Contents
Main Things to Remember about Managing Email
Other Relevant Toolkit Sections
Main Things to Remember about Managing Email
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Emails can be records and those which are must be managed in the same way as paper records and other electronic records.
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Use an EDRM system or your paper files to manage email records, not the email system itself (e.g. your Inbox or personal folders).
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When an email is a record and is created internally, the originator is responsible for filing it.
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When an email is a record and is created externally, the recipient is responsible for filing it.
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Actively manage your emails by regularly filing emails which are records and deleting ephemera, personal emails etc. (non-record emails).
Many UN records are created and received in the UN Lotus Notes email system. Emails which are records must be managed in the same way as any others (i.e. those which are electronic mail records ). All UN staff should aim to manage electronic messages effectively to expedite communications, reduce paperwork and automate routine office tasks. This includes:
• Passing on messages for action and information to other staff as appropriate
• Acting on email as appropriate
• Retaining email for as long as and no longer than required
Not all emails are records but it is important to ensure that those which are, are captured into your recordkeeping system. Generally, email messages can be divided into two main categories:
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covering emails, personal emails, and routine email (which do not need to be retained) – these are ‘non-record emails', often ephemera or personal emails
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emails which communicate decisions and actions or provide evidence of business transactions (which need to be kept and managed) – these are ‘email records'
Sometimes emails are the only written records of a business transaction, in which case if they are not managed no record will exist for the future to prove what has done or to inform future business activities.
Emails may exist on their own – just as text – or they may have documents attached (attachments). These attachments may be significant, such as policy, procedures, minutes, and in a variety of formats (e.g. Word .doc files, Excel .xls files etc.). The attachments may be drafts sent for comment or they may be final/issued versions sent for information. Drafts can be records when they show the evolution of a policy, for example. Therefore some attachments also need to be managed.
The email system (your Inbox or personal folders) should never be used to manage them as records. Ephemeral email should be regularly deleted; more important email should either be saved into an ARMS-approved EDRMS or printed and filed in your paper files.
The diagram below will help you identify business emails (which are records) and personal or ephemeral emails (which are not records):
Remember:
• email records must either be saved in to an EDRM system, or printed and filed in your paper files
• non-record emails should be deleted promptly
You can make managing emails (records and non-records) easier for yourself by following some simple guidelines.
Good practice in managing emails begins with their creation and addressing. The recommended guidelines are as follows:
• Only identify as main recipients those who need to act or take decisions on message content
• Use “Reply to All” sparingly
• Use cc for information only
• Cover one topic only per email
• Include the message of the email in the text rather than as an attachment
• Use clear and explicit subject lines
• Categorise emails with prefixes in the "Subject lines" line to help users to decide whether to delete the email, open immediately or open later. See examples below:
• SOCIAL: evening out next Wednesday
• FOR INFO: rail strike latest news
• FOR ALL MANAGERS: new appraiser course
• URGENT!: Fire drill at 12.00
Responsibility for Keeping EmailsThe originator is responsible for retaining and managing the email :
• When the email is created internally
The recipient is responsible for retaining and managing the email :
• where the email is received from an external source and where that information does not exist elsewhere in the Organisation and forms part of the official business record. In the case of multiple recipients each office should decide which member of staff will be responsible for filing all emails on a particular subject.
Three important rules to remember when you are the originator of an email message:
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If you have created an email message for response from one or several recipients, you must ensure that the original text and all responses that form the complete email record are retained.
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If there is an ongoing email exchange you should use your own judgement to determine at what stages in the discussion a copy of the email should be captured as an official record. This judgement needs to be based on the significance of new information in an email response to a previous message.
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If you add information to an email record you receive, it is considered as a new original and you must keep and manage it.
Actively manage your email by regularly:
• filing emails which are records – either electronically into an EDRM system or by printing them and filing them in your paper files
• deleting email records which others are responsible for filing – preferably as soon as possible after actioning them
• deleting other email when no longer needed
Other Relevant Toolkit Sections
- Section 4 – Recordkeeping in the UN
- Guideline on Managing Email Records (ARMS, 2006)
Electronic mail records: Any messages create, sent or received within an email system that are required by an organisation to control, support, or document the delivery of programmes, to carry out operations, to make decision, or to account for activities.
Email: An electronic postal system.