Once a set of criteria which outline the value of the records to be appraised has been established, the records are evaluated against these criteria.
Records that have value beyond the period of their usefulness to the public office and may be retained permanently as archives can be grouped into two categories of value:
Records that have short-term value to a public office and may be destroyed when no longer useful can often be grouped into three overlapping categories of value:
Some records of administrative, fiscal and legal value may also be of evidential and/or historical or informational value, and may warrant permanent retention as archives.
Note that the Public Records Act 2005 does not override other legislative requirements or legal obligations to retain records, for example, for tax purposes.
Appraisal may be undertaken by staff responsible for recordkeeping in public offices or by contracted external providers, and is expected to include consultation with internal and external stakeholders.
Information for public offices can be viewed on the Continuum website at Records appraisal and disposal.