From last issue / Registry tender explained

Registrar provides background to tender

An article in the November/December 1997 issue of Image & Data Manager magazine relating to Tender No 97/20049 for the Conversion of Birth Death and Marriage records 1856 - 1951, has been brought to my attention.

Unfortunately, some of the content of the article suggests that there may be some misunderstanding relating to the reasons why it is proposed that the above tender not be pursued in the form that it was first issued.

Firstly, I should inform you that the tender document was drafted after wide consultation with, and advice from representatives of various microfilm and imaging bureaus. This consultation included the invitation for registering Expressions of Interest in September 1996, for which many responses were received.

The specification of 16mm microfilm in the tender was a result of the Registry at that time being satisfied that it was a viable solution. Also, not only was the 16mm alternative cheaper than 35mm microfilm, but it has the added advantage of allowing computer assisted retrieval of images, where 35mm would not.

As noted in the article, one provision of the tender was that the binding of the registers could not be broken. Representatives of several prospective tenderers were forthright in pointing out the difficulties that this restriction imposed on capturing all the registration information in many instances.

Accordingly, these representations have been duly considered and it is now proposed to exclude this provision from any new tender document.

The other major consideration in the Registry's decision to request the State Supply Service to withdraw the above tender was the changing focus of the Registry's business needs.

Being a Government Trading Enterprise, the Registry must always be in a position to take advantage of any commercial opportunities that may arise. Therefore, the converted records should be in the most flexible format practicable for future use on computer networks. For this reasons it is proposed to further investigate the options available to the Registry.

TREVOR STACEY

Registrar

Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages

NSW Attorney General's Department

Sydney