Assistant Director’s statement
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) was established under Section 3 of the Public Records Act 1973. The Act provides the legal framework in which PROV operates, and specifies its core functions.
We are committed to providing leadership to Victorian Government on the management of public records. This Service Charter supports this commitment. It sets out:
- who we are
- our vision
- our mission
- our commitment to you
- what we do
- services we perform
- service principles
- stakeholder engagement
- timeliness
- measurement and review
- complaints.
Who we are
This charter applies to PROV’s Government Services section which consists of the Standards and Policy and Government Recordkeeping teams.
Our vision
Public Records, Publicly Available.
Our mission
‘Public Records, Publicly Available’ seeks to inspire public servants to keep good records so that PROV can fulfill its mission:
to support the efficient management and use of public records to ensure that the Government is accountable to the community and the historical memory of the Victorian Government is secure and accessible.
Our commitment to you
We are committed to providing a quality service to our stakeholders. We will endeavour to provide government services efficiently and professionally.
What we do
Section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973 states that the Keeper of Public Records shall establish standards for the efficient management of public records and assist public officers in applying these standards.
To fulfill this responsibility, the Government Services team develops and maintains a suite of Records Management Standards and delivers a range of programs and services to assist agencies to whom the Public Records Act applies.
Services we perform
Government Services:
- establishes mandatory Standards and Specifications, in consultation with agencies, which all Victorian public sector agencies must comply with
- works with agencies to develop Retention and Disposal Authorities (RDAs), mandatory Standards which specify permanent value records and authorise the disposal of non-permanent records
- collaborates with government agencies to manage the transfer of permanent digital and hardcopy records to PROV custody
- provides a range guidelines and tools to assist agencies to improve their records management and comply with requirements (ie the Information Management Maturity Measurement (IM3) tool to gauge an agency’s current level of information management maturity and to assist agencies identify and initiate enhancement opportunities)
- delivers education, awareness and recognition programs (ie online training course in recordkeeping fundamentals, Records Management Network events, Sir Rupert Hamer Awards)
- conducts industry compliance programs (ie Approved Public Record Office Storage Supplier (APROSS) Program, VERS Vendor Compliance Program).
Service principles
We actively implement, promote and support the values outlined in the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees.
Our development and implementation of initiatives and programs is based on PROV’s five guiding principles. PROV will:
- seek and take advantage of partnerships and alternative ways of working collaboratively in order to achieve our outcomes
- be open to new ideas and different approaches that will achieve the most effective results
- take advantage of our unique mandate to provide leadership in those areas in which we have sector expertise
- identify and consult with stakeholder and client groups on matters of relevance to them, using the resulting feedback to shape and improve our strategies, products and services
- design our programs in such a way as to increase our stakeholders’ opportunity to preserve and express their cultural heritage and contribute to the social and cultural fabric of Victoria.
Stakeholder engagement
To ensure that any products or services we create are both practical and relevant to our stakeholders, we will engage in meaningful consultation with them.
Timeliness
We will:
- provide an immediate acknowledgement for any email query received and will respond to each query within 10 working days
- respond to other enquiries in a timely manner.
Measurement and review
We encourage feedback about our services and use it to evaluate and enhance our services and inform future planning. If you wish to provide feedback regarding our services, please contact us via our online enquiry form.
Each year, Government Services releases a number of key output measures relating to Government Services activities in the annual report. This outlines the number of:
- records transferred
- digital records preserved
- retention and disposal projects undertaken
- participants undertaking records management training
- transfer projects completed.
Government Services also reports key performance statistics through the Department of Government Services and these are published annually with the Treasury Budget Papers.
Complaints
If not satisfied with our service, our clients and stakeholders can:
- first, try to resolve the issue with the officer with whom they were dealing
- then, if that person is unable to resolve the issue to their satisfaction, write to, e-mail or phone Assistant Director, Government Services:
Agency enquiries: agency.queries@prov.vic.gov.au
PO Box 2100
North Melbourne 3051
When advised of a formal complaint Assistant Director, Government Services will:
- make every endeavor to contact the complainant within 24 hours, and certainly within five working days
- investigate the complaint and advise the complainant of the outcome as soon as possible.
All complaints received will be treated with the utmost seriousness and will be kept confidential.
Public Interest Disclosure
Any person can make a public interest disclosure about improper conduct engaged in, or detrimental action against another person, in reprisal for a public interest disclosure taken by PROV or one of its officers.
You can make a public interest disclosure if you are a member of the public, a PROV staff member, or a staff member of another Victorian Government department or public body.
For more information regarding what constitutes a public interest disclosure and how to submit one, please see Public Interest Disclosures Procedures.