EPA’s Enterprise Content Management System and the Value of Metadata

1. EPA’s Enterprise Content Management System and the Value of Metadata Constance Downs Records Content Management Branch Chief U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

2. What is ECMS EPA’s Enterprise Content Management System • Intended to capture EPA’s unstructured content (email, reports, etc.) • Manages records so they can be preserved, kept for the appropriate period of time and destroyed or transferred, as appropriate • Provide access to information when needed for business, external request (Freedom of Information Act) or litigation reasons • Meet EPA’s business needs and legal requirements to manage our information and provide transparency

3. Email Records chosen as first Agency-wide application under the “Enterprise Model” in May 2006 because: Email records identified as a vulnerability – hurricanes and litigation Broad use base enabled Agency-wide funding as part of the desktop charge 18,000 EPA users + 5,000 contractors Agency shares a single email system ECMS Email records provides a simple way to capture email records from an employee’s Lotus Notes email account System automatically captures bulk of metadata Captured record is stored and managed in the ECMS records repository Easy search Applies automated retention ECMS Email Records Application

4. Capturing metadata Dramatically increases the ability to find records more quickly and more precisely If done automatically, improves the quality of data captured and enables improved retrieval ECMS allows for the capture of metadata Automatically Date, To, From, Subject, Document type (email), Email ID Manually Key words Email sensitivity Acquisition Sensitive Confidential Business Information Personal/Privacy Information Enforcement Sensitive Information) Names of individuals and organizations for non-EPA email Metadata is Key!