watech.wa.gov Records Management In a nutshell

watech.wa.gov What’s a record? A record is anything you create in the course of doing your work – Everything from a scribble on a post-it note to a document – Paper and electronic – Personal computer and work computer – Everything Only work related stuff are records if you use your personal computer or mobile devices The hard question is: how long are we suppose to keep them

watech.wa.gov What about retention? Depends on the content of the record… no, not whether it’s electronic or not. That’s irrelevant Records are to be kept according to the official “record retention schedule” schedules.aspx schedules.aspx It’s your job to know the schedule & keep records accordingly There is also such a thing as “transitory records” which you only have to keep for as long as they’re useful

watech.wa.gov Retention common sense Be consistent Obviously important stuff has a retention period like: – Plans, project plans, roadmaps – QA reports, records that document, assess, or summarizes something – things supporting key decisions Stupid stuff doesn’t (transitory value) If it’s a transitory record you can dump it whenever The clock start may not be obvious for some things – Project documents retention start at the end of the project…not when the records were created

watech.wa.gov Where are records stored? Key value: store records so that the agency (not just you) can find it when responding to a public disclosure request Records (especially those with a retention period) need to be stored in a “system of record” – A recognized system that people are able to search – So that we can be responsive to public record requests Systems of record: s, file shares, etc Not systems of record: some random web service we’re using Records created outside of the systems of record must be copied to the system of record Systems of record are documented in the GlassFrog notes for the role that has accountability for e-gov recordsnotes

watech.wa.gov Experimenting vs records management You can totally be innovative and experimental even with all the rules around records Just ask yourself (and answer) these questions: – What is the record retention of the records I’ll be creating? – How will I get those records copied out? – Similarly, how will I get records out of the system if I get a records request? – Is there a way to automate the copying of records out into a system of record? If yes, the sweet! – Of course, is the data category 3 or 4? If yes then you have work to do. Public URLs to the records counts as disclosed. Check. Done!!

watech.wa.gov Category 3 and 4 Category 1 - Public Information Public information is information that can be or currently is released to the public. Category 2 - Sensitive Information Sensitive information may not be specifically protected from disclosure by law and is for official use only. Category 3 - Confidential Information Confidential information is information that is specifically protected from disclosure by law. It may include but is not limited to: – a. Personal information about individuals, regardless of how that information is obtained. – b. Information concerning employee personnel records. – c. Information regarding IT infrastructure and security of computer and telecommunications systems. Category 4 - Confidential Information Requiring Special Handling Confidential information requiring special handling is information that is specifically protected from disclosure by law and for which: – a. Especially strict handling requirements are dictated, such as by statutes, regulations, or agreements. – b. Serious consequences could arise from unauthorized disclosure, such as threats to health and safety, or legal sanctions.

watech.wa.gov Public Disclosure Everything is publically disclosable Unless it’s specifically excluded: – The ATG has a great summary and list of exclusions: – Some relevant examples: – Personnel records – Taxpayer info – Banking info – Investigative records – Test and exam questions and answers – Public employee personal contact information – Security info like passwords, risk assessments, etc – Several others

watech.wa.gov Handling Public Record requests Anyone can make a request – Can be in any form like phone, , in person WaTech must respond within five days If you think you may have receive a request, or You’re not sure if it’s really a request Then, contact the agency Public Records Officer