OMB, NARA Issue Electronic Recordkeeping Directive to Federal Agencies

The Office of Management and Budget and the National Archives and Records Administration have issued a four-page memo instructing all federal agencies to migrate from paper-based documentation to an electronic records management system by Dec. 31. 

The June 28 directive — signed by David Ferriero, archivist of the United States, and OMB Acting Director Russell Vought — also calls for the development of agency plans to shutter analog recordkeeping hubs and transfer files from those repositories to a NARA-run federal records centers or a commercial storage facility by Dec. 31, 2022.

Agencies must appoint a senior official who will manage compliance with the Federal Records Act and a records officer to oversee recordkeeping operations and requirements. NARA intends to issue a set of guidelines and standards by Sept. 30, 2020, to help government personnel store, transfer and format records with metadata. 

The Office of Personnel Management is due to update position classification standards by Dec. 31 of next year in order to accommodate new electronic data processing functions.