Remember, these are guidelines for building a solid foundation. Preservation policies and procedures must be tailored and expanded, addressing: applicable laws and regulations, a company's applicable industry and culture, and built-in flexibility, accounting for the every changing worlds of technology and law.

General

Case Description or Summary

Provide key players with the complete picture. Explain, in plain-English, the circumstances of the matter, the facts in dispute and the applicable time-frame.

Identify

• Pertinent data-types (emails, spreadsheets, etc.) and their associated applications.
• Electronic and paper document preservation and retention methods.
• Preservation (manual or automated) tools, and how to use them.

• Have questions or need additional information/clarification.
• Seek help with data preservation tasks.

Employee Responsibilities

Custodians possessing unique knowledge and information require a more detailed assignment of tasks based on the employee's role in the legal matter, and their function within the organization:

Records Management

Suspend normal (standard) destruction procedures
Preserve relevant documents.

Information Technology

Communicate with IT personnel, giving clear and concise instructions on appropriate preservation actions.
Verify they have suspended any and all automated processes which could inadvertently destroy information, until the data is collected or determined to be non-responsive.
Identify and account for accessible and inaccessible electronically stored information.

Human Resources

Identify former (potential source) employees.