Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024
The head of each agency shall establish and maintain an
efficient and continuous records management program which shall focus upon the
complete cycle of records creation, maintenance and use, and disposition. The
program shall provide for:
A.
Effective internal controls over records creation, maintenance and use and
disposition, with respect to the conduct of current business.
1. Adequate controls over the creation of
agency records shall be instituted to ensure that important policies and
decisions are sufficiently recorded; routine operational records in any format
are kept to a minimum; and the accumulation of unnecessary files is prevented.
Effective techniques to be applied in this area include implementing a biennial
agency records inventory for the purpose of: compiling a descriptive list of
any and all records within the agency; identifying duplicate files or other
non-record materials and historical records requiring preservation; and
locating records due for destruction.
2. To ensure that records are maintained
economically and efficiently and in such a manner that their maximum usefulness
is attained, provision shall be made for the continued analysis and improvement
of record retention by reviewing laws and statutes and using the 4-part
criteria; administrative, fiscal, legal, historical/archival, to assign record
value. Record retention schedules will be reviewed annually and updated as
necessary with regards to changes in statute, media format, program closure or
other influences that could affect the schedule or retention time.
3. Provision shall be made to ensure that
records of continuing value are preserved, that confidential records are
protected and records no longer of current use to an agency are promptly
disposed of or transferred until final disposition. Effective techniques for
accomplishing these ends are the development of records retention schedules;
the transfer of records to records centers and to the archives, the
microfilming or digitization of appropriate records; and the disposal of
recordswhich have already met their retention time or which are non-retention
records (non-records).
B. Cooperation with the Maine State Archives
in applying standards, procedures, and techniques designed to improve records
management; promote the maintenance and security of records deemed appropriate
for preservation; and facilitate the segregation and disposal of all records of
temporary value.
C. Review and
evaluation of agency records management program policies, operations and
procedures.
D. Compliance with the
Archives and Records Management Law and with the standards, procedures and
rules issued thereunder.
