We are working on an e-mail policy and I'm hoping to hear specifically
> from those in local or municipal government or similar organizations on
> quota sizes for mail boxes.  What is your quota?  Is it enforced or are
> there different rules for senior management?  Any and all replies are most
> appreciated.


John-

As you may have noticed, this issue comes up here from time to time, and
some of us routinely have the same response.  If you establish a limitation
based solely on the volume of information in storage or the time frame it
covers, that's DATA management, nor RECORDS management.   Records management
is based on content, and if the content in an e-mail indicates that it meets
the definition of a record for your organization, whether it's public,
private, or other, to establish retention on anything other than the value
of the content is not consistent with the practices of records management.

If you DO have a records retention schedule and a records management policy
in place that you follow for other records, to establish an independent one
for e-mail would result in an inconsistent manner of managing your records
overall.

As for records of senior officials, there may be different retention periods
for these records, but again, it's based on content and the nature of any
decisions, approvals, or actions addressed in the content.  In the US,
Federal Agencies have there retention periods set by NARA, unless they  use
the NARA guidance to develop their own Agency Specific schedules.  In
General Retention Schedule (GRS) 23, which addresses records that are common
to most all offices (which includes correspondence, schedules, calendars,
etc.) here is waht it says about records of senior officials:

[NOTE:  High level officials include the heads of departments and
independent agencies; their deputies and assistants; the heads of program
offices and staff offices including assistant secretaries, administrators,
and commissioners; directors of offices, bureaus, or equivalent; principal
regional officials; staff assistants to those aforementioned officials, such
as special assistants, confidential assistants, and administrative
assistants; and career Federal employees, political appointees, and officers
of the Armed Forces serving in equivalent or comparable positions.  Unique
substantive records relating to the activities of these individuals must be
scheduled by submission of an SF 115 to NARA.

In the SF115 process, a submitting Agency identifies the types of records
they are seeking a retention period for, identifies their content, use, and
suggests what hey feel is an appropriate retention period.  One Agency I'm
aware of
 did this and the response they received for Unique and Substantive Records
Documenting the Activities of Senior Officials was "PERMANENT".

( http://cio.energy.gov/records-management/adminrs.htm  Section 23, Item 5.1
)

Ans sure, it can be argued that e-mail may not be unique and substantive,
but if the e-mail is the only place a decision is documented, then it is.

Larry

-- 
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972

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