Government Archives and Records Administration (GARA) Certificate Program

The GARA Certificate Program was created to recognize government officials' achievements in obtaining a knowledge base in Government Archives and Records Management. The certificate recognizes the completion of 40 Study Hours of approved archives and records management subjects, or “competencies,” within a 5-year period. The certificate does not expire.

About the GARA Program

Download the GARA Certificate Information PDF

Certificate Program Objectives

  • To enhance the professional development of government records caretakers so that they may better manage the records that document the activities of government and protect the legal rights of citizens.
  • To offer career development goals for participants in a subject area that is critical to their profession.
  • To foster professional networking among NAGARA and federal, state, regional, and county local government associations, and between individual records caretakers and their State Archives.

Is the GARA Certificate a Certification, like the CRM or CA?

The GARA Certificate does not result in a certification such as the CRM designation as established by the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM) or the CA designation as established by the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA). The GARA Certificate does recognize that an individual has obtained a base of knowledge to help them perform more effectively in certain workplace environments, and NAGARA encourages certificate recipients to build upon that foundation with continued personal and professional growth in government archives and records management subject areas.

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Comp 1: Records and Information Management Basics

  • Introduction to RIM (value, purpose, function, records lifecycle, records management)
  • Needs assessment
  • Strategic planning/setting RIM goals and objectives
  • Records Inventory
  • Work processes/workflow

Qualifying NAGARA Webinars

Rethinking Records Management Training  Records Management and Public Disclosure  Transition to Functional Records Scheduling  How Modernizing RIM Got Me to the Table  Role of the Records Manager in Administration Transitions  Managing Change for Positive Outcomes  Assess The Situation  Declaration/Filing Phase  Winning Over the Chiefs: Your Invitation to the Table  Three Records Management Program Successes  How to Design Online Training  Pre-1920 County Records Inventory: Unearthing Historical Records  A Standard Approach to Recordkeeping  The Great Leap into Records Management with M365  No Cost Teams Records Management  The Bridge is Built  The Future of Work: Records Management in the Cloud  Connect the Dots: Build Digital Preservation into Your Public Records Lifecycle  Digital Preservation Workflows for Born Digital Accessions  It Took a Village to Build a Successful RIM Program  Convergence of Data  A Playbook for Responding to Pandemic-Related Records and Beyond  Why Records & Governance Matter: A Personal Journey  Session 03 - Communication Skills for Records and Information Managers  Session 10 - To The Summit: A Field Guide for Climbing RIM Mountain  Session 15 - The Road to a RIM Program is Paved with Good Intentions: A Zoological Case Study  Session 16 - Gearing Up To Modernize Public Records Processing  Session 21 - Exploring the Information Wilds Using the Records Alphabet  Session 26 - Where Are We Going? RIM Assessment & Planning Post Covid-19  Communication Skills for Records Managers  Text Messages as Records  Six Essential Project Management Concepts for Information Managers  Budgeting 101: Plugging the Financial Leaks in Your Records Management Toolbelt"  Saint Louis Zoo Case Study  Coaching to Success  Joint Expedition: Information Security and Records Management  Session 07 - Reestablishing Navy Archives  Session 08 - Other Duties as Assigned  Session 25 - Deep in Hearts (and Minds) of Texas  Session 20 - ICRM Certification Panel: Becoming a Certified Records Analyst/Manager  Session 23 - Team Building through Policy Writing  Session 30 - Weeding through the Restrictions  Session 32 - Developing a Critical Records Program  Session 31 - Removing Barriers to Access by Eliminating Fees 

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