This document discusses the digital recordkeeping challenges facing the NSW Agency for Disability, Housing and Community Services (ADHC). It notes that ADHC client records have extremely long retention periods of over 80 years. However, technology supporting corporate systems only has a shelf life of 5-6 years requiring frequent upgrades. The document advocates adopting a three-cornered approach of consistent creation, managed use and compliant archiving of digital records. It also recommends linking corporate support systems like finance and HR to the electronic document records management system (EDRMS) and embedding recordkeeping practices across business operations.

1. Digital Preservation 2020
Future proofing data and avoiding the digital dark age

2. About ADHC -
? ADHC is an agency of 13,500 people in the larger
Department of Family and Community Services
? ADHC operates from multiple service delivery outlets,
including residential facilities, local and branch
offices, regional offices and central office in Sydney
? ADHC delivers services, support and information to
older people, persons with a disability, their carers
and families and also manages the funding for all
State based support programs as well as some joint
programs with the Commonwealth

3. Other relevant operating requirements -
? ADHC shares clients with Health, Justice, Education
and Community Service agencies
? ADHC has a multitude of external stakeholders,
including regulatory oversight from the Ombudsman,
Children’s Guardian and others
? As a direct service provider to a vulnerable client
group there is automatic review of any death in care
? Given the combination of State and Commonwealth
funds there is extensive reporting and accounting to
State and Commonwealth Treasuries

4. Most importantly -
? Agency client records have extremely long retention
periods (80+ years) – we retain care and control prior
to tranfer to State Archives for care and control
? Client records have extremely long closed access
periods (110+ years)
? Shelf life of the technology supporting corporate
systems averages 5-6 years – version upgrades of off-
the-shelf software averages 1 behind, corporate
systems in a constant state of modification and
upgrade
? ADHC still has an embryonic recordkeeping culture

5. Recordkeeping for the foreseeable future -
? A mixed media environment – both hard and soft copy
recordkeeping systems and requirements
? Direct care environments do not currently suit other
than paper based records for client support
? Where services are delivered to clients in their own
homes paper based systems/notes remain prime
evidence of agreements and are linked to the CIS for
event tracking
? The allegiance to ‘signed’ copies of documents for
approvals moving through many hands remains

6. An evolutionary digital journey -
? Where records are ‘born digital’ they are mirrored in
some instances with hard copy processes and
duplication of effort
? There is a need to declare the ‘official record’ across
business activities in order to reduce duplication
? A priority to unbundle content in corporate systems
to improve business processes
? The changing use of the TRIM ERDMs and linking it to
corporate systems is influencing the procedural
components of administrative processes, forcing the
review of practices and offering up BPR opportunities

7. Client Information
System
Flat architecture -
Funding information
Email System
SAP HR
Proxy server
Identify Management,
Internet, Intranet SAP Finance
and Email Access
Application TRIM ERDM
servers

8. CIS
Integrated RM System Support -
FMS
TRIM
ERDM
SAP HR
Proxy Server
Identity Management,
Internet, Intranet
and Email Access SAP $
Email
Limited
application
server use

9. The elephant in the room -
? EMAIL MANAGEMENT
? Business rules on what and when
? Links to corporate systems
? Single point of capture (ODMA enabled TRIM)

10. Order from chaos – redressing neglect:

11. Towards a digital future -
? Three cornered process = consistent creation,
managed use and compliant and timely archiving
? State Records Act 1998 as primary compliance
requirement
? Shift to Government Information Public Access Act
from Freedom of Information Act focusing content
management
? New Functional Retention and Disposal Authority
(FA306) – July 2011
? Linking to Corporate Support Systems and loaded to
TRIM next phase

12. The continuing the journey -
? Corporate governance - recordkeeping embedded into business
as usual framework
? Digital preservation embedded into IT Service Level Agreements
? Robust information architecture and security model
? Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
? Investment in archive practices, preservation and engagement
on digital archiving as corporate systems are retired
? Retention requirements attached to all corporate systems and
the EDRMs system
? Managed retention periods – reducing to critical content only
using Retention Authorisation whilst mixed environment remains
? Baseline of skills and ongoing training/education

13. Further contact -
Christine Macqueen
Corporate Records Manager
ADHC
Mobile: 0429085983