Administrative Functions Disposal Authority

The Administrative Functions Disposal Authority, also known as AFDA, authorises the disposal of records of administrative functions commonly performed by most Australian Government agencies.

AGLS Metadata Element Set

The AGLS Metadata Standard is a set of 19 descriptive elements that government departments and agencies can use to improve the visibility and accessibility of their web services. It has been mandated for use by Australian Government agencies (see Better Services, Better Government: The Federal Government's E-Government Strategy).

AGLS is published as Australian Standard AS 5044.

The Australian Government Implementation Manual for AGLS Metadata provides practical advice and direction for staff using the AGLS metadata set.

An approach to the preservation of digital records

This paper sets out the intellectual framework for the National Archives approach to digital preservation. The framework informed the development of the National Archives digital repository, which processes, stores and manages transfers of digital records.

Archival quality trademark – rules of use

The trademark is intended to signify that certain products have qualities that make them suitable to use for the creation and storage of archival records of enduring value. In order to satisfy this need, the products must demonstrate specific qualities of chemical stability and physical durability that will be sustained over long periods of time.

Australian Government Email Metadata Standard

This standard describes the metadata that should be used by Australian Government agencies for email communications. It is a subset of the Australian government REcordkeeping Metadata Standard.

This standard has been endorsed by the Chief Information Officer Committee (CIOC) of the Information Management Strategy Committee. The work of developing the standard was carried out by a subcommittee of the Information Interoperability Working Group of the CIOC convened by the National Archives of Australia. 

Australian Government Implementation Manual for AGLS Metadata

This manual sets out Australian Government requirements for the implementation of the AGLS Metadata Element Set and provides practical advice and direction for staff responsible for coordinating agency policy and practice on web-based information and services.

Australian Government Recordkeeping Metadata Standard

This publication is a completely revised edition of the Recordkeeping Metadata Standard for Commonwealth Agencies. It describes information about records that the National Archives recommends be captured in EDRM and business systems used by Australian Government agencies.

It differs from the in that it is based on a multiple-entity model, and allows for the description of up to five separate entities: Record, Agent, Business, Mandate and Relationship.

The National Archives, in collaboration with Archives New Zealand, is currently developing guidelines for implementing this standard. The implementation guidelines will be available late in 2008.

Australian Governments' Interactive Functions Thesaurus (AGIFT)

The Australian Governments’ Interactive Functions Thesaurus (AGIFT) is a three-level hierarchical thesaurus that describes the business functions carried out across Commonwealth, state and local governments in Australia. It contains 25 high-level functions, each with second and third level terms, as well as non-preferred terms and related terms. A scope note describes the range of activities covered by a preferred term and provides cross-references.

The zipped version of AGIFT contains the html files that together comprise the fully functional interactive online version of the thesaurus. The size of the downloadable zip file is 2.7mb. An interactive version of the AGIFT thesaurus is also available.

Archiving Web Resources: A Policy for Keeping Records of Web-based Activity in the Commonwealth Government

This policy helps Australian Government agencies put in place internal mechanisms for creating, managing and retaining web-based records, for as long as those records have value. The policy will help agencies establish in-house policies and procedures to meet business and accountability requirements and societal expectations. It should also enable agencies to meet their legal obligations for the retention and disposal of records under the Archives Act 1983. Archiving Web Resources: Guidelines for Keeping Records of Web-based Activity in the Commonwealth Government is a companion product which will help agencies implement the policy.

Archiving Web Resources: Guidelines for Keeping Records of Web-based Activity in the Commonwealth Government

These guidelines will help Australian Government agencies develop good recordkeeping strategies for records of web-based activities. They complement Archiving Web Resources: A Policy for Keeping Records of Web-based Activity in the Commonwealth Government by offering specific strategic and technical advice.

Check-up: A Tool for Assessing Your Agency’s Information and Records Management

Check-up is a business information tool for Australian Government agencies to assess the current state of their information and records management practices. Agencies can use Check-up to answer these questions:

  • Does your agency meet the National Archives minimum requirements for basic records management?
  • Does your agency meet the higher standard for records of its high-risk business?
  • How can your agency improve its information and records management?

Designing and Implementing Recordkeeping Systems (DIRKS) Manual

This manual provides Australian Government agencies with practical guidance on managing information and records. It expands the eight-stage methodology for designing and implementing records systems outlined in the Australian Standard for Records Management, AS ISO 15489.

Developing a Functions Thesaurus: Guidelines for Commonwealth Agencies

These guidelines provide advice on designing, constructing and maintaining a functions thesaurus to assist with classification and other records management processes in an organisation.

For further information about the benefits of classifying by business function and a comparative assessment of different types of classification tools, including a thesaurus, see Overview of Classification Tools for Records Management.

Digital preservation: Illuminating the past, guiding the future

This brochure summarises the National Archives approach to digital preservation and describes the prototype it has developed and implemented for a digital archive. The prototype includes a hardware infrastructure and a suite of software tools for converting, retrieving and accessing digital records that are based on open file formats.

Digital Recordkeeping: Guidelines for Creating, Managing and Preserving Digital Records

These guidelines provide comprehensive help to Australian Government agencies in creating, managing and preserving their digital records. It will assist staff responsible for digital records and information to manage digital records for as long as they are required.

This publication has a companion. The Digital Recordkeeping Checklist is a self-assessment tool for Australian Government agencies to evaluate their management of digital records.

Digital Recordkeeping Self-Assessment Checklist

The checklist provides Australian Government agencies with a self-assessment tool to evaluate the management of their digital records. Digital Recordkeeping Checklist is a companion to Digital Recordkeeping: Guidelines for Creating, Managing and Preserving Digital Records.

