Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-19

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The National Archives is many things to manydifferent audiences.
For government we are the custodian of the publicrecord and trusted experts in managing, preserving
and using information.
For the public we provide free access to more than
1,000 years of the nation’s history and connect
people with the millions of stories contained in ourcollection.
For the wider archives sector we give leadership andsupport, helping archives to build the skills andcapacity needed to sustain the nation’s archival
heritage.

Four years ago we set ourselves the goal of building
the infrastructure needed by a modern nationalarchive. As a result, we are more efficient, moresustainable and more effective than ever before. But
we aren’t content to stop there. Over the next four
years we will need to think and organise ourselvesdifferently, to meet the needs of each of our majoraudiences and to tackle our biggest strategic
challenge – digital.
We know that the funding climate will continue to betough. But we also know that nothing is gained orachieved without ambition.
Our new strategic priorities and goals point to an
exciting future for The National Archives. Come withus.

For the academic community and others engaged inscholarly research we offer opportunities forcollaboration and partnership across a broad rangeof disciplines.

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-19

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We will provide expert advice and scrutiny to government, making sure that the record
survives and thrives
The National Archives is both the custodian of thepublic record and the Government’s expert in themanagement, preservation and use of information.
We are uniquely placed, by virtue of our history,responsibilities and expertise to provide trusted andindependent advice and services across government
and the wider public sector.
Over the next four years we will foster increased
cooperation between departments, making sure that
innovation, experience and expertise is more widely
shared. We will encourage and facilitate greater
government transparency and public scrutiny, andwe will provide government and legislative bodies
with the tools to work more efficiently andeffectively than ever before.

Goals
Explore shared service innovations and goodpractice in information management, and pilot
solutions for the transfer of digital records
Provide a government network for knowledge andinformation management leaders, to enhancecapability
Hold government departments to account for theirrecord handling, to keep the transition to the 20-year
rule on track
Enable greater government transparency, an
increasingly open record and innovation in the use,
re-use and sharing of data
Shape and deliver outstanding legislative platforms
and services which underpin the responsibilities of
the UK Parliaments and Assemblies

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-193We will inspire the public with new ways of using and experiencing our collection
The National Archives is a window on more than
1,000 years of the nation’s history and our collection
at Kew is open to everyone, for free. Our users comefrom many different backgrounds and have a wide
range of interests. We have built a strong reputationfor our expert advice, the efficiency of our services
and our work to bring the record to life.

Goals

Many of our users tell us that visiting The National
Archives is a life changing experience. We want togive even more people the chance to have that same
feeling, whether they set foot on our site at Kew or
encounter us online. To make this happen we will
reshape the services we offer and we will devise
fresh and exciting ways to reach out to and involve
our users, both old and new. Over the next four years
we will change the way you think about archives.

Develop new and exciting public programmes andservices which rival those of other pre-eminent
institutions

Grow our audience by connecting with new users
Provide a joined-up experience on site and online
and use technology to make our routine services
more efficient

Inspire curiosity about The National Archives and thehidden gems in our collection
Re-imagine and reconfigure our Kew site to be avibrant and welcoming learning environment

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-194

We will be an effective leader and partner for the archives sector, to sustain and develop
the nation’s collection
The nation’s collection is made up of thousands ofarchives, each with its own unique history. The
richness of our archives is the result of generationsof careful stewardship by countless individuals andinstitutions, including local authorities, families,
businesses, religious groups and charities. We leadthe wider archive sector in England and perform theHistorical Manuscripts Commission’s functions inrelation to records in private ownership. We sit at theheart of a diverse network of archives and ourapproach to leading and supporting this network willreflect that diversity.

Goals

Over the next four years we will actively support
archives of all kinds to secure the best possible longterm future for their collections. We will help them toidentify new funding opportunities and better ways ofworking. Together we will make the case for archives
as a vital part of the nation’s heritage.

Develop the funding and investment capacity andopportunities of the sector to increase its financial
sustainability

Influence the future through a new strategic
approach which actively promotes the archival healthof the nation
Be a strong advocate for the sector to raiseawareness of the importance and potential ofarchives
Engage and collaborate with other archives tosustain vibrant collections and services

Encourage creativity, good practice and the sharingof knowledge through programmes, surveys, tools
and guidanceArchives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-195

We will advance knowledge through exemplary academic liaison and outstanding
interdisciplinary research
The National Archives is one of the world’s mostvaluable resources for academic research. We havestrong links with the academic sector and we haveset ourselves clear research priorities centred on thechallenges we face. Our staff are engaged incollaborative projects on the cutting edge of physicaland digital record preservation, historical researchand data science. But we believe we can and should
do more.

Goals

Over the next four years we will reinvigorate ourapproach. We will invest in our capacity and skills.
We will reinforce our Kew site as a recognised hub
for archival research. We will pursue newpartnerships and collaborations. We will ensure thatin every serious discussion about researching andsolving the toughest problems facing the archives
sector, we are leading the conversation.

