AC26 | Session 01
Clutter to Clarity: Building a Paperless Future with Governance, Metadata, and Risk Management
Target: Federal, Tribal, State, Local, Public Institutions of Higher Learning
Focus: Archives, Records Management, Technology/Tools
Levels: Intermediate
GARA: "Digital Repository Management" OR "Legal & Compliance Issues"
Overview

As agencies race to digitize, many have focused on scanning paper without establishing the governance structures necessary to ensure legal defensibility, compliance, and long-term access. This session addresses the critical gap between digitization and digital trustworthiness by exploring how to build a paperless-ready agency (one that is not only digital in format, but also compliant, audit-ready, and secure).

This training walks attendees through the foundational elements of a compliant digital records environment, using an electronic content system (ECS) as a case study for an official system of record. We explore how metadata, governance policies, and risk management controls work together to create a trustworthy digital environment that meets federal, state, and local requirements.

Key Topics Covered
  • Governance Structures: Establishing policies and procedures that support digital compliance (including roles, responsibilities, and oversight mechanisms)
  • Metadata as Compliance: Required metadata fields for an ECS and how they support audit readiness and legal defensibility
  • Trustworthy Digital Images: Standards and technologies that make digital records legally equivalent to paper originals
  • Chain of Custody & Audit Trails: Maintaining integrity and accountability in digital systems (ensuring records are admissible and reliable)
  • Risk Management Controls: Identifying and mitigating risks in digital records management (including unauthorized access, data loss, and improper disposition)
Learning Objectives
  • Understand the components of a compliant digital records environment
  • Identify required metadata fields and their role in legal defensibility
  • Learn how to implement governance structures that support digital transformation
  • Gain tools for assessing and mitigating risk in digital records systems
  • Explore real-world examples of ECS implementation and lessons learned
Presenters
Charlene L. Lucero
Charlene L. Lucero
Records and Information Management Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, Headquarters
Charlene Lucero is a records and information management professional with 19 years of federal service, including 14 years specializing in federal records management. She has led enterprise records governance initiatives focused on electronic records modernization, file plan development, taxonomy design, and strengthening compliance frameworks aligned with federal mandates and cybersecurity priorities.

Charlene has played a key role in advancing digital transformation efforts by integrating records management principles into enterprise content systems, improving information lifecycle controls, and enhancing accountability across business units. She is passionate about bridging policy and practice—helping agencies move beyond compliance-driven records management toward strategic information governance.
Karen D. Jackson
Records and Information Management Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, National Interagency Fire Center
Karen Jackson is a Records Administrator at the National Interagency Fire Center under the newly established DOI Wildland Fire Service. She serves as Co-Chair of the DOI BLM Records Management Board, contributing to bureau-wide records governance efforts and collaborating with records professionals and leadership on policy implementation, program coordination, and compliance with federal records management requirements. In her role, she provides subject matter expertise that supports the modernization and effective administration of records programs across complex interagency operations.

With 18 years of federal service within the Department of the Interior, Ms. Jackson has developed a recognized specialty in interagency incident fire records administration. Her work focuses on strengthening records management practices through training, compliance guidance, and practical strategies for managing electronic records in operational environments. Working with dispatch centers and offices across the country, she helps advance consistent and reliable records practices that support operational accountability, transparency, and long-term records stewardship.
Tracy Rhodes
eERDMS Support Services (Contractor) for BLM, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Chief Information Officer
Tracy Queensberry is a governance and information management leader focused on advancing paperless transformation through metadata strategy, compliance alignment, and risk-based lifecycle management in complex federal environments. With deep experience bridging policy, operations, and digital modernization, she helps organizations move from fragmented paper processes to sustainable, defensible information ecosystems. Tracy is particularly passionate about turning governance from a compliance burden into a strategic enabler for mission delivery.