RETENTION PERIOD FOR FINANCIAL VOUCHERS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010007-7
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
7
Document Creation Date: 
December 23, 2016
Document Release Date: 
November 14, 2011
Sequence Number: 
7
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
May 12, 1987
Content Type: 
MEMO
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010007-7.pdf188.32 KB
Body: 
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89GO0643RO01100010007-7 l ..' ?ij t': Pr ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET SUBJECT: (Optional) LUDDU Retention Period for Financial Vouchers FROM: Allen R. Elkins Director of Finance- EXTENSION NO. OF-0116-87 1212 Key Bldg. DATE 14 May 1987 TO: (Officer designation, room number, and building) DATE OFFICER'S COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom RECEIVED FORWARDED INITIALS to whom. Draw a line ",ms column after each comm,nq 1 / DDA cs qr 7D18 Hqs X98+ z. ~~ DF 5. 6. 7. a. p 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. FORM 6 i n USE PREVIOUS * U.S. aowrnment Panani ontw: 1f5-49"34Nm54 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010007-7 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89GO0643ROO1100010007-7 OF-0116-87 12 May 1987 MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations VIA: Deputy Director for Administration FROM: Allen R. Elkins Director of Finance REFERENCE: A. Memo for DDS from DDP dtd 19 Nov 1971 B. Memo for DDO from D/OF dtd 28 Dec 1978 C. Memo for H. Lacy, OF, from DDO dtd 11 Jan 1979 1. The retention and storage of Agency documents has been a continual problem for years, requiring periodic reviews and new alternatives to cope with the ever increasing paper accumulation and the consequent need for storage space both at Headquarters and the Agency Record Center. In 1971 (Attachement A) the DDP concurred in the destruction of financial vouchers and records older than 12 years if space limitations so dictated. 2. In 1978 (Attachment B) the Office of Finance began a program of microfilming financial vouchers as a means to reduce the space needed to store financial documentation. At that time the DDO was queried as to whether or not a retention period of longer than 12 years was needed to satisfy their requirements. The response (Attachment C) stated that a retention period of not less than 20 years was deemed necessary to satisfy DO interests. 3. Currently, the Office of Finance retains original (paper) vouchers at Key Building for 15 months and then ships them to the Agency Record Center for an additional three years. In addition, the vouchers are microfilmed and the film retained for 20 years to satisfy the DDO requirement in spite of the fact that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requires either original financial vouchers or microfilm copies thereof to be retained for a period of six years and three months. 4. In anticipation of moving to the new building the Office of Finance has been reviewing space requirements for our Records Administration Branch which includes the microfilming and temporary storage operations. We will be acquiring less space in the new building than we presently have and this, along with the personnel resources needed to maintain the microfilming process, compels us to reconsider both "paper" holdings and the microfilming process. As an alternative to the current practice, this office is consid- ering keeping the original (paper) vouchers for a period of six years and three months without any microfilming. 5. A recent study of reference activity to vouchers has shown that use by the auditors is usually for 24-32 months and that use by budget and finance officers is usually only for the prior year. Reference to the vouchers retired to the Agency Record Center is negligible (see memo from Chief, Agency Record Center, Attachment D). Additionally, the reference to vouchers held at Office of Finance Headquarters is also negligible after three years. 6. Should any member of your staff have a question regarding this matter, please contact on Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010007-7 25X1 ILLEGIB Retention of Finance Records in Archives 1. This has been a long and difficult problem to deal with. As you know, the CI Staff has very properly, considering its general responsibilities, highlighted the fact that the types of finance records under discussion here (particularly travel' vouchers) have at sometimes in the past been useful in contributing to counter- intelligence analyses of difficult cases. I therefore had to take into most serious account the position of the CI Staff. 2. After the most careful consideration, and noting your statement that the Office of Security does not consider that such records need be retained beyond twelve years, and noting further the ruling of the Office of General Counsel that twelve year reten- tion satisfies all legal requirements, I have decided to concur in your proposal. I am doing this because of the severe space limitations which I understand are operative in this matter and also because I do not believe that the expenditures which would be incurred year after year in a continuing sizable accumulation of finance records would justify the occasional help such records might provide in a given case. I know that this position has the concurrence of the Director. 3. I would ask that, in going about the elimination of the older records, an effort be made to take advantage of whatever space flexibility there may be to keep such records beyond the twelve year limit. In any event, I concur in the destruction of such records older than twelve years. if space limitations so '71 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010007-7 MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Chief, Information Systems and Analysis Staff FROM: Thomas B. Yale Director of Finance 1. It is requested that the Office of Finance Records Control Schedule be amended for certain items, as listed on the attached pages, to change the retention time from 10 years and 3 months and from 6 years and 3 months to 12 years. 2. The basic request is for the extension of retention time for financial posting vouchers (Item 47) to 12 years, which was the retention requirement before the last change. In accordance with the authority granted in Section 8(b) of the Central Intelligence Act of 1949, as amended, the Agency engages in transactions of a confidential nature, some of which involves certain cover arrangements, compartmentation, and the use of devices such as cryptonyms and pseudonyms for protection of projects and individuals. Research is sometimes needed to provide a full and clear review of a transaction, and we feel that retention periods of 10 years and 3 months and 6 years and nths are insufficient to satisfy anticipated require- ments. 3. There have been many investigations during recent years, and there are still requirements for historical information in connection with Congressional Oversight Committee reviews and Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act requests. Because of the unique authorities and responsibilities of the Agency, we believe it is prudent to establish retention periods for certain basic financial records somewhat longer than tha mini um established for observance by federal agencies generally. 4. Other items requested for 12-year retention are those which support the posting vouchers by providing authorities, additional documentation, and records required to identify voucher numbers to 1 C' Thomas B. Yale Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89GO0643RO01100010007-7 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89GO0643RO01100010007-7 - -S =-E " C R E T .I MEMORANDUM FOR: FROM: SUBJECT: REFERENCES: ')c,X1 25X1 John H. Stein Acting Deputy Director for Operations B. Memorandum for DDS fr. Thomas H. Karamessines, dtd 19 Nov 71, As I indicated in our telephone conversation of this date, I very much appreciate your having brought to my attention the question of the retention period for financial vouchers because such vouchers can con- ceivably be of enormous value to this Directorate. While we would hope we would never have to use them, we do think it in the interests of the Agency to retain them for at least 20 years if possible. Accordingly, since space would appear to be no problem, I would request that these vouchers be retained for this period. Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89GO0643RO01100010007-7 _9-OO~3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/14: CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010007-7 CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM FOR: DDA/IMO FROM: Chief, Archives and Records Center Branch SUBJECT: Reference Activity Following is the reference activity on eight finance jobs (item 49c). It is readily apparent that there is a drastic decline in reference activity after two years storage in the Archives and Records Center. 82-258 1982 (20 cu ft) 1 request 82-498 No requests (25 cu ft) 1982 thru present 4 requests 1983 thru present 1 request 1983 thru present 1 request 1983 thru present 2 requests 1985 thru present 2 requests 83-600 No requests (3 cu ft)