Shape a programme of world class digital research

Expand our national and international reputation forpioneering research and collections management inline with our status as an Independent Research
Organisation
Enhance our current research reputation to develop
funding success

Establish a renowned research centre to coordinate
and galvanise our long-term research programme
Respond to the changing needs of the academic andresearch sector

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-196

We will become a digital archive by design
The National Archives is constantly evolving. Digitaltechnology has changed forever what it means to be
an archive and over the last few years we have
responded to these changes in ways that havebenefitted each of our key audiences. We havecreated Discovery – the first comprehensive nationalonline catalogue. We have constructed a Digital
Records Infrastructure capable of holding the future
government digital record. We have collaborated on
ground-breaking research into working with digitalrecords. Through our pioneering commercial
partnerships we have made millions of records
available online to a worldwide audience.
But we know that to meet the needs of our key
audiences and guarantee our long-term sustainability
we will need to make some important changes to theway we think and work. Over the next four years wewill increase our ability to recognise and exploit new
digital and commercial opportunities.

Goals
Lead a transformation in how digital records aremanaged at scale, from creation to presentation
Build partnerships, including with commercialpartners, which provide innovative online services toour users
Make Discovery the primary destination for anyone
wanting to access archives in the UK
Provide platforms and tools which help otherarchives put more of their collections online
Meet changing customer expectations in a digitalworld

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-19

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Business Priorities 2018-19
We will provide expert advice and scrutiny to government, ensuring the record survives and thrives
How we will achieve thisWe will drive compliance with the Public
Records Act and associated legislation

By 31 March 2019
We will support government departments and other public bodies to deliver on theirstatutory obligations under the 20-year rule (including the transfer of records of
local interest to places of deposit)
We will continue to work in partnership with the Cabinet Office and the Government
Digital Service to deliver an effective cross-government response to the challengesof digital
We will enhance current systems and processes enabling government to makeeffective use of the public record

We will deliver outstanding legislation
services to support the UK leaving theEuropean Union

We will lead work to revise the section 46 Code of Practice on the management ofrecords
We will support government departments in their preparation and policy making by
providing drafting tools and services for legislating pre- and post-exit
We will fulfil the Queen’s Printer’s new duties for publishing retained European
Union legislation as currently set out in the European Union (Withdrawal) BillWe will aid legal certainty, post-exit, with up-to-date content on legislation.gov.uk forusers and data services for re-usersArchives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-198

We will inspire the public with new ways of using and experiencing our collection
How we will achieve thisWe will identify and engage priority
audiences through the delivery ofinspiring public programmes andimaginative services

By 31 March 2019
We will innovate and experiment, testing ways to please and captivate new andexisting audiences

We will create a fundraising strategy toenable The National Archives to raise
funds to deliver its objectives set out inArchives Inspire

We will launch and establish The National Archives’ Foundation, and support its
mobilisation so that we can begin to secure funding, including via applications tomajor funders

We will develop fresh and impactful ways to successfully exhibit archival material

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We will be an effective leader and partner for the archive sector, to sustain and develop the nation’scollection
How we will achieve thisWe will implement the vision, Archives
Unlocked and deliver our part of thegovernment’s ambitious Culture isDigital project

By 31 March 2019
We will agree and begin the implementation plan for the Workforce Development
Strategy, in order to foster a flexible, skilled and confident sector workforce
We will take forward the Digital Capacity Strategy via the Archives Unlocked Board toaddress gaps in skills, theory and practice
We will investigate new ways to demonstrate the impact that archives make in orderto develop audiences, influence thinking and advocate for the value of archives
We will lead a taskforce taking a new strategic overview of the digitisation of thenation’s cultural heritage as part of the government’s Culture is Digital project

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-19

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We will advance knowledge through exemplary academic liaison and outstanding interdisciplinary
research
How we will achieve thisWe will grow and deliver first-rate
research infrastructure, academic
programmes and funding

By 31 March 2019
We will successfully run a programme of doctoral, fellowship and secondment
schemes in order to provide research opportunities for staff and partners
We will launch and embed The National Archives’ Research Priorities in order todeliver focussed and targeted research and academic engagement programmes
We will develop our research infrastructure and further expand our events
programme to demonstrate our role as a research leader and convenor, enabling theformation of relevant new research partnerships
We will demonstrate a new funding impetus to show a managed flow of funding bids
and applications developed and designed towards increasing funding from the 201516 baseline

