1 > INTRODUCTION

This booklet aims to help you with your business needs and legal requirements for recordkeeping. It provides guidance about some of the specific things that you can do as a senior manager, and gives you a checklist of questions to ask in your organisation.

The booklet is also a quick introduction to the Public Records Act 2005, which introduced a new whole-of-government recordkeeping framework in order to support accountability, business efficiency and our historic documentary heritage.

I am responsible for developing and supporting government recordkeeping. Archives New Zealand has a range of other tools, training and support to help you navigate your way through these challenges. these include:

• General disposal authorities for records common to all public offices;
• A recordkeeping policy template;
• Regular recordkeeping forums for staff involved in recordkeeping; and
• The Continuum Resource Kit that contains over a dozen products covering a range of recordkeeping issues.

In addition, we are working on more advice about electronic records as we know that this is an area of concern to many of you.

I welcome your comments and feedback on how Archives New Zealand can continue to support you in ensuring good recordkeeping practices exist in your organisation.

Dianne Macaskill
Chief Archivist
Chief Executive, Archives New Zealand

Issued October 2003/Revised June 2006