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Email Management Guidelines - Roadmap

7. Institutions must periodically review the effectiveness of their email management policies and practices and identify and implement improvements when appropriate

Email systems evolve at a rapid rate. The uptake of new features and services, and broader compatibility with other forms of communication are constantly generating new patterns of use. Institutions must consider the effectiveness of their email management policies practices on a regular basis to ensure that they are achieving the desired objectives.

Expected Outcome

In any given federal government institution, the following benchmarks will have been achieved:

There will be clearly established accountability frameworks to ensure the appropriate management of email information.
Specific risks, vulnerabilities, and other significant management issues will be identified, documented, and reported on and corrective action will be taken if required.

7.1. Evaluate the effectiveness of email management

An IM specialist should have primary responsibility for undertaking periodic and detailed assessments of email management within his or her institution and providing recommendations for improvement. However, everyone in an institution has contributing responsibilities to the management of email. Therefore, users, network or system administrators, operational managers and executives should periodically assess how they, as individuals, could contribute more effectively to the management of email. Institutions should have an accessible repository where lessons learned can be collected and shared.

Party or Parties Responsible for Implementing and/or Applying the Recommendation:

Users
Network or System Administrators
Information Management Specialists
Operational Managers
Executives

Rationale

The highly trained and experienced IM Specialist is uniquely qualified to undertake the review of email management within an institution. In smaller institutions where the individual charged with responsibility to conduct the review may have less training or experience, it is still possible to obtain advice and support from LAC or from the private sector.

Sample Policy Statement

If this recommended action is applicable, consider using the following sample policy statement.

If not, indicate what alternative action, if any, to apply.

It is the policy of (name of institution) that the effectiveness of its email management policies, programs and procedures be evaluated on a regular basis (state the appropriate interval). The review should consider the following points (delete any that are not applicable)

The types of email information and records used by the institution
The effectiveness of classification schemes, descriptive records and metadata
The uptake of the classification schemes by users
Plans for IM/IT in respect of email management..
IM/IT policies, standards, guidelines pertaining to email management
Compliance assessment methodologies related to email management
Advice on investments in information technology related to email management
Analysis of IM/IT compliance audits, discovery and disposition drills related to email
Cost/benefit analyses and impact analyses related to existing email management practices
The effectiveness of communications strategies related to email management
The dissemination of communication materials related to email management
The effectiveness of processes for accessing email information and records
The effectiveness and appropriateness (or shortcomings) of processes and infrastructure involved in the storage and protection of email information and records
The effectiveness of processes related to the disposition of email information and records and the imposition of hold orders

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