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Norway

Registering and preserving digital documentation produced by public bodies (NO0021)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Norway Action Plan 2013-2015

Action Plan Cycle: 2013

Status: Inactive

Institutions

Lead Institution: The Ministry of Culture and the National Archives of Norway in cooperation with the Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi).

Support Institution(s): NA

Policy Areas

E-Government, Legislation & Regulation, Open Data, Records Management, Right to Information

IRM Review

IRM Report: Norway End-of-Term Report 2014-2015

Starred: No

Early Results: Did Not Change Did Not Change

Design i

Verifiable: No

Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information

Potential Impact:

Implementation i

Completion:

Description

Challenges and strategies for registering and preserving digital documentation
produced by public bodies are outlined in the white paper on archiving (Meld. St. 7
(2012-2013)). The basis for public access to such information consists partly of the
public bodies’ systems and routines for registering and preserving digital documents.
The most important measures involve developing joint solutions, standards and rules
for handling of digital documents. In addition, the Norwegian archive authorities
contribute to the development of cooperation on following up these challenges, both
internationally and between Norwegian administrative levels.
Automated and specialized case management systems used by public bodies will
include archive functions that link to documents and associated metadata, and store
these in accordance with approved standards. These functions will ensure
preservation of digital documentation in the short and long term as well as
transparency and freedom of information.
Consideration will also be given to establishing joint solutions for preserving and
making available digital documentation as soon as it is no longer in active
administrative use. This will ensure both continued transparency and public
confidence that such documentation is retained in its authentic form

IRM End of Term Status Summary

10. Registering and preserving digital documentation produced by public bodies

Commitment Text:

[…]

COMMITMENT DESCRIPTION
Automated and specialized case management systems used by public bodies will include archive functions that link to documents and associated metadata, and store these in accordance with approved standards. These functions will ensure preservation of digital documentation in the short and long term as well as transparency and freedom of information.

Consideration will also be given to establishing joint solutions for preserving and making available digital documentation as soon as it is no longer in active administrative use. This will ensure both continued transparency and public confidence that such documentation is retained in its authentic form.

KEY IMPACT BENCHMARK
In work on revision of the Archives Act, consideration has been given to the recommendation of the white paper on archiving, Meld. St. 7 (2012-2013), that the creation of archives should be a statutory function of all electronic systems for public documents of archival value. Standards and standardized solutions have been developed within the framework of a broad cooperation between actors in both central government and municipal administration.

ACTIVITIES
Revision of the Archives Act.

Broad cooperation project on archives in e-administration including principles, methods, standards, systems solutions and organizational solutions.

Responsible institution: Ministry of Culture

Supporting institution(s): National Archives of Norway in cooperation with the Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi)

Start date: 1 January, 2013               End date: 31 December, 2015

Editorial note: The text of the commitments was abridged for formatting reasons. For the full text of the commitment, please see http://bit.ly/1QlVIja.

Policy Aim

This commitment builds on the recommendations of a parliamentary white paper produced in 2012 on how to improve the quality of government archiving.[Note 60: “Parliamentary White Paper 7 (2012–2013),” Ministry of Culture, accessed September 4, 2016, https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/meld-st-7-20122013/id707323/?ch=1&q=.] The commitment specifically aims to improve the functionality of software used by government archivists and the coordination and standardization of archiving practices across government bodies. Improved functionality and archiving practices are also expected to improve public access to government documents.

Status

Mid-term: Limited
The Samla Samfunnsdokumentasjon (SAMDOK) project is intended to facilitate coordination among archive institutions on a voluntary basis. The project is widely regarded as a success according to government focal points,[Note 61: Contribution of the Ministry of Justice to Norway’s Self-Assessment, on file with researcher.] though this was not confirmed in interviews or desk research conducted in preparation of this report. Regarding revisions of the Archives Act, the government established a working group to consider adjustments to the regulations.[Note 62: Ibid.] The commitment is considered to be limited in completion since work on this latter component has not progressed towards identifying and implementing revisions.

