A study comparing what is valued by New Zealand central government agencies when recruiting recordkeeping staff and recordkeeping competency frameworks

Abstract

Archives New Zealand was concerned that more than 10 years after the Public Records Act, audit findings indicated recordkeeping maturity in central government agencies was poor. What capabilities were these agencies seeking when recruiting recordkeeping staff? The gaps between this and the Australasian recordkeeping frameworks shed light on the situation. The research combined analysis of job description content with an on-line survey examining the competencies, capabilities, and qualifications that were valued by employers and why. The response rate was approximately 24% of the target population. Key findings were that employers valued personal attributes most, followed by transferable competencies. Recordkeeping expertise came third - and was not always essential and this was curiously more evident at the advisor level. Employers considered personal effectiveness in supporting business objectives the most critical capability. There were gaps between recordkeeping business analysis - contextual, risk, business records requirements, and employers who focused on supporting business activities. The frameworks valued recordkeeping knowledge, advocacy, appraisal, and digital integrity and continuity - employers did not; and ‘traditional archival’ (appraisal and disposal) capability was largely absent. These factors meant employers were more dependent on the expertise, knowledge, and commitment of recordkeeping professionals to achieve organisational recordkeeping maturity.