RMCAS
Description
RMCAS is an assessment tool for organisations wishing to map their current records management infrastructure against community best-practice. The system offers templates for assessment interviews, which inform the assignment of capacity ratings against statements of best practice. Results can be viewed as reports or visualisations. The tool also includes a database of guidance materials, training modules, and strategic planning tools to address holes uncovered during the assessment.
Provider
International Records Management Trust, in partnership with the UK National Archive and funded by the World Bank.
Licensing and cost
No licensing information available – software is free of charge.
Development activity
Version 1.4 was released in January 2005. Development was funded from 2002-2004; the software does not appear to be currently supported.
Platform and interoperability
RMCAS runs on Windows 98, 2000 or XP operating systems, although later versions released since the publication of its system specifications may work also. In tests, the program failed to install on Windows 7; despite the application of automated compatibility changes, compatibility issues persisted, seemingly related to the SQL Server Desktop software. Minimum hardware requirements include a processing speed of 166 MHz, RAM size of 32 MB, screen resolution of 800 x 600, and 100 MB available disk space.
Functional notes
Currently, RMCAS contains assessment modules on financial, human resource, and legal and judicial records and information systems. All modules can be applied to both paper and digital records and can be used to assess the relationship between paper and electronic record-keeping systems. As the capacity-building resources database has not been updated since 2004/5, it is probable that users will need to seek elsewhere for more current materials. However, this does not detract from the value of the assessment and reporting functions.
Documentation and user support
The website links to an informational email address at IRMT, but it is unclear whether IRMT still provides support. The site also hosts a fairly comprehensive User Guide, along with a help menu guiding the assessor through the software.
Usability
RMCAS includes an Installation Wizard, and has a simple graphical user interface. Assessment questions are written to be easily tailored to the specific organisation.
Expertise required
Assessors should be knowledgeable about the organisation, its structure, mandate, and record keeping infrastructure and control systems.
Standards compliance
RMCAS compares organisational responses against three best practice documents: ISO 15489, Canada’s Information Management Capacity Check, and the European Commission’s Model Requirements for the Management of Electronic Records (MoReq).
Influence and take-up
RMCAS was designed to be used in the public sector, for use in the developing world. It has been field-tested by government agencies in Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, India, Malawi, Singapore, South Africa, and Yap, a state of the Federated States of Micronesia.
User Experiences
Development Activity