Recordkeeping Publications
- Introduction
- General Disposal Authorities
- General Disposal Authorities in Electronic Format
- Guidelines
- Directions
- Information Sheets
- Other Recordkeeping Publications
- Further Information
Introduction
The State Records Office of Western Australia issues a number of publications to assist staff in State and Local Government agencies with the proper management and disposal of State records.
While publications are developed primarily for use in the public sector, they can also be of value to those working the private sector.
General Disposal Authorities
The State Records Office has released its three General Disposal Authorities for Administrative Records, Human Resource Management Records and Financial and Accounting Records in pdf format for downloading.
General Disposal Authority for Administrative Records (2003, amended 2006)
The General Disposal Authority for Administrative Records is a continuing authority for the disposal of general records that document an agency's routine administration activities. This General Disposal Authority (GDA) covers administrative records common to most State Government agencies, thus providing consistency throughout State Government in disposal activities and decisions.
General Disposal Authority for Human Resource Management Records (revised 1999, amended 2001, 2006)
The General Disposal Authority for Human Resource Management Records is a continuing authority for the disposal of general records that document an agency's routine human resource management activities. This General Disposal Authority (GDA) covers human resource management records common to most State Government agencies, thus providing consistency throughout State Government in disposal activities and decisions. The 1999 edition has been fully revised to conform with Keyword AAA file titling thesaurus language.
General Disposal Authority for Financial and Accounting Records (1996, revised 2006)
The General Disposal Authority for Financial and Accounting Records is a continuing authority for the disposal of general records that document an agency's routine financial activities. This General Disposal Authority (GDA) covers financial and accounting records common to most State Government agencies, providing consistency throughout State Government in disposal activities and decisions.
General Disposal Authority for Source Records (2009)
The General Disposal Authority for Source Records is a continuing authority enabling the legal destruction of source records that have been successfully digitized in accordance with the accompanying Digitization Specification. This GDA may be applied by State and local government organizations within WA.
General Disposal Authorities in Electronic Format
The General Disposal Authority for Financial and Accounting Records, the General Disposal Authority for Human Resource Management Records, and the General Disposal Authority for Local Government Records, are also available for purchase in electronic format.
For more information on ordering general disposal authorities in electronic format click here.
Guidelines
SRO Guideline: Management of Digital Records (2009)
The purpose of this guideline is to assist State organizations in ensuring that State records in digital format (eg word processed documents, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, email etc) are managed in accordance with SRC Standard 8: Digital recordkeeping. See also SRO Guideline: Management of email records. This guideline aims to provide State organizations with the basis of best practice for the management of digital records.
SRO Guideline: Management of Email Records (2009)
The purpose of this guideline is to assist State organizations in ensuring that records created or received in email systems are managed in accordance with SRC Standard 8: Digital recordkeeping. This guideline must be read in conjunction with SRO Guideline: Management of digital records and relevant SRC Standards.
This guideline must be read in conjunction with SRO Guideline: Management of digital records and relevant SRC Standards.
Directions:
To provide clarity on best practice so as to minimise harm to Government archives until such time as they can be transferred to a central archival repository, the Directions for keeping hardcopy State archives awaiting transfer to the State Records Office are provided to assist State organizations to make the best arrangements possible, within their resources, for the safe storage of State archives.
Information Sheets:
Information sheets are developed by the State Records Office as a quick guide for agencies on a particular recordkeeping topic. Information sheets are downloadable in PDF format.
- Email Records - this information sheet has been developed to assist State government organisations to identify those email messages, created or received by the organisation, which are State records.
Other Recordkeeping Publications
The following recordkeeping publications are available for purchase from the State Records Office in print format:
Records Disposal : A Handbook for Government Agencies (2000)
This handbook is out of publication. For more information, please contact the Recordkeeping Services Team on 9427 3365 or email sro@sro.wa.gov.au.
General Disposal Authority for Local Government Records (revised 1999)
The General Disposal Authority for Local Government Records is a continuing authority for the disposal of records that document a Local Government's operations. The GDA covers records common to most Local Governments, eliminating the need for each Local Government to develop its own retention and disposal schedule.
How to Design a Records Management Procedure Manual (1995)
Government agencies of all sizes find records management procedure manuals indispensable to the functioning of their records management sections. This publication has been developed to assist public sector agencies produce such manuals.
Contents include: the need for a procedure manual, features of an effective manual, planning and design, how to collect data, writing the manual, publishing and updating.
Policies and Standards Manual (incremental , launched 1992)
This manual is out of publication. For more information, please contact the Recordkeeping Services Team on 9427 3365 or email sro@sro.wa.gov.au
The policies and standards included in this manual are detailed below:
- Public Records Policy 1 - Disposal Authorities - Rescinded
- Public Records Policy 2 - Standards for Records Management – Rescinded – refer to State Records Commission Principles and Standards
- Public Records Policy 3 - Training for Records Officers - Rescinded
- Public Records Policy 4 - Use of the Intermediate Records Repository - Rescinded
- Public Records Policy 5 - Mail Management - Rescinded
- Public Records Policy 6 - Standards for Public Records in the Amalgamation of Agencies - Current
- Public Records Policy 7 - Standards for Public Records in Agencies which are to be Corporatised - Current
- Public Records Policy 8 - Policy for the ongoing management of electronic records designated as having archival value - Current
- Public Records Standard 1 - Records Management Standards for Document Imaging Systems - Rescinded – refer to the General Disposal Authority for Source Records
- Public Records Standard 2 - Guidelines for the Use of Commercial Repositories - Rescinded – refer to the Department of Treasury and Finance’s Common Use Arrangement for Storage, Retrieval and Destruction of Temporary Records
- Public Records Standard 3 - Guidelines for Microfilming Public Records - Rescinded
- State Records Standard 4 - Management of Electronic Mail (E-Mail) - – Rescinded – refer to SRO Guideline: Management of Email Records
- State Records Standard 5 - Management of Electronic Documents in Networked Computer Environments - Rescinded – refer to SRO Guideline: Management of Digital Records
- State Records Standard 6 - Management of Electronic Documents in Stand- Alone Computer Environments – Rescinded – refer to SRO Guideline: Management of Digital Records
Cost of Publications:
The pricing schedule for these recordkeeping publications is as follows (as of January 2006):
- W.A. Government Agencies; $60.00 each
- Non Waged Students; $60.00 each
- Other Agencies/Organisations; $150.00 each
- Teaching Institutions; $150.00 each
- Public Libraries; $150.00 each
NOTE: All prices include 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Please note that the reduced publication prices are for WA Government Agencies (State and Local) only.
Payment can be made by cheque, credit card or cash. Please make cheques payable to: The State Records Office of WA.
For more information on payment see the Publications Order Form.
Further Information
For any queries relating to ordering publications, contact Doug Carrie at the State Records Office by telephone on (08) 9427 3365, by fax on (08) 9427 3368, or via email at sro@sro.wa.gov.au.
