Archives New Zealand (Archives) is seeking feedback on our draft Selection Statement by 28 September 2018.
Context for change
Archives is mandated by the Public Records Act 2005 to provide guidance to public offices on their legislative responsibilities as well as on identifying information and records for permanent preservation as “public archives”. However this mandate cannot be truly fulfilled if it is not clearly communicated to public offices and stakeholders.
The current Appraisal Statement (16/Sm3) gives ideas as to the kinds of information and records that may be considered to be of archival value, using the criteria of: accountability; rights and entitlements; legitimacy of authority; Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi; and knowledge. However, it does not clearly state what “public archives” Archives want now and in the future. Nor does it provide guidance for public offices to assess and understand their information management requirements – what information and records need to be created and kept for now and for the future, what are high risk or high value or both, and how to appropriately manage them.
The draft Selection Statement: Identifying and selecting public archives has been developed not only to replace the current Appraisal Statement but also to work together with our current and future factsheets and guides to support Archives'Regulatory Statement (16/Sm1) and provide this clarity and guidance.
The draft is part of an internal programme of work to transform Archives' disposal approach and machinery. Archives is seeking to provide more direction for public offices on what high value information and records we want to be retained as public archives.
Feedback
Archives welcomes your feedback and any questions. Please use the feedback form linked below and send it, and any questions, to rkconsultation@dia.govt.nz by the close of business 28th of September 2018.
Draft Selection Statement and feedback form link below:
http://archives.govt.nz/draft-selection-statement-identifying-and-selecting-public-archives
Next steps
Any feedback received will be collectively analysed and the draft revised as appropriate. The final Selection Statement will then be submitted to the Chief Archivist for approval.