent article
covering the origination, major milestones and current state
of the Institute in celebration of this anniversary. I have
requested permission to run this article in this issue of For the
Record. It parallels so nicely with the journey ZRA has taken
in about the same amount of time to raise the profile of the
registrar position in zoos and aquariums in order to garner
the respect and professionalism that the position warrants
in our field. This is a long, thankless job for any individual
committed to advancing a profession; many of you have
taken that road to make things better for the next individual
and/or generation. The ICRM has a similar but more holistic
goal in elevating the overall profession of RIM at a global level
which has positively impacted records managers working in
industries all over the world but particularly in the US and
Canada.
Technology, changing laws and regulations, and costs have
impacted the overall process of managing records and
information in both positive and negative ways. There are
different and evolving risks, challenges and needs, and it is
critical that our profession’s records managers understand
these changes and how to solve related and often complex
problems to ensure institutional information is managed
efficiently and effectively. This requires continuing education
and access to resources.
I encourage ZRA members to embrace the CRM certification
as one of the means available to do just that. For additional
funding assistance beyond what ZRA offers, the ARMA
Education Foundation also provides reimbursement grants
for CRM and other certifications, reimbursement grants
for certification maintenance requirements (for instance
attending a conference) as well as certain degrees. Please
use the following link to access full details on this funding
opportunity.
http://www.armaedfoundation.org/grants_scholarships.
html.
4
Please contact me anytime to discuss the CRM and/or the
ZRA hosted CRM Exam Prep Workshop. I can be reached at
[email protected] or by phone at (314) 646-4572.
Rae Lynn Haliday, CRM, MBA
ZRA Secretary/CRM Facilitator
ZRA Member in the Spotlight
This edition of For the Record
features, Adrienne Horrigan,
MLIS. Adrienne has been a
member of ZRA for 5 (five) years.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in
History from Haverford College,
and a Masters of Library and
Information Science (MLIS) from
Dominican University. She is
a graduate of the Institutional
Record Keeping Course offered
through the Association of Zoos
and Aquariums (AZA).
She holds professional
memberships in AZA and the
American Library Association
(ALA) in addition to ZRA. She is
currently a CRM candidate with
the Institute of Certified Records Managers (CRM).
Adrienne has been the Animal Records and Permits Manager
for the Lincoln Park Zoo for 5 (five) years. Prior to working at
the Lincoln Park Zoo, she ran her own consulting business
for a while and was a Reference Librarian at the University
of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, and as well as a
Circulation Assistant at the Newberry Library in Chicago, IL.
The library field was Adrienne’s first
choice for a career. After graduating
from Haverford College in Pennsylvania
with a history degree, and upon
working at the Newberry Library, she
fell in love with the amazing works
held in that collection and proceeded
to enroll in grad school for Library and
Information Science.
After working in libraries for 10 (ten)
years, Adrienne transitioned to a
related career in zoological information
management. It is very satisfying
being able to utilize her education and
knowledge in information management
to help optimize animal care at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
When Adrienne isn’t administering her institution’s animal
record keeping system in conjunction with its 100 plus
users, or managing other aspects of her job, she dreams of
circumnavigating the globe without ever getting on a plane;
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For the Record
not sure if that is a fear of flying or just an urge for a new kind
of logistical challenge; she and I will discuss further during
the upcoming conference
over a beer perhaps!
Adrienne loves to cook
and travel – Mexico,
especially the Oaxaca
Coast, is one of her
personal favorites. She’s
a big Chicago Cubs fan (I’ll
leave out her comment
about the Cardinals; an
editor has to draw the line somewhere☺).
Adrienne is a valuable member of ZRA. She has served on
its Ethics Committee, accepted an appointment as the 2015
Annual Conference Program Chairman and will begin her first
term as the 2015-2017 Secretary of the Board of Directors at
the close of this year’s Annual
Conference.
Please join me in welcoming
Adrienne in her new positions.
I know she will serve the
organization well and be an
amazing mentor and leader.
Thank you Adrienne for
contributing and giving of your
time and expertise, I know you
will help to move ZRA forward, so it continues to be valuable
to zoological registrars worldwide and to the profession as
a whole.