End-of-term: Substantial
The IRM researcher interviewed multiple individuals in the Ministry of Culture and National Archives, but was unable to identify additional SAMDOK outcomes corresponding to the second component of this commitment.[Note 63: Helga Hjorth (Senior Adviser, National Archives), interview by Christopher Wilson, email and phone interview, September 9, 2016; Tor Anton Gaarder (Deputy Director, National Archives), interview by Christopher Wilson and Lene Olsen, phone interview, March 18, 2016; and Håvard Bjerke (Senior Adviser, Ministry of Culture), interview by Christopher Wilson, phone interview, September 8, 2016.] Regarding the first component—the revision of the Archives Act—focal points for this commitment reported that a working group had been established, together with the National Archives and other civil society actors, in order to map gaps and needs for revision in the current Archives Act.[Note 64: Ibid. ][Note 65: ”Revisjon av arkivforskriften,” Arkivverket, accessed September 9, 2016, http://www.arkivverket.no/arkivverket/Arkivverket/Om-oss/Aktuelt/Nyhetsarkiv/Revisjon-av-arkivforskriften. ] The Ministry of Culture then requested that the National Archives propose revisions to the Archive Act in early 2016.[Note 66: Documentation on file with researcher.] This proposal has been delivered and is under consideration, though the IRM researcher was not able to contact anyone in the Ministry of Culture or National Archives who was willing to share the proposal under consideration. The course of action and timeline moving forward is unclear. The primary benchmark for this milestone was “consideration.” Consideration has taken place, but since it is unclear whether this consideration included the substantive components described in the commitment, its level of completion is considered to be substantial.

Did it open government?

Access to information: Did not change
The only specific outcomes of this commitment identified by the IRM researcher are the establishment of a working group and the production of a proposal for legal amendments, which is still forthcoming. The IRM researcher considers it reasonable to presume that the small improvements referenced as part of the SAMDOK project, and the coordination and proposals underway to revise the archive acts, promise some positive future impact on archiving practice and, by extension, access to information in Norway. However, the activities underpinning this commitment have not changed access to information.

Carried forward?

This commitment has not been carried forward in the Norwegian government’s third national action plan, which is available on the OGP website.[Note 67: ”Norway’s third action plan Open Government Partnership (OGP),” Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, accessed September 4, 2016, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/Norway_2016-17_NAP.pdf.]

Norway's Commitments

  1. Archiving documents

    NO0054, 2019, Capacity Building

  2. Making energy statistics available

    NO0055, 2019, E-Government

  3. E-access and expansion

    NO0056, 2019, Civic Space

  4. open cultural data

    NO0057, 2019, E-Government

  5. Digital spatial Planning

    NO0058, 2019, E-Government

  6. streamline public procurement

    NO0059, 2019, E-Government

  7. Preventing corruption

    NO0060, 2019, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  8. beneficial ownership registry

    NO0061, 2019, Beneficial Ownership

  9. User orientation

    NO0045, 2016, Capacity Building

  10. Electronic Public Records (OEP)

    NO0046, 2016, E-Government

  11. Transparency regarding environmental information

    NO0047, 2016, E-Government

  12. Starred commitment Disclosure of financial data

    NO0048, 2016, E-Government

  13. Transparency regarding rainforest funds

    NO0049, 2016, E-Government

  14. State employees’ ownership of shares

    NO0050, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  15. Promote freedom of expression and independent media

    NO0051, 2016, Civic Space

  16. Country-by-country reporting

    NO0052, 2016, Extractive Industries

  17. Register for ultimate beneficial ownership

    NO0053, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  18. Public review and public consultation

