Table of Contents

1. What is records
management?
2. What is a record?
3. What is a basic record
cycle?
4. What is not a record?
5. What are your

RECORDS
department’s
responsibilities?
6. What are records
retention schedules?

MANAGEMENT 7. Next Steps

INTRODUCTION
1. What is Records Management?
Records Management &
Records Management is the process an office uses to create,
maintain, and preserve or destroy its records. A plan must be
Archives Program (RMAP)
in place for where the record will be kept, how long it should Email:
be kept, will it need to be preserved for historical reasons, or
ARC-RIM@ASRCLKREC.COM
will it eventually be destroyed? The County of Riverside
follows the Board of Supervisor policy A-43 in consideration Website:
of the provisions of Government Code. See policy A-43 for
http://rmap.asrclkrec.org/
details.

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 2. What is a record?
“Records” means all papers, maps, plans, photographic films and prints, microfilm, or other
micro-formats, electronic data, audio and visual materials, and other documents, regardless of
physical form or characteristics, which are produced, received, owned, used, or retained by a
department in the regular course of transacting official county business.

Records retention schedules apply to all records regardless of media or format. (Policy A-43
Section D.5. Records Retention Schedules – Standard – Retention Periods)

3. What is a basic record cycle?

Record is
destroyed
Record is
Record is Record is
created/
used stored
received
Record is
archived

1) Creation – when records are created or received

2) Use – when records are transmitted and used in the conduct of business (active)
3) Storage – when records are filed or stored allowing for recovery, protection of
integrity, ready for status and value evaluation (inactive)
4) Destruction – when records reach the end of their retention period and are safely
destroyed OR
5) Archival – when records are preserved with enduring value because they reflect
significant historical events, document the history and development of an agency, or
provide valuable research data.

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 4. What is not a record or Non-Records?
“Non-records” means duplicates or other copies of records made solely for convenience or
reference; working papers such as rough notes, calculations or drafts assembled created and
used in the preparation or analysis of other documents; appointment logs; stocks of blank
forms or publication; or library or museum material intended solely for reference or exhibit.
Materials used to facilitate operations but not to support, enable, or document administrative
action.

No duplicates or other copies of any records are to be retained longer than the mandatory
retention period for the official record. When records are disposed of by schedule,
departments will ensure no duplicates or other copies are retained. (Policy A-43 Section D.5.
Records Retention Schedules – Standard – Retention Periods)

Non-Records may be destroyed at any time. (Policy A-43 Section D.10.)

5. What are your department’s responsibilities?

The management of departmental records is the responsibility of the department. The
department head, or their designee, is responsible for implementing this policy and ensuring
that their employees complete records management training offered or approved by RMAP.
Departments develop their departmental guidelines, consistent with this policy and program
standards, to govern the management and use of their records, regardless of the records’
format, and to ensure adequate internal controls are in place to prevent the unauthorized use,
removal, disposition or loss of records. Records in the possession of the department are
governed by this policy and program standards, including the maintenance and adherence to
record retention schedules, submission of the annual assessment report in the form prescribed
by the program as specified under Section B.5, and the adoption of a trusted system as
appropriate. (Policy A-43 Section B.5.)

a. Provide and maintain an updated Authorized Signature List

b. Establish retention requirements and review annually
c. Submit for review and record destruction information
d. Submit any necessary documentation for extension of retention
e. Submit requests for extension if records are being held due to an audit or legal hold
f. Submit any requests for transfer to/from storage vendor (ACR Only)

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 6. What are records retention schedules – General and Departmental
A records retention schedule is a list of all categories of records produced or maintained by a
department, and the required and Board of Supervisors approved actions to be taken with
regards to those records, including establishing their retention period. (Policy A-43 Glossary)
General Records Retention Schedule (GRRS) – RMAP develops and maintains a general records
retention schedule for the county. The general records retention schedule provides the
authority for the disposition of records commonly found in most county departments. (Policy
A-43 Section D.7. Records Retention Schedules – Standard – Retention Periods)

Departmental Records Retention Schedule (DRRS) – Each department develops department-

specific records retention schedules to include records unique to their business. RMAP
provides the forms and procedures for inventorying records and developing the retention
schedule and provides guidance and assistance to departmental personnel.

7. Next Steps
Establishing the Program
a. Management Participation
b. Authorization List
c. Records Inventory

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