What is Non-Standard software?
Non-standard software is software that is not a standard offering by ETS and are not supported by ETS. You must go through an approval process to use a non-standard software.
Because the application is not supported by ETS, the responsibility for managing any data/records within the application falls wholly on you as the user.
Below are the records-related responsibilities you incur when using a non-standard software application, as well as recommendations for how to manage data/records from these types of applications.
Please note that each software type will have different capabilities. The following are common solutions to issues but may not work for the tool you are using. Please reach out to the Agency Records Officer (ARO), Rachel Thompson, to discuss other possibilities. However, the responsibilities and requirements listed here apply to all software applications.
Responsibilities
Managing retention
DES will not have any retention tracking or implementation capabilities in non-standard software. It will be up to you as a user to track and implement the retention requirements for data/records within the application.
In some cases, this will require you to download the data/records to preserve them in another location. If this is not possible, please contact the Agency Records Officer to determine what actions to take.
Additionally, when looking at non-standard software to request, ensure that the vendor does not have any auto-deletion policies (for example: “data in the application is deleted every 2 years”). If this is the case, the software may not even be approved for use, or you will be required to export any data/records in the software on a regular basis.
Unless the data/records are transitory, you will also be required to export data/records from the application when you cease using it or the vendor discontinues it.
Identifying and producing records in a public records request
When you are notified of a public records request that relates to data/records within a non-standard software, you will be responsible for producing and transferring the records to the Public Records Officer. You will also be responsible for ensuring that the data/records are not deleted while the request is still active.
Preserving Records
When data/records in a non-standard application are under a legal hold, you will be responsible for making sure the data/records are protected from deletion and modification. You may need to export the data to ensure this and/or to provide the data when requested.