In government, records are an indispensable support for ongoing business and for internal and public accountability. As assets of the State, they contribute immeasurably to our cultural heritage. They are inextricably linked with the transactions, and the broader business functions and activities, that they document. These attributes of evidential purpose and transactional context distinguish records from other types of organisational information and have a profound impact on the requirements for their management and use. This is so in the electronic environment as much as in the paper environment.
Electronic records are more than just data or information.
As the business of government and the delivery of its services are conducted more and more through electronic processes and tools using individual and workgroup-based office automation tools to create and move documents of all sorts, communicating with electronic mail, using specialised application programs for specific business functions, searching and updating corporate databases, making government services and information accessible through public networks and electronic kiosks, buying and selling through electronic trading there are new opportunities and new challenges for government and for recordkeeping. By helping agencies and government as a whole to ensure that adequate electronic records are made, captured and maintained to meet business and accountability requirements, we can help reduce reliance on paper records, as well as minimise the risks associated with having inadequate records of business conducted electronically. Good electronic recordkeeping will help reduce the cost of government, improve the delivery of services and support accountability. Moreover, electronic recordkeeping will provide new opportunities for improvements in the services delivered by the Archives Authority itself. Effective recordkeeping in the electronic environment is an essential foundation for realising the Government's vision.