Disaster Preparedness Manual for Commonwealth Agencies

This manual offers a step-by-step process for devising a plan for protecting and recovering records held by Australian Government agencies. It enables agencies to assess the vulnerability of their records to various types of disaster, and to create a plan that can be easily reviewed and updated.

Guidance on establishing a business continuity plan for digital records is provided in Digital Recordkeeping: Guidelines for Creating, Managing and Preserving Digital Records

Guidelines for Implementing the Specifications for Electronic Records Management Systems Software

This publication complements the Specifications for Electronic Records Management Systems Software. The Guidelines will help Australian Government agencies use the Specifications to design, purchase, build and evaluate electronic records management systems software.

Guidelines for Implementing the Specifications for Business Information Systems Software

The Guidelines are designed to help Australian Government agencies interpret and use the Specifications for Business Information Systems Software.

The specifications provide a generic set of requirements that Australian Government agencies can use to ensure that their business information systems (BIS) software has adequate recordkeeping functionality to support the creation, capture and management of digital records of business activity. These requirements will help agencies develop design specifications to build or purchase new systems, or upgrade recordkeeping functionality in existing systems. Business information systems include line-of-business, case management, content management, human resource management and financial management systems.

How to develop a recordkeeping policy

The National Archives of Australia has prepared the following advice to help records management professionals within Australian Government agencies produce a recordkeeping policy.

You may also download the National Archives' recordkeeping policy as a case study in its implementation.

It is your business! Records management is good business and your business

This booklet presents basic information on what Australian Government agencies need to know about records, including responsibilities and how the National Archives can help.

Introduction to Keyword AAA

Keyword AAA is a thesaurus of general terms designed for use in classifying, titling and indexing most types of records in most technological environments. It covers terminology common to business functions and activities in most organisations. To provide a comprehensive controlled vocabulary, Keyword AAA should be used in conjunction with a thesaurus of functional terms relating to the organisation’s specific or core business functions.

The Keyword AAA function and activity terms are used in the Administrative Functions Disposal Authority (AFDA). Together these two tools can be used to title and sentence records.

Keeping Government Publications Online: A Guide for Commonwealth Agencies

This brochure explains how collaboration between agencies, the National Library of Australia and the National Archives of Australia will help to ensure that online Australian Government publications remain available to Australians into the future. Without that collaboration, government information will be lost to future generations of Australians.

Making, Keeping and Using Digital Records

This publication outlines a sustainable approach to ensuring that authentic and reliable digital records will be available in the future.

Overview of Classification Tools for Records Management

This publication provides advice on developing classification tools to support records management. It introduces tools including a business classification scheme, a records classification scheme and a functions thesaurus, and discusses their merits and limitations. It also provides advice on developing a business case to acquire a classification tool.

Recordkeeping and Online Security Processes: Guidelines for Managing Commonwealth Records Created or Received Using Authentication and Encryption

These guidelines provide advice on the recordkeeping implications of using online security processes, such as authentication and encryption, and strategies for ensuring that legislative, business and community requirements for records are met. The guidelines also provide a brief introduction to the technology available to support online security processes. 

Records in Evidence: The Impact of the Evidence Act on Commonwealth Recordkeeping

This publication helps Australian Government agencies manage their records in accordance with the Evidence Act 1995. The Electronic Transactions Act affirms the legal status of electronic records and formalises the increasing use of electronic communication in business transactions.

Records in Evidence was produced in cooperation with the Attorney-General's Department, the Office of Government Information Technology and the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet, Information Strategy Unit.

Sentencing: using records authorities to decide whether to keep, transfer or destroy records

This publication helps readers manage the process of identifying the disposal class a record belongs to and applying the disposal action specified in the relevant disposal authority.

Specifications for Business Information Systems Software

This document provides generic requirements that Australian Government agencies can use to ensure that their business information systems (BIS) software has adequate records management capacity to support the creation, capture and management of digital records. These requirements will help agencies develop design specifications to build or purchase new systems, or upgrade functionality in existing systems.

This document has a companion. Guidelines for Implementing the Specifications for Business Information Systems Software helps Australian Government agencies interpret and use the specifications, by explaining the concepts that underpin the functional requirements and providing advice on how the specifications can be applied.

Specifications for Electronic Records Management Systems Software

This document provides a generic set of requirements to ensure adequate records management capability in electronic records management systems software used to make and keep digital records. These requirements will help Australian Government agencies develop design specifications to build or purchase new systems, or upgrade existing systems.

This document has a companion, the Guidelines for Implementing the Specifications for Electronic Records Management Systems Software. These guidelines help Australian Government agencies use the Specifications and describe how the Specifications relate to similar documents produced in other jurisdictions.

Standard for the Physical Storage of Commonwealth Records

The Storage Standard describes the recommended conditions under which Australian Government records should be stored, whether they are held in agency-owned or leased facilities or with alternative storage providers. The standard covers all types of storage media including paper, audiovisual material, microforms and machine-readable formats. It represents a code of best practice for the storage of government records and provides a tool to support and improve the management of those records. The standard is supported by implementation guidelines, Storing to the Standard.

Storing to the Standard: Guidelines for Implementing the Standard for the Physical Storage of Commonwealth Records

These guidelines complement the Standard for the Physical Storage of Commonwealth Records and are arranged according to the seven principles outlined in the Standard. They can be used as a checklist to assess whether storage facilities and services satisfy the standard. Together the standard and guidelines provide agencies with a voluntary code of best practice for the storage of Commonwealth records.

Why Records Are Kept: Directions in Appraisal

This publication outlines the objectives and criteria for selecting records as national archives.