A storage limit is not a retention policy. Start with the kinds of records the organization creates, the responsible record owners, and the rules that apply to each. A payroll record, routine announcement, contract, and public meeting record may need different treatment even when they live in the same application.
A retention clock needs an authorized rule
The record category and preservation duties decide what a deletion setting may do.
Document the applicable schedule or authority, when its retention clock begins, the approved repository, access requirements, and disposal authorization. Resolve legal holds and other preservation requirements with the responsible officials or advisers before enabling automatic deletion.
Include the copies people actually use
Follow the records through email, shared drives, cloud applications, exported reports, paper, and employee devices. Decide which location holds the authoritative record and how working copies are handled. A backup exists for recovery and may have a different lifecycle; it should not silently become the organization's only long-term archive.
Massachusetts public organizations have specific schedules and disposal procedures. The Secretary of the Commonwealth's records-retention questions explain that the schedules also cover electronic records. Check the relevant record series and any permission requirements or exceptions before destruction. Do not apply a single period to all municipal information.
Verify implementation before broad deletion
RDA can work with record owners and administrators to translate the approved decision into storage, retention settings, access, and a documented operating procedure. Product licensing and configuration can affect available controls; record those dependencies without treating the default as approval.
Test with noncritical material and confirm search, retrieval, holds, and the evidence available after authorized disposal. Include cloud exports and exit so a subscription change does not strand records. Review the policy when processes, systems, or applicable duties change, using the broader data-governance plan to keep responsibility clear.