In October 2001, the ITD Director for Digital Government assembled a small committee to evaluate the need for a document management strategy for the state. The desire was to coordinate and standardize various aspects of information management. Early discussion of the Document Management Strategy Committee centered on various components of an enterprise-wide document management system such as imaging, e-forms, records management, Web content management, and a document repository. The State Archivist and staff were invited to join at the same time the State Archives and Records Bureau was seeking support from ITD for a National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) electronic records grant to begin the process of building an electronic records program.

At the December Document Management Strategy meeting, ITD Director of Digital Government emphasized, that technology could not lead the process; he invited the State Archivist and State Librarian to lead the effort to develop a strategy to manage state documents. The State Archivist proposed to lead the process utilizing the authority of the State Records Commission to create an Iowa Electronic Records Committee to focus on policy issues as they relate to the management of electronic records.

In January 2002, the State Records Commission authorized the establishment of a subcommittee of the Commission to be called the Iowa Electronic Records Committee whose purpose is to recommend and regularly review policies, guidelines, and best practices for the creation, maintenance, access, and long-term preservation or destruction of electronic records. The Commission also directed the State Archivist and the Director of Digital Government to solicit participation and co-chair the new Committee.

The goal of the ERC is to bring together representatives of a wide range of agencies with a broad range of expertise to begin to address electronic records issues common to most state agencies and to work together to develop sound statewide government information policies and guidelines. One important task of the Iowa ERC will be to review policies and guidelines from other states to see how these models may be adapted for Iowa. Using the Ohio ERC as a model, members will represent various state agencies, universities and local governments. It is proposed that much of the work of the ERC will be performed by smaller subcommittees and working groups.

The original group, the Document Management Strategy Committee held its final meeting on March 26, 2002. All members were invited to continue their work as voting and non-voting members of the new ERC. The group had created a vehicle for information sharing among state agencies and a means for collectively identifying electronic records problems common to all. The ERC was created to continue these functions as well as provide enterprise level guidance for electronic records concerns.