Rae Lynn Haliday, CRM, MBA
ZRA Secretary and Newsletter Editor
ICRM 40th Anniversary Article
Linda Buss, MA, CRM
For many of us in records management it seems natural
that there is an organization to ensure a standard by
which professionals involved in records and information
management could be accredited and recognized according
to criteria of experience and capability established by our
peers. We embrace the title Certified Records Manager and
the effort it takes to attain those three letters behind our
name. CRMs can hold their own against MLIS, Certified
Archivists and other professionals knowing that we, too, have
achieved a level of competence that commands respect. The
principal motivation for certification was to establish a strong
professional standing, raise the professional level, and to
recognize that a person certified as a records manager had
broad professional experience in the field. The ICRM is the
official certifying body for ARMA International (Association
of Records Managers and Administrators), and the Nuclear
Information and Records Management Association.
5
We take this opportunity on the ICRM’s 40th anniversary
to recognize the pioneering men and women in our chosen
field, acknowledge their vision, hard work and the obstacles
they surmounted. And who were those worthies who looked
at the current state of records management and decided it
could be improved? Many of the names are familiar: Mary
Robek, Gerald Brown, Donald Evans, Katharine Mutchler, L.
Ruth Thomas, Stanley Gordon, Thornton Mitchell, William
Benedon, Charles Garrison, David Goodman, Dudley Judd,
Mark Koenig, and William Rofes.
It all started when Gerald Brown wrote to William Southard
on August 25, 1966, with a hypothetical question: why
can’t ARMA establish educational and experience standards
that could be used to designate an individual as a certified
records manager? In an excerpt from that momentous letter,
Gerald asks, “If ARMA doesn’t professionalize records
management, the records manager will remain just another
job title. Could not the (ARMA) Council . . . set down hard and
fast educational and experience standards that could be used
to award a ‘CRM’.” He goes on to write, “Employers would
come to recognize the short comings of simply promoting
a man into a Records Manager, rather than recruiting a
professional.” Southard found merit in the suggestion and
proposed to establish a separate professional certification
within ARMA at the 1966 ARMA Region IV meeting.
In those early years a handful of records managers
from very diverse fields worked together to identify
competencies, create a constitution and by-laws to govern
the organization, and finally to develop an examination
protocol. Correspondence and meeting minutes from the
original participants clearly convey the decade-long struggle
to bring recognition and stature to the records management
profession. Initially, the certifying body for records managers
was embedded within ARMA. The Society of American
Archivists, the National Micrographics Association (now the
Association for Information and Image Management or AIIM)
and the National Association of State Archivists and Records
Administrators (now the National Association of Government
Archives and Records Administrators or NAGARA) sponsored
the fledgling certification program within ARMA.
Working closely with the ARMA National Board, the six
membersi who comprised the CRM exam committee
presented their first draft which the 1969 ARMA National
Board rejected as being too technical and asked that input
from those in business be included. The second draft
presented in 1971 was also rejected as being too theoretical
and without enough practical application. Determined not to
let two rejections result in the demise of the dreams and hard
work of the fledgling certifying organization, the CRM exam
committee regrouped.
In the meantime, ARMA produced a brochure in 1972
announcing that a certification program by examination
would be established. Field tests of the exams were
performed in late 1973 and early 1974. ARMA had struggled
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For the Record
with the certification process, experiencing some good
outcomes and some not so good. The first examination was
given in the fall of 1974, with disastrous results. None of the
candidates taking the examination passed.
That same year, Gerald Brown, then ARMA President, proposed
to separate ARMA and the certification process to eliminate
“organizational politics.” Through the ingenuity of Gerald
Brown and Ben Oliver, President of AREA (Association of
Records Executives and Administrators), an inspired vision
emerged.
The ARMA Board of Directors approved the separation of the
CRM program from ARMA in October 1974. A joint venture of
both organizations appointed an ICRM Board of Regents with
each organization asked to provide $2,500 to implement the
CRM program. ARMA selected William Benedon, William Rofes,
Mary Robek, Stanley Gordon and Thornton Mitchell; AREA
appointed Mark Koenig, Ruth Thomas, PhD., S. Joe Pomrenze,
Dudley Judd and Katherine Mutchler.
These ten individuals represented the private sector,
education, local government, state government and the federal
government.
They met for the first time on January 6, 1975, adopted
a constitution and bylaws and on January 7, established
standards for certification by review and by examination. ARMA
approved the constitution and bylaws in February and the ICRM
was incorporated in North Carolina later that year. The first
examinations offered by the ICRM were scheduled twice a year,
in May and November. Individuals who had previously passed
the ARMA certifying exams were recognized by the new ICRM.
