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ACC offers this Legal Operations Maturity Model as a reference tool. Use it to benchmark maturity in any given area(s), bearing in mind that priorities and aspirational targets will vary based on department size, staffing and budgets. We have partnered with leading legal service providers to produce the Foundational Toolkit to advance in each of the 14 functions. Members can link to the tools and on-demand webcasts below.

Maturity Model Stages

EARLY

  • Information governance and records management  unaddressed or ad hoc

  • Employees keep their own records and information

  • Documents generally paper-based with limited digitization.

     

INTERMEDIATE

  • Formal information governance and records management program in place with dedicated leadership and team

  • Executive and stakeholder support for program

  • Information governance and records management addressed by the business with assistance from program leader/team

  • Enterprise information governance policy and records retention schedule in place but not enforced; compliance not audited/monitored

  • Some employees trained on policy and schedule

  • Essential or minimum requirements that meet the organization’s legal, regulatory, and business requirements

  • Initiatives to digitize paper records, integrate digital document management into information governance program underway

  • Some records and information managed with metadata and chain of custody

  • Employee training available but not tracked and recorded.

ADVANCED

  • General Counsel advocates for program

  • Enterprise policy and retention schedule regularly updated, communicated, and enforced; compliance audited by information governance team

  • Policy and retention schedule reflect regulatory requirements and supported by legal research

  • End-to-end documented and audited document/record lifecycle management with oversight from an information governance steering committee

  • Software tools

  • Enterprise audit information reviewed and continuously improved

  • Program integrated into overall corporate infrastructure and business processes

  • Program plays a critical role in cost containment, competitive advantage, and client service

  • Program provides avenue for business intelligence gathering

  • Defined formal information and records disposition process

  • Featured in all IT and product development projects

  • Managed on global basis, with retention, document management, and data housing policies (reflecting multinational requirements) published and managed.

Foundational Tools

Creating a Data Classification Sample Form
Outlines key concepts and recommended practices for creation of a Data Security policy.

Data Map Population Strategies Sample Form
Outlines sample data map population strategies.

Records Management Maturity Model
The ACC Records Management Program Maturity model provides a detailed maturity model for all aspects of an organization's records program. It seeks to gauge program effectiveness across a variety of program elements, taking a "big picture" view to increase program value.

Data Map Design Strategies Sample Form
Outlines what a data map is and design strategies.

IG Committee Sample Charter
Charter for a cross functional Information Governance Committee.

Sample Information Governance Project Plan
Sample project plan for starting or upgrading a records retention or information governance program.

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Legal Operations Maturity Model Series - Information Governance & Records Management
On Demand 60 Minutes

Watch the Webcast

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