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Best Practices: Archival Appraisal of Government Records

Approved by: Dr. Sandra Thomson, Provincial Archivist of Alberta
Date Approved: August 2001

1.0 Best Practices Statement

Following the requirements set out in the Government Organization Act, Records Management Regulation 95/57, Section 8, the Provincial Archives of Alberta must provide an archival appraisal; of each Records Retention and Disposition Schedule submitted to the Alberta Records Management Committee for approval.

2.0 Objective

The objective of this document is to provide a standard for operational practices for archival appraisal for acquisition of government records.

3.0 Scope

Archival appraisal is the archival function which involves the determination of final dispositions based on the record items' archival values.

4.0 Guidelines

The appraisal of government records should be conducted in accordance with the following criteria:

4.1 retain records that illustrate:

  • the origins of the public body;
  • the organization of the public body;
  • the public body's structures, functions, policies, programs, and activities; and
  • the process by which laws, regulations and procedures governing the functions, programs, and activities of the corporate body are administered.

4.2 retain textual records that illustrate the corporate body's business operations and are related to:

  • the administration of legislated authority; and
  • internal and external administrative and operational relationships.

4.3 retain records that contain evidence or information required to protect civil, financial, legal, and other rights of individuals, communities, institutions and the Government of Alberta.

4.4 retain records that measure the impact or effectiveness of the corporate body's programs and activities.

4.5 retain, because of their rarity, original records prior to 1905.

4.6 retain records that significantly add to the information contained in other Provincial Archives holdings.

5.0 Final Disposition

Final disposition options recommended by Government Records Archivists include "Archives" and "Destroy". These final disposition options are further defined as:

5.1 Archives - the records will come to the Provincial Archives in their entirety.

5.2 Destroy - the records will be destroyed in their entirety.

6.0 Responsibilities

6.1 The Provincial Archivist is responsible for providing the Alberta Records Management Committee with an archival appraisal on all Records Retention and Disposition Schedules submitted to the Committee for approval.

6.2 The Government Records Section Manager is responsible for reviewing completed archival appraisal reports prior to their submission to the Provincial Archivist.

6.3 Government Records Archivists are responsible for:

  • conducting archival appraisals and making final disposition recommendations on Records Retention and Disposition Schedules based on the above criteria and final disposition options;
  • creating an archival appraisal report;
  • stewarding the archival appraisal report through the Provincial Archives review/approval process;
  • formally communicating with Senior Records Officers when the appraisal process has been completed; and
  • fully documenting all archival appraisal processes and communications.

Effective date: April 2001

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