We are pleased to announce the first two agencies approved to use General Records Schedule (GRS) 6.1 for email managed under a Capstone approach are the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).
Goal 1.2 of the Managing Government Records Directive (M-12-18) (.pdf) requires all agencies to manage permanent and temporary email records in an electronic format by December 31, 2016. To assist agencies in reaching this goal, we released Bulletin 2013-02 establishing the Capstone approach. Capstone allows agencies to manage and schedule email records based on the role or position of the email account owner. GRS 6.1 provides disposition authority for email records managed under a Capstone approach.
The GRS 6.1 schedule applies only to Federal agencies implementing a Capstone approach as described in this GRS. If an agency is implementing a Capstone approach but using a different disposition from what is provided in this GRS, the agency must submit a records schedule. The public can track, view, and download data on how agencies are choosing to manage their email on our Agency Email Management web page.
Before implementing GRS 6.1, agencies must fill out and submit a form NA-1005, Verification for Implementing GRS 6.1, to us and receive approval. The NA-1005 requires agencies to list their Capstone officials (roles and positions that create permanent emails records) and NARA vets them. Once the form has been approved, we make the information on the form available on Git Hub. Since the NA-1005 form is a PDF (static, closed document), NARA is making the information available on Git Hub to allow the public to search and download the data. This also is a commitment we made in the Third National Action Plan for Open Government (.pdf) last Fall.