Effective Email Management: Game Plan for Records Organization

1. Washington State Archives Email Management “What should I be doing?” Presented by: Leslie Koziara, Electronic Records Consultant February 26, 2010

2. Have a game plan Identify what you need to keep How to organize emails How to disposition emails Overview

3. 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!

4. 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

5. Like a pro • Game Strategy • Policies, procedures and standards to get the game underway • Develop your plays • Identify, organize and disposition emails

6. 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

7. Is this your desktop? Black hole

8. 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 Email Retention in a Nutshell...

9. 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 Why not just keep it all?

10. Re-educate on email usage • Employ meaningful subject lines • Keep on topic, no digressing • Reiterate appropriate use • Keep only what you need to keep

11. 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?

12. Email Archiving Generally just “storage” rather than “records management” Typically lacks coherent filing structure Generally no records retention functionality included Just so you know…there is a difference

13. A winning strategy for emails • Identify • Organize • Disposition

14. Identify Using 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

15. 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

16. Don’t agonize, organize! Use your approved retention schedules • Schedules tell you what to do • What records need to be kept – by series • Minimum required period of time to keep them • What to do once retention has been met • Any remarks or special instructions

17. Think electronic “file cabinets” Desktops and servers are digital “file cabinets” and should be used as such Just like traditional metal ones Organize!

18. 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 sameplan or structure for paper, email, desktop, network drives and servers

19. 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 Set up the structure

20. 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 Organizing emails – within email applicationHow it works

21. GS22005

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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 Organizing in shared drive or network serverHow it works

25. 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, It makes good sense

26. Can look like this Conferences & Seminars GS22005 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

27. 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

28. “Saved As” email Email regarding meeting room contract By using the .msg extension, it can saves record copy emails 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

29. Email saved using .msg extention in server along with other formats Drag and drop

30. 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!

31. Attendance and Leave GS03030

32. Another example Can add other records series as needed

33. Local Gov’t CORE

34. Another example Additional file folders can be created as necessary under each record series Additional records series under a category can be added

35. 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

36. 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

37. Local Gov’t example

40. This series only has a 3 year retention, so can get rid of these files sooner • This is an essential record and should have additional back up. It also has a long term retention This is a PERMANENT, ESSENTIAL and POTENTIALLY ARCHIVAL series and should noted and handled accordingly Also a PERMANENT, ESSENTIAL and POTENTIALLY ARCHIVAL series

41. 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 Archivist 509-235-7500 ext 207 Debbie.bahn@sos.wa.gov

42. 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!!

43. For advice and assistance: recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov Subscribe to listserv for the latest in updates http://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/RecordsManagement/ You Are Not Alone

44. Thank You! Washington State Archives: Partners in preservation and access www.sos.wa.gov/archives