In the early years standards were set high for those who wanted
to grandfather into the certification (certification by review): a
college degree and at least ten year of professional experience,
a published article or a paper on a records management topic.
Eighteen years of professional experience plus an article or
paper was required if the applicant lacked a college degree.
This applied to the original Board of Regents as well who had to
submit their qualifications and pay the same fees. The idea that
a candidate needed a published article to be grandfathered
in was a contentious one and several submitted articles were
rejected. What was finally decided upon was a requirement
that the article be published in a peer-reviewed journal of
which there were only two or three at the time. As one can
imagine, this was difficult to fulfill and the Board revised the
requirements. In 1985 the ICRM revised the qualifications
criteria required to take the exams. In addition to a four-year
degree from an accredited college “a candidate . . . must have
a minimum of three years full-time documented professional
experience in records management prior to examination in
three or more of the following categories: Management of
Records Management Programs, records creation and use;
active records systems; inactive records systems; records
appraisal, retention and disposition; records protection;
records and information management technology.” The Board
of Regents provided a caveat that “two years of appropriate
6
professional experience may be substituted for each year of
education below the baccalaureate.” At that time the fee to
register was $25 plus $15 for each exam section. If a candidate
wanted to challenge the exams it could be accomplished
through certification by review for $100.
The ICRM started with a completely paper-based application
process by which potential CRMs were required to gather
physical documentation, complete the application, mail it in
and wait two to four weeks to find out if they were accepted as
a candidate. In the fall of 2009, an optional online application
process was introduced. By 2013, the application process had
been converted to online-only with the approval process taking
on average fewer than two business days.
Maintenance of certification wasn’t far behind. Certification
maintenance was designed to provide practitioners with
a medium to maintain professional competence, update
existing knowledge and skills and attain new or additional
skills. Initially, the Board of Regents determined that “each
CRM as part of their continuing eligibility be asked to submit
a minimum of 5 essay questions and 5 multiple choice
questions during the course of the calendar year.” This was
short-lived as the Board realized that most of the questions
submitted were already part of the bank of exam questions.
By 1989 certification maintenance had been revised to
include 10 subject areas required to meet established criteria
accompanied by supporting documentation. Starting in 2013,
the various subject areas were streamlined to four subject
areas (attending, presenting, publishing, and other work/
professional RIM-related activity). It is easier to provide
substantial proof of educational or experiential activities by
logging in to the ICRM website and submitting the
required evidence.
Starting in 1975, ARMA recognized individual CRMs
who promoted the field of records management by their
achievements, selfless commitment to the betterment of the
members, and willingness to serve on Boards of Directors.
Those recognized by these awards clearly adhered to the Code
of Ethics, specifically Item VI: Certified Records Managers
shall strive for continuing proficiency and effectiveness in
their profession and shall contribute to further research,
development, and education. It is their professional
responsibility to encourage those interested in records
management and offer assistance whenever possible to
those who enter the profession and to those already in the
profession. The Award of Merit, Outstanding Achievement
Award and Britt Literary Award were conferred on no fewer than
24 CRMs in the next decade. The list of awardees reads like a
Who’s Who of records management.
And how far we have progressed! Gone are the days of
hand-written responses in Blue Books. It was a clumsy, timeconsuming process to engage the proctors, collate test packets
for each candidate and ship them to the appropriate proctor,
then receive all the answer sheets for parts 1-5, bundle them
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For the Record
up and ship them to University of Washington for automated
grading. A decision in 2000 allowed test takers to type their
answers on a computer and hand the floppy disk to the
proctor. It was a necessary leap forward since there were more
than 750 candidates qualified to take the exams. The Part 6
answers went to individual graders as they do now. Yet the
process was considered an improvement over the previous
process of distributing exams along with blue books in which
the answers were written for parts 1 through 6.
The ICRM began implementing the new electronic testtaking services (proctored by Pearson-Vue) early in 2007. By
outsourcing to a professional test provider the ICRM was able
to ease the workload of its volunteer resources, including
the Regent of Exam Administration. This streamlined process
allowed the ICRM to offer exams more frequently, increasing
to three exam cycles each year, then expanding to four exam
cycles per year by 2009. This was an improvement for the
candidate as well. Registration and cancellation could be done
on-line with email confirmation and testing instructions sent
after registration was complete. Candidates could choose
a test center within a reasonable distance with test center
staff monitoring the exams. No more beating the bushes for
proctors! Test results were provided more quickly, easing the
anxiety of candidates.
