Dealing With Electronic Records. Leslie Koziara Turner, CRM Electronic Records Management Consultant

Transcription

1 Dealing With Electronic Records Leslie Koziara Turner, CRM Electronic Records Management Consultant (360)

2 Overview of Today s Session Paper vs Born-Digital Records Organizing and Managing Electronic Records Mobile Devices, Social Media, and other Burning Electronic RM Topics Digitizing Paper Records ( Scan and Toss )

3 What is a public record again? Definition and classification of public records Public records shall include any paper, correspondence, completed form, bound record book, photograph, film, sound recording, map, drawing, machine-readable material. regardless of physical form or characteristics, and including such copies thereof, that have been made by or received by any agency of the state of Washington in connection with the transaction of public business RCW

4 Some basic truths Related to and used for the conduct of the business of government: Regardless of format: Clay tablet, pen and paper, phone, s, word docs, excel spreadsheets, databases, websites, blogs, wikis, social media, or any other emerging applications or platforms Regardless of device used to create it: Main frame computer, PC, laptop, smart phone, notebook, tablet, Google glasses or any other emerging technologies Regardless of location/where it s stored or accessed: PC, laptop, flash drive, smart phone, notebook, tablet, or the cloud

5 What is an electronic record? (really) Born Digital vs. Digitization

6 Paper or Electronic? Regardless of how it was created: If the transaction of public business occurs in paper then the paper record needs to be retained If the transaction of public business occurs electronically then the electronic record needs to be retained

7 Paper or Electronic? #1 Employee contracts are drafted using Microsoft Word and then printed New hire and agency staff sign the printed contract Transaction of public business occurs in paper so the signed paper contract need to be retained

8 What is Born Digital? #2 A request to change a student s address is submitted in hard copy to the school Information is transcribed into database Transaction of public business occurs in paper, so the submitted hardcopy record need to be retained that form is the evidence and the authority to make the change requested

9 Paper or Electronic? #3 Board minutes are drafted using Word Draft minutes are converted to.pdf and distributed via to board members in agenda packet Paper record is signed at the meeting Agenda packet transaction occurs electronically Approved minutes transaction occurs on paper

10 Born Digital? Keep It Digital! WAC Electronic records must be retained in electronic format and remain usable, searchable, retrievable and authentic for the length of the designated retention period. Printing and retaining a hard copy is not a substitute for the electronic version.

11 Why Printing Doesn t Work Metadata associated with born digital records establishes the authenticity of the record, providing evidence of the transaction taking place Printing electronic records (e.g. s) preserves the informational content but not the authenticity of the record

12 Bridging the gap Scanning and tossing Still have a lot of paper! Want to transition from hybrid to completely digital processes

13 Going paperless Does NOT mean simply tossing the paper based copies after scanning If you are still creating paper based records as part of your business process, you are not going paperless

14 Digitizing Records Scanning and indexing of source documents does not automatically authorize the destruction of the source documents for which images have been created. WAC

15 What you need to know first Paper-based source records must be eligible for destruction There must be an appropriate records series approved for agency use The records must be designated as NON-ARCHIVAL Any Non-Archival record series is eligible for scanning and tossing

16 Where do I find out if records are NON-Archival? All approved retention schedules will note if records have a Non-Archival or Archival designation:

17 Resolution and Format Requirements Ensure complete capture of the source record. Resolution depends on nature of record. 300 DPI meets or exceeds all requirements. Records with retention periods of 6 years or fewer can be scanned into lossy or lossless formats including.tif,.pdf,.pdf/a,.jpeg. Records with retention periods that are longer than 6 years must be scanned into lossless formats such as.tif or.png.

18 Archival Records are NOT to be destroyed! The archivists will do an appraisal to determine if they want either one or the other or both to be included as part of the Archives collections for preservation. For certain records, there is an intrinsic archival value to the paper it is on with a signature or seals affixed. For other archival records the value is in the information itself, not piece of paper it is captured on what it is contained within (i.e. database)

19 Preservation of Electronic Records If you are replacing a paper record with a scanned image, you must maintain that image (and any indexing information) for the entire minimum required retention period. The records must remain readable, searchable, retrievable, and authentic throughout that period. (WAC )

20 Access and Retrieval Develop appropriate business and recordkeeping metadata in order to identify, access and manage in the future recommend 5 7 fields (humans all think differently!) Date (when) Agency/Entity (who it is) Document type (what it is) Other identifiers so that you can locate it again (and again, and again!) Unique Reference Identifier Image File Name Agency Board/Commission/Div/Dept/Program Doc Date Doc Type

21 Predicting the future Planning for future access requires making choices based on stability and longevity Remember when? Cassette tapes 8 track tapes CD s

22 Insurance policy For certain long-term records, it is not a bad idea to consider MICROFILM (yes, microfilm) Microfilm is stable and technology independent In the event of a disaster, images can be written from film for restoration and access State Archives will inspect and store your microfilm for free

23 Disposition and Destruction Images are subject to the same rules for records management, public records requests and litigation holds Do not destroy images if an open records request or litigation hold is in place Make sure images are destroyed at the end of their required retention periods in accordance with approved records retention schedules (WAC )

24 Scanning and Tossing Standards

25 Why Isn t There a Series for ? As with paper records, retention and disposition requirements are determined based on the content and function of the record NOT the format Minimum retention periods apply regardless of the format of your agency s records

26 Meeting requirements Are you required to keep it? Know your business, know your process What are the functions of that business unit? What activities support those functions? What other regulations/requirements are there for that particular business unit and business process?

