1 . Application

This standard applies to all government bodies as identified in the Archives Act.

2 . Context

The purpose of this standard is to establish a government-wide administrative records classification system for identifying, describing, organizing, classifying, managing, and disposing of the administrative records of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

3 . Statement

The GNWT’s Administrative Records Classification System, (GNWT ARCS), Records Disposition Authority 1995-32, is the standard classification system and retention and disposition schedule for the administrative records belonging to government bodies. 

4 . Standard

Records Disposition Authority 1995-32, the GNWT Administrative Records Classification System is the standard classification system and retention and disposition schedule for administrative recorded information for GNWT departments, as approved and amended by the Public Records Committee.

5 . Implementation

Management of administrative records by government bodies

Government bodies shall identify, describe, classify, organize, retain, and dispose of their administrative records according to the classification system and retention and disposition schedules set out in the GNWT ARCS.

Scheduling administrative records in an Operational Records Classification System

Subject to the agreement of the Manager, Corporate Records Management, Department of Infrastructure and the Territorial Archivist, government bodies may develop Operational Records Classification Systems (ORCS) for functions or activities that would normally be classified and scheduled by the GNWT ARCS. The Manager, Corporate Records Management and the Territorial Archivist may establish criteria for determining when it is appropriate to use an ORCS to classify and schedule administrative records.

Maintenance of the Administrative Records Classification System

Corporate Information Management (CIM), Department of Infrastructure, shall maintain the GNWT ARCS on behalf of government bodies. As required and in consultation with other government bodies, CIM shall prepare amendments to the GNWT ARCS. 

All amendments shall be reviewed and endorsed by the Recorded Information Management Committee (RIMC). 
Following endorsement by RIMC, the Manager, Corporate Records Management will endorse the amended GNWT ARCS. 

The Territorial Archivist will review the GNWT ARCS to identify records that meet the selection criteria for transfer to the NWT Archives. The Territorial Archivist will also approve its use for managing the retention and disposal of administrative records. Once signed by the Territorial Archivist, the new version of the GNWT ARCS takes effect. 

The GNWT ARCS is approved for use within individual government bodies when the Deputy Head or equivalent approves its use within the government body.

Effect of amendments on the Administrative Records Classification System as a standard

The approval of amendments to the GNWT ARCS does not affect the status of the GNWT ARCS as a standard. This standard encompasses amendments to the GNWT ARCS.

Records created when a previous version of the GNWT ARCS was in force

Records created when a previous version of the GNWT ARCS was in force may continue to be classified and scheduled using the classifications, retention periods, and dispositions that were in place when the records were created. 

The Territorial Archivist, in consultation with the Manager, Corporate Records Management, may agree to a grace period to give government bodies time to manage the transition from one version of the GNWT ARCS to another.

6 . References

Records scheduling is subject to a number of provisions, as established by the Acts and policies outlined in Appendix B. 

7 . Monitoring and Reporting

Corporate Information Management will advise the Corporate Chief Information Officer of any amendments to the GNWT ARCS.

8 . Enquiries

All enquiries regarding this standard should be directed to the Department of Infrastructure, Corporate Information Management Division.

9 . Definitions

Final disposition is the final action taken with regard to a group of records after their inactive phase has ended. It may be either destruction or transfer to the NWT Archives.

Government body means (a) a department, branch or office of the Government of the Northwest Territories, (b) an agency, board, commission, corporation, office or other body designated in the regulations to the Archives Act, or (c) the office of a member of the Executive Council.

Operational Records Classification System (ORCS) is the government-wide standardized system for the classification, filing, retrieval, retention and disposition of operational records.  Each government body will have one or more ORCS. Operational records are those records which relate to the operations and services provided by a government body in carrying out the functions for which it is responsible according to statute, mandate, or policy. Operational records are distinct from administrative records and are unique to each government organization.

Record is a record of information, regardless of its form and characteristics, the means by which it was created and the media on which it may be stored and, without limited the generality of the foregoing, include (a) a document, book, ledger, photograph, image, audio-visual recording, x-ray, map and drawing, and (b) a record created or stored in digital or other intangible form by electronic means, but does not include software or a mechanism that produces records.

Records Disposition Authority (RDA) a plan respecting the preservation and destruction of public records as described in the Archives Regulations, which must (a) include a comprehensive description of each class of public records; (b) specify the criteria for determining whether a class of public records should be preserved or destroyed; and (c) specify the minimum periods during which the government body must retain each class of records that it intends to destroy.

Retention period refers to the length of time a record must be retained in order to satisfy administrative, fiscal, legal and research requirements of a government body. Retention periods are usually specified in number of years or by reference to the termination of a project or event.

10 . References 

Archives Act sets the legal framework for disposing, transfer, custody and access to records;
Recorded Information Management Policy (6003.00.18) guides government bodies in the management of their recorded information (regardless of format) and defines the authority and accountability framework;

Records Scheduling Policy (6003.00.24) guides government bodies in the classification, retention, and final disposition of government records;