Administration Officer File Duties

[Juice]

I'm new to the DA position and I'm seeking advice on what hard copy files make sense in this digital age to maintain at the squadron level.  Looking to clean house. Any suggestions?

[JeffDG]

As absolutely few "paper" files as you can get away with.  Preferably the only time paper should exist is from the time received to the time it is scanned.

[Juice]

Thanks JeffDG. I agree, however are their certain forms, etc. that you are required to keep on hand such as CAPF 160 and 161s or if they are scanned and our people have access to them is that good enough?  What about if they are remote without Internet access?  Should they have hard copies in hand?

[TheSkyHornet]

Thanks JeffDG. I agree, however are their certain forms, etc. that you are required to keep on hand such as CAPF 160 and 161s or if they are scanned and our people have access to them is that good enough?  What about if they are remote without Internet access?  Should they have hard copies in hand?

Common sense should always be applied. Ask yourself "What if..." If you think it's likely and serious enough to require a paper copy available at an immediate request, keep a paper copy.

If you feel you're going to need to print off a copy of a form, either have a cable/WiFi connection to a printer from a laptop/tablet, or have hard copies of blank forms. Chances are, you won't need to have hard copies of most forms accessible, so if you do scan them, just make sure you have speedy access to them (backed up on a flash drive/shared electronic network).

For health/medical forms, "When not in use, paper records must be secured in a locked container or file cabinet, and electronic records must be password protected," per CAPR 160-1.

"Copies, faxes and electronic submissions of these forms are acceptable alternatives to original documents. "

The rules regarding which forms are not authorized to be referred to outside of the original paper copy should either be at the bottom/back page of the form or found in the regulation that the form is attached to (i.e., CAPR 160-1 for CAPF 160, CAPF 161, CAPF 162, CAPF 163). Check the reg to verify. Usually, a word search will do.

Our squadron is very paper-oriented. I'm, personally, an electronic form and record fan just because I can take it with me anywhere and look it up at my discretion, especially if I'm out somewhere and don't have the file cabinet with all of our records. The problem is that you need to make sure you have those forms or records accessible, meaning any blank copies need to be downloaded to your computer and put on a shared drive (available offline or on a local area network if possible) as well as the actual records of anything you needed to scan. Always have a backup copy somewhere. If you lose someone's file, it's gone.

All electronic records should be backed up. All electronic records must be secured.

[JeffDG]

All electronic records should be backed up. All electronic records must be secured.

Of of the reasons I like Google Drive.

You can handle access rights in a straightforward way, and you can have them auto-sync to authorized user's computers, creating many backups in addition to all the backups that Google themselves do.

[TheSkyHornet]

I would strongly recommend making a unit SOP/Field Manual of your records, where they are stored, and what your procedures are for retaining, securing, and administering access to these files. Doesn't need to look official; it can be as simple as a spreadsheet or post-haste Word Doc with quick info with you as the POC.