I cannot answer why these two terms are included, but the four categories
have been drummed into me from day one and that was a long time ago. They
are probably kept separate because they represent two different functional
groups within an organization.

I would always contact the financial folks so we could determine whether the
records were subject to audit and how long it took until the audits took
place etc. Legal would help me determine whether there were any statutory
requirements, whether there was pending litigation etc. Each group was aware
of their own specific requirements but would not necessarily know the others
requirements.

By laying the 4 areas out it reminded the records manager to look to both
legal and finance for needed retention information. Of the four areas
finance and legal are usually the most aware of the hard retention times.
Adminsitrative needs and archival needs are always much more subjective.  In
some ways I wonder if we shouldn't add a fifth group, that being IT. If only
to understand how the electronic record is being stored, indexed etc.

Bob

Robert F. Nawrocki CRM
Innovate and Infuriate
My opinions are my own and not my employers.






>From: David Gaynon <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Records Management Program <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Theoretical Question on Retention Model
>Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 09:06:30 -0700
>
>I have a question for my fellow records managers on the list. My
>understanding is that retention requirements are commonly derived from
>legal, business, fiscal, and sometimes historical needs for evidence.  Why
>are legal and fiscal separate categories when fiscal requirements are
>typically defined by laws and regulations.  Is this just the way some
>archivist (Schellenberg maybe) laid it out back in the olden days?  If
>anyone knows the answer to this one I would greatly appreciate it.
>
>Dave Gaynon
>[log in to unmask]
>
>List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
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