Safeguarding the Safeguarding the Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information:

Digital Archive Digital Archive Initiatives in the United Initiatives in the United

States Federal States Federal GovernmentGovernment

Michael Paul HuffMichael Paul HuffInformation Resource OfficerInformation Resource OfficerUnited States Department of United States Department of

StateState

http://foia.state.gov/

The Freedom of Information Act

National Archives and Record National Archives and Record Administration MissionAdministration Mission

““NARA ensures, for the citizen and NARA ensures, for the citizen and the public servant, for the President the public servant, for the President and for the Congress and the Courts, and for the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence.”ready access to essential evidence.”– essential evidenceessential evidence:: material generated material generated

by or received by the Federal by or received by the Federal Government, that documents Government, that documents the rights of citizens, the rights of citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience. the national experience.

http://www.archives.gov/

NARA’s Electronic Records NARA’s Electronic Records ChallengeChallenge

Preserve any type of record,Preserve any type of record, Created using any type of application,Created using any type of application, On any computing platformOn any computing platform From any entity in the Federal Government and From any entity in the Federal Government and

any donorany donor Provide discovery and delivery to anyone with an Provide discovery and delivery to anyone with an

interest and legal right of accessinterest and legal right of access Now and for the life of the Republic, andNow and for the life of the Republic, and Provide effective policies, strategies, standards, Provide effective policies, strategies, standards,

guidance, and tools for federal agencies to guidance, and tools for federal agencies to manage electronic records in support of their manage electronic records in support of their lines of businesslines of business

http://www.archives.gov/electronic_records_archives/index.html

The ERA ProgramThe ERA Program

Acquisition of the ERA system Acquisition of the ERA system – Support NARA’s end-to-end process for lifecycle Support NARA’s end-to-end process for lifecycle

management of management of all federal recordsall federal records– Preserve, and provide access to valuable Preserve, and provide access to valuable

electronic recordselectronic records Organizational change managementOrganizational change management

– Ensure NARA successfully implements the Ensure NARA successfully implements the system to achieve its strategic goalssystem to achieve its strategic goals

Research and Exploratory DevelopmentResearch and Exploratory Development– Address new challenges posed by continuing Address new challenges posed by continuing

change in Information Technology and its use in change in Information Technology and its use in governmentgovernment

– Capitalize on progress in technologyCapitalize on progress in technology

NARA’s StrategyNARA’s Strategy

Attack the critical preservation problemAttack the critical preservation problem Define the requirements in terms of the Define the requirements in terms of the

lifecycle management of recordslifecycle management of records Find solutions in commercially viable, Find solutions in commercially viable,

mainstream technologies being developed mainstream technologies being developed to support e-commerce, e-government and to support e-commerce, e-government and the next generation national information the next generation national information infrastructureinfrastructure

Align with overall direction of IT in the U.S. Align with overall direction of IT in the U.S. GovernmentGovernment

ERA’s CharacteristicsERA’s Characteristics

The resulting system will have three The resulting system will have three primary characteristics:primary characteristics:– It must be persistent; It must be persistent; – it must preserve authentic records; it must preserve authentic records; – and it must be scalable. and it must be scalable.

R e c o r d s L i f e c y c l e M a n a g e m e n t

R e c o r d s L i f e c y c l e M a n a g e m e n t

ERA Virtual Workspaces

Reference WorkbenchFind Records

Present Records

Produce Special Versions

Identify Sensitive Content

R e p o s i t o r y

Data about Collections

Original FormatElectronic Records

Persistent FormatElectronic Records

Read Digital Media

Verify Transfers

Accept Online Transfer

Describe Records

Transform to Archival Format

Accesioning Workbench

Congre

ssC

ongre

ssPre

sident

Pre

sident

Donors

Donors

Agencie

sA

gencie

s

Public

Public

Busin

ess

Busin

ess

Oth

er

Govern

ment

Oth

er

Govern

ment

Fed

era

lA

gencie

sFe

dera

lA

gencie

s

Workflow Management

Request to Transfer Records

Disposition Agreement

Request for Assistance

FOIA Request

Redact Sensitive Records

Classified Electronic Records

ERA System Acquisition ERA System Acquisition LifecycleLifecycle

MilestonesMilestones Mission Need, Vision Statement, Mission Need, Vision Statement,

Analysis of PossibilitiesAnalysis of Possibilities Contract AwardContract Award Design SelectionDesign Selection

Needs Definition

Concept Exploration

A

Currently hereCurrently here

Concept Development & Initial Production

B1

C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

Operations & Support

B

1988 2000 2004 20112007

Virtual Archives PrototypeVirtual Archives Prototype

NationalScienceFoundation San Diego

Supercomputer Center

NISTNIST

ERA PartnershipsERA Partnerships

Global Grid Forum

National Computational Science Alliance

National Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure

Army ResearchLaboratory

National Agricultural Library

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/31387.htm

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/

SourcesSources PRESERVING OUR DIGITAL HERITAGE: Plan for the National Digital PRESERVING OUR DIGITAL HERITAGE: Plan for the National Digital

Information Infrastructure and Preservation ProgramInformation Infrastructure and Preservation Program, October 2002, October 2002 ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT: Initiatives Sponsored by the Office of ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT: Initiatives Sponsored by the Office of

Management and Budget Have Made Mixed ProgressManagement and Budget Have Made Mixed Progress, March 24, 2004, March 24, 2004 NARA | US National Archives & Records Administration, NARA | US National Archives & Records Administration,

http://www.archives.gov/http://www.archives.gov/ NARA | Electronic Records Management, NARA | Electronic Records Management,

http://www.archives.gov/electronic_records_archives/index.htmlhttp://www.archives.gov/electronic_records_archives/index.html National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program, National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program,

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/ National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program

(NDIIPP), meeting of the National Digital Strategy Advisory Board in (NDIIPP), meeting of the National Digital Strategy Advisory Board in Washington, D.C., June 28th, 2004, Washington, D.C., June 28th, 2004, http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/index.php?nav=3&subnav=4&pg=1http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/index.php?nav=3&subnav=4&pg=1

Department of State | Freedom of Information Act Reading Room, Department of State | Freedom of Information Act Reading Room, http://foia.state.gov/http://foia.state.gov/

Department of State | Partnership between the Department of State and Department of State | Partnership between the Department of State and the National Archives, the National Archives, http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/31387.htmhttp://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/31387.htm