In 2010 the qualification process was revised again to
encompass more candidates. The scope of the exams was
broadened to reflect more recent changes in best practices and
technologies, allowing a larger number of candidates to qualify
to take the exams. Another change was made to the format of
the exams. Instead of one 60 point essay question and one 40
point essay question the Reagent of Examination Development
divided the two essays to count 50 points each. As of this
writing there are 1,161 CRMs from around the world in good
standing with the ICRM.
Taking a look back over the past 40 years provides the
membership with an opportunity to understand how the ICRM
came into being and why. How would the original group of
visionaries view the ICRM as it is today? How does it compare
with their initial aspirations? Has it made its way down a
straight path or have new ideas challenged the status quo?
We can now task ourselves individually and collectively to
raise the bar, promote the field of records management, and
provide our members with the support as well as educational
opportunities to become the records managers of the future.
Dr. Wilmar Maedke, University of North Dakota; Dr. Roger
Bloomquist, University of North Dakota; Dr. David Goodman,
Wisconsin State University; Dr. Galen Stutsman, Bowling
Green University; Dr. Mary Robek, Eastern Michigan
University.
Special thanks to Ginny Jones for providing information on
the evolution of the testing processes, Cheryl Pederson for
providing archival materials, and Don Schewe, and the Board
of Regents for reviewing the first draft and providing valuable
comments.
Special thanks to Steve Whitaker whose article on the ICRM’s
20th ;anniversary was a significant source of information.
Permission to reprint this article from the summer 2015 issue
of the ICRM newsletter, ProfessioNotes, is granted.
It is your life. It is your career. It is your certification.
CRM
In a business world of doing “more with less,” your designation as a Certified Records
Manager shows that you understand the many facets of the RIM profession.
In a business world that is rapidly changing, your designation as a Certified Records
Manager shows you are up to date on the latest technology, the latest rules and regulations, and the
techniques of the RIM profession.
In a business world in which new jobs are increasingly competitive, your designation as a
Certified Records Manager (CRM) demonstrates that you have the experience and expertise to
lead change and deploy best practices as they evolve in the RIM profession.
For more information about becoming a
Certified Records Manager, contact (518) 694-5362
or visit www.icrm.org
The mission of the ICRM was clear from the outset: it is a
certification body. It establishes minimum standards for CRM
certification and administers the process for certification.
Born in the depths of professional records management
organizations the ICRM has grown into an independent
organization envisioned by a relatively small group of people
with a germ of an idea, nurtured with determination to
blossom into the organization we have today.
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Summer 2015
For the Record
Records Management Article
In celebration of Professional Certification ARMA provides the following article
SELECTING FROM THE ALPHABET SOUP OF
INFORMATION CERTIFICATIONS
Earning professional certifications can help an information professional establish credibility,
but choosing the most relevant ones from among the many available can be a challenge.
Jeff Whited
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Summer 2015
For the Record
A
s the value of information governance (IG) is becoming more apparent worldwide, information professionals have an opportunity to play a more
strategic role within their organizations. But, those
who will be “invited to the table” are only those who
have visibility and credibility in the areas that are critical
to IG, such as information technology (IT), security, and
privacy.
An obvious way to gain such visibility and credibility is
by earning professional certifications. There are many to
consider, and determining which ones are right for you can
be difficult. Several successful information professionals
recently spoke about the certifications they have attained
– or plan to attain – and why others might consider doing
the same.
IGP Spans Information Professions
Coming in late spring, the Information Governance Professional (IGP) certification is designed for certified records
managers (CRMs) and other professionals who drive the
governance of all information, not just the official records.
Those who attain the credential are expected to be able to
implement the Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles® in an organization and to work closely with the Clevel officers.
The development process has been rigorous, in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
accreditation standards. It began last spring, when 11 information management professionals performed a job
analysis and developed an exam blueprint, which was
later validated by nearly 350 respondents from 111 countries.
Two versions of the exam have been developed, each
with 125 questions. The exams will be pilot-tested before
the certification is made available to everyone.