27 CONTENT AND CONTEXT All retention is driven by CONTENT AND CONTEXT about the business processes of the agency What is being said/done? Who is doing what to whom and why? Is this a business transaction and part of a business process? Is this the proof or evidence of the execution of business or a transaction? Is there an action/decision that needs to happen? Does it support accountability and transparency? What about s? See above OR Are s simply delivering an attachment? In most instances, the attachment is the record, not the There are exceptions, it s important you know your records and processes and identify up front what you may be required to keep! For example, if you are in Human Resources and accep job applications via you may be required to have a date/time stamp to validate acceptance of application

28 Messages CAUTIONARY NOTE: Considering keeping only the last in a thread? Be aware: The preceding s (and their metadata) are captured only as text in the body of the final Authenticity has the text been changed? Does the final capture the complete record? Was the discussion a simple thread, or more of a tapestry?

29 Managing Electronic Records

30 Electronic Records Management - TODAY Records Management Today Copy sent to self via search when needed later PDR - Legal Difficulty in isolating information results in nonresponsive groups of records being locked for PDR. Copy to better search locatioin Agency Team Some users cannot access SharePoint copies placed on Box Project Team IT Manages Storage Space, Restructures Shared Drives IT helps search for PDR records and freezes them in place? Recrds Ofcr

31 Solution: Organization and Structure Store things so we all can find them and get rid of the expired and the ROT (redundant, outdated and trivial) Disposition in a way that s convenient, consistent, timely, accurate, and cost effective.

32 Filing structures and systems We ve been using them to organize paper for hundreds of years because they worked! You can apply it to desktops, servers and systems too!

33 Organize using what you have You can align established files for paper and adapt/apply the same filing structure to electronic filing systems Desktops, drives and servers are nothing more than electronic file cabinets Humans will need to develop the structure and apply retention

34 Same Structure, Multiple Locations Individual folders can be located within individual accounts, electronic file cabinets, etc. Folders that must be accessible to multiple users can be on shared drives or network locations. Records with long-term retention periods should be moved from active use locations to inactive use locations.

35 TIP: If you use Microsoft Outlook You can easily move s from your Outlook account to a network location. Saving s in.msg format captures the entire record, including attachments.

36 Inactive use Active use Records are less likely to be accidentally deleted on a shared drive than they are when sitting in someone s personal Inbox.

37 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 structure for paper, , desktop, network drives and servers

38 Make a plan This doesn t need to be done overnight (It didn t happen overnight, it s been years in the making) Pick just ONE business unit at a time to tidy up Eating an elephant is best accomplished by bites, not gorging (avoid heartburn)

39 Example from CORE Additional file folders can be created as necessary under each record series

40 Disposition It s a verb Take Action! Apply same retention and disposition practices to electronic records as you would paper-based records Regularly schedule disposition to get rid of those items that have met their minimum retention Document your agency s records destruction

41 Transferring Archival Electronic Records to the Digital Archives Electronic Records Consultant will help coordinate the transfer of your records Identify records eligible for transfer Formats, organization, and quantity of records Preparation for transfer Subsequent transfers of additional records

42 My device = my records? It may be your personal device or account, but if it s being used for agency business, keep in mind that you are accessing (and sometimes creating) public records

43 Using a Personal Account for Agency Business Should be avoided this should be reflected in agency policies Draw line between personal and business (there is software available to assist) If you must send from a non-agency account, copy to agency address at same time If you receive a business-related on a personal account, forward to agency address and retain that as primary copy

44 Scenario: Text Messaging Third-party provider retention can be problematic Who has custody/control of the record? How is the agency ensuring that the record is captured/retained appropriately? If texting is used for agency business, recommend that its use be limited to those for whom it is truly necessary (e.g., for specified law enforcement and emergency management functions)

45 Social Media and Cloud Storage: Do You?

46 5 Key Considerations 1. Are they public records? 2. Are they primary or secondary copies? 3. How long do they need to be kept? 4. How will they be retained by the agency? 5. Is this technology appropriate? Consider benefit vs. risk make a business case

47 Know What You re Getting What are your agency s rights if the social media provider goes out of business? How will you keep your accounts secure? Do you have control over what your customers see when they visit your social media page?

48 Read the terms of service agreements! a worldwide, non-exclusive, royaltyfree license to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed). TWITTER

49 Technology du jour Chances are the medium will NOT be around to meet the minimum retention requirement(s) for the records within The agency is responsible for its records wherever they happen to reside Obsolescence or failure is bound to happen You wouldn t sign a contract on an Etch-A-Sketch, would you?

50 Using Social Media Records with retention value need to be captured and retained by agency Generally entails 3rd-party capture tools, e.g., TweetTake, SocialSafe, PageFreezer, etc. (note: these systems currently just store, they do not actively MANAGE your posts) Should not rely on social media provider to retain Even if use not authorized, agency may be held accountable for elected officials/employees acting in official capacity on social media Agency should have policy delineating terms of use, any training required

51 Look Before You Leap! Prior to taking the plunge: Make sure your agency will be able to manage the creation, receipt, retention, archival transfer, destruction AND disclosure of its public records

52 You are not alone! Questions? Thank you! Washington State Archives Partners in preservation and accesss