THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press SecretaryFor Immediate Release November 28, 2011November 28, 2011MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIESSUBJECT: Managing Government RecordsSection 1. Purpose. This memorandum begins an executivebranch-wide effort to reform records management policiesand practices. Improving records management will improveperformance and promote openness and accountability by betterdocumenting agency actions and decisions. Records transferredto the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)provide the prism through which future generations willunderstand and learn from our actions and decisions. Modernizedrecords management will also help executive departments andagencies (agencies) minimize costs and operate more efficiently.Improved records management thus builds on Executive Order 13589of November 9, 2011 (Promoting Efficient Spending), whichdirected agencies to reduce spending and focus onmission-critical functions.When records are well-managed, agencies can use them toassess the impact of programs, to reduce redundant efforts,to save money, and to share knowledge within and across theirorganizations. In these ways, proper records management is thebackbone of open Government.Decades of technological advances have transformed agencyoperations, creating challenges and opportunities foragency records management. Greater reliance on electroniccommunication and systems has radically increased the volume anddiversity of information that agencies must manage. With properplanning, technology can make these records less burdensome tomanage and easier to use and share. But if records managementpolicies and practices are not updated for a digital age, thesurge in information could overwhelm agency systems, leading tohigher costs and lost records.We must address these challenges while using the opportunityto develop a 21st-century framework for the management ofGovernment records. This framework will provide a foundationfor open Government, leverage information to improve agencyperformance, and reduce unnecessary costs and burdens.Sec. 2. Agency Commitments to Records Management Reform. (a)The head of each agency shall:(i) ensure that the successful implementation ofrecords management requirements in law, regulation,and this memorandum is a priority for senior agencymanagement;
2(ii) ensure that proper resources are allocated tothe effective implementation of such requirements; and(iii) within 30 days of the date of this memorandum,designate in writing to the Archivist of theUnited States (Archivist), a senior agency officialto supervise the review required by subsection (b)of this section, in coordination with the agency'sRecords Officer, Chief Information Officer, andGeneral Counsel.(b) Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, eachagency head shall submit a report to the Archivist and theDirector of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that:(i) describes the agency's current plans forimproving or maintaining its records managementprogram, particularly with respect to managingelectronic records, including email and social media,deploying cloud-based services or storage solutions,and meeting other records challenges;(ii) identifies any provisions, or omissions, inrelevant statutes, regulations, or official NARAguidance that currently pose an obstacle to theagency's adoption of sound, cost-effective recordsmanagement policies and practices; and(iii) identifies policies or programs that, ifincluded in the Records Management Directive requiredby section 3 of this memorandum or adopted orimplemented by NARA, would assist the agency's effortsto improve records management.The reports submitted pursuant to this subsection shouldsupplement, and therefore need not duplicate, informationprovided by agencies to NARA pursuant to other reportingobligations.Sec. 3. Records Management Directive. (a) Within 120 daysof the deadline for reports submitted pursuant to section 2(b)of this memorandum, the Director of OMB and the Archivist, incoordination with the Associate Attorney General, shall issue aRecords Management Directive that directs agency heads to takespecific steps to reform and improve records management policiesand practices within their agency. The directive shall focuson:(i) creating a Government-wide records managementframework that is more efficient and cost-effective;(ii) promoting records management policies andpractices that enhance the capability of agencies tofulfill their statutory missions;(iii) maintaining accountability throughdocumentation of agency actions;(iv) increasing open Government and appropriatepublic access to Government records;
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