Risk Management Policies for Government Text Messaging, Email and Social Media

Public-facing communications like social media and the use of mobile texting and multiple email accounts are creating growing volumes of public records that government agencies must manage. Responding to public records requests and investigations has become unwieldy — consuming time, staff and financial resources. In today’s world of instant communication, the public expects immediate responses and more efficient government spending.

Staying ahead of records requests requires a thorough understanding of the tools your organization uses to communicate and how you manage the content generated through each platform. Ensuring an efficient process and comprehensive compliance with open records laws requires:

• Understanding the unique risk factors of each communication channel
• Implementing usage policies for government employees
• Adopting modern archiving technology to securely collect and preserve cross-platform communications

In this guide, we highlight common risk factors associated with text messaging, social media and email, and recommendations to help you mitigate risk and strengthen your public records program.