Secretaries and document management: a case study in a brazilian public sector

Is a secretary a document manager? If so, how is this management done, and how can it be optimized? These are questions raised by this case study carried out with 22 secretaries/personal assistants at a public institution of science and technology. With theoretical foundation in archival legislation, document management, secretariat and document management, the study investigates the document management performed by secretaries in the course of their work in committees. The data was collected by questionnaire, and the results of the study reveal secretaries that recognize the importance of document management for the preservation of the institution's memory. The study also demonstrates the role played by secretaries in the daily management of documents, in document assistance with their work team, and in the organization of the institution's archives. On the other hand, the study shows the vulnerability of this management if there is no replacement of personnel, no review and optimization of procedures and no training of new employees. The research also shows that working in document management has been a reference factor of the role that secretaries play in the institution.