Archives of Manitoba
Government Records FAQs
Records Management
- Are there any records management legislative requirements or policies we have to follow?
- What is the best way to learn more about records management in the Manitoba government?
- Isn't the Archives' purpose to keep historical records? What does that have to do with records management?
- What does FIPPA have to do with records management?
Records Schedules
- How do I know what records schedules exist for our records?
- Our office has records that are not scheduled. What should we do?
- We still need our records -- why do we have to schedule them?
- Our office has records that don't need to be kept very long. Do we have to schedule them?
- Who is responsible for scheduling records?
- How long do records have to be kept?
Transfer and Retrieval of Physical Records
- I need to transfer physical records. What do I do?
- Can I send completed Government Records forms electronically?
- I need to retrieve records. How do I know if they are in the Records Centre or the Archives?
Management of Digital Records
- Can I transfer digital records to the Government Records Centre?
- Can I transfer archival digital records to the Archives of Manitoba?
Records Disposal
- Can I destroy records?
- • If we scan our records can we destroy the original paper records?
- • What should I do with extra copies that don't need to be kept?
- What about "Blue Bin" recycling?
- Can we shred our own records?
Records Management
Are there any records management legislative requirements or policies we have to follow?
Yes, The Archives and Recordkeeping Act indicates that the Archivist of Manitoba must establish policies, standards, and guidelines for recordkeeping. The Recordkeeping Framework for Departments and Agencies: Policies and Requirements (PDF) lays out 3 high-level policies and 20 corresponding requirements that government bodies subject to The Archives and Recordkeeping Act should be continually working towards meeting. The Act also requires departments and agencies to have records schedules in place to manage their records.
What is the best way to learn more about records management in the Manitoba government?
We recommend that everyone complete the Introduction to Records and Information Management in the Manitoba Government course. This course is available on the Learning Management System (LMS) for those with access to the system, and on our website as a YouTube video for those without access to the LMS.
Our webpages About Records and Recordkeeping and Managing Records in the Manitoba Government provide an overview of recordkeeping responsibilities with links to further guidance for more in-depth learning.
‘Outside the Box’ is our internal blog. We publish between 4-12 posts per year about various recordkeeping topics relevant to the Manitoba government and alert subscribers about new content on our website. If you are a government employee without intranet access, contact gro@gov.mb.ca to be added to the distribution list.
Isn't the Archives' purpose to keep historical records? What does that have to do with records management?
Yes, the Archives of Manitoba is the government's Archives, responsible for identifying, preserving, and making available records of enduring (archival) value to government and society.
But the Archives has another, related responsibility under legislation: "to promote and facilitate good recordkeeping respecting government records in order to support accountability and effective government administration."
There's good reason for this dual role. Any organization needs established policies and standards for records management, and government is no exception. At the same time, a comprehensive records management program enables the government to identify records of archival value in a systematic way, and to plan for their long-term preservation and use. The Archives takes a lead role in both areas through its integrated records management and archival program.
What does FIPPA have to do with records management?
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) provides a legal right of access to information held by public bodies (government), subject to certain specified exceptions, and protection of personal information that government may collect, use, and disclose. FIPPA requires public bodies to respond to requests for access to information according to the provisions of the Act. For more information see the FIPPA website.
FIPPA does not provide for the creation, retention, and disposition of government records. These records management requirements are governed by The Archives and Recordkeeping Act (ARA).
The two Acts address different aspects of government accountability but are related for practical reasons. Good recordkeeping enables government to locate information and respond to access requests under FIPPA. Also, information about records, which is collected and documented to meet the records management requirements of The Archives and Recordkeeping Act, is used by government to help locate information requested under FIPPA.
Records Schedules
How do I know what records schedules exist for our records?
Each government office should have copies of approved records schedules. A complete set of schedules is also maintained by the Records Coordinator for each department or agency. If your office is missing copies of its records schedules, contact your Records Coordinator.
Our office has records that are not scheduled. What should we do?
All records in government must be managed by approved records schedules. Instructions on how to prepare a records schedule are provided in Procedure GRO 1: Preparing Records Schedules (PDF). See also Records Schedules: What Managers Need to Know and Records Scheduling: The Recommended Approach (PDF).
We still need our records – why do we have to schedule them?
Records schedules identify records held by government, and provide an important inventory needed for planning, protecting, and providing access to records. Retention and disposition should be identified in advance for all active (current) records. Once this has been done, the approved schedules provide a plan for recordkeeping.
Retention requirements may affect how records are kept (i.e. their arrangement or format), so these requirements should be known from the time the records are created. The retention requirements set out in records schedules are business requirements that should be included in the planning of electronic systems. They should also be understood and taken into account when digitizing or converting records to other formats for current business purposes.
Records schedules identify records of archival value, and this allows government to plan for their permanent preservation.
Finally, The Archives and Recordkeeping Act requires government bodies to prepare records schedules for all records in their custody or control.
Our office has records that don't need to be kept very long. Do we have to schedule them?
Yes, all government records must be scheduled, regardless of how long they need to be kept or what format they are in (e.g. paper, electronic). Scheduled retention periods are meant to enable regular disposal of records as soon as all requirements to retain them have ended. Many routine administrative records are retained for short periods of time, and some records are scheduled for immediate disposition.
It is best to schedule all the records of an office at the same time. This allows managers and Archives to see the whole picture and makes it easier to determine appropriate retention periods for each series or group of records.
Who is responsible for scheduling records?
