Records and information management standard
Archives New Zealand is consulting on the draft Records and information management standard and the accompanying implementation guide.
The standard sets out the mandatory minimum compliance requirements for public offices including state and integrated schools, and for local authorities. Once finalised, the standard will be issued under section 27 of the Public Records Act 2005. It will supersede the existing Records Management Standard for the New Zealand Public Sector, which was due for review in 2016. It will also replace S4 Access Standard, S5 Digital Recordkeeping Standard (AS NZS ISO 16175) and AS NZS ISO 13028: 2012, Information and documentation – Implementation Guidelines for digitisation of records.
Archives New Zealand’s regulatory role was established by the Public Records Act in 2005. Since then a considerable body of work has been completed to establish and implement standards, advice and guidance for the management of public records and local authority records. Records management practice and our use of regulatory tools to drive best practice have continued to evolve. Archives New Zealand is currently optimising its regulatory role through a work programme that began with the release of a draft Regulatory statement late in 2015.
Context for change
The operation of the existing Records Management Standard for the New Zealand Public Sector since 2014 has raised questions about its usability, effectiveness, currency and relevance in the contemporary and future records and information environment.
Several key opportunities to support and improve the records and information framework have been identified, including:
- consolidating and simplifying the principles and requirements of the current standard;
- making a clearer distinction between the requirements of a mandatory standard and the advice and guidance on how to implement the requirements;
- building stronger alignment with the Government’s information-related priorities;
- providing stronger support for records and information management across all formats;
- emphasising and supporting the importance of sound and effective information governance and practice in complex business and information environments;
- using key changes in international recordkeeping standards effectively in our environment;
- consolidating the status of the standard as mandatory for all public offices and local authorities, and providing tools that are flexible enough to support organisations of widely varying sizes, complexity and roles; and
- extending the new standard to state and integrated schools through a tailored and well-timed implementation plan that helps schools to meet their existing obligations under the Public Records Act.
Supporting Tools and Advice
Archives New Zealand has developed a supporting document Implementing the new Records and information management standard. The guide has three sections:
- understanding the requirements of the standard – key guidance will be mapped to each minimum compliance requirement, this will be progressively updated as more guidance is developed;
- meeting obligations under the Public Records Act 2005; and
- transitioning from the superseded standards to the new standard.
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the draft Records and information management standard and accompanying implementation guide by close of business, Wednesday 4 May 2016.
Discussion Forums will be held in
Auckland - 22April 2016 - 1.30 to 3.30pm at the Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office, 95 Pearce Drive, Auckland
Wellington - 26 April 2016 - 12.30 to 1.30pm – Co-create Space, National Library Building, 100 Molesworth Street, Wellington
Please RSVP to rkconsultation@dia.govt.nz if you plan to attend a forum.
Please email any questions and/or your feedback to rkconsultation@dia.govt.nz using the form at the bottom of the Archives New Zealand Records and information management standard webpage