Admin/Personnel Physical Records

[cobra6987]

Hey everyone,

I'm the CD as well as the Admin/Personnel officer for my squadron. When I came on board there was very little record keeping done physically (had digital copies of stuff but I'm sure there are some misc records missing). Anyway, I basically started from scratch creating physical files in redundancy to the digital copies we have and updated.  I'm using the 6-tab classification folders for members and I have them set up like this

Cadet: Red folder
1 - Master record / Application / Ribbons / F161 (updated periodically)
2 - Activities (encampments/NCSA/Volunteer service etc.)
3 - Form 50's (we do them each achievement/Award)
4 - Testing History (PT, L2L, and AE)
5 - 101 Card / ES Certs
6 - Pilot Data (We have a strong aviation influence and several cadets working towards their certificate)

Senior: Blue folder
1 - Master record / Application / F161
2 - Professional Development
3 - Activities
4 - Ribbons
5 - 101 Card / ES Certs
6 - Pilot Data

I'm interested in seeing what others are doing for their records and also offer what I have done for them. Thoughts? Ideas? Questions?

[jeders]

I'm interested in seeing what others are doing for their records and also offer what I have done for them. Thoughts? Ideas? Questions?

Eliminating every scrap of physical paper possible under the current regs.

[THRAWN]

Scan, save, back up....set up your electronic folders to mirror the file plan. Keep it simple. The wheel is already round.

[cobra6987]

Scan, save, back up....set up your electronic folders to mirror the file plan. Keep it simple. The wheel is already round.

I should have brought that up before. We do have a digital version basically mirrored as the physical file. The reason we also keep the physical even though it not required anymore, is due to an infrastructure problem and digital records are not as accessible as pbysical ones would be.

[jeders]

Scan, save, back up....set up your electronic folders to mirror the file plan. Keep it simple. The wheel is already round.

I should have brought that up before. We do have a digital version basically mirrored as the physical file. The reason we also keep the physical even though it not required anymore, is due to an infrastructure problem and digital records are not as accessible as pbysical ones would be.

Set up Google for Non-profits and put your records in Google drive. They handle all of the infrastructure/backups, and you can access any file anywhere anytime.

[THRAWN]

Scan, save, back up....set up your electronic folders to mirror the file plan. Keep it simple. The wheel is already round.

I should have brought that up before. We do have a digital version basically mirrored as the physical file. The reason we also keep the physical even though it not required anymore, is due to an infrastructure problem and digital records are not as accessible as pbysical ones would be.

Set up Google for Non-profits and put your records in Google drive. They handle all of the infrastructure/backups, and you can access any file anywhere anytime.

What he said.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Scan, save, back up....set up your electronic folders to mirror the file plan. Keep it simple. The wheel is already round.

I should have brought that up before. We do have a digital version basically mirrored as the physical file. The reason we also keep the physical even though it not required anymore, is due to an infrastructure problem and digital records are not as accessible as pbysical ones would be.

Nothing in the files is that critical, and if it's an emergency situation where the electronics are all dead...who cares, there will be much bigger problems to deal with.

[MacGruff]

While it would be very nice to rely on the electronics for everything, I know that there are holes in the electronic records which lead to questions like Cobra's. In my case, our new squadron Admin officer discovered that while personnel files were kept in a form 45, they were not complete. This lack of record keeping situation has been in place for at least several years. While most of the records that matter are on-line, we did find one glaring problem - decorations.

We have at least one member who is very proud of the CAP decorations he's earned. Looking in his file, there are only records of the ones that are found in e-services, but nothing was kept of the others he's wearing. Mind you, we are NOT questioning that  he's earned them! (core value and all), but it would have been nice to see that we have the documentation that backs him up in case there is any sort of challenge.

There are other members with decorations who fall into the same situation.

What we are doing moving forward, is making sure that any decorations being awarded under our tenure - whether kept in e-services or not - are documented via a Form 2A or some other WRITTEN means.

[THRAWN]

While it would be very nice to rely on the electronics for everything, I know that there are holes in the electronic records which lead to questions like Cobra's. In my case, our new squadron Admin officer discovered that while personnel files were kept in a form 45, they were not complete. This lack of record keeping situation has been in place for at least several years. While most of the records that matter are on-line, we did find one glaring problem - decorations.

We have at least one member who is very proud of the CAP decorations he's earned. Looking in his file, there are only records of the ones that are found in e-services, but nothing was kept of the others he's wearing. Mind you, we are NOT questioning that  he's earned them! (core value and all), but it would have been nice to see that we have the documentation that backs him up in case there is any sort of challenge.

There are other members with decorations who fall into the same situation.

What we are doing moving forward, is making sure that any decorations being awarded under our tenure - whether kept in e-services or not - are documented via a Form 2A or some other WRITTEN means.

The discussion has nothing to do with eservices. This is about the personnel records kept locally. As an aside, if your member is so proud of his decs, why didn't he maintain copies of his orders or at least his certificates? Probably a good idea to do that....

[jeders]

While it would be very nice to rely on the electronics for everything, I know that there are holes in the electronic records which lead to questions like Cobra's. In my case, our new squadron Admin officer discovered that while personnel files were kept in a form 45, they were not complete. This lack of record keeping situation has been in place for at least several years. While most of the records that matter are on-line, we did find one glaring problem - decorations.

