Is COVID-19 a Threat or Opportunity for Electronic Government Records Capture, Access and Preservation?

Is COVID-19 a Threat or Opportunity for Electronic Government Records Capture, Access and Preservation?

The COVID-19 global pandemic has simultaneously and exponentially increased the production of electronic government records and the demand for online access to public records and information. Unprecedented volumes of official records dealing directly with the government’s pandemic response and recovery efforts—unemployment claims, small business loan applications, public health advisories and executive orders, press releases and statistics—must be captured, protected and preserved to enable essential services to be delivered and hold our leadership to account.


The tsunami of data and the hard pivot to remote work and home school has stretched government information management capabilities to their limits. So, what opportunities and threats are associated with the deluge of COVID-related data?


Unprecedented Collaboration and Communication


Across the globe and in every industry, stay-at-home orders have necessitated unparalleled levels of online collaboration and communications. As stated recently by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, “We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months,” a sentiment likely shared by educators and home workers struggling to adapt to remote access and a bevy of new applications.


Technology provisioning and rollouts have been accelerated with hastily adopted collaboration and communication platforms. Many jurisdictions launched new websites dedicated exclusively to COVID-19 guidance and advisories, and amped up their use of social media channels. Yet, as government agencies strive to provide information quickly, the usual consensus-building processes and supporting infrastructure may be lacking, potentially putting government recordkeeping and the public's trust at risk.


Access to Public Records


Public access to government information is an underpinning of our democracy. As a result of the pandemic, many government-run services—from libraries to public pools—remain closed while other public facilities—like health clinics and court systems—are functioning differently, relying on telehealth calls and videoconferen ..

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