Time Table Alterations Announced: Expect Changes in Scheduling
Updating Records Disposition Authorities: A Comprehensive Guide for Agencies
In the realm of records management, staying up-to-date is essential. Here's a guide on how to update Records Disposition Authorities (RDDA) in response to changes, based on the latest guidelines from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
1. Review Existing Records Schedules
Agencies should regularly review their current records schedules, particularly those that are 10 years or older or no longer fit operational or legal needs. This review helps determine whether the existing disposition instructions remain effective given new circumstances like legislative changes or reorganizations.
2. Conduct a Records Inventory
Before updating RDDAs, a thorough inventory of records is necessary. Agencies identify where their records are located, the formats (paper, electronic, etc.), and collect consistent information about each record series or system. This inventory should also include non-records as they impact management practices.
3. Assess Impact of Changes
Changes in various aspects, such as legislation, program priorities, internal reorganizations, or automation, may necessitate updates to schedules. For instance, new laws or regulations affecting recordkeeping requirements or retention periods require schedules to be revised to ensure compliance with legal mandates.
4. Propose Updated Disposition Instructions
Records officers or managers develop updated disposition instructions that reflect the changed context (legal, operational, technological). These proposals must align with legal, fiscal, regulatory, and operational requirements to maintain preservation and disposition integrity.
5. Submit for Approval
Updated records schedules and RDDA requests are submitted to NARA for review and formal approval before implementation. This step ensures that retention periods and disposition methods are standardized and approved officially.
6. Documentation and Communication
The updated schedules and approvals should be documented clearly and communicated throughout the agency to ensure compliance and proper records management practices continue across all media types.
Maintaining Compliance
Updating RDDAs is an iterative, structured process that requires careful review, inventory, assessment of changes (legal and operational), proposal of new retention terms, and approval by the authorized records agency, ensuring records management remains legally compliant and operationally relevant.
Agencies are required to review and update their RDDAs annually. The schedule should contain disposition instructions for nonrecord materials, and the agency should review these instructions for accuracy and clarity and make any necessary changes. When a function is transferred to another agency, the creating agency should destroy all temporary records whose retention periods have expired before transferring the remaining records.
In case of changes in transfer instructions for records to agency storage areas, records centers, or the National Archives, agencies should not submit a schedule but simply send NARA a letter of request, citing the appropriate schedule. Agencies have 6 months to update their comprehensive schedule covering any applicable records when NARA issues a change to the General Records Schedule.
In essence, adhering to strict laws and government-wide policies to safeguard record integrity reflects best practices when updating records authorities. Following these guidelines ensures that records management remains efficient, compliant, and effective.
In the context of updating Records Disposition Authorities (RDDA), it's important for agencies to assess the impact of business and finance-related changes on their records, such as legislative modifications, reorganizations, or shifts in program priorities, as these factors can necessitate updates to schedule retention periods and disposition instructions.
Moreover, financial considerations are essential in updating RDDAs, as revised disposition instructions must align with fiscal requirements to maintain preservation and disposition integrity, ensuring that the agency's business operations remain efficient and compliant with legal mandates.
