FACT SHEET

> IS MY ORGANISATION COVERED BY THE PRA?

The PRA covers the wider state sector and applies to all "public offices". These include all government departments, crown entities, crown research institutes, state enterprises, district health boards, tertiary institutions and state schools.

> WHAT ARE MY ORGANISATION'S RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE PRA?

1. To create and maintain records
   • Records are recorded information created or received by your organisation in the course of your work, such as emails, meeting minutes, policy briefings, case files, photographs or web pages. The PRA requires you to create and maintain full and accurate records of your activities. This includes activities undertaken on your behalf by independent contractors. These records must be maintained in a corporate system so they are reliable and accessible over time.
2. To dispose of public records only as authorised by the Chief Archivist or otherwise by law
   • The PRA introduces a managed system for disposal of records. In recordkeeping terms, dispose means 'decide what to do with' - for example a record could be transferred to Archives New Zealand or destroyed. Under the PRA, no-one may dispose of any public record without an autority from the Chief Archivist. General Disposal Authorities have been issued so that you can destroy common types of routine information, once no longer required.
3. To transfer archival records to Archives New Zealand
   • Records of archival value should be transferred to Archives New Zealand no later than 25 years after they have been closed.
4. To classify the access status of all records
   • All records 25 years or older must be classified as either open access or restricted access. If records are transferred to Archives New Zealand before 25-years, their access status is decided as part of this process. The PRA guarantees the public's right to free inspection of open access records.

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> COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORK

The Chief Archivist supports compliance with the PRA through the following means:

• Audits: The Chief Archivist commissions independent audits of recordkeeping in public offices. These start in 2010 and each organisation will be audited every five to 10 years.
• Standards: The Chief Archivist can set mandatory standards. Your organisation has to comply with these standards and may be audited against them.
• Inspection: The Chief Archivist can, after giving reasonable notice to a public office, inspect the records or archives in their possession or control.
• Reporting: The Chief Archivist can direct a public office to report on any aspect of its recordkeeping practice or on the public records that it controls.
• Report to Parliament: The Chief Archivist reports annually to the Minister Responsible for Archives New Zealand on the state of recordkeeping within public offices and on the results of audits. This report will be presented to Parliament.

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3. >WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

The PRA means all staff have to:

• Create records
  • Make records by clearly documenting your activities, including making file notes of relevant conversations, making minutes of significant meetings and documenting your work. Make sure all records are filed in the corporate system rather than your personal system, and are clearly identified so others can find them.
• Maintain records
  • Handle records with care. Store records for future access. Do not alter, re-sort, or remove filed documents (including electronic ones), even if you are the person who filed them.
• Prevent illegal disposal
  • Do not destroy records, or remove them from your organisation's filing systems, without proper authority. Do not take records home or destroy them when you leave the organisation. Get help from your records manager or records staff before disposing of records.

For further information, see the following publications available on our website at continuum.archives.govt.nz

• F1: Make a Record
• F2: What is Disposal?
• F12: What is a Public Office?
• G8: A Guide to the Public Records Act
• A6: Making Access Decisions under the Public Records Act

For advice or assistance please contact Archives New Zealand at
rkadvice@archives.govt.nz

Good recordkeeping justifies decisions

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