State of Nebraska Email Management –

MS Outlook / Exchange 2010 (name)

(title)(agency/division)

(date)

Records Management is the systematic control of records

through creation, receipt, maintenance, use and

disposition.

Records Management (RM)

Email is electronic communication Retention is based on the ‘content’

Is NOT saving all email forever

Is NOT setting arbitrary time limits for all messages

Is NOT managing based on available mail box size

Is NOT declaring ‘email’ a records series

Is NOT a ‘do-nothing’ strategy

Email Management

Records must be classified, stored, and disposed consistent with business, legal historical and financial requirements

NE SOS approved Records Retention and Disposition Schedules provide the guidelines

State of Nebraska Microsoft Outlook / Exchange 2010 System has default retention policies / tags

Users perform email management based on the message content and apply policies/tags to folders and/or individual emails

Records Management & Email Management

List of records that determines length a record is retained and provides the final disposition requirements

Schedules are developed based on business, legal, financial and historical requirements for the record as determined by agencies and/or the state

Schedules are your ONLY ongoing statutory authority to dispose of records

Retention Schedules

6 default retention policies/tags

Email System Default Retention Policies & Tags

Series developed to provide retention guidance for communication not covered in agency specific schedules

Check your agency specific schedule(s) before using this series to determine your email retention requirements

Schedule 124 – Communication Series

124-034 Communications, Nonrecord – Not related to state government transactions or activities

124-035 Communications, Short-Term (6 months) – Related to the business or operations of your office, but has no documentary or evidentiary value

124-033 Communications, Medium-Term (2 years) – Business/Operational requiring you to take a action or make a decision, but no long-term significance

Communication – Schedule 124 items

124-031 Communications, Fiscal (5 years) – Documents purchases, financial obligations, fiscal revenue ◦ Also see, 124-052 Enterprise Data For Government Efficiency (EDGE)

124-032 Communications, Long –Term (8 Years) – Establish or implement policy, establish legal rights/responsibilities, document major transactions or has long-term significance for business/operations

124-030 Communications, Event-Driven (Date + Retention) – Open ended, event-driven retention which occurs at some future date

Communication – Schedule 124 items (cont.)

Email containing:

◦ Content with open ended, event-driven requirements where retention is ‘triggered’ by a future date or event

◦ Content under a legal or potential litigation HOLD requirement

◦ State Employees designated with significant historical roles within their agency by the State Archivist

(See the NE State Historical Society Communications/Correspondence Guideline)

Email under this designation requires manual review and management at the conclusion of an event

Management of Records Under HOLD - Event (Never) Policy/Tag”

Decision Tree

Email Content RecommendationList/Serv NonRecord – No Retention Required

Email Response“Hours of Operation”

14 Days

Email Response“Makes Recommendation or Decision”

2 Years

Contract Negotiations HOLD - Event (Never)(5 Years after End of Contract - Manual Management)

Vacation /Sick Leave Request Received Approval – 5 YearsSent Request – 14 Days

Internal Procedure Clarification 2 Years

Policy Development and Decisions 8 Years

Feedback on Reports or Studies 2 Years

Electronic Magazines/Subscriptions < 6 Months or Less (Value – Professional Interest)

Professional Reference Materials – Received or Sent < 6 Months or Less (Value – Professional Interest)

Projects HOLD – Event (Never)( 5 Years after Project Conclusion – Manual Management)

Email Content and Retention Recommendations

State Archives Guideline for Communication/Correspondence

Default Retention Policies/Tags

Automated email disposal based on rules and the system cycling process

Manual Management for some email

Parent folders with assigned Retention determine disposition for sub-folders & email unless:

Sub-folder given a different RM policy or individual email tagged with a different RM requirement

MS Outlook / Exchange 2010 RM Information

MS Outlook / Exchange 2010 allows end users:

◦ Management of email

◦ By applying retention policies/rules to folders and or individual email

◦ Allows flexibility in development of personal folder organization/structure

MS Outlook / Exchange 2010 Email Management

Assign a retention policy to folders:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click a mail folder.

2. On the Folder tab, in the Properties group, click Policy.

3. On the Policy tab, in the Folder Policy list, click an entry based on your agency’s schedules/guidelines.

***NOTE: All subfolders and individual emails within folders will assume the retention rule of folder. It is possible to modify sub-folders and individual emails within folder. But when this is done, the sub-folder retention and/or individual email retention will override the ‘parent’ folder rule.

Folder Retention Policies

Individual Email Tagging

Assign a retention policy to email messages:

1. In the message list, click a message.

2. On the Home tab, in the Tags group, click Assign Policy.

3. Under Retention Policy, click an entry based on your organization’s guidelines.

***NOTE: The retention policy for a message appears in the header in the Reading Pane under the recipient names and includes the expiration date. If no retention policy is applied, no information appears under the message recipient names.

Email Designated as EVENT

◦Manual management required

◦Must track based on “trigger”

◦Once “trigger” has occurred:

Assign policy

Or move to appropriate folder to initiate retention clock

Event Folder – Manual Management

Other Options and Guidance

Common E-mail Tips Compose too quickly. Don't be careless; write all e-mail as though

Grandma reads it.

Hitting "reply all" unintentionally. This is a biggie. And it's not just embarrassing.

E-mail when you're angry. NEVER DO IT!

Subject Line Importance. Use brief, meaningful and descriptive subject lines. Change the subject line if you change the topic.

Sending Prematurely. Enter the recipient's e-mail address AFTER your e-mail is ready. This helps reduce the risk of an embarrassing misfire, such as sending an important e-mail to the wrong person or e-mailing a half-written note.

Forgetting or Sending the wrong attachment. Creates duplicate effort & clutters the system.

Not reviewing all new messages before replying. When you return to the office after a week away, review all new e-mails before firing responses.

Including your full e-mail signature in a response again and again. No need, adds clutter.

Failing to include basic greetings. Simple pleasantries; “hello" and "thanks“.

Nebraska SOS – Records Management Division440 South 8th Street, Suite #210

Lincoln, NE 68508Website Addresses - http://www.sos.state.ne.us/dyindex.html

Duane Doppler, CRM - Electronic Records Managerduane.dopper@nebraska.gov OR 402-471-2747

NE State Historical Society (State Archives)

Gayla Koerting, State Archivist & Curator of Government Records

gayla.koerting@nebraska.gov OR 402-471-4785

RESOURCES

QUESTIONS