• (e) Where is the agency located (physical location, not postal address)? Has it ever been located elsewhere? If so where and when? Is there a geographical limitation to the agencies jurisdiction? If so, what are the limitations?
  • (f) What are the agencies activities or functions?
  • (g) Does (did) the agency report to another agency? If so, to whom and when?
  • (h) Does (did) another agency report to it? If so, which agency and when?
  • (i) Does the agency still exist? If not, when was it disestablished and how? By what legislation, regulations, instruments or administrative instructions?

Where any of the following information has been identified during the appraisal process, it should also be provided. It is expected that this information may only be known in respect of functions relevant to the records being appraised.

  • (j) What, if any, agency(ies) carried out the agency's functions in the past, and during what period?
  • (k) What agency(ies), if any, inherited its functions? At what time?
  • 6.1.3 Records Description

The appraisal report should summarise:

  • the date span of all records offered for appraisal
  • the quantity of all records offered for appraisal

Accurate assessment of the value of records also requires an understanding of the recordkeeping process which generated the records. For each recordkeeping process (series) identified within the body of records for appraisal, the following descriptive information should be provided.

Where there are no easily discernible series (e.g. unregistered, unsorted material), large numbers of series, or complex relationships between series, contact Archives New Zealand to clarify the most appropriate level of documentation.

  • (a) What is the title of the record series? What kind of recordkeeping process is involved? (e.g. Filing, minuting, indexing, registering, mapping, messaging)
  • (b) What are the span of dates of the records? (i.e. Date Range)
  • (c) Is the series already registered with Archives New Zealand? If so what is its series code? (This information can be obtained from Archives New Zealand.)

If the series has been registered, confirm that the current documentation (provided by Archives New Zealand) is correct, or update elements as appropriate. If the series is not registered the following details should be provided.

  • (d) When did the recordkeeping process begin? Is it still continuing? If not, when did it end?
  • (e) Has there been any recent or relevant previous disposal action (i.e. disposal decisions) covering the records offered? (For example, are they covered by an existing schedule approved by Archives New Zealand or have similar records been recommended for destruction/transfer by Archives New Zealand?) If so, please indicate the appraisal file job number and/or accession number and date transferred and/or date approved for destruction by the Chief Archivist (this information is available through Archives New Zealand).