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Executive Office Information

Last updated on April 30, 2026

These schedules cover the administrative and operational records of the executive offices of ministers, deputy ministers, associate deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers, and equivalent positions within IMA-designated public sector organizations. They do not include Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) records or personal records.

Note: Executive offices should routinely destroy transitory information when no longer needed, as part of regular business practices, unless it is relevant to an ongoing search for legal purposes or to an ongoing access request made under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).

Appraisal Note: As outlined in the schedules below, the government archives will fully retain records of enduring value that document the authority, structure, and major decisions and actions of the government (as outlined in the Archival Appraisal of Government Information Policy). All other routine administrative and financial information will be destroyed as it does not contain long-term evidential or informational value.

Schedules

 

Executive Office Information

2310 Cabinet Matters

Keep for 15 years after file closes, then transfer to government archives.

Covers Cabinet-related information on discussions or decisions of the Executive Council or its committees, such as advice, recommendations, considerations, or drafts of legislation and regulations prepared for them.

Cabinet information is protected from public disclosure for 15 years under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA, Section 12) to maintain confidentiality in government decision-making. After 15 years, these records are transferred to the archives for historical and accountability purposes.

2315 Records of Decision and Deliberation

Keep for 10 years after file closes, then transfer to government archives.

Covers information about decisions or actions with impact to operations, people, and/or the environment.

Records of decision and deliberation are kept for 10 years before transferring to the government archives, because policy advice and recommendations are protected from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA, Section 13) to maintain confidentiality in government decision-making. After 10 years, these records are transferred to the archives for historical purposes.

Examples of records may include:

  • Briefing notes, executed decision notes, and information notes;
  • Committee records (e.g. agendas, minutes, material submissions, reports) for bodies chaired within ministry executive that affect/inform decisions or actions;
  • Executive Directives communicating changes to policy, operations, or other ministry initiatives (e.g. impacting operations, clients, environment, and/or specific populations/groups);
  • Executive office correspondence (e.g. in response to litigation/investigations, public inquiries, other governments such as First Nations, extra-provincial, foreign states);
  • Government transition briefing binders; and
  • Legislative initiatives and projects, including legislative proposals and submissions.

2320 Calendars of Executive Council Members and Statutory Decision Makers

Keep for 5 years after file closes, then transfer to government archives.

Covers calendars of members of the B.C. Executive Council, also called the Cabinet of British Columbia, and from Statutory Decision Makers within executive offices.

Note: B.C. Executive Council, also called the Cabinet of British Columbia includes the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the Premier, and Cabinet Ministers. It does NOT include Executive level members of the public service (Deputy Ministers, Associate Deputy Ministers, and Assistant Deputy Ministers).

Note: A statutory decision maker is an individual within an executive office who has been granted authority under legislation to make decisions on behalf of a ministry or agency. These decisions are typically related to permits, compliance, and other regulatory matters.

2325 Records of Financial Management

Keep for 7 years, then destroy.

Covers information that supports regular financial activities.

Examples of records may include:

  • Accounts payable;
  • Expense approvals; and
  • Routine financial reporting and tracking.

2330 All Other Executive Office Records

Keep for 4 years after file closes, then destroy. 

Covers all other records not scheduled in 2310, 2315, 2320, and 2325.

Examples of records may include:

  • Calendars of Executive level members of the public service (Deputy Ministers, Associate Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers, and equivalent positions within IMA-designated public sector organizations);
  • Records of committees and other groups with purely advisory or administrative functions (e.g. public liaison, advice to other ministries, HR bodies, facilities, occupational health and safety, etc.)
  • Routine administrative documents (e.g. agendas, minutes, memoranda); and
  • Routine or repetitive correspondence (e.g. thanks, invitations, acknowledgements, regrets, form letter responses, redirects).

Contact information

For inquiries, please contact GIM@gov.bc.ca