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We will become a digital archive by design
How we will achieve thisBy 31 March 2019
We will develop our capability as a world We will improve the workflows for ingesting born digital and digitised records into ourleading digital archive
Digital Records Infrastructure so we can load more records more quickly
We will refresh the hardware of our Digital Records Infrastructure to protect andpreserve digital records
We will investigate certification of the digital archive using the Core Trust Seal by
conducting a self-assessment and identifying a peer reviewer
We will develop our people’s skills in new technologies such as cloud computing andmachine learning, through apprenticeships, training, study time and learning events
We will research and develop radicaland innovative new archival practices
for the digital archiveWe will research and develop new archival practices for accessing, assuring andcontextualising digital records
We will develop a Digital Preservation Risk model so we can better understand andrespond to digital preservation risks
We will engage with other archives, in the UK and around the world, to share ideas,
knowledge and skills about digital archiving practiceArchives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-19

12Supporting priorities for 2018-19
How we will achieve thisWe will develop our future workforce todeliver the appropriate skills andresources to deliver our strategic
prioritiesBy 31 March 2019
We will continue to think and organise ourselves differently to meet the needs of ourmajor audiences and to face our biggest challenge, digital by realigning staff
resources and recruiting new posts in key areas of the organisation
We will focus on leadership and career development by introducing new leadershipand management training programmes and developing apprenticeships and othernon-standard entry routes across a range of functional areas

We will maintain the Kew site tosafeguard the records, our facilities andthe services we provide

We will protect and preserve the archives by completing the first phase of work torefurbish the roof and upgrade the repository windows of the 1977 Kew 1 building

We will implement the commercial
strategy to maximise income

We will deliver the first phase of the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive
We will appoint the successful bidder for the 1921 Census digitisation project. The
next surviving census is not until 1951 so this truly marks a once in a generation
opportunity
We will commence the procurement of a new concessionary contract for the Gazette
We will build new, and grow existing commercial services across the organisation, tosupport our digital and engagement ambitions

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-1913

Departmental expenditureThis section sets out how we are spending
taxpayers’ money.

Table of spending for 2018-191£m

We have included a table to show our forecast outturnand planned expenditure for 2018-19, compared with 2017-18
as agreed with HM Treasury.
It is split into money spent on administration(including the cost of running The National Archives),
programmes (including the frontline), and capital(for instance, on buildings ornew equipment).

HM Treasury Funding
2017-18

HM Treasury Funding
2018-19

Administrative budget
allocation

8.5

8.5

Programme budget
allocation

20.3

21.4

Capital budget

1.3

3.5

Total departmental
expenditure allocation

30.1

33.4

1. Excludes depreciation
2. Funding agreed at supplementary estimate
3. Funding agreed at main estimate

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-19

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Information strategy and transparency
We want to ensure that we can be held accountable as we deliver our strategic priorities
We publish the following information on our website as part of the government’s transparency agenda:


new contracts of £10k or more (via Contracts Finder – gov.uk/contractsfinder)
items of spend over £10korganisational structures
corporate Freedom of Information requests
the number of staff paid above the minimum band for senior civil servants
grants fundedenergy consumption data
customer complaints and compliments
Customer Satisfaction survey data
Government Procurement Card spend
the percentage of invoices paid by The National Archives within 30 days
gender pay gap data.

We will also publish details of the input and impact indicators outlined below and additional statistical information used by our seniormanagement.
We will continue to explore ways to make this information even easier to access and understand.

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-1915

Input and impact indicators
The input and impact indicators set out in this section are just a subset of the data gathered by The National Archives, which isavailable on our website including our Annual Report.

Indicator
Time taken to respond to FOI and EIR
requests
Number of physical records accessioned(the number of physical records transferred
and added to Discovery, our onlinecatalogue)

How often will it bepublished
Monthly
Annually

How will this be broken down?
Percentage of those responded to within statutory
targets on a year-to-date basis
Total number of individual items newly accessioned
and total meterage of new accessions

Original documents delivered to on siteusers
Time taken to deliver original records to onsite users
Electronic records delivered to online users

Monthly

Total numbers delivered

QuarterlyMonthly

Percentage of original documents delivered within 30
minutes in the reading rooms
Total numbers delivered

Staff engagement (Civil Service survey)Annually

Results from Civil Service Staff Engagement survey

Staff Diversity

Quarterly

Staff sickness absence

Monthly

Percentage of those self declaring ethnicity anddisability status; women and top management womenbased on full time equivalent headcount
Average number of days lost through sickness per fulltime equivalent member of staff

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-1916

Indicator
Customer satisfaction

Sustainable Development

How often will it be
How will this be broken down?
published
As when there are surveys Percentage respondents satisfied:(normally at least one eachyear) Online users
 On site users
 Legislation.gov.uk
 UK Government web archive
Annually
Percentage reduction compared to baseline:

Carbon emissions from energy use in our buildings
Carbon emissions from business travel
Operational (business as usual) waste
Water consumption
Domestic flights

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-1917

© Crown copyright 2018
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence,
visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3

Archives Inspire: The National Archives plans and priorities 2015-1918