Leading, Supporting, and Serving the Non-Profit Housing Sector

Best Practices

Resources for Information and Records Management

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	Alexandra Bradley and Denise Dale At Your Fingertips in the Office—Information Management for the Small Business. Easy-to-read and practical introduction to information management principles. Useful for setting up and maintaining a filing system, including a maintenance record system. Available in libraries, or you can purchase from bookstores or on-line from Amazon Books. Top
	BC Housing The Housing Provider Kit is an important resource. See the Governance guide, Chapters 2 Legal Requirements—Constating Documents, 3 The Board’s Role, and the Appendix. Administration guide, Chapter 1 (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act). Administration guide, Chapter 2 Record Management. View the guides on-line or download the PDF files. BC Housing’s Manager, Administrative Services can help you with advice on FOIPPA issues and on records management, including how to permanently delete computer files. E-mail Debra Barby or call 604-439-4746. Top
	BC Non-Profit Housing Association Members can purchase BCNPHA’s Policy Templates to help prepare an Operations Manual. E-mail Kate Nielsen or call 604-291-2600 (1-800-494-8859), ext. 224. Top
	Canada Revenue Agency See the following links on the CRA Web site for helpful information on reporting requirements: Charities. Information on the annual return and other aspects of operating a registered charity. Summary Policy CSP-B01 Books and Records. Outlines requirements for non-profit and charitable organizations. Non-Profit Organizations. Access to the information return and the guide to completing it. Payroll deductions and employers' responsibilities. Top
	Community Legal Assistance Society The Society Guide for British Columbia is a short guide last updated in 1999. See Section III Post Incorporation Procedures for advice on setting up the society’s books and records. Available in public libraries, or you can purchase from CLAS (604-685-3425). Top
	Construction Specifications Canada CSC is a non-profit association dedicated to improving communication, contract documentation, and technical information in the construction industry. Their Web site has a National Master Specification (NMS) table of contents that you can download and use for organizing maintenance files. Click on NMS in the sidebar, then click on NMS Table of Contents. Download the Windows file. Top
	Continuing Legal Education Society of BC CLE researches, publishes, and workshops legal education materials to keep practicing lawyers up to date. Charities and Not-for-Profit Organizations—1996. Tab 6 Incorporating and Maintaining a Society in B.C. provides a short but helpful overview, including common errors and omissions. Charities and Not-for-Profit Organizations (2001). Tab 6 Membership Lists discusses key requirements of BC and federal FOI legislation, including the ten principles in the federal Model Code For The Protection of Personal Information, which is based on internationally recognized data protection principles. Charities and Not-for-Profit Organizations: The Fundamentals (1999). See Tab 3 Annual Record Keeping and Maintenance. Available for reference at BC Courthouse libraries (check their Web site for locations) and sometimes public libraries. They can also be purchased on-line from the CLE Web site. Top
	Employment Standards Branch The Keeping Records fact sheet on the BC Employment Standards Branch Web site outlines records an employer must keep. Top
	Ministry of Finance The Corporate Registries Web page of the BC Ministry of Finance has a Society Filing Checklist (for the Annual Report) Maintaining a British Columbia Society information sheet. Top
	Ministry of Labour, Citizens' Services & Open Government Check out these documents on the Ministry Web site: Guide to Good Privacy Practices. A handy supplement to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) for managers and staff of public bodies. Policy and Procedures Manual. A user-friendly resource for all aspects of the FOIPPA—once you get used to all the links to the Act and other sections of the manual. Geared to public bodies, but housing societies may find it a useful resource. Top
	Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner for BC The Guidelines & Resources for Public Bodies page of this Web site has guidelines for Data service contracts Public surveillance Fax E-mail. There is also a discussion paper on disclosure of personal information between health care providers and policing agencies, which may be relevant to some housing societies. Top
	Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association ONPHA produces a number of useful handbooks: The ONPHA Governance and Corporate Practices Handbook. See Chapter Sections 11.3 Board Development, 12 Board Policies, 13.4 Corporate Minute Book, 13.5 Register of Members and Directors, and 15.4 Obligations of a Charity. The ONPHA Maintenance Planning Handbook. For maintenance records, see Chapter 2 Administrative Infrastructure and Appendix H. Chapter 2.4 introduces the Construction Specifications Canada numbering system as one way to organize maintenance files. Each handbook comes with a diskette that includes all forms and sample policies. Order on-line from ONPHA. BCNPHA members pay the ONPHA member price. Top
	Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act Schedule 1 of this federal act sets out the Model Code For The Protection of Personal Information, a minimum standard for protection of personal information based on internationally recognized standards. Top
	Primer on Records Management Here’s a short primer on records management adapted from Managing Your Office Records and Files, edited by Katherine Aschner, 1983 (now out of print). Top
	Privacy Commissioner of Canada Check out these helpful resources on the Web site: Privacy Questionnaire. A common-sense list of questions to test your organization’s compliance with privacy legislation. Faxing Personal Information. Health Links page. Leads to references on protecting personal health information that may be of interest to some societies. Top
	Property Management Software BCNPHA supports two suppliers: Netintegrity Inc. and Yardi Systems Inc. Both offer electronic records management for accounting, maintenance, and tenant information. Top
	Self-Counsel Press You can buy their Minute Book binder for properly organizing incorporation documents and Board minutes, as legally required—either on-line (look under Small Business/Office Essentials) or in a bookstore. Top
	Society Act Use the on-line version or purchase on-line from Crown Publications, Queen's Printer and check out sections: 11 Location of Records 36 to 40 Accounting Records 20 Register of Members. Top
	UBC Real Estate Division See the Property Management Pre-Licensing Course Manual Chapter 12 Introduction to Property Management, pages 12.7 and 12.8 for recommended subject matter for an Operations Manual. Chapter 21 Maintenance and Repairs, pages 21.12 and 21.13 on development of an Operations Manual. Available in public libraries and can also be purchased on-line from UBC. Top