SVGC has published a new briefing paper setting out why Government Records Management must be treated as a coordinated national effort across departments, industry and academia.
Under the Public Records Act 1958, Government departments are required to review records and transfer those of historical value to The National Archives within 20 years. However, as records have become digital, this obligation now sits within an environment of significant technical and operational complexity.
The briefing outlines the scale of the challenge facing Government, including hundreds of millions of documents, more than 1,500 recognised file formats, and the need for consistent selection, sensitivity assessment, and compliant transfer processes across departments.
Since 2018, SVGC has been working with FCDO Services to develop approaches for the transfer of digital records to The National Archives, and through its collaboration model Team Cicero, has brought together partners from across Government, industry and academia to address the challenge at scale.
The briefing also highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration, including engagement with TechUK and UK universities, to ensure the continued development and testing of emerging technologies such as AI-enabled sensitivity detection and file selection.
SVGC believes that no single department or organisation can address this challenge in isolation, particularly where sensitivity risks can arise from combining information across departments. A consistent, national approach is therefore essential to ensure records are managed securely, transparently and effectively for future generations.
