(gentle music)
- [Instructor] Okay, you've been on the job long enough
to have learned the basics, what the job involves,
who's really in charge,
what not to order from the building cafeteria,
who to seek out, and who to avoid.
This might now be a good time to review
the five things you need to know
about the federal records that you create, receive, and use.
Number one, have you started to accumulate
too much information?
Ask yourself, can some of my older records
be legally destroyed or deleted?
The answer will be found in your records retention schedule.
The retention schedule is an officially
approved policy document that lists the types of records
created and used by agency staff,
along with mandatory disposition instructions.
If you need a copy of the schedule,
please ask one of your records management resources.
See tip number five below.
Can my paper records be stored in an offsite storage?
Perhaps you can use the Federal Records Center
or other authorized record storage vendor.
Your agency may have contracted
or otherwise provided for the offsite storage
of inactive records that you legally must still retain.
Number two, is it starting to get difficult finding things?
Maybe you let your file maintenance routines slip a bit.
We know that you've been busy,
but how about spending that next quiet Friday afternoon
doing some records remedial work.
Review and implement your office file plan
for both your paper records in the filing cabinets
and those electronic records on your shared drive
to accomplish this task.
The file plan is your office's guidance
for retention policy, filing arrangements, privacy status,
and other relevant instructions
in a simple to follow summary document.
You might be surprised to find those long lost files
that you've been looking for.
Number three, are you starting
to lose control of your email?
By now, you probably have a large collection of emails.
Maybe it's time to manage that collection.
Ask yourself, is this email an official federal record?
If so, what is the retention period?
Has your agency adopted the capstone approach
for managing email?
It probably has.
If so, familiarize yourself
with how capstone is being implemented
and how it could impact your email management.
We're confident that your delete key
will be put to good use.
Number four, are you adequately documenting your work?
How did you do with that recent FOIA request
that was sent your way?
Spend some time with our first three things to know,
and we're sure that you'll be able
to document your work more comprehensively,
and that makes for a quick response
to those requests for information.
Are your records the stuff of history?
If the records retention schedule tells you that they are,
you'll want to separate your permanent records
from the temporary ones.
If you have permanent records,
they will eventually be transferred
to the National Archives.
Besides, when that job promotion
or retirement eventually comes,
you'll have provided a great headstart for your successor.
Number five, you have resources
to help you manage your records.
Finally, keep in mind that there are always
resources at your disposal.
As a federal employee, you are not alone.
All you need to do
is identify your local records management contacts,
your regional resources,
and headquarters records management staff.
Also talk with your colleagues.
And for federal wide guidelines,
check out the website of the National Archives
and Records Administration.
Take these basic records management steps,
and you'll more quickly find the information you need
to ensure that the next stages of your career
will be even more successful.