Discover new, updated and existing products and advice to help your agency meet the actions outlined in the Building trust in the public record policy.
Recent changes
Check here to find the 5 most recent changes we’ve made to our resources.
- Check-up survey – survey response closes on 19 November 2023.
- Metadata for the web – new advice released July 2023.
- Role of senior managers – new advice released June 2023.
- Quick overview: six actions for senior managers (PDF 96KB) – new resource released June 2023.
- Using GRA 31 to support digitisation – new advice released June 2023.
| Actions for Australian Government agencies | Obligation | Product |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Assess your information management capability annually, using the National Archives' survey tool – Check-up. |
Mandatory |
Check-up survey. |
|
2. Review and update your information governance framework to incorporate enterprise-wide information management. This should include governance for records, information and data. Develop an information governance framework if one does not exist. |
Recommended |
Establishing an information governance framework. Information governance framework template (DOCX 161 KB). |
|
3. Review and update roles and responsibilities for your Information Governance Committee and Chief Information Governance Officer to include enterprise-wide information management. Establish an Information Governance Committee and Chief Information Governance Officer role if they do not exist. |
Recommended |
Establishing an information governance committee. Chief information governance officer. Chief Information and Data Governance Officer – role description example (PDF 60 KB). Advice released June 2023. |
| 4. Create an enterprise-wide information management strategy. | Recommended |
Developing an information management strategy. Information management strategy template (DOCX 160 KB). Information management for current, emerging and critical technologies. |
| 5. Register your information assets where there is business value in doing so. | Recommended |
Conducting an information review. Designing and maintaining an information asset register. Information asset register template (XLSX 88 KB). Mapping the ONDC and National Archives’ metadata requirements. |
| 6. Identify staff capability gaps in information management, in particular for staff with specialist information management roles, and plan to address them. | Recommended |
Digital Archiving eLearning module. Information management and data capabilities. Capability gap analysis template (XLSX 181KB). Continuing professional development. Capability, skills and professional development. eLearning. |
| 7. Actively support information management at a senior management level and have structures in place for senior managers to engage with skilled information management professionals. | Recommended |
Role of senior managers. Quick overview: six actions for senior managers (PDF 96 KB). |
| 8. Monitor progress made towards achieving policy actions, and regularly report on progress to senior management. Document risks of not following recommended practice. | Recommended |
Internal progress-monitoring template (XLXS 76KB). |
| Actions for Australian Government agencies | Obligation | Product |
|---|---|---|
|
9. Manage all digital information assets, created from 1 January 2016, digitally. |
Mandatory |
Developing an information management policy. Information management policy template. Digital authorisations and workflows. Digital Authorisations Framework (PDF 2.1 MB). |
| 10. Ensure business systems, including whole-of-government systems, meet functional and minimum metadata requirements for information management. | Recommended |
Business Systems Assessment Framework (BSAF) (PDF 1.64 MB). Electronic document and records management systems. Australian Government Recordkeeping Metadata Standard (AGRkMS). Metadata for the web. AGLS metadata standard. Australian Government Metadata Validator lets agencies check whether their online content meets AGLS standards. To be withdrawn in December 2023. AGLS user guide (PDF 638 KB). To be withdrawn in December 2023. Australian Government Metadata Generator lets agencies generate AGLS and DCMI metadata for online content. To be withdrawn in December 2023. Metadata for interoperability. Minimum metadata set. Metadata management. Metadata e-learning module. Managing records in Microsoft 365. Managing social media and instant messaging. |
| 11. Assess interoperability maturity based on business and stakeholder needs. Identify interoperability maturity gaps and plan to address them. | Recommended |
Interoperability development phases resource (PDF 1.4 MB). Interoperability scenarios (PDF 2.4 MB). Data interoperability maturity model – advice (DIMM). Data Interoperability Maturity Model assessment tool (PDF 5.3 MB). Archival Control Model (ACM). Australian Governments' Interactive Functions Thesaurus (AGIFT). Minimum metadata set. Metadata management. Mapping the ONDC and National Archives' metadata requirements. |
| 12. Implement strategies, including storage and preservation strategies, for the management of all information assets. | Recommended |
Electronic document and record management systems. Cloud computing and information management. Records Management Risk Assessment Framework Offsite Data Storage (PDF 214 KB). Data management plan template (DOCX 176 KB). Digital Preservation eLearning module. Preserving information. Emulation as a preservation strategy. Managing social media and instant messaging. |
| 13. Create digital information assets in sustainable digital formats. | Recommended |
Born digital file format standards. Preservation digitisation standards. Digitisation specifications for paper records in agencies. Digital preservation planning. Digital Formats e-learning module. Using General Records Authority 31 (GRA 31) to support digitisation. |
| Actions for Australian Government agencies | Obligation | Product |
|---|---|---|
|
14. Transfer 'retain as national archives' information assets as soon as practicable, or within 15 years of creation, to the care of the National Archives. |
Mandatory |
Preparing records for transfer to the National Archives. Transferring information to the National Archives. Transferring records to the Archives: Initial assessment questions. Transferring digital information to the National Archives. Moving records from an EDRMS. |
| 15. Identify remaining analogue processes and plan for transformation to digital, based on business need. | Recommended |
Business System Assessment Framework (BSAF). Digital Authorisations Framework (PDF 2.1 MB). |
| 16. Identify poorly performing legacy systems; address information management requirements when upgrading, migrating and/or decommissioning systems to meet business needs. | Recommended |
Managing records in Microsoft 365. Moving records from an EDRMS. |
| 17. Sentence information assets regularly and promptly destroy information assets of temporary value when no longer needed. | Recommended |
Compliant destruction of Australian Government information. Using Normal Administrative Practice (NAP). Examples of network folder structures. Retaining, managing and disposing of data and datasets. Appraisal and sentencing. Sentencing worksheet (XLSX 657 KB) and instructions (PDF 1.7 MB). |
Feedback
We invite agencies and professional associations to nominate additional tools or guidance that support the policy. We also welcome feedback on our products. Please contact us through the Agency Service Centre.