Page History

Summary

On June 30, 2000, Congress enacted the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act ("ESIGN"). The result of this Act made it possible for an electronic signature to be used as a valid replacement of a traditional pen and ink signature. For GCM, the broader application of ESIGN on the processing of day to day forms and documents in the Headquarter office will now make it possible to accept them as “signed” with the use of electronic means.

...

Important Note: A FAX of a document that is personally signed is already considered a legally valid document and will therefore is not affected by this policy. The same applies to a PDF copy of a document that is personally signed which is sent as an attachment to an email. This is also already considered legally valid.

Policy Statement

GCM will allow an electronic signature to be accepted as a valid replacement of a traditional pen and ink signature for forms and documents used and processed by the GCM office.

For the purpose of further clarity, GCM will accept an email from the signer of the form or document to serve as a valid signature. GCM will also accept a form or document that is electronically attached to an email. The email and/ or the attached form or document must:
• Identify and authenticate the particular person as the source of the message (see below), and 
• Clearly indicates the person’s approval of the information, form or document they are intending to electronically “sign”.

Authentication and Identification

For GCM employees and associate staff, authentication and identification must be supported by the sender with including all the following in their email:
• Full Name
• Home phone number (or mobile phone)
• FD number 
• E-Mail address
• Current Date

...

This required information above can also be entered directly by the provider onto the actual form or document. The form or document can then be attached to an email. This method will also serve as a valid electronic signature (as mentioned in the Policy Statement above).

Prior Application of Policy 

Form and documents that were accepted by the GCM office with electronic signatures prior to the adoption of this Policy will still be considered valid. As long as the acceptance was after June 30, 2000 – this was the enactment date of the ESIGN Act.

Forms on which GCM will allow an electronic signature. 

The following Forms can be submitted using an electronic signature (including but not limited to):

...

IV. Ministry Grant Forms 
• Grant Request Forms
• Grant Questionnaire

Forms on which GCM will NOT allow an electronic signature (must still be hand-signed). 

The following GCM forms must be submitted with an actual signed signature:

...