Service at UC Berkeley

Background

DocuSign functionality includes the ability to manage how long envelopes (documents) are retained in the system. The following describes how Retention Management works and what you should be aware of when it is active on your Department's DocuSign account. This is a very valuable tool but there are important nuances that you should be aware of so it can function in accordance with your Department’s needs as well as with UC requirements.

Details

What is Document Retention?
- With a document retention policy, your DocuSign Department Account Administrator can set the number of days that completed, declined, and voided documents are retained in the DocuSign system before being purged.
Why Implement Document Retention Management?
- Retention Management enables us to comply with campus document and records policies and regulations, thus reducing campus risk.
What Document Retention considerations should I be aware of?
- Adherence to the retention and records policies and regulations appropriate to your specific type of document. See the UC Records Retention Schedule for reference. Relatedly, determining whether all of your Department’s documents have the same retention requirements or whether you must have more than one retention process in DocuSign. If you need more than one, you will have to use the “Targeted Envelopes” feature.
  - For most departments, the type of record category is the main factor that influences the retention period (e.g. recruitment/hiring records, invoices, general ledger records).
  - For departments such as the Chancellor’s Office or Provost’s Office, the fact that the record was authored by a leadership official influences the retention period. (See “the "program administration records of historical value" retention category, 002a in the UC Records Retention Schedule” for more information.)
- Ensuring that document recipients are able to download their copy of the document prior to purging if appropriate. See DocuSign’s Purge Envelopes article for reference.
- Envelope purging permanently removes documents and their field data from completed and voided envelopes after a specified retention period. Warnings of pending purges are shown in your account and through email notifications, giving you a chance to download the documents before they are purged.
  - Caution: there are situations in which you will not receive purge notifications. Please see Recipient Specific Considerations and Sender Specific Considerations .

Determining whether the documents’ metadata (e.g. document fields, envelope fields, envelope attachments) is retained or if it is also purged when the document is purged.
- See DocuSign’s Document Retention & Targeted Envelope Purge: What you should know before using these features
- Especially note that the Certificate Of Completion (aka Summary) and History are always retained whether meta data is selected or not and the Certificate Of Completion does not include any information on the purge. The envelope History and the web app details view however do include the purged information once the purge process is complete. i.e. 'Documents marked to be purged from Envelope. Reason: Requested By Sender.'

References

DocuSign Retention Management for General Audience