Under The Archives and Recordkeeping Act, government bodies are responsible for preparing records schedules for records in their custody or under their control. Schedules are prepared in consultation with the Archives (Government Records Office), according to guidelines established by the Archives. Schedules are approved by the Archivist of Manitoba. For more information on records scheduling, see Records Schedules: What Managers Need to Know (PDF), Records Scheduling: The Recommended Approach (PDF), and Procedure GRO 1: Preparing Records Schedules (PDF).
How long do records have to be kept?
There is no simple answer, because the length of time a record must be kept depends on the nature of the record and the circumstances of its creation and use. While some records have specific retention periods set by legislation, regulation, or professional standards, most do not.
How long a record must be kept has a lot to do with why the record is needed in the first place. A record provides evidence of 'who, what, when, and why' something happened. To determine how long this evidence may be needed, managers responsible for records should be aware of any formal rules or policies specifying retention periods, and should also consider:
- the need to account for actions and decisions;
- the need for evidence of financial or contractual obligations in order to avoid dispute or protect against liability;
- the need to refer to records of past actions in order to perform subsequent actions; and
- the longer-term need for information that supports program planning and evaluation.
Retention periods are usually applied to groups (series) of related records, since records are often interdependent. The records scheduling process assists managers in identifying records series and determining appropriate retention periods. The retention periods are documented in records schedules, which serve as ongoing authorities for retention and disposition of all records, including electronic records. For more information see Determining Retention Periods (PDF) and Procedure GRO 1: Preparing Records Schedules (PDF).
Transfer and Retrieval of Physical Records
I need to transfer records. What do I do?
The first step is to review Transferring Records to the Government Records Centre (video) and Procedure GRO 2: Transferring Government Records (PDF) (written). You should also have the current Records Transfer List forms and a complete set of approved records schedules for your office. If you don't have your records schedule, contact your department/agency Records Coordinator. The Records Coordinator will also be able to assist you with any questions about transferring records.
It is important to follow Procedure GRO 2 (PDF) and refer to the schedules. Lists that are incorrectly completed will be returned to your office causing a delay in the transfer of records.
Can I send completed Government Records forms electronically?
The forms are available in Word format so that information can be entered electronically. However, all forms must be signed before being submitted, so they must be printed, signed, and sent in paper form.
In future, we hope to have a system that will enable on-line submission of Records Transfer Lists and records schedules.
I need to retrieve records. How do I know if they are in the Records Centre or the Archives?
Refer to your copy of the original Records Transfer List. If your office does not have a copy of the list, contact your Records Coordinator.
If the disposal date shown on the list is a future date, the records are in semi-active storage at the Records Centre and may be retrieved for use in the department. See Procedure GRO 3: Retrieving Records (PDF) for instructions on how to retrieve records.
If the disposal action is Transfer to Archives and the disposal date has passed, contact Government and Private Sector Archives to request access to the records.
Management of Digital Records
Can I transfer digital records to the Government Records Centre?
The Government Records Centre provides storage for physical records only. Digital records that are no longer needed for active use but still have ongoing retention requirements must be maintained by the department/agency responsible. Unlike physical records, there are no plans to establish centralized ‘semi-active’ records storage capability for digital records. They will be maintained by the department responsible for the full retention period.
Can I transfer archival digital records to the Archives of Manitoba?
At this time, the Archives of Manitoba is not able to acquire, protect, and preserve digital records. Departments must protect digital records until the Archives can accept digital records transfers. This may include migrating formats and/or maintaining digital records using recommended records storage methods. For more information, see Recordkeeping Systems (PDF).
Records Disposal
Can I destroy records?
Only in accordance with approved records schedules. For instructions on how to dispose of records see Retaining and Disposing of Records.
If we scan our records can we destroy the original paper records?
No, not without an approved records schedule that allows for their destruction. If the records are unscheduled, the digitized records and the paper records must both be scheduled to provide for their retention and disposal. If you have digitized a group of records that is already under an approved records schedule, the schedule should be revised to update the information about your recordkeeping practices and to include a provision for managing the paper source records and the digital records. Depending on the nature of the records and the disposal action, some consideration may have to be given to determining the official recordkeeping copy.
For more information see Digitizing Records (PDF) and Digitizing Records, Appendix A – Business Needs Analysis (PDF).
Note: Paper source records are not transitory records (PDF) and cannot be transferred under a non-filed office paper schedule.
What should I do with extra copies that don't need to be kept?
“Copies” are government records and must be managed by approved records schedules.
Records are maintained in different offices for different reasons, and understandably, with the proliferation of digital records across various platforms and programs, there is going to be duplication all over government. That being said, each office is responsible for creating and maintaining records that provide evidence of, and information about, its functions and activities. Records are an integral part of government business and are the product of every process in every office – from the most routine administrative processes to unique program activities and services that government is mandated to perform.
If your office has extra copies that are legitimately transitory records and do not need to be kept, they can be disposed of under your department/agency non-filed office paper schedule or the government-wide schedule general records schedule for electronic transitory records. Please see our Transitory Records (PDF) fact sheet and Procedure GRO 2: Transferring Government Records (PDF).
What about "Blue Bin" recycling?
Paper collected in blue bins is not shredded before recycling, so confidential information is not protected. Therefore, blue bins should be used only for non-confidential office paper materials such as published government and non-government material (internet articles, press releases, research documents, manuals), envelopes, printed material (magazines, newspapers, flyers, calendars), printer paper wrapping, etc.
Can we shred our own records?
No. Office paper shredders are only approved for use in exceptional circumstances. Please see the Government Records Policy on Office Paper Shredders (PDF) for more information.
Offices located outside Winnipeg may use local shredding services for destruction of records under approved records schedules. As explained in Procedure GRO 2: Transferring Government Records (PDF), local destruction must be witnessed and officially documented.
