Table of commentary
AS ISO 15489-2002 Records Management
1. Background
On 13 March 2002 Standards Australia published AS ISO 15489, Records Management. The standard is in two parts:
- AS ISO 15489.1 Records Management - Part 1: General
- AS ISO 15489.2 Records Management - Part 2: Guidelines.
AS ISO 15489.1 is a high level statement of records management principles and policy and is supported by AS ISO 15489.2, a technical report which provides more detail and guidance to assist with the implementation of best practice recordkeeping.
The new standard is an Australian codification of the International Standard on Records Management, ISO 15489, approved in October last year. It therefore represents international best practice for recordkeeping.
According to Standards Australia, AS ISO 15489 replaces Australian Standard, AS 4390-1996: Records Management. State Records, however, feels that AS 4390 continues to be valuable in an Australian context as it contains widely used Australian terminology and information. Therefore it will remain as a code of practice under the Act at present. Once a new Australian compliance guide to AS ISO 15489 is issued and endorsed by State Records' Board, AS 4390 will be removed as a code of best practice.
State Records has consistently promoted AS ISO 15489 to the Australian records management community. An information session on the draft standard was delivered at the Records Management Association of Australia's meeting of 20 November 2001. A similar session was presented at the Australian Society of Archivists' Branch meeting in February 2002. An article comparing the Australian Standard AS 4390 and ISO 15489 was featured in the February 2002 issue of the national journal of the Records Management Association of Australia, Informaa Quarterly.
As AS ISO 15489 reflects national best practice, State Records proposed to NSW public sector offices that the new Australian Standard, AS ISO 15489 Records Management (both Part 1: General and Part 2: Guidelines)be approved as a code of best practice for records management by public offices, under s. 13 of the State Records Act1998. A notice relating to this intention was placed in the Government Gazette No.72 dated 12 April 2002, as required under s.13(3) of the State Records Act.
Due to Standards Australia's strict copyright requirements, State Records was unable to make copies of AS ISO 15489.1 and AS ISO 15489.2 available for consultation via its Web site. Instead, hard copies were made available for viewing in the Reading Rooms of the Sydney Records Centre and the Western Sydney Records Centre.
Notices were sent to Chief Executive Officers, Corporate Records Managers and other records management contacts in NSW public offices in mid April informing them of the consultation period for the proposed endorsement. An update regarding the consultation process was given at the 14 May Records Managers' Forum. The availability of the standard for comment was advertised in State Records' For the Recordmagasine, on State Records' Web site and on relevant records and archives listservs.
Over the course of the six weeks of consultation, 9 written submissions on the draft were received. This document summarises the comments received. A list of public offices providing comments has also been included.
2. Consultation
2.1 Summary of comments
9 public offices responded to the call for comments on the proposal. Of these, all specifically expressed support for endorsing AS ISO 15489, Records Management as a code of best practice.
One public office specifically commented that AS ISO 15489 is an improvement on previous standards, while others expressed the view that it is consistent with the requirements in AS 4390-1996, Records Management. One public office also expressed their support for the continuing use of AS 4390 until a more detailed Australian compliance guide to AS ISO 15489 is published. A number of public offices expressed the view that it is indeed a concise and contemporary standard and will play a significant role in the development and codification of records management.
Privacy NSW noted that endorsing AS ISO 15489 as a code of best practice should help to enhance agency compliance with obligations that exist under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection (PPIP) Act. It was stated that there was particular correspondence between the Standard and the requirements governing the retention, security and use of personal information outlined in the PPIP Act. Privacy encouraged State Records to build references to information privacy protection, ISO 17799 Information Technology - Code of practice for information security management, AS 4360, Risk Management and AS 4400 Personal Privacy Protection in Health Care Information Systems into any guidance developed to support implementation of the standard.
One respondent indicated that they would have reservations in supporting the Standard if it meant extra resource implications on their department, but as it does not, they were happy to endorse the proposal.
There were no suggestions regarding changes to the standard and no negative comments were received.
2.2 Public offices and others providing comments
State agencies
- Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care
- Department of Education and Training
- Department of Public Works and Services
- Environment Protection Authority
- National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Privacy NSW
- Transport NSW
Area Health Services / Hospitals
- Corrections Health Service
- New England Area Health Service
