The State Records Act 1998 sets out the mandatory requirements or key obligations for the creation, management and protection of the records of NSW public offices.
An overview has been developed to help you understand the key sections of the Act.
Common recordkeeping groups
Records of communications between a public sector employee and any other person, such as members of the community, which relate to some aspect of official business. Examples include emails and letters.
Records that document core businesses processes such as reports, briefing notes, plans, agendas, minutes, and working papers.
Documentation of financial activity, such as financial reports, budgets, estimates, receipts, contracts, tenders, invoices, and statements.
All content that a public office produces, publishes, and/or circulates is a state record.
If your public office has a presence on social media, all content and communications (including reactions to posts, comments, tweets and more) published/transmitted via these platforms are state records.
Public offices should keep all contracts, agreements, court documents, intellectual property records, and compliance-related materials.
State Records NSW offer a number of free online training modules on records management and recordkeeping in the NSW public sector.
- Protect your public office and yourself
- Protect your community and government
- Increase accountability
- Increase efficiency
- Improve security
- Reduce risk
- Support decision making
- Save money
Key benefits
Records are proof that you and your public office have considered decisions and taken appropriate actions. Records are invaluable if your actions or decisions are questioned, become subject of an official inquiry, or come under media scrutiny.
The government needs records to understand the needs of the community and its citizens. Without this information, it cannot effectively provide services or protect people's rights.
Accountability is one of four core NSW public sector values. Good recordkeeping underpins accountability and transparency and allows the government to be answerable to the community.
Good recordkeeping prevents loss of crucial business data and information. Loss of records and data exposes you, the government and the community to significant risk.
Good recordkeeping supports good decision-making by recording the details of past decisions and documenting why and how they were made.
Good recordkeeping ensures that confidential government data and sensitive information about individuals remains secure at all times and can only be accessed by those with appropriate authorisation.
A well-functioning recordkeeping system increases efficiency of routine business processes and of decision-making at all levels. Information that is organised and easily found, can be applied and re-purposed in beneficial ways.
Good recordkeeping saves the government money through routine purging of non-critical information. Information that is organised and easily found, can be applied and re-purposed in beneficial ways.
Recordkeeping reminders
Create and capture records
Get trained and use
Use of private email, messaging apps, WhatsApp and social media accounts should be
Know and follow your records management
Save
into official business systems.
Use collaborative systems
