| Given that hardly a day goes by that national and regional newspapers, journals, and association publications do not mention another incident highlighting the important role of records within the private and public sectors, this study seeks to explore relationships between records managers and systems analysts within the information systems development (ISD) environment in the government of Central State. Rather than assessing relationships through the success or failure of the resulting information systems development project, this study looks at the interactions and relationships of records managers and systems analysts during the early stages of ISD. Drawing on interview data, field notes, and documents gathered within two state government agencies, this two-case study illustrates the influences of pre-determined and emerging factors on relationships between key participants.; Factors of roles and responsibilities of records managers, as well as the nature and size of the information systems development projects may well influence the resulting relationships. Factors of management support and systems analyst's knowledge of records management appear to have either no effect, or mixed effects on relationships. Other issues that arose during the study, such as the opinions of a records manager as to the efficacy of participating in ISD early on in the planning stage will need further investigation. |
