What is appraisal?

Appraisal is the process of evaluation to determine whether records are needed by a public office or local authority and how long they should be kept. It involves identifying the records of an organisation that should be retained permanently as public archives, and those records that should be destroyed once the organisation's business and accountability requirements have been met.

This is based on analysing the organisation's business activities, while weighing up community expectations about permanent retention of those records.

Archives New Zealand has adopted a functional approach to assessing the value of most records. Functional appraisal involves researching the functions and activities of the public office responsible for creating or controlling the records and assessing the value of records in relation to those functions.

Records can possess one or more of the following kinds of value:

• Evidential value — does the record provide evidence of the origins, structure, functions and activities of the New Zealand government, and of private and public rights?
• Historical or general informational value — is the record relevant to the technological, sociological, genealogical, historical and cultural heritage of New Zealand, or New Zealanders’ sense of their national identity?
• Accountability — is this the best record for holding the government responsible for its decisions and actions? (A number of records could be used but they are not necessarily the best record.)
• Legal requirement— is there a legal need to keep the record for a set period or indefinitely?
• Other considerations — this may include the physical characteristics of the record including completeness, physical condition, cost of retention, scarcity, or monetary value.

Records can also possess different degrees of value. The process of appraisal helps to distinguish more from less valuable records. Some records have archival value and need to be retained permanently by Archives New Zealand; some have long-term business value and need to be retained by the public office for several decades, but can ultimately be destroyed. Some have only short-term value and can be destroyed by the public office immediately or in a few years’ time.

Information for public offices can be viewed at Records Appraisal and Disposal.
Information for local authorities can be viewed at Advice for local authorities.