Email’s dual purpose of communication and record creation/keeping has created ambiguities with the status of email messages as records. The management of email systems touches on nearly all functions for which a government agency is dependent on record keeping, such as privacy, administration, vital records management, security, auditing, access, and archives. The need to manage email messages and systems properly, then, is the same as for other record keeping systems — to ensure compliance with Ohio laws concerning the creation and retention of, and access to, public records.
Government agencies that use electronic mail have an obligation to make employees aware that email messages, like paper records, must be retained and destroyed according to established records management procedures. Agencies should set up or modify email systems to facilitate electronic records management. Procedures and system configurations will vary according to the agency’s needs and the hardware and software in place. This email management training series will provide information and best practices on managing email. The training series is divided into four sections: Email as A Record, Email Clean-up Strategies, Email Filing and Organization, and Microsoft 365 Outlook Email Management.
The Email Management Series online training is for use by state and local government officials and employees. The training will take approximately one hour. The content was created by the Ohio Electronic Records Committee through grant funding provided by the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Note: A Certificate of Completion will not be provided for this training series at the end of Part Four.
Access the training modules for free at the links below:
- Part One: Email As A Record- https://www.screencast.com/t/yVTloreDNJh9
- Part Two: Email Clean-up Strategies-https://www.screencast.com/t/XVhcak84
- Part Three: Email Filing and Organization- https://www.screencast.com/t/FnwCFUlvkDk7
- Part Four: Microsoft 365 Outlook Email Management- https://www.screencast.com/t/3MtU9YtRVmk