We have at least one member who is very proud of the CAP decorations he's earned. Looking in his file, there are only records of the ones that are found in e-services, but nothing was kept of the others he's wearing. Mind you, we are NOT questioning that  he's earned them! (core value and all), but it would have been nice to see that we have the documentation that backs him up in case there is any sort of challenge.

There are other members with decorations who fall into the same situation.

What we are doing moving forward, is making sure that any decorations being awarded under our tenure - whether kept in e-services or not - are documented via a Form 2A or some other WRITTEN means.

This is where our previous admin officer got us in trouble. Electronic records and eServices are not the same; you can keep nearly everything electronic regardless of whether or not it is in eServices. In other words, there is still no reason to keep physical records, so long as you have records.

[Майор Хаткевич]

While it would be very nice to rely on the electronics for everything, I know that there are holes in the electronic records which lead to questions like Cobra's. In my case, our new squadron Admin officer discovered that while personnel files were kept in a form 45, they were not complete. This lack of record keeping situation has been in place for at least several years. While most of the records that matter are on-line, we did find one glaring problem - decorations.

We have at least one member who is very proud of the CAP decorations he's earned. Looking in his file, there are only records of the ones that are found in e-services, but nothing was kept of the others he's wearing. Mind you, we are NOT questioning that  he's earned them! (core value and all), but it would have been nice to see that we have the documentation that backs him up in case there is any sort of challenge.

There are other members with decorations who fall into the same situation.

What we are doing moving forward, is making sure that any decorations being awarded under our tenure - whether kept in e-services or not - are documented via a Form 2A or some other WRITTEN means.

This is where our previous admin officer got us in trouble. Electronic records and eServices are not the same; you can keep nearly everything electronic regardless of whether or not it is in eServices. In other words, there is still no reason to keep physical records, so long as you have records.

+1.


No one says not to keep records...they just don't have to be on paper.

[The14th]

Paper records are a big waste of resources.

[JeffDG]

and digital records are not as accessible as pbysical ones would be.

Say what?

I can access my digital records (Google Apps for Non-Profits) anywhere in the world, at any time I want to.  I could be on a business trip to Antarctica and need to update something, and voila, it would be done.

[cobra6987]

and digital records are not as accessible as physical ones would be.

Say what?

I can access my digital records (Google Apps for Non-Profits) anywhere in the world, at any time I want to.  I could be on a business trip to Antarctica and need to update something, and voila, it would be done.

I wasn't referring to the fact that I can be across the world and view records, but when is my cadet squadron going to do international operations? We have been in a constant fight to try to get better resources to keep everything digital. We heavily rely on phones to do anything digital. Again, we operate out of a portable at a school. internet is very restricted and  we don't have access to a computer lab. Basically we need to do things on paper and then I can get it uploaded digitally later.

I'm glad everyone else has the equipment to make everything digital and operate that way flawlessly, but for us, it's not an option at this time.

What we are doing moving forward, is making sure that any decorations being awarded under our tenure - whether kept in e-services or not - are documented via a Form 2A or some other WRITTEN means.

Very similar thinking that we also had here. Nothing was being documented, or just cant be in eServices. We were finding people did not know that they earned something or were eligible to do something.

As an aside, if your member is so proud of his decs, why didn't he maintain copies of his orders or at least his certificates? Probably a good idea to do that....

When I was a cadet, I basically had no idea of what kind of paperwork was involved, I sure as hell would't think to get a copy of paperwork I didn't know exist.  Now if they did know, then yeah, bad on them.

[sarmed1]

Internet access issue, why not use a mifi device or one of the phones you are using as a wireless tether?  Usually the device and service plans that would meet the needs of weekly squadron meeting should be relatively inexpensive.  If you are hell bent on a "back up" paper folder, I would go with the bare minimum: ie put a capf45/66 in each one and update as needed, but it seems like a lot of duplicated effort and no way to really be sure if paper and electronic match up.

MK

[Private Investigator]

While it would be very nice to rely on the electronics for everything, I know that there are holes in the electronic records which lead to questions like Cobra's. In my case, our new squadron Admin officer discovered that while personnel files were kept in a form 45, they were not complete. This lack of record keeping situation has been in place for at least several years. While most of the records that matter are on-line, we did find one glaring problem - decorations.

We have at least one member who is very proud of the CAP decorations he's earned. Looking in his file, there are only records of the ones that are found in e-services, but nothing was kept of the others he's wearing. Mind you, we are NOT questioning that  he's earned them! (core value and all), but it would have been nice to see that we have the documentation that backs him up in case there is any sort of challenge.

There are other members with decorations who fall into the same situation.

What we are doing moving forward, is making sure that any decorations being awarded under our tenure - whether kept in e-services or not - are documented via a Form 2A or some other WRITTEN means.

... or on a CAPF 120 I can not think of any decoration that does not have documentation. 

[kwe1009]

Not having Internet access is not that big of a deal.  You can keep local copies on your computer of all Google Drive, Dropbox, Sky Drive, etc.  You can update during a meeting and then when your computer is connected to the Internet when you get home or wherever those files will automatically update the online versions.  This is how our squadron does it when we meet in areas that don't have Internet.  It works great.

We don't keep anything on paper either.  Attendance sheets and similar documents are "scanned" with a cell phone camera and uploaded to Google Drive.  When we are in the field attending ES training, we always take picture of the signed SQTRs and upload those as well.

[rmutchler]

We did the same thing, except using Office 365 - Electronic records and ditch the paper.