Speech - Launch of Disposal and Digital Recordkeeping Standards
I am very pleased to be here to officially launch two new recordkeeping standards, the Disposal Standard and the Digital Recordkeeping Standard.
Importance of Recordkeeping Standards
One of the main goals of the Public Records Act 2005 is to raise the standard of recordkeeping across all sectors of government.
There are important reasons for doing this.
Good creation, maintenance and disposal of records is fundamental to good governance.
In a democracy, public records help protect the rights and entitlements of individuals. They support accountability, transparency, and evidence-based decision making.
Good recordkeeping means good business, by making sure we use our time and energy managing only those records we really need.
Public records also play a major part in our nation’s heritage, because they tell our history and our stories.
These two new standards are important, practical tools.
They will help us achieve the main aim of the government’s Digital Continuity Action Plan, which I launched last year.
That goal is to ensure that public sector information is trusted and available when it’s needed, now and in the future.
The Disposal Standard is mandatory for all public offices and local authorities. When done well, disposal means organisations can reduce storage costs and save unnecessary time and expense managing records they no longer need.
The Digital Recordkeeping Standard is an adaptation of the International Council on Archives 2008 digital recordkeeping standard.
Archives New Zealand was a major contributor to the creation of this international standard and its local adaptation here is the first such undertaking in the world.
This is not a compulsory standard, but it is recommended when updating recordkeeping systems.
We know that digital information is going to become even more important in the future. When it comes to government data, people expect - even demand - that it will be available online.
This is good news in terms of improved access, but at the same time it presents some major challenges for the public sector.
Here in New Zealand three-quarters of public sector agencies can no longer access some of their records. This can be caused by obsolete storage media, or unreadable software or hardware.
This is a major reason why the government announced $12.6 million in new funding this year to deliver a Government Digital Archive.
The Digital Recordkeeping Standard will also play a major part in tackling that challenge.
This is a discretionary standard, but it’s recommended as valuable guidance when making substantial changes to existing systems or developing new ones.
Acknowledgements
Many people were involved in the creation of these standards. I'd particularly like to thank the two project leaders, Mark Crookston, who led the development of the disposal standard, and Lisa Judge who led the adoption of the digital recordkeeping standard.
These standards are held in high regard and this is in large part because they were developed with significant input from stakeholders and members of the recordkeeping community.
Thank you to everyone here today who worked these projects.
Integration Progress
On another topic, can I say a few quick words about the integration of Archives New Zealand with the National Library and Department of Internal Affairs.
I’m sure this is a topic of discussion and as the Minister responsible for all three departments concerned, I thought it would be appropriate to give you a quick update.
Staff from all three agencies have been working hard on this in preparation for the start date of February 1 next year. Thank you for your professionalism and hard work in making this a smooth process.
Of course the integration is not about changing the major roles and functions of the agencies involved.
Instead, it’s about creating a strong organisation focused on improving services to New Zealanders. All three agencies have a focus on using digital technology and making government information widely accessible to citizens through the internet.
Integration will reduce overhead costs between the agencies and lead to further savings by sharing technology, ideas and capability.
On Monday the Education and Science Select Committee reported back on the bill, and for those interested you can read the differing opinions online through the parliament.govt.nz website.
Overall the bill has only minimal and technical changes have been made to the Public Records Act. The statutory role of the Chief Archivist is well preserved and protected.
One issue I’ve had raised with me is the ‘tier’ of the Chief Archivist in the new structure. Can I give you a few quick reasons why I believe this role will remain vitally important and independent.
Firstly, the Chief Archivist in the new Department will no longer have the administrative duties of being a chief executive. This will free him or her to focus on the core statutory duties of the role.
He or she will continue to have access and regular meetings with the Minister, there will still be a separate Budget vote and the Archives Council remains to provide advice to the Minister.
A quick look at some other roles in the Department of Internal Affairs shows us how this can work.
For example, the Internal Affairs' passport operation employs 205 people around the world and generates third-party revenues of more than $55 million dollars. It is critically important to New Zealand's security, international access and success.
It is bigger than some stand-alone government departments and is led by a supposed 'third tier' manager.
Overall, I believe that Archives New Zealand has an exciting future and there is a real determination to maximise the benefits of this move.
Conclusion
To finish, thank you again to everyone who worked on these standards.
They are the latest tools that will help us improve the government’s record keeping and ensure reliable information is available when we need it.
I’m very pleased to officially launch the Archives New Zealand Disposal Standard and Digital Recordkeeping Standard. Congratulations.