Draft recordkeeping audit tool now available
Archives New Zealand has released a draft recordkeeping audit tool for consultation. The final tool will be used by Archives New Zealand to conduct the recordkeeping audits of public offices required under the Public Records Act, starting in 2010.
Some key points about the tool are:
- it describes levels of achievement, rather than taking a pass/fail approach
- it provides a pathway for improving records and information management
- it has a strong self assessment focus
- it will allow Archives New Zealand to recognise and promote good practice in information management, and identify areas of concern.
Briefings on the audit tool are in progress. For more details about the tool check out the
audit strategy webpage or contact
Kate Jones, Senior Advisor in the Government Recordkeeping Programme.
Digital continuity action plan
Did you know? The average life of a piece of digital information is just 5-7 years. Technological obsolescence puts information at risk.
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the consultation draft of the Digital Continuity Strategy. By November 2008, we received 63 written submissions and over 100 people came along to focus group meetings. Feedback was largely positive, with many useful suggestions for improvements. Following this input, the strategy has been revised as a Digital Continuity Action Plan that sets a concrete timetable for delivering results over the next three years. This has been considered by the advisory group, and approved in principle by the Chief Archivist and Minister responsible for Archives New Zealand. It will head back to Cabinet for consideration in April 2009.
For more information, contact
Stephen Clarke, Senior Advisor in the Digital Sustainability Programme. Project information, including the consultation draft, is on our
website.
Government recordkeeping surveyLetters about the government recordkeeping survey went out to public office and local authority chief executives in the first week of April. These letters include results from last year’s survey and nomination forms for the 2009 survey. Result cards will also be emailed to the people who completed last year’s survey.
Successful forums throughout the country in March
Over the past few weeks Archives New Zealand has delivered successful recordkeeping forums throughout the country.
- In Wellington, 175 people gathered in the National Library Auditorium to learn about the Power of Persuasion: Championing Records Management in Your Organisation.
- In Auckland, a record crowd of 89 people attended our regional office in Manakau to hear about the draft audit tool and recordkeeping for business activities carried out by contractors.
- In Christchurch, 30 or so turned up to hear about the draft audit tool and digital continuity.
- In Dunedin, 11 people attended a forum which focussed on audit and the results from last year’s government recordkeeping survey.
Details about all the forums, including presentation slides, are now available
on our website.
Appraisal standard update
Archives New Zealand is reviewing its Appraisal Standard. The project is in initiation phase at present, but at this stage we expect:
- a programme of work lasting 18 months
- the development of guidance and advice on how to interpret and use the recently released Appraisal Policy
- the reconsideration of the existing Standard, in place since 1998, and its replacement with a tool more focussed on effective disposal.
For more information please contact project manager
Cheryl Pointon, Senior Adviser, Appraisal.
ERKSS reviewWe are reviewing our Electronic Recordkeeping Systems Standard (ERKSS) to reflect the rapidly changing digital information management landscape. The project has two initial phases:
- Phase 1 is a research and scoping process which will include a cross-disciplinary focus group, an international research report, and a New Zealand EDRMS survey report. This phase will be completed by the end of April
- Phase 2 will develop the products or services recommended by Phase 1.
More information on this project is available
on our website or from project manager
Stephen Clarke, Senior Advisor in the Digital Sustainability Programme.
Web information continuity projectThis project is researching current local and international trends in web information management and web archiving. The aim is to update our advice on managing web information as records and investigate the issues associated with managing web information over time. Outcomes from the project will include:
- a research report and case studies
- an updated Continuum guide. The current guide was developed in 2004.
More information on this project is available from project manager
Alice Patterson, Senior Advisor in the Government Recordkeeping Programme.
New continuum publicationsTwo new Continuum publications have been approved by the Chief Archivist.
ISO 15489 – licence expiry
ISO 15489 is the International Standard on Records Management. Until recently Archives New Zealand was funding a licence arrangement for this standard. This meant that public offices could obtain free electronic copies from us. However, the license agreement expired on 31 March, and it will not be renewed. This is because Archives New Zealand has incorporated the principles of ISO 15849 into the
Create and Maintain Recordkeeping Standard, which has been specifically developed for New Zealand government.
What does this mean for you? You will need to destroy or delete any copies of the standard which have been obtained from Archives New Zealand. Letters about this have been sent to every organisation affected. From 31 March, if you want your own copy of ISO 15489 you will need to buy it from
Standards New Zealand.
If you have any questions or concerns about this decision, please contact
rkadvice@archives.govt.nz.
Government recordkeeping training updateOur recordkeeping training courses continue to go from strength to strength. So far this year we have delivered eight training courses, with 114 people attending. We get excellent feedback on the courses – more than 98 percent say they are useful or very useful. Over the next few months we are running courses in Wellington, Christchurch, and Thames. Check out our
training calendar for details.
In 2009-10 we will be making some improvements to the training programme, including:
- a new one day course on recordkeeping metadata, to support the Electronic Recordkeeping Metadata Standard
- splitting the existing disposal and transfer course into two separate courses, with more information about disposal of digital records.
These new courses will be advertised on the Continuum website with registrations beginning in April. For further information, email
rkadvice@archives.govt.nz.
Newcomers’ network
Are you new to records and information work? Maybe you've just finished your degree. Maybe you're still studying? Do you want to make contacts and meet other newcomers to the profession?
The newcomers' network is a collaboration between Archives New Zealand, the Records Management Association of Australasia (RMAA), Archives and Records Association of New Zealand (ARANZ) and the EDRMS Special Interest Group. The aim is to support people who are new to the recordkeeping industry. To encourage discussion and networking, numbers will be limited to no more than 40 people.
The first meeting is in the Archives New Zealand Training Room in Wellington on Wednesday 22 April, 10.30am-11.30am. This meeting will focus on introductions and finding out what newcomers want from a network. To register, please email
rkadvice@archives.govt.nz
Changing faces at Archives New Zealand
- Tom Norcliffe has been appointed as Manager, Appraisal.
- Lisa Judge has joined us as an Advisor in the Government Recordkeeping Programme. She was previously in the Information Records & Library Team at ACC.
- Mark Crookston is on an internal secondment to the Digital Sustainability Programme, ending this month.
- Lisa Austin joins the Appraisal Section as Advisor. Lisa was previously an archivist in our Access and Regional Services team.
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