In a Nutshell

The management of emails must be supported by a public authority's recordkeeping strategy and program and internal policies, procedures and guidelines.

Your agency will have policies on the management of emails. It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of your responsibility under these policies.

In Depth

• Overall accountability for recordkeeping lies with Chief Executive Officers. Operational roles and responsibilities are shared between organisational units, records management units and information technology coordinators (sometimes also assuming the role of chief information officer) and internal and external auditors.
• However, the effective management of emails requires the coordinated efforts and support of individuals involved directly and indirectly with email creation, transmission and receipt processes.

The following diagram illustrates the role of the End-user and how they contribute to the email system.

Email System Diagram

Questions

Click here to check your understanding.

Policy

Click here to link to the policy.

Management

Do you know the minimum requirements for compliance with the principles of Information Standards 40 and 41?

Please refer to this standard to determine if your agency would meet the minimum requirements for compliance.

Record Staff

Policies and guidelines for managing records of emails should consider:

• The legislative and regulatory environment;
• The corporate information and recordkeeping policy and strategy;
• The corporate ownership of the email systems and the transactions which occur on them;
• Conditions of use of the email system including any private use;
• Assigning responsibility for the capture of emails into recordkeeping systems and user guidelines to support the process;
• Assigning responsibility for determining what value emails that are public records have and how legal disposal can occur; and
• Security, access and other general facilitative information.

Recordkeeping programs should be:

• Identifiable from all other corporate programs;
• Supported by corporate policy;
• Planned;
• Arranged with formal responsibilities which are appropriately assigned;
• Appropriately located within the organisational structure of the public office;
• Organised according to the needs and structure of the public office, the nature of its business and the prevailing technological and regulatory environments;
• Staffed by personnel with appropriate skills;
• Implemented throughout the organisation; and
• Regularly measured with compliance audits in relation to recordkeeping standards, policies and procedures.