Transformation and information governance for federal agencies

Partnering to deliver digital transformation

M-19-21 transformational goals

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released M-19-21: Transition to Electronic Records in 2019, aiming to accelerate the government’s digital transformation efforts. Building upon previous directives, M-19-21 established new deadlines and actions, requiring all federal agencies to move towards electronic recordkeeping, ultimately leading to a more modern, digital government through records and information management. With M-19-21, NARA and OMB clearly defined five main goals:

• Drive digital transformation

  transition agencies away from paper-based records management processes to electronic, digital systems



• Implement new technologies

  promote the use of new capabilities such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to enhance decision-making and deliver greater insights



• Enable automation

  move from manual, time-consuming processes to a more automated approach



• Upskill the workforce

  redeploy resources to manage a new digital environment, enhancing productivity and mission delivery



• Realize cost savings

  significantly decrease the costs associated with analog records storage, real estate, and services, repurposing those funds towards effective electronic records management

Many agencies are feeling the pressure of the M-19-21 directive and are struggling with their digital transformation initiatives in general – each are on their own unique journey. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one agency that is taking a leading role in modernization and M-19-21 compliance… and is reaping the benefits.

Case study: Iron Mountain and the department of homeland security

DHS is executing on a modernization strategy that includes connecting and moving its components to a more digital operations environment. The M-19-21 mandate, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, underscored the need to move in this direction to ensure DHS employees are able to access the information they need to perform their mission, no matter where they are located. To help deliver on this transformation initiative, DHS is partnering with Iron Mountain on a large-scale digital transformation effort across multiple components to more effectively manage its information lifecycle.

• Digitization to improve investigations and free up real estate

• Improved services through comprehensive records management operations

• Fixing inconsistencies and filling gaps in disaster records management