Redundant Source Information (schedule 206175)

SCOPE

Redundant source information (RSI) is government information that has been replaced and rendered redundant by authoritative copies once those copies have been verified to ensure their accuracy and authenticity.  

Authoritative copies are authentic, reliable, complete, and usable copies that provide evidence of government actions and decisions. As such, they can be retained in place of original source records in an appropriate system.

Authoritative copies may be produced through physical or digital copying, imaging, migration, or conversion in accordance with an authorized process.

There are 4 categories of RSI, described below: digital communications, encrypted records that have been decrypted, migrated and converted information, and digitized information. Guidance on these categories, as well as on how to make authoritative copies and establish an authorized process, can be found in the Redundant Source Information Guide and Redundant Source Information Quick Tips.

1. DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

This category includes messages moved from the location where they were created or received to an appropriate system.

This category excludes transitory messages, as those are covered by the Transitory Information Schedule.

2. ENCRYPTED RECORDS THAT HAVE BEEN DECRYPTED

This category includes encrypted source records after they have been replaced by decrypted copies.

3. MIGRATED AND CONVERTED INFORMATION

This category includes data and other information copied or moved from one hardware or software configuration to another, or from one file format to another.  

Migration and conversion processes must be defensible. This means there must be an authorized process in place to ensure that:

• the migrated/converted government information retains its integrity and can be depended on as a true and accurate version of the source information, and
• migration and conversion processes are documented and usable as evidence that all relevant requirements can be or have been met.

For further guidance on how to comply with these requirements, see the Migration Guide (currently under development).

This category excludes data that has been altered to serve a different purpose, as this data constitutes a different record.

4. DIGITIZED INFORMATION

Digitization is the process of making digital copies of physical records (e.g. paper, magnetic media, microfilm). An authorized process must be in place to ensure that the digitization process is defensible, whether digitization involves

• a business process (where source records are routinely digitized when created or received),
• a project (where a specific set of existing records is digitized), or
• ad-hoc use of a multi-function device (MFD) to digitize a few individual records.

Whenever ministries replace original physical records with digital copies, they must comply with the Digitizing Government Information Standard (DGIS). Best practice guidance is provided in the Digitizing Government Information Guide and in the How to Use the MFD to Digitize Guide.

This category of information excludes any source records that are required to be retained in original form by another information schedule.

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REDUNDANT SOURCE INFORMATION SCHEDULE

Phase	A	SA	FD
Retention	SO	nil	DE

RETENTION STATEMENT: Destroy when source information is replaced by authoritative copies that are stored in an appropriate system, in accordance with ministry protocols and, if applicable, the DGIS.

SO:         After it is replaced by authoritative copies that are stored in an appropriate system, in accordance with a defensible process and, if applicable, the DGIS.

DE:         Redundant source information that has been replaced by authoritative copies stored in an appropriate system can be destroyed.

NOTE:   For further guidance on developing defensible processes to ensure that authoritative copies are appropriately created, see the Redundant Source Information Guide.

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Approval Date: 2012-05-31 (Amended 2021-06-09)

END OF SCHEDULE