What are an agency head's and SAORM's responsibilities for the vital records and continuity program?

A vital records and continuity program protects the records an organization needs to operate during and after an emergency, and the records that preserve the legal and financial rights of the organization and the people it serves. In federal agencies, two roles carry distinct but complementary responsibilities for this program: the agency head and the Senior Agency Official for Records Management (SAORM).

The Agency Head’s Responsibilities

The agency head holds ultimate accountability for the agency’s records and for ensuring continuity of essential functions. In practice, this means the head is responsible for:

• Establishing and funding a records management program that identifies, protects, and provides ready access to vital records.
• Ensuring the agency can continue its mission-essential functions through disruptions, integrating records protection into broader continuity-of-operations (COOP) planning.
• Designating a SAORM and giving that official the authority and resources needed to carry out the program.

The agency head is generally expected to make compliance with records laws an organizational priority and to ensure that adequate safeguards exist for records of legal, fiscal, and operational value.

The SAORM’s Responsibilities

The SAORM is a senior official designated to oversee records management on the agency head’s behalf and to be the principal point of accountability. Typical responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic direction and oversight for the records program, including the identification and periodic review of vital records.
• Ensuring vital records are scheduled, properly stored, duplicated or backed up, and accessible so essential functions can resume quickly after an interruption.
• Coordinating with the agency records officer, IT, security, and emergency-management staff so that records protection aligns with continuity and information-security plans.
• Reporting on the program’s status and progress to agency leadership and to oversight bodies, and driving corrective action where gaps exist.

Shared Principles

Both roles share a common aim: making sure the right records survive a crisis and remain trustworthy and usable. That requires clearly defined accountability, regular testing of recovery procedures, and treating vital records as part of risk management rather than an afterthought.

For more guidance on protecting and preserving records of enduring value, see the archives and preservation topic hub.