What information do I need to keep?

Managing your email, electronic and paper documents

  • Business Value Information

    Provides solid evidence as to why we made business decisions and captures our daily activities that support ESDC's mandate.

    The Directive on Recordkeeping defines an information resource of business value as published and unpublished materials, regardless of medium or form, that are created or acquired because they enable and document decision-making in support of programs, services and ongoing operations, and support departmental reporting, performance and accountability requirements.

    Source: Directive on Recordkeeping

    Action and Examples

    Keep it and Move it to a Central location

    • Final reports (Technical, presentations, Business cases etc.)
    • Records of decisions and supporting documentation
    • Briefing notes
    • Work Plans
  • Reference Information

    Duplicate information used to enhance day-to-day activities.

    Duplicate information used to enhance day-to-day activities. For example:

    • Journal articles and publications created outside of the department and accessible on the intranet
    • Copies of reports or documents created outside ESDC

    Action and Examples

    Chuck it when action is complete

    • Reference materials
    • Articles
    • Publications
    • Copies of reports outside ESDC
  • Transitory Information

    Information used for casual communication or preparation of a subsequent record.

    Transitory records are those information resources that are required only for a limited time to ensure the completion of a routine action or the preparation of a subsequent record. They do not include records required by government institutions or Ministers to control, support, or document the delivery of programs, to carry out operations, to make decisions, or to account for activities of government.

    Examples and definition for transitory records

    Transitory records are not of business value. They may include records that serve solely as convenience copies of records held in a government institution repository, but do not include any records that are required to control, support, or document the delivery of programs, to carry out operations, to make decisions, or to provide evidence to account for the activities of government at any time.

    (Source: Disposition Authorization #2016/001 for Transitory Records, Section A.2)

    Action and Examples

    Chuck it on a regular basis

    • Personal emails
    • Duplicate emails or documents
    • Versions of documents once final is complete