Who determines if a person's official duties require access?

Who determines if a person's official duties require access?

• A. The office with custodial responsibility
• B. The agency privacy office
• C. The rater
• D. The chain of command

Answer: (A)

Access is determined by the office that has custodial responsibility for the information. That office holds and safeguards the records and uses the duties of the person and the need-to-know principle to decide who should have access. They assess whether someone’s official role truly requires access to perform their duties, grant access accordingly, and revoke it when no longer needed or if protections are breached. While privacy policy and oversight influence how access is governed, the actual determination rests with the custodian who manages the records. The other roles may influence or request access, but the custodial office is the authority that makes the final call based on need-to-know.

Access is determined by the office that has custodial responsibility for the information. That office holds and safeguards the records and uses the duties of the person and the need-to-know principle to decide who should have access. They assess whether someone’s official role truly requires access to perform their duties, grant access accordingly, and revoke it when no longer needed or if protections are breached. While privacy policy and oversight influence how access is governed, the actual determination rests with the custodian who manages the records. The other roles may influence or request access, but the custodial office is the authority that makes the final call based on need-to-know.