While information managers have several certifications
they can pursue, Brian Tretick, CIPP, believes the IGP
certification is necessary and unique because of its strategic nature. Tretick, managing director of Athena Consulting, sees the fields of records management, privacy, and
information security becoming progressively intertwined.
“As this combined discipline matures – as it obviously
will – the certification will become part of the fabric of that
profession,” he says. “Anyone who seeks to be in such an
important and strategic role would benefit.”
Raymond Cunningham, CRM, CA, CDIA+, CIPP/US,
CIPP/IT, director of records services at the University of
Illinois Foundation, suggests the IGP certification is
needed, in part, because the chief information officer (CIO)
often takes on too large of a role in managing information.
“The CIO role emerged as information technology became pre-eminent in the workplace, but the role of the information to be governed took a back seat as CIOs came
from the technology side,” he says. “Organizations soon
discovered that the skill sets for managing IT are entirely
different from those required for managing information.”
Cunningham, who helped develop the exam with Tretick and others, believes professionals with broad experience in the legal, records management, risk management, or privacy fields are ideally suited for the new
certification.
The IGP certification exam will cover these competency
domains:
• Managing information risk and compliance
• Developing the IG strategic plan
• Developing the IG framework
• Establishing the IG program
• Establishing IG business integration and oversight
• Aligning technology with the IG framework
ARMA International will seek formal ANSI accreditation after a specified number of professionals have attained the certification.
IGP Complements the CRM
The IGP certification is designed to complement the
CRM, which is conferred by the Institute of Certified
Records Managers. In fact, many IGP certification candidates are expected to hold the CRM.
Cunningham agrees with ARMA International’s position that the IGP certification is not designed to compete
with the CRM. Instead, he says, it “complements many of
the areas by taking a more C-level approach to information
in the enterprise.”
While the IGP certification is expected to become the
highest industry credential for IG, the CRM has long been
considered the standard bearer for records and information management (RIM).
According to Julie Gable, CRM, CDIA, FAI, founder and
president of Gable Consulting LLC and a Fellow of ARMA
International, the CRM establishes instant credibility
with fellow records managers and is useful when bidding
for consulting jobs.
Cunningham echoes that viewpoint: “Contracts and job
offerings now routinely require the CRM, and I believe
that today this is the single most important certification to
have in records management.”
CIP Designed to Help Bridge IT and Business
The Certified Information Professional (CIP) is an option for those in RIM who seek a credential that focuses
more on information management.
According to the website for AIIM, which offers the certification, earning the CIP will “demonstrate your ability
to bridge IT and business, keep your IM skills current and
competitive, lead your organization into the world of social and mobile content, and more.”
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For More Information on Certifications
See the following websites to learn more about the certifications that are discussed in the article. Certification
Location
IGP: Certified Information Governance Professional www.arma.org/igp CRM: Certified Records Manager CIP: www.icrm.org Certified Information Professional www.aiim.org CIPP: Certified Information Privacy Professional www.privacyassociation.org/certification/cipp_it/ PMP: Project Management Professional www.pmi.org CDIA+: Certified Document Imaging Architect http://certification.comptia.org/getCertified/ certifications/cdia.aspx The exam covers the following domains: access/use, capture/manage, collaborate/deliver, secure/preserve, architecture/systems, and plan/implement.
On the records management listserv in December 2011,
Jesse Wilkins, CRM, CDIA+, CIP, director of research and
development for AIIM, described the CIP as “a broad certification that attests to a candidate’s understanding of a
broad range of topics and that is complementary to, rather
than competitive with, narrow, deep certifications.”
Wilkins also said the CIP would be especially important
for records managers “who are often heard discussing the
challenges associated with getting a seat at the board, getting senior management support, etc.”
Patrick Cunningham, CRM, CIP, FAI, senior director of
IG for Motorola Solutions Inc., believes the CRM appeals
to the records management community and is more relevant for those consultants, whereas the CIP should appeal
to IT-centric candidates and those with more of an interest
in electronic records systems and IG.
CIPP Spiking in Popularity and Importance
The Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)
is viewed by many as the standard in privacy credentialing. Conferred by the International Association of Privacy
Professionals, the designation is earned by first passing
the foundation exam – which covers common principles
and practices, information security, and online privacy –
and then by passing regional or sectorial certifications,
such as the CIPP/US, which covers the U.S. corporate privacy landscape, or the CIPP/E, which focuses on Europe.
