Digital recordkeeping transformation initiatives
USA
In August 2012, the United States of America Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the
National Archives and Records Authority (NARA) issued the Managing Government Records
Directive
Page 8 of 22
6
as a significant first step in an ‘executive branch wide effort to reform records
management policies and practices.’ The Directive sets a robust 21st-century framework for
managing federal records and information, and carries out the requirements of the Presidential
Memorandum of November 28, 2011
7
. The Directive requires that agencies eliminate paper and
use electronic recordkeeping. It is applicable to all Executive Departments and agencies and to all
federal records, without regard to security classification or any other restriction.
Canada
In 2009, the Canadian Government issued a Directive on Recordkeeping
8
. The directive requires
organisations to manage information resources of business value so that they are used as
strategic assets to aid decision making and the efficient delivery of government programs and
services. Government of Canada employees are to manage their information resources with the
same care and attention they use in managing the human, financial and material resources. The
goal of the Canadian Government is to move from paper as the default medium, to digital as the
only medium.
Australia
Within Australia, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet developed a Digital Transition
Policy
9
in 2011 which aims to move Australian Government agencies to digital recordkeeping for
efficiency purposes. The National Archives of Australia (NAA) is the lead implementation agency
for this policy. The policy is applicable to all agencies, regardless of their legislative status.
Digital recordkeeping means that the majority of an agency's records will be created, stored and
managed digitally and, where possible, incoming paper records will be scanned so that new paper
files are not created. For many agencies this policy is a digital transition from using paper-based
records management to digital information and records management which will reduce paper
stockpiles. In 2012 NAA issued a further requirement that all records created digitally after 2015
that are eligible for transfer to the National Archives will only be accepted in digital format.