In 2007, The National Archives initiated a self-assessment performance measurement programme for local authority archive services. The programme is designed to provide a measure of overall service quality in the absence of formal performance indicators for archive services in the Audit Commission's performance indicator set for local government.

See the latest self-assessment results, as well as those from previous years.

How the self-assessment process works

Participation in the self-assessment process is voluntary, but The National Archives expects local authority archives, which are places of deposit for public records or which have subscribed to the Standard for Record Repositories, to make returns. In 2008, 112 out of 124 eligible services participated in the exercise.

The self-assessment programme enables authorities to judge the adequacy of their archive service, measured against the public task of such services, as expressed in the Standard for Record Repositories and the Framework of Standards. For the first time, it enables comparisons to be made between authorities. The information from self-assessment should be useful to employing authorities, archives professionals and the user community. The programme enables The National Archives to reveal regional and other trends, highlight areas of strength and weakness within the archive sector, and to identify individual services that may need other interventions and support.

The self-assessment programme is based on a comprehensive questionnaire that examines five areas of the work in local authority archive services: Governance and Staffing; Documentation of Collections; Access Services; Preservation and Conservation; and Buildings, Security and Environment.

Each authority receives a percentage score on each of these five areas, and an overall percentage score. The scores on the five areas of activity are then performance banded, with the top ten per cent of services securing four stars; the bottom ten per cent scoring one star; and the remainder being divided equally into two-star and three-star categories.

The performance bands for the overall scores are set by an independent panel which oversees the self-assessment process, based on the 2007 bandings but adjusted for the typical impact of changes to the questionnaire in subsequent years.  Additionally, to secure a two, three or four star performance banding, services have to score above a 'threshold score' in all five sections of the questionnaire: the thresholds are set at 55% for four stars; 45% for three stars and 35% for two stars.  Services which failed to meet these thresholds in all areas were held down to the highest band for which they did meet the thresholds.

Additionally in 2008, we have provided a direction of travel judgement for each service.  This takes into account both the variation in scores between 2007 and 2008 and other information available to The National Archives about the threats to, and opportunities for, future service development. 

Self-Assessment Advisory Panel

The National Archives has established a Self-Assessment Advisory Panel to oversee the self-assessment process, review and moderate the results, and determine appeals against the results. In 2010 the members of the self-assessment panel were:

• Nicholas Kingsley, The National Archives (Chairman)
• Paula Brikci
• Mary Ellis
• John Davies
• Bruce Jackson
• Deborah Jenkins
• Andrew Rowley, The National Archives (Secretary)
• David Mander OBE
• Sarah Chubb

See the summaries of panel meetings

If you have any comments or queries about the self-assessment process, please email Archives Sector Development at ASD@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444. Contact us