Corporate Information Management Branch Frequently Asked Questions # 2 Email: Your Record Keeping Responsibilities
Email: Your Record Keeping Responsibilities
Do government records management standards apply to email? Yes, these standards apply to all types and forms of government records, including electronic. Email must comply with existing government legislation, regulations, policies and standards (e.g., Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP Act), Document Disposal Act (DDA) and Core Policy and Procedures Manual (CPPM) Chapter 12). See FAQ #1: Government Email: An Overview for more detailed information about policy and legislative requirements. It is important to know who has responsibility for ensuring that emails are:
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FOIPPA and litigation requests. Maintained in the most space efficient manner possible.
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The following frequently asked questions should help you to determine these responsibilities.
Do I have to file every email I receive? No, you do not. Sometimes email is only of temporary use and is therefore considered a transitory record. An example of a transitory email record may be “Is this morning’s meeting still on?” or personal email, such as a lunch message sent by a friend. For more information check the Transitory Records Schedule , Unsolicited Records Schedule and Electronic Mail Schedule in ARCS on-line [http://www.lcs.gov.bc.ca/cimb/arcs/adm in/main.asp].
Classified under ARCS/ORCS or other approved schedule. Filed appropriately in the corporate record keeping system (paper or electronic). Retained and disposed of in accord with approved schedules. Accessible to authorized staff and available in response to
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Who is responsible for classifying and filing outgoing email messages and attachments?
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ARCS 312-02/FAQ #2
Approval date: 2006/03/22
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Corporate Information Management Branch Frequently Asked Questions # 2 Email: Your Record Keeping Responsibilities
The initiator (the sender) is responsible for classifying the email and filing, or arranging to have it filed, in the office filing system (physical file folders, LAN, TRIM or other electronic records management application).
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Who is responsible for classifying and filing incoming email and attachments? You are. If you send or receive an email message you are responsible for managing it. How to manage it will depend on the answers to the following questions:
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What individual or section in your office is responsible for the subject or function covered by the email? That section is responsible for the “official office copy” and should classify and file the email record and all attachments. All other recipients should manage their copies as transitory records. Were you sent a ‘cc:’ (carbon copy) or bcc: (blind carbon copy) copy of the message? In most cases you can delete these types of messages once it is no longer required for business purposes. Was the email widely distributed? Some emails, such as committee agendas and minutes, or ministry- and government-wide notices, are received by a large number of individuals. These records need to be managed to avoid the retention of multiple copies. An example of how to manage a ministry-wide email notice is as follows:
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Is it a government record or a personal email? If personal, delete it promptly from the government email system. Is the email of only temporary or transitory use? If yes, then it does not need to be filed and may be disposed of under the Transitory Records Schedule. Is it an external email (e.g., from another branch, ministry or group)? Whether one or several individuals receive the email, one “official” copy must be classified and filed. All other copies within the office are duplicates and may be treated as transitory records.
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The initiating office is responsible for classifying and filing the official copy of the email, complete with transmission and receipt information.
ARCS 312-02/FAQ #2
Approval date: 2006/03/22
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Corporate Information Management Branch Frequently Asked Questions # 2 Email: Your Record Keeping Responsibilities
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All other ministry recipients will either treat the email as a “convenience copy” and dispose of it under the transitory records schedule; or file the email under the appropriate non-OPR classification in ARCS.
unmanaged in an individual’s email folders.
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Is it part of a discussion or chain? It is often sufficient; if participants have consistently used the reply function (e.g., all earlier email replies are included in new email), to only retain and file the final email in the series of email exchanges on the topic.
Email and all related records, are linked together as they are classified and filed within the office record keeping system. A complete file of a specific activity, case, or topic is maintained. That isn’t possible if records are scattered across various individual email accounts.
Benefits to government include:
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The ‘’official copy” of an email is managed and retained within the office record keeping system. Email is “disposed” of in accordance with approved records schedules. Email server space usage is reduced as duplicate and transitory emails are promptly deleted from the email system. Authorized staff can locate all email records required to comply fully with FOIPP Act or litigation requests.
For advice and guidance on classifying and filing email, contact your Ministry or Corporate Records Officer. [http://www.lcs.gov.bc.ca/cimb/committe e/default.htm#mroc]
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Classifying and filing my emails sounds like extra work; what are the benefits? Benefits to individual users are:
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You and your co-workers have access to the records you need to do your jobs. Email is classified and filed in the official record keeping system, not left inaccessible and
What is the “official record”? A branch/office must designate one copy of each incoming or outgoing email as the “official record”. This is
ARCS 312-02/FAQ #2
Approval date: 2006/03/22
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Corporate Information Management Branch Frequently Asked Questions # 2 Email: Your Record Keeping Responsibilities
the email that is classified and filed in the office filing system. Duplicates and convenience copies of an email may be “transitory records” and kept only as long as they are needed. For more information on transitory records check out Transitory Records Schedule [http://www.lcs.gov.bc.ca/CIMB/special/s pec1.asp] located in ARCS Online [http://www.lcs.gov.bc.ca/CIMB/arcs/ad min/main.asp]. Attachments and FAQ #5: Distribution and Filing of Email with Attachments.
When can I delete an email? What rules do I need to apply? After you copy an email to a shared LAN directory, EDRMS or print it for filing in a physical file folder, you must delete the email from your personal email account. If you need to retain a copy in your personal email account for convenience or reference purposes, you must promptly delete them once that purpose has ended. Do not keep convenience or reference emails longer than the official office file version. If you have added notes, or annotations or other information that is not captured elsewhere, then you have created a new record, and must file it in your office filing system. Check with your Records Officer to find out who is the contact person responsible for applying retention and disposition schedules to your office’s email records. Contact your Records Officer for details on ministry policies and procedures for applying records schedules.
What should I do with documents attached to government email? Attachments must be classified and filed in a way that maintains the link to the email message. The size and format of the attachment should determine how you file it. Contact your Records Officer for details on ministry policies and procedures for managing email and email attachments. General examples on how attachments can be managed include: • Printing attachment to paper and filing with the printed email message;
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Moving the attachment to the LAN folder or TRIM folder with the email message;
For more information on this topic see RP #4: Managing Email with
ARCS 312-02/FAQ #2
Approval date: 2006/03/22
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