Managing government information

Active records services

Records management services and processes that support day-to-day business operations and decision making, including:

• file folder maintenance
• document preparation and filing
• access requests and request tracking
• file manual maintenance
• annual file room cleanup
• file room orientation

Detailed information on active records services provided to Government of Alberta clients is available through the Service Catalogue (login required).

Alberta Records Management Committee (ARMC) guidance

The ARMC provides guidance and direction to government organizations on the records management program through the following documents:

Notices of Change

• Managing Records Impacted by Appraisal for Selection (PDF, 206 KB) – December 21, 2018

Circulars

• Administrative Records Disposition Authority (ARDA) Amendment #17 (PDF, 178 KB)
• ARMC Schedule Review Guidelines – 2004-03 (PDF, 130 KB)
• Application of Justice Records Schedules to Justice Lawyers' Records at Seconded Offices – 2018-002 (PDF, 91 KB)
• Backups – Scheduling and Disposition – 2008-004 (PDF, 46 KB)
• Date Range Amendments to Records Retention and Disposition Schedules – 95/96-007 (PDF, 53 KB)
• Delegation of Responsibility to the Secretary – 2016-003 (PDF, 289 KB)
• Destruction of Purged Disciplinary Records – 2010-004 (PDF, 127 KB)
• Disposition of Imaged Source Records – 2009-01 (PDF, 29 KB)
• Documenting Concurrence Conditions – 2016-001 (PDF, 177 KB)
• Duplicate Certificates of Title – 2004-04 (PDF, 79 KB)
• Ending the creation of one-time schedules – 2019-001 (PDF, 81 KB)
• FOIP References in Records Schedules – 2009-02 (PDF, 26 KB)
• Inadvertent Destruction of Records – 2018-001 (PDF, 245 KB)
• Justice Lawyers' Records and FOIP Requests – 2015-002 (PDF, 36 KB)
• Management and Disposition of Ministers’ Records – 96/97-004 (PDF, 43 KB)
• Ministers’ Records Created Prior to April 1995 – 2006-01 (PDF, 47 KB)
• Ministers’ Records Created Since April 1995 – 2006-12 (PDF, 48 KB)
• Mixed Box Conditions Resulting from ARDA Amendments – Update – 2006-03 (PDF, 83 KB)
• Roles and Responsibilities during Litigation and Discovery – 2014-001 (PDF, 143 KB)
• Senior Records Officer Appointments and Signing Authority for Records Scheduling and Disposition Documentation – 2016-002 (PDF, 39 KB)
• Transfer of Approved Records Schedules – 2002-02 (PDF, 159 KB)
• Transfer of Confidential Transitory Records for Destruction – 2002-01 (PDF, 130 KB)

Classification

Classification scheme development

• detailed information on classification development services provided to Government of Alberta clients is available through the Service Catalogue (login required)

Content management

Content Inventory Guideline

• Outlines the approach that must be used to conduct a content inventory

Content Inventory Facilitator Manual

• Outlines the processes and materials involved in the Consultation/Validation Phase of the inventory process, and includes important information that will assist in preparing for, conducting, and concluding consultation meetings

Document Naming Conventions

• outlines the recommended naming conventions for documents

Information Handling When Decommissioning Systems and Applications

• guidance on decommissioning Government of Alberta systems and applications
• high-level overview of scenarios that require the migration of GoA data and information
• instructions to meet information management obligations (such as the proper application of records retention and disposition schedules)

Information Lifecycle (PDF, 82 KB)

• a visual representation of the stages of information management lifecycle
• Government of Alberta policies, processes, guidelines, and procedures must be followed to effectively manage information at each stage of its lifecycle

Information Management Planning

• intended for those responsible for information management within Government of Alberta ministries
• helps to assess the current state of information management in a ministry
• aids in developing ministry information management plans that align with the Information Management Strategy

Managing records in a unified communications (UC) environment

• provides guidance on how to manage Government of Alberta records in a unified communication environment

Safeguarding government information

• provides guidance on how to safeguard information and ensure sensitive information is only accessed by those that are authorized to do so

Management of Instant and Text Messages Directive

• details the information management obligations for all Government of Alberta staff (which includes, but is not limited to, contractors, volunteers, appointees, interns and students working with a public body) when handling instant and/or text messages

Email management

For tip sheets and guides on how to quickly and effectively manage your email environment through automation and preferred practices, refer to IMT Policy Instruments.

Forms management

Enterprise Information Management is responsible for managing the design, development, maintenance, storage and distribution of an inventory of electronic and paper forms used by both the Government of Alberta and the general public.

Detailed information on the forms management services provided to Government of Alberta clients is available through the Service Catalogue (login required).

Government reorganization

The senior records officer is responsible for completing these transfers.

Managing Information During a Government Reorganization

• lists information management activities to complete following an election or a government reorganization

Records Schedule Reconciliation Instructions (PDF, 387 KB)

• details instructions for transferring approved, cancelled, expired and draft records schedules, and for deleting draft records schedules that are no longer required

Imaging management

Enterprise Information Management is responsible for:

• creating and maintaining a list of vendors who provide digitization services
• offering advisory services on digitization best practices
• providing subject matter expertise for digitization projects

Detailed information on imaging management services provided to Government of Alberta clients, such as document digitization or microform conversion, is available through the Service Catalogue (login required).

