International Council of Archives

The PARBICA “Recordkeeping for Good Governance Toolkit” is pursuing its journey around the world. After a successful presentation workshop in Accra (Ghana) in May, the toolkit was introduced in Haiti last week.

Before the earthquake which dramatically struck Haiti in January 2010, the Director General of the National Archives, Jean Wilfrid Bertrand, launched a records management programme to be implemented throughout the Haitian administration. The disaster stopped the project, but has now made it even more relevant as for the past two years the country has been going through a period of major reconstruction and recovery following the disaster.

This was certainly also an appropriate place and time to launch and test the recently completed French version of the PARBICA “Recordkeeping for Good Governance Toolkit”, translated through a PCOM project developed by the Association des Archivistes français.  The seminar which took place in Port au Prince from 23 to 27 July was proposed by ICA in the framework of its “Good Governance Programme” and organized together with the National Archives of Haiti.     

Reactions and comments from the 30 participants from the National Archives and most of the Haitian Government agencies proved the deep interest they had in the toolkit, and the relevance of it to administrative staff. “I feel more self-confident as a professional after the seminar. I thought I was doing well, but now I will change my practice for the better, and I am excited about it! ”, said one of the attendees, while others stressed the fact that they did not feel alone and lost any more. It was interesting to check that though the representatives from the public agencies were not experienced records managers, they were already using –or keen to use professional terminology, and were rapidly getting familiar with the concepts and methodologies developed in the toolkit.

At the end of the seminar, the participants received a Flash drive card with the French version of the toolkit. The group was set up as a task force, and an action plan was proposed including visits and assessment of recordkeeping practice in the public agencies. The group will also define common priorities in terms of further training on the toolkit to happen in December.

ICA wishes them good luck, and will follow their progress with great interest!