Bill makes a good point that maintaining disposition management information
may reveal discrepancies. At the same time, inconsistencies in recordkeeping
practices -- e.g., maintaining such records in some instances -- opens up a
recordkeeping system to attack as much or more than having a uniform practice
and showing due diligence in striving to minimize discrepancies through
efforts to have and follow good policies, procedures, processes, systems, training
and practices. In my opinion, disposition records are by definition archival
records that give evidence that such records existed and were properly
managed through their ultimate disposition. This is articulated in an old paper
that may still be interesting to people concerned with this issue, "Electronic
Documents and Records Management Systems: Toward a Methodology for
Requirements Definition" that can be found in the Other Papers section of mybestdocs. I
continue to be interested in the views of others on this important subject.
Regards,
Rick
Rick Barry
_www.mybestdocs.com_ (http://www.mybestdocs.com/)
Cofounder, Open Reader Consortium
_www.openreader.org_ (http://www.openreader.org)
In a message dated 4/5/2006 12:01:37 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
Of Roach, Bill J.
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 8:41 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Documenting destruction of records
>>I believe that it is of prime importance to track every type of record
that is destroyed at least to the records series and date
preferably a file by file listing.<<
I think that in some instances, a file by file inventory of destroyed
records may be appropriate. However, I don't believe it should be the
norm. I see the danger as this: The greater the level of detail, the
more opportunities for finding discrepancies. It is not hard to argue
that a specific file was overlooked when talking of the collective
disposal of thousands of files. It is much more difficult to argue that
a file does not exist when several that are specifically listed as being
destroyed are found during a discovery process.
Bill R
Bill Roach, CRM
Enterprise EDMS Coordinator
State of North Dakota
ITD/Records Management
701-328-3589
(http://www.openreader.org/)
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
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