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Washington State Archives
Presented by:
Leslie Koziara, Electronic Records Consultant
February 26, 2010
Email Management
“What should I be doing?”
• Have a game plan
• Identify what you need to keep
• How to organize emails
• How to disposition emails
Overview
As public employees, everyone needs to have a level of responsibility for the public
records they create and use
Records Management is a team sport!
Have a game plan
• Build your team– Coaches (records officer and managers)– Players (assign roles and responsibilities)
• Quarterbacks = records coordinators• Defense/offensive players = end users• Special teams = IT and legal
Like a pro• Game Strategy
– Policies, procedures and standards to get the game underway
• Develop your plays– Identify, organize and disposition emails
–
End game
Successful organization and control is a
win–win situation• Agency benefits in lower costs and more
efficient operations• Employees benefit with better access and
increased productivity• Public benefits with transparency and prompt
responses to any requests
Is this your desktop?
Black hole
Email Retention in a Nutshell...
• Retain all public records for the minimum retention period as listed on the approved Records Retention Schedule
• Once retention is met : Destroy if not an archival or permanent series If permanent, take appropriate action to retain Transfer to Washington State Archives all
archival records
Why not just keep it all?
• There are increased costs when you keep it all:– Discovery and legal fees– Administration/staff for maintenance– Migration or recopying– Disaster recovery/restoration– Energy costs
Think needle in a haystack:
Less hay, easier to find the needle
Re-educate on email usage
• Employ meaningful subject lines
• Keep on topic, no digressing
• Reiterate appropriate use
• Keep only what you need to keep
Cautionary notes
• If you are keeping only the last email in a string, just be aware:– In a court of law, will the last one suffice as
evidence of the entire string?– Any modifications to the string done prior to
that last one? – How do you know?
Just so you know…there is a difference
Email Archiving• Generally just “storage” rather than
“records management”
• Typically lacks coherent filing structure
• Generally no records retention functionality included
A winning strategy for emails
• Identify
• Organize
• Disposition
IdentifyUsing approved records retention schedules
will help you:
• Identify records you need to keep • Identify records you can get rid of• Identify records needing additional attention
Essential Archival
More identification
• How do you know what you’ve got?– Do an inventory
– An inventory will also help you identify not only essential and archival records but also identify records that may be exempt or confidential
Don’t agonize, organize! Use your approved retention
schedules
Organize!Think electronic “file cabinets”
Desktops and servers are digital “file cabinets” and should be used as such
Just like traditional metal ones
Create a game plan• Create a “file plan” or “file structure”
• Link to retention schedules
• Pre-determined file folders provide consistency, centralization and organization
• Mirror the plan throughout – use same plan or structure for paper, email, desktop, network drives and servers
Set up the structure
• Can be as individual “drawers” – working files set up in folders in email application
• Can be work group or section “file drawers” with folders set up on shared drive or server used by group
• Can be “central files” or “records center” – “file drawers” in a central repository for longer retention
Organizing emails – within email application
How it works
• Individual users move e-mails into pre-determined folders that match those on server or shared drive
• Good to set up as “working files”, or for records with no retention value
• Recommend “records with retention value” be retained on drives or servers
GS22005
Next level
Additional folders can be set up to further define the content – easy to locate and search, still
all under DAN # GS 22005
Mirror this structure on shared drive or server for records with
retention value
Be diligent with cleaning out records with no retention value
in these “working files” and save primary copies to shared
drive
Using email application folders
Remember:
• Recommended use is for short-term or temporary retention
• Mirror folders you set up on network server or shared drive
• Match up to retention schedules
• Use shared drive/server for records with longer retention
Organizing in shared drive or network serverHow it works
• Designated shared drive or server is used as centralized “file cabinet” or repository
• Users save their emails into pre-determined folders in specific “drawers”
• Users can access in a centralized location
• Generally no active retention or disposition applied, but can set up system administrators to track files
It makes good sense• Centralization makes good sense
– One place, one folder, one retention– In event of staff turnover, other “life happens”
scenarios, more accessibility
• Increased search capability for discovery and disclosure purposes
• Can apply consistent retention and disposition to stored records, can appoint system administrator to manage and track,
Can look like this
Create file “drawers” and create appropriate folders in a server or shared drive “electronic
file cabinet”
Marry up with appropriate retention schedules and mirror pre-set email folders
Conferences & Seminars
GS22005
Next click
Create appropriate file “drawers” and create the folders as necessary in
which to “file” your information – all of these are still GS 22005
“Saved As” email
By using the .msg extension, it can saves record copyemails electronically and preserve the metadata as well – also will save attachments
Using classifications and naming conventions make it easier to search and locate the information
Email regarding meeting room contract
Email saved using .msg
extention in server along with other
formats
Drag and drop
BBy using the .msg extention, you are able to save emails with all the other formats together in one folder, under one record series, under
one retention and manage it as a whole
One place, one folder, one retention Get rid of the silos!
Attendance and Leave GS03030
Another example
Can add other
records series as needed
Local Gov’t CORE
Another example
Additional file folders can be created
as necessary under each record series
Additional records series under a
categorycan be added
Helpful hints
• Use existing retention schedules!
• Consult with users, enlist their input
• Work on keeping file names short and simple, yet make sense to users
• Keep it under 255 characters & spaces, otherwise may have problems with access and retrieval
State unique example
This series is ARCHIVAL -
9 year retention for agency, then
transfer to archives
Can identify certain files as
exempt or other
special handling
Local Gov’t example
This is a PERMANENT, ESSENTIAL and POTENTIALLY ARCHIVAL series and should
noted and handled accordingly
Also a PERMANENT, ESSENTIAL and POTENTIALLY
ARCHIVAL series
This is an essential record and should have additional back up. It also has a long term retention
This series only has a 3 year retention, so can get rid of these files sooner
Transfer to Digital Archives• Identify archival records according to approved
records retention schedules
• Contact Digital Archives for consultation and development of Transfer Agreements (TA) and Transfer Information Plan (TIP)
Debbie Bahn, Lead Archivist509-235-7500 ext 207
Take a deep breath
• No magic one-size-fits all solution
• Fixing it will not happen overnight
• Acceptance will take time
• It can be done without investing in additional technology
You can do it!!
You Are Not Alone
For advice and assistance:
Subscribe to listserv for the latest in updates
http://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/RecordsManagement/
Washington State Archives: Partners in preservation and access
www.sos.wa.gov/archives
Thank You!
