AC 29.2012

September 7, 2012

MEMORANDUM TO FEDERAL AGENCY RECORDS OFFICERS: Semi-annual Report on Scheduling Electronic Records

NARA Bulletin 2010-02 reminds Federal agencies of their continuing responsibility to schedule all their electronic records series and electronic systems, including web site content records. The bulletin also requires agencies to report to NARA semi-annually on the status of their electronic records scheduling activities, in March and September. The bulletin is available on the NARA web site at http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2010/2010-02.html.

I would like to remind you that your agency's electronic records scheduling report is due for FY 2012 on October 5, 2012. If you submitted a report in March 2012, please update your report so we have your complete data for FY 2012. To make this task a bit simpler, NARA has developed an online reporting utility for you to enter the data documenting your agency's status in scheduling your existing electronic records. You will receive an e-mail with a link to the online reporting tool. Once in the tool, you will find more detailed instructions on how to complete your agency's report. If you have any technical questions related to using the online tool, please contact Shannon Olsen at shannon.olsen@nara.gov.

In addition to the aggregate data for your agency, please submit inventories or spreadsheets to your appraisal archivist that lists: (a) the name of the electronic records series and/or system, (b) a brief description, and (c) the scheduling status (i.e., pending NARA approval or drafted but not submitted to NARA). This information will be used to validate data entered into the tool, and to assist NARA staff in evaluating scheduling workload.

In November of this year, NARA will develop summary information based on your March and September submissions that will be included in NARA's annual Performance and Accountability Report (PAR), which is posted on the NARA web site and transmitted to OMB and to Congress. It is our intention to provide a fair account of all the good work achieved, and to acknowledge where agencies have not met the requirements of NARA Bulletin 2010-02.

If you have any questions about this report, please contact your appraisal archivist who can provide any additional information you might need. If you have any general questions on the bulletin, please contact Laurence Brewer, Director, National Records Management Program, at laurence.brewer@nara.gov. If you do not know who your assigned appraisal archivist is, you will find a list of these contacts on the NARA web site at http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/appraisal/.

Finally, I also want to take the opportunity to inform you that pursuant to the Presidential Records Management Directive (M-12-18) dated August 24, 2012 - NARA will complete a review of all of its records management reporting requirements and produce a report template for a single report that each Senior Agency Official (SAO) will send to me commencing on October 1, 2013.

PAUL M. WESTER, JR.
Chief Records Officer for the
U.S. Government