1. Create or Receive - RIM Manual

This section of the RIM Manual provides you with best practices for managing the beginning of the government information lifecycle.

The information lifecycle starts when you create new data and records or when they come into your ministry’s custody and control. Government information includes all data and records created or received in a government office. It is important to apply good records management practices to all government information, i.e. both data and records. A new record is created or received when you save a document, receive an email, enter information into a database or case management system, check in to work from a remote site, or even drive over a traffic sensor.

A record’s long-term accuracy, findability, and integrity depends on more than just “filing”; it requires such actions as establishing appropriate storage locations, assigning classifications and file naming conventions, setting appropriate access controls, and choosing accessible file formats. When good recordkeeping measures are applied at the time records are created or received, they ensure that records will continue to retain their integrity and serve their business, financial, legal and research purposes for as long as needed.

Government actions and decisions lead to the creation of government information, and it is important to keep a record of this information as evidence of these actions and decisions. A key action during the “create or receive” phase in the information lifecycle is to save the recorded information to an appropriate system, such as a digital or physical recordkeeping system that is organized according to records classifications established in approved information schedules.

Similarly, the point at which government offices receive information – such as correspondence, applications, case files, or other direct submissions – is the time at which the information is to be managed within government recordkeeping systems.

For more information read about the components of Create or Receive:

• 1.1 Name and Identify
• 1.2 Store and Organize