CIPP-holder Tretick considers it an entry-level designation and an excellent measure of knowledge.
“The certification has become an integral requirement,
along with experience and education,” he says. “This has
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MARCH/APRIL 2013 INFORMATIONMANAGEMENT
happened across industries – including in the federal government – in the United States and is growing significantly in Europe. As a consultant, one couldn’t win a
privacy engagement without the certification.”
ARMA International Board of Directors member Ilona
Koti, CRM, PMP, CDIA+, expects to add the CIPP/US and
CIPP/E to her list of credentials. Koti, who directs due diligence for the United Nations World Food Program in
Rome, says chief privacy officers are in high demand, and
few records professionals with strong information governance skills have entered the privacy arena.
She believes senior managers in Europe will take violations more seriously as the continent revises its privacy
guidelines. For example, proposed amendments to the EU’s
Data Protection Act would add fines of up to 2% of an organization’s global revenue for mishandling personal data.
Raymond Cunningham, the holder of three additinal professional certifications, sees the CIPP designations more as
“legal certifications” and observes that many who take the
exams are attorneys. He has attained the CIPP/US and the
CIPP/IT designations and sees value in them.
“Privacy certification has also moved my career forward
as more within our university begin to work with issues of
privacy and security,” he says. “I have been asked more for
my opinions on matters of privacy than ever before.”
CDIA Designed for Document Imaging Professionals
The Certified Document Imaging Architect (CDIA+) credential from CompTIA is often recommended for those
who work in document imaging and management. The
exam measures skills and knowledge that should represent a document imaging professional with 12 to 18
months of experience, according to the CompTIA website.
Gable, who holds the CDIA, says the credential is “use-
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For the Record
ful in establishing instant credibility with those in the IT
field, particularly those faced with scanning and indexing
decisions.”
Koti says the knowledge acquired through the CDIA+
certification helps her manage imaging products and software and communicate more effectively with IT on the imaging requirements for electronic document management
system integrations.
Raymond Cunningham pursued the CDIA+ because he
wanted a technical certification to complement his skills
in records management and because document imaging
began to play a larger role in his position.
PMP Can Boost Marketability
Information managers are usually project managers as
well, and many in the field have attained the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.
The PMP exam covers these performance domains:
• Initiating the project
• Planning the project
• Executing the project
• Monitoring and controlling the project
• Closing the project
Koti says the designation has taught her how to plan a
project, keep templates on hand, negotiate terms, and deploy deliverables in phases.
According to the Project Management Institute, which
confers the PMP, the certification improves marketability
and leads to higher salaries, based on the findings in its
Project Management Salary Survey.
Comparing Certifications to Certificates
In addition to certifications, information management
professionals can choose to pursue certificates that are associated with RIM and other aspects of professional development. Sometimes the terms “certification” and
“certificate” are used interchangeably, but they mean different things.
A certification program assesses current knowledge and
skills, and it usually has eligibility standards and ongoing
requirements. When candidates pass the exam, they are
awarded a designation, such as “CRM.”
A certificate program consists of a learning event or a
series of events – such as seminars or online courses – designed with specific learning outcomes for a topic or a focused group of topics within a discipline. A certificate is
similar to a diploma in that its conferral indicates completion or finality. Certificates typically do not have maintenance requirements.
ARMA International’s “Essentials of RIM Certificate” is
an example of a certificate program. Upon completing the
online courses and passing the exams, candidates are conferred the designation of “Certificate Holder – Essentials of
RIM” and are accorded an actual certificate.
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What’s the True Value of Certifications?
In his blog, titled “Above the RIM,” Patrick Cunningham has suggested that some professionals over-value certifications and certificates.
He believes records managers are perhaps too eager to
pursue such credentials because they’ve often “bootstrapped” their way into their positions without having a
degree that has led them there.
While he found the CRM to be helpful when he was
starting out, he believes his career has since benefited
more from his master’s degree and from experience, enhancing his ability to think critically and find solutions in
the workplace.
Patrick Cunningham does not dismiss certifications,
however: “A certification is one element of the total picture of a person’s competency. It is indicative that the person has made an extra effort to test his or her knowledge.”
