Agency name: National Archives of Australia
Agency address: Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes, ACT 2600
Agency website: naa.gov.au
Subordinate websites:
Contact details of person responsible for the development of this online action plan:
Director Communications and Marketing, 6212 3606
Contact details of person responsible for the implementation of this online action plan:
Manager Web Services, 6212 3938
Date this plan was completed: 20 March 2001
Revision dates:
| Services appropriate to provide online by 2001 | Timeframe for the provision of this service online by 2001 | Estimate of resources required |
|---|---|---|
1. Procurement online | Service online February 2003 | Within existing resources |
2. Corporate forms | March 2001 – process under review | Within existing resources |
3. Online application for access | September 2001 | Within existing resources |
4. Online disposal schedule and authorisation | September 2001 | Within existing resources |
5. Metadata search facility for RecordSearch | September 2001 | Within existing resources |
6. Online training if appropriate | September 2001 | Within existing resources |
7. Developing and refining our business specific application, RecordSearch | Service is online although constantly undergoing refinement | Within existing resources |
8. E-commerce facility | Service online April 2003 – revised facility being developed – July 2005 | Within existing resources |
A national archival collection, preserved and accessible for all Australians; the creation and management of Commonwealth records that support accountable government
Enable and promote best practice in the management of government records from the point of creation for as long as required to support the needs of government and the people.
Develop, maintain and promote a visible, known and accessible national collection that engages and informs the community; and foster appreciation of the role of archives in society.
Staff of the National Archives value:
The National Archives has maintained a web presence since 1995. We have constantly improved and expanded all internet services resulting in a greater flexibility and accessibility to our services for our various stakeholders.
The National Archives is developing and refining our business-specific application, RecordSearch. RecordSearch is our collection database as well as the mechanism for recording records transfers between agencies and the Archives, is available to clients via web access. The Archives has a small team engaged in developing and maintaining RecordSearch applications and other specific databases to perform the core functions of the Archives. Components of the RecordSearch database have been available via the web since 1997.
The Archives intends to further develop RecordSearch over the next few years to provide access to the collection through selective digitisation via the web. A cost effective means of undertaking low volume and low value transactions via the web is being researched.
Service | Description of service | Description of client groups | Volume of service provided per year | Is service already online / partly online | Area of agency responsible for service | Contact person in service area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advisory services | ||||||
1. AGLS Metadata standards, policy, guidelines and advice | National Archives is the maintenance agency for the Australian Government Locator Service (AGLS) metadata standard. | Government | Yes | Recordkeeping Standards and Policy | Director –
| |
2. Recordkeeping policies, standards, guidelines and advice | Practical information to help Commonwealth agencies improve their recordkeeping, following best practice approaches developed by the National Archives of Australia. Resources range from strategies and policies on recordkeeping in the Commonwealth to more detailed information, advice, standards, guidelines and manuals. | Government | Yes | Recordkeeping Implementation | Director –
| |
Consultation and policy development | ||||||
1. AGLS Metadata standards, policy, guidelines and advice | National Archives is the maintenance agency for the Australian Government Locator Service (AGLS) metadata standard. | Government | Yes | Recordkeeping Standards and Policy | Director –
| |
2. Record keeping policies, standards, guidelines and advice | Practical information to help Commonwealth agencies improve their recordkeeping, following best practice approaches developed by the National Archives of Australia. Resources range from strategies and policies on recordkeeping in the Commonwealth to more detailed information, advice, standards, guidelines and manuals. | Government | Yes | Recordkeeping Implementation | Director –
| |
Grants | Not applicable | |||||
Information collecting and hosting | ||||||
Information about and access to, the National Archives Collection, including RecordSearch and PhotoSearch. | National Archives cares for valuable Commonwealth government records and make them available for present and future generations to use. | Public, Government, Educators, Historians | Yes | Access and Communication ICT | Director –
| |
Information provision | ||||||
Corporate information | Publication of corporate information (eg Annual Reports) | Public, Government | Yes | Publications and Websites | Director – | |
E-procurement | Payment of suppliers | Public, Government | Yes | Finance | Director – | |
Advertising of jobs and tenders | Employment and tender applications and information | Public, Government | Yes | Staffing
| Director – | |
Electronic publishing | Publication in electronic format of research guides, factsheets, media releases, etc | Public, Government, Journalists, Educators | Yes | Publications and Websites | Director –
| |
Regulatory | Not applicable | |||||
Secretariat | Production of Annual Reports, Advisory Council information, archival portal content, Freedom of Information section 9 statements and file listings under the Senate Continuing Order No. 5 | Government, Professional bodies, Public | Yes | Corporate Governance | Director –
| |
Services appropriate to provide online | Application of criteria to service / why the service is appropriate to provide online |
|---|---|
1. Recordkeeping | Government agency staff and other recordkeeping professionals are valuable partners for the Archives in ensuring that all Australians can use Commonwealth records. Many records are now created in electronic forms that are harder to preserve and keep accessible over time. It is important to build systems that ensure valuable records survive. The Archives assists agencies by developing policies, standards, guidelines and providing training and advice about modern recordkeeping. |
2. AGLS Metadata | The AGLS metadata standard is a set of 19 descriptive elements which government departments and agencies can use to improve the visibility and accessibility of their services and information over the Internet. |
3. PhotoSearch | PhotoSearch allows you to search and browse the titles of almost 500,000 photographs from the National Archives collection and to view 80,000 images online. |
4. RecordSearch | Our main catalogue, RecordSearch, contains descriptions of over 6 million records (about 10% of our collection) – from some 9000 Commonwealth government agencies. |
5. Employment and Procurement | Permitting secure online submission of applications provides flexibility to both the Archives and stakeholders. |
6. Corporate forms | The placement of all corporate forms online allows greater flexibility for stakeholders and improves communication response time. Forms will be moved into a databased environment as resources permit. |
7. E-commerce | E-commerce allows greater flexibility for stakeholders and improve communication response time. |
Service already provided online | Complexity level* (1,2,3) | Description of plans to review and upgrade services |
|---|---|---|
1. E-commerce | 3 | Facilitate E-commerce for the Archives’ external clients who wish to purchase National Archives products has online since April 2003. |
2. Employment and Procurement | 3 | To enable the ability to submit documents online and add to the efficiency of the administration process. The service has been online since February 2003. |
3. Recordkeeping Training | 2 | To supply online training date yet to be determined. |
4. Corporate Information | 2 | Through constant monitoring maintain the effective, relevant and current status of the information. |
5. RecordSearch | 3 | Ongoing improvements |
6. PhotoSearch | 3 | Ongoing improvements |
* Complexity levels: 1. Static information only; 2. Access to downloadable information (eg Forms); 3. Data interchange (eg Transactions, exchange of data, payments, registrations).
