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340 - Communications, Website Management

Last updated on March 25, 2022

Records relating to developing and implementing ministry/agency web site plans and strategies, coordinating web site content, and ensuring the relevance, accuracy, and timeliness of web site information.

This primary also covers ministry/agency information presented on simple and dormant web sites not covered by an ORCS.  Dormant web sites include abandoned web sites, web sites of defunct programs, and web sites of completed projects.

Records types include correspondence; HyperText markup Language (HTML), Standardized General Markup Language (SGML), and Extensible Markup Language (XML) electronic documents and paper print outs of these documents; electronic forms; research materials; site designs; briefing notes; press releases; implementation plans; reports; and other types of records as indicated under relevant secondaries.

NOTE: The retention and disposition of individual documents posted on the site should be carried out in accordance with the appropriate ARCS or ORCS secondary.

For computer hardware and software, see primary 737.
For forms registration, design and history, see primary 285.
For general inquiries, see primary 320.
For information presented on complex web sites, see the ORCS for the relevant program.
For security incidents and investigations, see primary 470.
For transitory records, see Transitory Information (schedule 102901).
For web site copyright and ownership issues, see primary 345.
For web site technical development, see primary 6450.
For web site technical maintenance, see primary 6820.

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

Primary-Secondary Records Series OPR
  A SA FD
340-00 Policy and procedures SO nil DE
340-01 General CY+2y nil DE
340-02 Web site usage reports SO nil DE
340-04 Web site e-mail queries
(includes webmaster and general website inquires)
NOTE: This secondary covers miscellaneous queries from the public, non-government organizations, and government ministries and agencies regarding the web site and its pages. Classify inquiries regarding programs and services performed by the ministry or agency under primary 320 and/or ORCS for relevant program.		 CY+1y nil DE
340-20 Dormant web sites
(covers abandoned web sites, web sites of completed projects, and web sites created by agencies that have become defunct)
SO = when web site is abandoned, project is completed, or agency becomes defunct
SR = The government archives will selectively retain significant dormant web sites and pages. They provide evidence of the way in which the government used Internet, Intranet and Extranet technology to manage projects and share information about its programs and services. They also provide evidence about the projects, programs and services.
Staff responsible for the program covered by the web site will notify the Records Officer when a web site becomes dormant. An archivist from the central agency will identify the significance of the dormant web site in consultation with the Records Officer and the program staff. All dormant web sites not selected for preservation will be destroyed.
Contact your Records Officer for additional information relating to the scheduling of web sites.		 SO nil SR
340-30 Simple web site pages
(covers pages from simple ministry/agency web sites, including simple “blogs” and simple “Wiki sites”)
(includes HTML and wiki pages, ASCII text documents, on-line e-mail and search forms, sample data, PDF files, and image/graphic files)
SO = when the web page is modified, altered, updated, or redesigned
NOTE: Documentation presented on web pages must be filed under the appropriate secondary in ORCS or ARCS rather than here, if it provides original information not documented elsewhere (e.g., policies, guides, reports, organizational descriptions).
NOTE: When not scheduled in the relevant program ORCS, this secondary covers the retention and disposition of simple web pages as they are modified and revised.  Simple web sites are those that meet the following criteria:
  • documents are static (e.g., reports, news releases, hours of operation, contacts, and descriptions of programs and services),
    or
    documents are frequently updated with non-substantive information (e.g., blogs and wikis)
  • OPR version of the records are otherwise scheduled under primaries in ARCS or in the ORCS for the relevant program, and
  • does not link to or interact with a database
Secondary -30 does not cover dormant web sites classified under secondary -20.		 SO nil DE
340-40 Web site management files
(covers web site plans and strategies, web site content coordination, web page designs and templates, and web page posting approvals)		 SO nil DE

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OPR – office of primary responsibility

A – active
SA – semi-active
FD – final disposition

CY – calendar year
nil – no retention period
SO – superseded or obsolete
y – year
DE – destruction
SR – selective retention

Resources

Learn how government records are managed:

Contact information

For general inquires, contact the Government Records Service at:

Office
250 387-3387
Email
GRS@gov.bc.ca