Two new record-keeping standards will raise the standard of record-keeping across the government sector and increase business efficiency, says Greg Goulding Archives New Zealand's Acting Chief Executive and Chief Archivist.

"The Disposal Standard and the Digital Recordkeeping Standard are important, practical tools," Greg Goulding said. "They will help public sector organisations achieve crucial governance and business benefits.

"Effective record-keeping is essential to effective business management and supports open and transparent government. Good governance helps protect the rights and entitlements of individuals, supports accountability, transparency, and first-rate evidence based decision making.

"Ensuring resources are spent managing only those records needed for business and an accountability purpose makes economic sense."

Greg Goulding said the Disposal Standard is mandatory for all public offices and local authorities, with the exception of schools. When done well, disposal means organisations can reduce storage costs and save unnecessary time and expense managing records no longer required.

The Digital Recordkeeping Standard addresses the many significant challenges faced in today's ever-changing digital world. The public sector needs to ensure records created in dynamic business systems and electronic recordkeeping systems are available when they are wanted.

The two new standards, officially launched by the Minister Responsible for Archives New Zealand, Hon Nathan Guy, in Wellington on 24 November, add to the suite of record-keeping standards now available to the information and record-keeping sector.

These standards cover storage, access, digitisation and electronic record-keeping systems and are available at: http://archives.govt.nz/advice/continuum

"Archives New Zealand's record-keeping standards are a critical means of influencing and changing for the better the information management practice of the public sector," Greg Goulding said.