How do you map your existing file plan to the metadata fields required by DoD 5015.2?

DoD 5015.2 defines functional requirements for electronic records management applications, including a set of metadata elements that records must carry. Mapping your existing file plan to those fields is less about reinventing your structure and more about translating what you already know into the system’s vocabulary.

Start by inventorying both sides

Lay your current file plan next to the standard’s metadata requirements. Your file plan already encodes most of what the standard wants: record categories, organizational ownership, descriptive titles, and disposition rules. The goal is a crosswalk, a row-by-row map from each file plan attribute to its corresponding metadata element.

Common pairings include:

• Record category / file code maps to the category identifier and category name.
• Series or folder title maps to the record title or subject.
• Originating office maps to the organizational unit or originator field.
• Retention and cutoff rules map to disposition authority, disposition instructions, and the trigger or event that starts the retention clock.
• Security or access designation maps to access control, supplemental markings, or classification fields where applicable.

Resolve gaps and mismatches

Where your file plan is silent, decide whether the field is mandatory or optional in your implementation. Mandatory fields with no source need a population rule, a default value, derivation from another field, or a manual entry step at filing. Where one file plan attribute carries several meanings, split it so each maps cleanly to a single element. Document every decision so the logic is auditable.

Validate, then govern

Test the crosswalk against real records before full rollout. Confirm that disposition authorities tie back to an approved schedule and that values are consistent, controlled vocabularies rather than free text wherever possible. Consistent, well-defined metadata is what makes records findable, transferable, and disposable on schedule, the core aim of any records program.

Finally, treat the map as a living artifact. As your file plan evolves or you adopt new categories, revisit the crosswalk so metadata stays aligned.

For related guidance on standards and electronic recordkeeping, see compliance and standards.