    NO0020, 2013, Capacity Building

  19. Registering and preserving digital documentation produced by public bodies

    NO0021, 2013, E-Government

  20. The Norwegian Citizen Survey (Innbyggerundersøkelsen)

    NO0022, 2013, Public Participation

  21. Whistleblowing

    NO0023, 2013, Whistleblower Protections

  22. Strengthened information exchange for more efficient crime prevention and combating

    NO0024, 2013, Justice

  23. Strengthening the transparency of public authorities and administration

    NO0025, 2013, Capacity Building

  24. eGovernment with an end-user focus

    NO0026, 2013, E-Government

  25. Plain Legal Language

    NO0027, 2013, Capacity Building

  26. Norwegian Grants Portal (MFA)

    NO0028, 2013, Aid

  27. An international convention or agreement on financial transparency

    NO0029, 2013, Private Sector

  28. Reducing conflicts of interests – Post-Employment Regulations

    NO0030, 2013, Conflicts of Interest

  29. Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector

    NO0031, 2013, Security

  30. A better overview of committees, boards and councils – more public access to information and better opportunities for further use

    NO0032, 2013, E-Government

  31. Modernizing Public Governance

    NO0033, 2013, Capacity Building

  32. Transparency in the management of oil and gas revenues

    NO0034, 2013, Extractive Industries

  33. Transparency in the management of the Government Pension Fund (GPF)

    NO0035, 2013, E-Government

  34. Transparency and anti-corruption efforts

    NO0036, 2013, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  35. The municipal sector

    NO0037, 2013, Education

  36. “Simplify” (“Enkelt og greit”)

    NO0038, 2013, E-Government

  37. Electronic Public Records (OEP) – (Offentlig elektronisk postjournal)

    NO0039, 2013, E-Government

  38. Re-use of public sector information (PSI)

    NO0040, 2013, Capacity Building

  39. Access to health data

    NO0041, 2013, E-Government

  40. Renewal of the Government’s website (regjeringen.no – government.no)

    NO0042, 2013, E-Government

  41. Declaration of principles for interaction and dialogue with NGOs

    NO0043, 2013, Capacity Building

  42. Simplification and digital administration of arrangements for NGOs

    NO0044, 2013, Capacity Building

  43. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government

    NO0001, 2011, Capacity Building

  44. Measures to promote gender equality and women’s full participation in civic life, the private sector, the public administration and political processes.

    NO0002, 2011, Gender

  45. Gender Equality – Participation in the Private Sector

    NO0003, 2011, Gender

  46. Increase Women's Representation in Local Government

    NO0004, 2011, Gender

  47. Gender Equality Program

    NO0005, 2011, Gender

  48. Gender Equality – Inclusion of Immigrant Women

    NO0006, 2011, Gender

  49. Gender Equality – Combat Gender Stereotypes

    NO0007, 2011, Gender

  50. Gender Equality – Youth Initiatives

    NO0008, 2011, Gender

  51. Gender Equality – Combat Domestic Violence

    NO0009, 2011, Gender

  52. Transparency in the management of oil and gas revenues / financial transparency

    NO0010, 2011, Aid

  53. Transparency in the Management of Oil and Gas Revenues / Financial Transparency – Government Global Pension Fund

    NO0011, 2011, Fiscal Transparency

  54. Transparency in the Management of Oil and Gas Revenues / Financial Transparency – Combat Tax Evasion

    NO0012, 2011, Fiscal Transparency

  55. Transparency in the Management of Oil and Gas Revenues / Financial Transparency – Multi-National Companies

    NO0013, 2011, Fiscal Transparency

  56. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government – Create Central Communication Policy

    NO0014, 2011, Fiscal Transparency

  57. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government

    NO0015, 2011, E-Government

  58. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government – Public Data Use

    NO0016, 2011, Public Participation

  59. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government – National Statistic Publication

    NO0017, 2011, Open Data

  60. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government – National Public Opinion Survey

    NO0018, 2011, Records Management

  61. An Open Public Sector and Inclusive Government

    NO0019, 2011, Public Participation