Recent Updates From our Office

We would like to call your attention to three recent releases from our office. First, the GRS team has recently produced an updated version of the machine-implementable GRS file. This update adds a new field containing the full disposition instruction in text form. We produce this version of the GRS as a resource for agencies. … Continue reading Recent Updates From our Office

Machine-readable GRS Issued

Ferrite core plane assembly. Photograph taken October 14, 1959. Bubble Chamber-823. National Archives Identifier 22123102 Last week, we announced that our office has developed a version of the General Records Schedules in a comma separated values (CSV) format. We hope this will aid agencies in automating records disposition. The CSV format is software agnostic and … Continue reading Machine-readable GRS Issued

GRS uploaded to Data.Gov

We have posted searchable and manipulable versions of the General Records Schedules (GRS) in comma-separated value (.csv) format to test the usefulness of records schedule data in this format. The files contain the raw data, minus personally identifiable information (PII), exported from the Electronic Records Archives (ERA). The data files along with a data dictionary … Continue reading GRS uploaded to Data.Gov

Completion of Goal 3.2 of the Managing Government Records Directive

We are  pleased to announce the completion of another target from the Managing Government Records Directive. Target 3.2 of the Directive was to complete an overhaul of our General Records Schedule (GRS). This project is complete with publication of General Records Schedule (GRS) Transmittal 29 (.pdf).  We’ve now completely superseded the old GRS! GRS Transmittal … Continue reading Completion of Goal 3.2 of the Managing Government Records Directive

Top 5 Reasons Why NA-1005 Forms for Capstone Email Are Rejected for Registration

We have a few tips to assist agencies as they prepare an NA-1005 for approval to use GRS 6.1 and to ensure the process goes quickly and smoothly. The following list contains the top 5 reasons a NA-1005 might be returned for revisions after being submitted for registration. Not using the most recent form. The … Continue reading Top 5 Reasons Why NA-1005 Forms for Capstone Email Are Rejected for Registration

The Capstone Approach and Legacy Email

Agencies using GRS 6.1, Email Managed Under a Capstone Approach, are expected to apply items the agency uses to all existing email, including legacy email. Legacy email is defined as email that still exists in an electronic format, at the time of Capstone implementation (see GRS 6.1 FAQ #19). When submitting an NA-1005 form, agencies … Continue reading The Capstone Approach and Legacy Email

More flexibility for managing permanent email under GRS 6.1!

Transmittal 26 includes a revision to GRS 6.1, Email Managed Under a Capstone Approach, that provides a more flexible period for transferring permanent email to NARA. Agencies raised concerns about transferring records containing highly sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) 15 years after cutoff. The new instructions provide a retention band, allowing agencies to select … Continue reading More flexibility for managing permanent email under GRS 6.1!

Making Use of GRS Crosswalks

The following post is from the GRS Team. New schedules published in General Records Schedule (GRS) Transmittals are not one-to-one replacements of old schedules.  Crosswalks provide temporary bridges to help agencies understand what has changed in the GRS and how to convert superseded authorities to new authorities.  Once the new GRS is completed and in place … Continue reading Making Use of GRS Crosswalks

Update on FAR and GRS

In AC 31.2015, we discussed the fact that the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) had not yet caught up with General Records Schedule (GRS) 1.1, published September 2014 in GRS Transmittal 23.  This resulted in the FAR and the GRS stating different retention periods for records. We are pleased to announce that these necessary alterations to … Continue reading Update on FAR and GRS

Flexible Retentions in the GRS

Here is the next tip from our GRS Team.  Flexible retentions in the GRS: Your new best friend Many new GRS disposition instructions look like this:  “Destroy when 3 years old, but longer retention is authorized if required for business use.”  Some reviewers have criticized us for this latitude, and recommended that we state a … Continue reading Flexible Retentions in the GRS