146 - Agreement Negotiation & Management

Last updated on May 19, 2022

Records relating to the negotiation and management of agreements, including memoranda of understanding (MOUs), protocol agreements, and service level agreements (SLAs).

NOTE: Records types include correspondence, agreements, forms, and reports.

Records relating to agreements are considered administrative even though they often deal with operational matters. For ease of reference and retrieval, some offices may wish to physically arrange agreement files with the associated operational files. Another option is to file copies of such records on an operational file. Contact your records officer if you have any questions regarding file operations in your ministry or agency.

NOTE: Deposit original extra-provincial agreements with Order in Council (OIC) Administration, Ministry of Attorney General.

For audits relating to agreements, see primary 975.
For contracts, see primary 1070.
For employer-employee relations, see primary 1480.
For funding agreements, see primaries 950 and 1150.
For intra-ministry agreements (i.e., agreements between departments within ministries and agencies), see the relevant ARCS or ORCS secondary.

non-OPR NOTE: Offices will retain non-OPR copies of records for SO nil DE

Primary-
Secondary
Records Series OPR
  A SA FD
146-00 Policy and procedures SO nil DE
146-01 General CY+2y nil DE
146-02 Agreements register SO 7y DE
146-20 Agreement development files
(covers draft agreements relating to all types of third parties, i.e.: federal, foreign, improvement district, inter-agency, inter-ministry, inter-provincial, multi-party, municipal, regional district, school district, and other local governments)
SO = when agreement is approved or negotiations are suspended
DE = Agreement development files can be destroyed upon authorization of the Records Officer because significant decisions are documented in briefing notes and other executive records.
NOTE: This secondary covers negotiations, studies, draft agreements, and all other records involved in the development of the agreement.
SO 7y DE
146-25 Approved extra-provincial agreements (i.e., OIC’d)
(covers approved foreign agreements, approved federal agreements, and approved inter-provincial agreements)
SO = upon expiry or termination of the agreement, and if applicable, upon completion of audit
DE = Approved extra-provincial agreements can be destroyed upon authorization of the Records Officer because original agreements are deposited with OIC Administration, Ministry of Attorney General.
NOTE: Extra-provincial agreements are between the B.C. government and jurisdictions outside British Columbia (e.g., the federal government, other provinces and territories, and foreign countries).
NOTE: This secondary covers final, signed agreements and records documenting the monitoring and management of the agreement.
SO 7y DE
146-45 Approved internal and local agreement files (i.e., not OIC’d)
(covers approved agreements relating to improvement districts, inter-agency, inter-ministry, multi-party, municipal, regional districts, school districts, and other local governments)
SO = upon expiry or termination of the agreement, and if applicable, upon completion of audit.
SR = The government archives will selectively retain approved internal and local agreement files that document significant decisions and arrangements.
NOTE: This secondary covers internal agreements between ministries and agencies within the B.C. government (e.g., service level agreements), as well as external agreements with B.C. local governments and private/public sector organizations located in British Columbia.
NOTE: This secondary covers final, signed agreements and records documenting the monitoring and management of the agreement.
SO 7y SR
7y = The seven-year retention period is consistent with the retention period for contracts (primary 1070) and funding agreements (primaries 950 and 1150). It is based on the six-year limitation period for commencing an action with respect to a contract under the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266, s. 3).      

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