Tretick, too, sees the need for caution in seeking those
cherished letters and commas. He plans to pursue the IGP
certificate but currently holds only the CIPP because it
shows his commitment to a specific topic. He warns that
too many certifications in diverse areas can mark you as
a “jack of all trades, master of none.”
What Is a Certified IGP?
ARMA International will soon make available the Information Governance Professional (IGP) certifi-­‐ cation. ARMA provides the following job descrip-­‐ tion for a certified IGP: A certified IGP creates and oversees programs to govern the information assets of the enterprise. The certified IGP partners with the business to facilitate innovation and competitive advantage, while ensuring strategic and operational alignment of business, legal, compliance, and technology goals and objectives. The certified IGP oversees a program that supports organizational profitability, productivity, efficiency, and protection. But Tretick does believe some organizations value such
versatility, and Koti has found this to be true to her experience: “I am brought in on difficult projects because of
my diverse background and certifications because my
clients know that I can advise on areas where sometimes
two or three other consultants or staff members may be
required,” she says.
Koti, who holds two master’s degrees and four professional certifications, also stresses the need to pursue credentials wisely. She says that education and evidence of
Summer 2015
MARCH/APRIL 2013 INFORMATIONMANAGEMENT
25
For the Record
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“Doing a certification just to do a certification is silly,”
she says. “You should never obtain a certification just for
prestige or having extra commas after your name.”
Gable, too, states that certifications are not substitutes
for hands-on experience. “If you’re applying for an information management job, the CRM designation will likely
give you an edge. You may be more likely to get an interview, but you still have to convince others that you
know what you’re talking about once you’re in the interview,” she says. END
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MARCH/APRIL 2013 INFORMATIONMANAGEMENT
Summer 2015
For the Record
The 2015 ZRA Annual Conference will be hosted by
Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington
28 September – 4 October 2015
Please go to www.zooregistrars.org for Annual Conference registration and full details on this event. Provide below is an Overview.
Registration and the Call for Presentations open 1 April 2015
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Annual Conference Hotel
• Annual Business Meeting and Installation of Officers
(8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.)
DoubleTree Suites Seattle Airport/Southcenter
See the Hotel Conference Page for information on booking your
room.
• General Sessions (10:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Sunday, 4 October 2015 (9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)
Conference Schedule
Post-Conference Trip – Downtown Seattle Walking ‘Tour’
Monday, 28 September 2015
Experience this quirky and welcoming city first-hand as you explore
a historic downtown Seattle: be amazed, be entertained, and
create memories you’ll never forget. You won’t want to miss this!
• ZRA’s 8th Annual Certified Records Manager (CRM) Examination
Preparation Workshop (includes continental breakfast, lunch and
breaks)
• ZRA Board of Directors Meeting (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., includes
dinner)
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
Pre-Conference Trip - Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium!
(8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Come explore the only combined zoo and aquarium in the
Northwest. See sharks and seahorses, polar bears and peacocks,
walruses and wolves, all in one place! Everyone attending this tour
will also receive a gift from PDZ: a signed book about red wolves!
• Price includes admission, lunch and transportation
• For more information about Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium:
www.pdza.org/
• Stops include Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market and Bill
Speidel’s Underground Tour
• Please note: This will be a partially guided walking ‘tour’ with
ample free time at each stop for exploration. The distance between
all 3 stops is 1 mile; however, with everything there is to see and
do downtown, you may end up walking considerably more than
that.
• Price includes transportation from the hotel to/from Downtown,
plus admission to the aquarium and Underground Tour
• For more information about the venues:
www.seattleaquarium.org/
www.pikeplacemarket.org/
undergroundtour.com/
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
• ZRA Leadership Development Program (8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.,
includes lunch)
• ZIMS Workshop (1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)•Tracks Workshop (1:00
p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
• Icebreaker (6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.)
Thursday, 1 October 2015
General Sessions (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
A full day of educational sessions begins with a special welcome
from Woodland Park Zoo and the 2015 Annual Conference
Leadership Team.
Friday, 2 October 2015
• Committee meetings (at hotel, 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
• Zoo Day (10:45 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
The most anticipated event of the ZRA Annual Conference, Zoo
Day, will be held on Friday, 2 October 2015 at Woodland Park Zoo!
The day begins with lunch and a few brief presentations followed
by free time throughout the Zoo and wraps up with drinks, dinner
and the ever-popular Silent Auction!
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Summer 2015