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Guidance for Guidance for Flexible SchedulingFlexible Scheduling

David B. Brown, Special AssistantDavid B. Brown, Special Assistant

Office of the Archivist – Office of the Archivist – Washington, DCWashington, DC

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What is a traditional What is a traditional schedule?schedule?

Basic unit for organizing and Basic unit for organizing and controlling files is a series or controlling files is a series or electronic system electronic system

Agency records series and systemsAgency records series and systems

are shown as separate items are shown as separate items Usually arranged primarily by Usually arranged primarily by

organization or function organization or function

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NARA GuidanceNARA Guidance

NARA Bulletin 2005-05 Guidance for NARA Bulletin 2005-05 Guidance for Flexible SchedulingFlexible Scheduling

Issued as Memo to Agency Records Issued as Memo to Agency Records Officers NWM 18.2005 on April 22, Officers NWM 18.2005 on April 22, 20052005

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What is flexible What is flexible scheduling?scheduling?

Provides for concrete disposition Provides for concrete disposition instructions that may be applied to instructions that may be applied to groupings of information and/or groupings of information and/or categories of records categories of records

The difference from the traditional The difference from the traditional scheduling approach is that the unit scheduling approach is that the unit to be scheduled is not the individual to be scheduled is not the individual records series or an electronic records series or an electronic systemsystem

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What is a “big bucket” or What is a “big bucket” or large aggregation large aggregation

schedule?schedule? Type of flexible schedule Type of flexible schedule Allows disposition instruction(s) to Allows disposition instruction(s) to

apply to multiple series or systemsapply to multiple series or systems Supports the business needs of Supports the business needs of

agenciesagencies Provides the documentation Provides the documentation

necessary to protect legal rights and necessary to protect legal rights and ensure government accountability ensure government accountability

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How do you develop a “big How do you develop a “big bucket” or large bucket” or large

aggregation flexible aggregation flexible schedule?schedule?

Determine if a “big bucket” or large Determine if a “big bucket” or large aggregation flexible schedule meets aggregation flexible schedule meets agency business needs agency business needs

Review reliable existing schedules to Review reliable existing schedules to determine if existing records series determine if existing records series can be grouped into “big buckets” or can be grouped into “big buckets” or large aggregations large aggregations

Contact your NARA appraisal archivist Contact your NARA appraisal archivist for consultation and guidance.for consultation and guidance.

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How do you develop a “big How do you develop a “big bucket” or large bucket” or large

aggregation flexible aggregation flexible schedule?, Cont’dschedule?, Cont’d

Conduct functional or business Conduct functional or business process analysisprocess analysis

Identify records series that come Identify records series that come from work process(es)from work process(es)

Determine values for records series Determine values for records series and/or larger groupings of recordsand/or larger groupings of records

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How do you develop a “big How do you develop a “big bucket” or large bucket” or large

aggregation flexible aggregation flexible schedule?, Cont’dschedule?, Cont’d

Group like record series/systems into Group like record series/systems into larger aggregations or buckets larger aggregations or buckets

Name these larger aggregations or Name these larger aggregations or buckets buckets

Determine the value of records within Determine the value of records within each aggregation, bucket, or serieseach aggregation, bucket, or series

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How do you develop a “big How do you develop a “big bucket” or large bucket” or large

aggregation flexible aggregation flexible schedule?, Cont’dschedule?, Cont’d

Submit schedule to NARA along with Submit schedule to NARA along with any documentation accumulated during any documentation accumulated during the schedule development process the schedule development process – Crosswalks to previously approved Crosswalks to previously approved

schedulesschedules– Materials that document the agency’s Materials that document the agency’s

business processbusiness process– Information concerning the specific file Information concerning the specific file

units subsumed under each aggregation, units subsumed under each aggregation, bucket, or series bucket, or series

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WhatWhat assistance is assistance is available from NARA?available from NARA?

NARA’s Life Cycle Management Division NARA’s Life Cycle Management Division provides assistance and advice to agency provides assistance and advice to agency records officers in the Washington, DC, area records officers in the Washington, DC, area http://www.archives.gov/records_managemehttp://www.archives.gov/records_management/policy_and_guidance/appraisal_and_schednt/policy_and_guidance/appraisal_and_scheduling.htmluling.html

The Records Management staff in NARA's The Records Management staff in NARA's regional offices provides assistance to regional offices provides assistance to records officers across the country records officers across the country http://www.archives.gov/facilities/index.htmlhttp://www.archives.gov/facilities/index.html