Introduction

Overview

The purpose of these procedures is to help organisations obtain a retention and disposal authorisation in accordance with the provisions of the State Records Act 1998.

Retention and disposal authorisation is a vital part of an organisation’s records and information management program. It is an integral part of organisational efficiency and accountability.

The following procedures cover:

• requirements for preparation, review or amendment of a retention and disposal authority (RDA)
• the methodology for identifying retention requirements for records
• the process of submitting an RDA to State Records NSW for approval, and
• use of an RDA issued to a predecessor or another organisation.

The legal basis for disposal authorisation

Part 3 of the State Records Act prohibits the disposal of State records except where it is authorised. Under the Act, State Records NSW can give permission for disposal. The usual means by which this is done is through the approval of RDAs.

What is a retention and disposal authority?

A retention and disposal authority (RDA) is a formal instrument issued by State Records NSW that identifies:

• records that are required as State archives
• minimum retention periods for other records to meet regulatory, business and community requirements before they can be destroyed.

Benefits of implementing an RDA

Implementing an RDA has many potential benefits for your organisation, such as:

• ensuring that records are kept for as long as they are needed
• saving storage costs and office or online space
• streamlining retrieval processes (by ensuring records no longer required for business or other purposes are removed from systems)
• identifying records with long-term value and therefore long-term retention and preservation requirements
• identifying records eligible for destruction or requiring migration when systems are upgraded, and
• prioritising records that require recovery in the event of a disaster.

You can view the full list of current approved retention and disposal authorities.

If your organisation does not have authorisation for the disposal of its core functional records you need to develop an RDA or seek permission to use an existing one.

This will ensure that your records can be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the State Records Act.

Once this authorisation is in place you can use it in conjunction with the general authorities to implement a comprehensive records disposal program within your organisation.

An RDA consists of up to 3 levels:

1. Function
   1. Provides a high-level description of the group of activities identifying the core business records.
   2. ‘See references’ are also included to advise the user where else to look for more related records.
2. Activity
   1. Based on a similar grouping of transactions. Depending on the complexity of the RDA, activities may not be included in an RDA.
   2. ‘See references’ are also included to advise the user where else to look for more related records.
3. Class
   1. A unique entry number is assigned to each class for reference.
   2. A description of the records included is provided.
   3. Disposal action identifies how long a record needs to be retained and what should happen to it after this period of time, whether it be destroyed or transferred as a State archive.