Draft or Record?

Rebekkah Shaw GRAMA, Records Management, State Records Committee, Training

Do you get GRAMA requests for drafts? Do you wonder if your drafts are records or not? What about the classification of drafts? Look no further! Our wonderful Records Ombudsman, Rosemary Cundiff, has added an article to the Government Records Ombudsman website to help you analyze and classify the drafts created by your office. This guideline can help you understand …

Spotlight on Records Officer

Rebekkah Shaw GRAMA, Records Management, Records Officer Spotlights, Training

Gina Proctor has worked for the Department of Corrections for 10 years and is responsible for managing all GRAMA requests coming into the Department. This is a big job as the Department of Corrections handled 5,499 GRAMA requests last year alone! It was a rough start and her office of two was overwhelmed with the volume, expectation, and requirements of …

New GRAMA Forms Online

Renée Wilson GRAMA, Records Management

We have forms online that agencies can use for GRAMA requests and responses. The newly-updated forms can be found at: http://archives.utah.gov/recordsmanagement/forms/forms-grama.html What’s new about the forms: Updated wording to better reflect the text of the law; Added headers to indicate where the document came from (“Office of the Government Records Ombudsman”, plus a URL to the ombudsman webpage); Added footers to …

Social Media and Email Management: Presenters' Handouts

lorianneo GRAMA, Records Management

Social Media and Email Management Presenters’ Handouts Thank you to everyone who attended the training event on Friday, April 4th. We hope that you found the presentations helpful in fulfilling your roles as records officers. Below you will find copies of the presentation slides for future reference: Social Media: Strategies for Successfully Managing Legal Risks by Dr. Randy L. Dryer, …

Model GRAMA Forms Available

Rosemary Cundiff Records Management

            As outlined in the Public Records Management Act, one of the responsibilities of the State Archives is to prepare forms for use by all governmental entities for persons making GRAMA requests (Utah Code § 63A-12-101(2)(l)).  The most commonly used form is a simple GRAMA request form which captures the necessary elements for anyone who wants to request records: name, …

First State Records Ombudsman Report

Rosemary Cundiff Records Management

This month the State Archives issued the first records ombudsman report. It highlights some points of interest related to GRAMA. Email, retrieval of electronic data, and fees for GRAMA requests are key issues for both requesters and responders. Responders are also interested in how to classify law enforcement records. In response to new legislation, State Archivist, Patricia Smith-Mansfield, appointed Rosemary …

GRAMA Request and Appeal Time Limits

Rosemary Cundiff GRAMA

        The Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) provides time limits for both responding to requests and appealing denials. These time limits, found in Utah Code sections 63G-2-204 and 401-404, are important because they protect rights and define responsibilities. A requestor is entitled to a response within a reasonable timeframe. If the requestor is not satisfied with the response he or she must appeal …

Navigating the GRAMA Appeals Process

Rosemary Cundiff GRAMA, Records Management, State Records Committee

A GRAMA request is a written request for access to government records pursuant to Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act.  A governmental entity that receives a request can respond in one of the following ways: 1) provide the requested record, 2) provide a notice of denial that explains why all or part of the record should be withheld, 3) …

2012 Winter/Spring Training Events

mspring Records Management, Training

To register for a training event, please click here. Salt Lake City, UT Controlling and Managing Law Enforcement Records, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm February 8, 2012 Providing Public Access to Government Records, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm February 22, 2012 May 23, 2012 Essential Records Protection and Disaster Recovery, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm April 11, 2012 What’s in …