Inactive records storage

Enterprise Information Management oversees the storage and management of inactive records. Inactive records are records that are no longer needed to support day-to-day operations, and are maintained in secure off-site locations. All stored government information must be retained until it can either be destroyed or sent to the Provincial Archives of Alberta.

Detailed information on inactive records storage services provided to Government of Alberta clients is available through the Service Catalogue (login required).

Records in ministers’ offices

The nature of information found in ministers’ offices requires strong foundational guidelines to protect it from security and privacy risks.

Managing Records in Ministers’ Offices Guideline

• offers specific guidance for managing the information produced and used in ministers’ and deputy ministers’ offices

Managing Records in Ministers’ Offices Presentation (PDF, 734 KB)

• details information on records management and the FOIP Act, focusing on ministers’ and deputy ministers’ offices

Records retention and disposition schedules

Guidance

Enterprise Information Management provides advice to ministries on the development of all records retention and disposition schedules, and secretariat support to the ARMC.

Detailed information on schedule development services provided to Government of Alberta clients is available through the Service Catalogue (login required).

Developing Records Retention and Disposition Schedules (PDF, 1.4 MB)

• offers guidance on the Government of Alberta’s approach to scheduling and techniques for developing high quality schedules

Preparation of Records Schedules for the Disposition of Imaged Source Records (PDF, 597 KB)

• offers guidance on the management of source documents that have been converted into a digital format, since older records schedules may not provide guidelines for disposing scanned records

Enterprise-wide schedules

These schedules can be used by all Government of Alberta ministries, agencies, boards and commissions:

Administrative Records Disposition Authority (ARDA) – 1986/050-A018 (PDF, 831 KB)

• may be used as a records retention and disposition schedule for common administrative records in Alberta government ministries and agencies

Backup Systems – 2003/043-A001 (PDF, 50 KB)

• provides a common approach to backups for all ministries, agencies, boards and commissions of the Government of Alberta
• provides a legal disposition authority to dispose of the records associated with the backup process, and the content of the backups

Executive Office Records – 2007/020-A002 (PDF, 207 KB)

• used for records relating to executive actions made in support of legislated mandates and corporate governance

Legal Services – 2017-004 (PDF, 115 KB)

• used for records relating to Legal Services Division's legal and strategic activities across the Government of Alberta

Action Requests – 1992/129-A001 (PDF, 38 KB)

• used for responses to action requests received from Ministers' Offices

Ministers' Offices – 2002/041-A001 (PDF, 35 KB)

• used for ministry and cabinet records that are generated or received by ministers in their capacity as ministers of the crown

Transitory Records – 1995/007-A002 (PDF, 158 KB)

• used to delegate authority to destroy or delete transitory records to every Government of Alberta employee
• transitory records containing sensitive or confidential information must be securely destroyed or deleted

Damaged Records Schedule 2011/002-A002 (PDF, 55 KB)

• used for records that have been damaged (for example: harmed, contaminated or spoiled) during a disaster

Senior records officer

A senior records officer (SRO) is responsible for implementing the records management program in each ministry, agency, board and commission. A list of contact information for each SRO (PDF, 341 KB), listed by organization, is maintained by Enterprise Information Management.

Supporting applications

Enterprise Information Management administers the following applications to support the delivery of information management services to government clients (login required):

Forms Client Relationship Management (CRM)

• manages the forms management process, from client request through the design, development, testing, reviewing and publishing stages

Government of Alberta Central Forms Repository (CFR)

• provides a restricted access point to internal government forms for employees, contractors and agents of the Government of Alberta

Inactive Records Information System (IRIS)

• assists Government of Alberta organizations with moving inactive records to the Alberta Records Centre for storage or direct final disposition

Online Records Retrieval System (ORRS)

• assists Government of Alberta organizations with requesting inactive records from the Alberta Records Centre

Records Scheduling System (RSS)

• facilitates the development, review, appraisal, approval and amendment of records retention and disposition schedules

Transfers and disposition

Enterprise Information Management supports the systematic and controlled disposal of the Government of Alberta’s information assets, including:

• facilitating destruction of paper or electronic records
• transferring records to the Provincial Archives of Alberta for preservation
• suspending disposal in response to legal holds

Detailed information on transfer and disposition services provided to Government of Alberta clients is available through the Service Catalogue (login required).

Government of Alberta employees must identify records, and determine when to retain valuable information assets and when to dispose of obsolete information. Refer to Official and Transitory Records: A Guide for Government of Alberta Employees.

Government of Alberta employees must dispose of electronic records on shared drives and SharePoint according to government procedures. Refer to the IMT Policy Instruments for more information.

Vital records

Use these resources to assist in the development of vital records programs that support business continuity planning in the Government of Alberta.

Identifying Potential Vital Records (PDF, 159 KB)

• describes 5 main categories of vital records to consider

Vital Records Coordinator Role: Potential Responsibilities (PDF, 235 KB)

• outlines tasks a vital records coordinator may be asked to participate in or organize

Vital Records Coordinator’s Contacts (PDF, 140 KB)

• provides a template to collect relevant business continuity contact information

Vital Records Inventory, Part 1: High-Level Organization Summary (PDF, 139 KB)

• provides a template to identify vital records that support critical, vital, necessary and desired services

Vital Records Inventory, Part 2: Detailed Records Information (PDF, 186 KB)

• provides a template to detail the series title, use and medium of the vital records identified in Vital Records Inventory, Part 1

Contact Enterprise Information Management

For further details or inquiries about the Government of Alberta’s information management program and services, contact [email protected].