For small public offices

Overview

All NSW public offices have a range of responsibilities under the State Records Act. All public offices must meet these responsibilities but with fewer staff and other resources, small and very small organisations can face particular challenges in meeting their responsibilities.

As part of our strategy to assist smaller public offices to manage their records under the State Records Act, we have created this part of our website.

These pages provide a range of advice intended to:

help small public offices meet their legal responsibilities under the State Records Act, and
achieve better business practices through better recordkeeping.

For more information about small agency recordkeeping or to make suggestions on how State Records can help, please contact us.

What is a small public office?

We have defined small public offices as organisations within the public sector that generally employ less than eighty staff, while very small public offices contain less than twenty staff. They can be offices within the government, local government or public health sectors.

Public offices can be regarded as small if they have inadequate numbers of personnel, or inadequate resources to enable them to deal with records management issues. For example, a council may have 150 staff, but 100 of these may be outdoor staff, leaving only a small number of personnel to manage a range of functional and administrative issues. Such an organisation, while not fitting the standard definition of a 'small' agency, could be regarded as small in terms of its ability to meet its records management requirements.

State Records Act

Public offices in NSW of all sizes are subject to the requirements of the State Records Act 1998.

For more information about how State Records monitors public office compliance with the Act, see Compliance with the State Records Act.

For a concise summary of the key responsibilities that exist under the State Records Act please see Key obligations under the State Records Act.

Where do I start?

Under the State Records Act, NSW public offices are required to create full and accurate records and to establish and maintain a records management program. For information on some useful records management tools please see the page Where do I start?

While it is not comprehensive, this page contains information on a number of key records management tools that you will need to improve recordkeeping and demonstrate compliance with the State Records Act. Links to more detailed guidance are included with each tool.

What help can I get about recordkeeping?

State Records is happy to provide a range of assistance to help improve recordkeeping in small public offices. For example, State Records is happy to:

provide advice about any recordkeeping issues you are facing - these could include email management, the lawful disposal of records, obtaining organisational support for records management, the purchase of records management software etc
discuss tools and strategies that can help you to improve your organisational recordkeeping
host regular free information briefings for small public offices about recordkeeping issues
review documentation and ideas you have for supporting your records management program
provide detailed information about the State Records Act's requirements
put you in contact with staff of other small public offices who are facing similar recordkeeping issues
host visits to State Records where possible.

For further information about any of these services, please contact us.

The Records Management Association of Australia (RMAA) and the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) are two professional organisations that support recordkeeping in Australia. Both organisations provide a range of educational, networking and other opportunities that may be able to assist you with your recordkeeping needs. See the Records Management Association of Australia and the Australian Society of Archivists websites for more information.

Tip: Join a partnership program
For small public offices working in the local government sector, the Records Management Association of Australia's Local Government Chapter coordinates the 'Infoshare' Partnership Program, a mentoring program allowing Councils to share recordkeeping resources and expertise. If you are in the local government sector, consider joining.

Small agencies strategy

State Records is implementing a strategy to help improve, where relevant, the effectiveness and compliance of organisational recordkeeping in small public offices. These web pages have been developed as part of State Records' small agencies strategy. A copy of the small agencies strategy is available for information.

As another part of the strategy, State Records has convened a small agencies focus group which is comprised of representatives from small public offices.

This group acts as a sounding board and provides State Records with advice and constructive criticism about the small agency-oriented products it develops. This group, which meets two to three times a year (either in person or via telephone), also contributes ideas about what is needed by the small agency sector.

If you are interested in joining the focus group, please contact Government Recordkeeping at GovRk@records.nsw.gov.au.

Free information briefings for small public offices

As part of its small agencies strategy State Records is hosting regular free information briefings for small public offices. The briefings cover a range of topics designed to help small public offices meet their recordkeeping responsibilities. State Records holds these briefings approximately every six months, and notifies small public offices by email and on this web page.

Copies of State Records' presentation and the handouts provided at the briefings can be accessed by following the links below.

Records management training

State Records offers a range of short courses in records management. All courses contain information that is relevant to small public offices.

Courses are generally held at the Sydney Records Centre in The Rocks or the Western Sydney Records Centre at Kingswood. A number of courses are also offered in regional centres

For information about the full range of State Records training courses, please see our current training calendar.

Information resources

The following State Records information resources may be useful to staff of small public offices.

» How to take control of your records
A set of guidelines produced by State Records that cater particularly to the needs of smaller public offices which do not have dedicated records management staff or software.
The guidelines include sections on basic records management techniques such as registration, classification and tracking, and provide a number of practical tools including an Excel spreadsheet set up with records control information fields and a set of records management forms.

» 'How to get ahead with recordkeeping' training material
State Records has developed a PowerPoint slideshow and associated notes for use by staff in in-house training sessions. The training material can be used to raise awareness of recordkeeping in their public office. See How to get ahead with recordkeeping … to find out more and view the slides.

» What have records got to do with me?
What have records got to do with me? is a leaflet that has been designed as a general information resource that can be distributed to all staff of a public office. It explains:
  * what records are
  * why they are important, and
  * the role that each staff member has in the effective management of records.
Each public office is entitled its first 100 copies of this leaflet for free. Contact us to obtain hard copies of this publication.

» Recordkeeping reminders
Recordkeeping reminders is a leaflet that has been designed as a general information resource that can be distributed to all staff of a public office. It outlines some common situations where public officials in NSW should make and file records.
Each public office is entitled its first 100 copies of this leaflet for free. Contact us to obtain hard copies of this publication.

» Records Management Program Toolkit
The Records Management Program Toolkit can assist small public offices by providing practical tools and templates to streamline the production of key documents to support their records management program and meet their obligations under Part 2 of the State Records Act 1998. The toolkit includes:
  * a sample records management policy
  * a sample long and short term plan
  * documents to help assess and improve recordkeeping skills, and
  * recordkeeping tools such as survey forms, vital records lists and email templates.
State Records does not suggest that small public offices should use these documents without alteration. Documentation to support a records management program should be carefully developed to suit the specific needs and environment of a public office, and with careful attention to the compliance requirements of the Standard on Managing a Records Management Program.

» Examples of records management policies and procedures
On its website State Records provides access to a collection of records management policy, procedure/guideline and planning documentation that has been developed by NSW public offices. Each example has been made available, with permission, for other public offices to use. It also includes some sample policies and procedures developed by State Records.