The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official e‐mail system

Abstract

Purpose To share the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s approach to managing its records, using an e‐mail system. Design/methodology/approach The primary importance of communication between the headquarters and delegations of a global organization such as the ICRC lead it to use its e‐mail system to manage its “official” current records. The Lotus Notes system applies best practice principles of records management as defined in the ISO 15489 standard. Findings After almost a decade of operation the e‐mail system meets the requirements of managing official current electronic records, however, advice sought from an independent expert highlighted the lack of integration of other records, such as word documents, would cause problems in the future. Practical implications The e‐mail records management system is to be modified to cover both the official institutional records and the administrative documents. Originality/value This paper is a useful case study showing how a global organization with software solution constraints has successfully used a global e‐mail system, based on widely used groupware product, to manage its official records.

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