Service inappropriate to provide online | Reasons why service is inappropriate to provide online |
|---|---|
1. Disposal Authorisation | Complex legal and accountability requirements which are more effectively dealt with off-line, and the current level of business activity does not warrant provision online. |
2. Personal Records Authorisation | Complex legal and accountability requirements which are more effectively dealt with off-line, and the current level of business activity does not warrant provision online. |
3. PKI facilities | The current level of business activity would not justify the infrastructure required. |
4. Digitisation of the entire collection | The budgetary restraints and the logistics of digitising the collection which comprises 300 shelf-kilometres of records. |
Name of service: Recordkeeping | |
|---|---|
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Ongoing surveys and focus groups |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | Government Recordkeeping |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | Government Recordkeeping |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is online and is under going constant improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online | 3 |
Name of service: AGLS Metadata | |
|---|---|
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Ongoing surveys and working groups |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | Recordkeeping Standards and Policy |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | Recordkeeping Standards and Policy |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is online and is under going constant improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online
| 3 |
Name of service: PhotoSearch | |
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Electronic mail, feedback forms and stakeholders |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | Access and Communication |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | Access and Communication |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is online and is under going constant improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online | 3 |
Name of service: RecordSearch | |
|---|---|
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Electronic mail, feedback forms and working groups |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | Access and Communication and ICT |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | Access and Communication and ICT |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is online and is under going constant improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online | 3 |
Name of service: Employment and Procurement | |
|---|---|
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Electronic mail and feedback forms |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | Staffing, Facilities and Publications and Websites |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | Staffing, Facilities and Publications and Websites |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is online and is under going improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online | 2 |
Name of service: Corporate Forms | |
|---|---|
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Electronic mail and feedback forms |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | All internal stakeholders |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | All internal stakeholders |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is partially online and is under going constant improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online | 2 |
Name of service: E-commerce | |
|---|---|
Mechanisms to consult with users about the design and operation of the online service | Electronic mail and feedback forms |
Who will be responsible for the development of a detailed project brief, and the development of the online service | Finance, ICT and Publications and Websites |
Who will be responsible for the management and ongoing maintenance of the online service | Finance, ICT and Publications and Websites |
What are the key steps that need to be taken to provide this service online | The service is online and is under going constant improvements. |
When will this service be provided online | Online (available since April 2003) An new and improved facility is being developed during the 2004-05 financial year. |
What is the relative priority of providing this service online in comparison with other services to be provided online | 2 |
Impediment | Strategies to address impediment |
|---|---|
1. Confidential material | Classified material will not be made available at present. |
2. Budgetary constraints | Certain services do not justify an increase in funds to enable their accessibility over the internet due to the low level of business activity. |
3. Old Formats | The material will remain available in its original format for the present. |
All services provided online by the National Archives are monitored. The Archives utilises web-based statistics, online feedback forms, guestbook listings, surveys, and maintains a record of electronic mail enquiries and responses.
Issue | Standard or guideline | Implementation requirements* | Progress towards implementation |
|---|---|---|---|
Information provision | Online Information Service Obligations | New material – 1 June 2000, existing material – 1 December 2000 | Compliant |
Metadata | Australian Government Locator Service Metadata Standard | As above | Compliant |
Electronic publishing, recordkeeping and archiving | Guidelines for Commonwealth Information Published in Electronic Formats E-Permanence Standard | As above | Compliant |
Accessibility | Discrimination Act Advisory Notes World Wide Web Access: Disability Web Content Accessibility Guidelines | 1 December 2000 | Continuously working through requirements. Compliant sites are: naa.gov.au |
Authentication | Gatekeeper: A Strategy for Public Key Technology use in the Government | Ongoing | The level of transactions would not justify expenditure on the infrastructure required. |
Privacy | Guidelines for Federal and ACT Government World Wide Websites | 1 June 2000
| Compliant |
Security | Australian Communications Security Instructions – 33 | 1 July 2000 | Compliant |
* See the Government Online strategy for more details about these implementation requirements.