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The new Archive Service Accreditation Standard is currently being developed in partnership with archives sector stakeholders across the UK.

Archive Service Accreditation will be the UK standard for archive services. The standard defines good practice and identifies agreed standards, thereby encouraging and supporting development. It will replace The National Archives' Standard for Record Repositories and its self assessment programme for local authority archives in England and Wales.

In a time of exceptional financial constraint and competition for resources, the need for archives to demonstrate their value robustly and consistently has never been greater. Archive Service Accreditation will help organisations become more adaptable, resilient and sustainable by embedding a culture of sector-led continuous improvement, focusing on the needs of users and local communities and on producing best value for money.

Archive Service Accreditation is central to the Archives for the 21st Century priority to develop more effective services and increase sustainability within the sector.

Learn more about the Archive Service Accreditation Scheme:

FAQs (DOC, 0.00Mb)

Progress to date

The archives sector in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland came together to progress proposals for a new accreditation scheme for archive-holding organisations across the UK.

Following a scoping study commissioned by the Museums Libraries and Archives Council and The National Archives in 2010, and further research, an overall framework for the scheme was completed in March 2011. An Archive Service Accreditation workstream was established to help guide the development process with partners from:

  • The National Archives
  • Arts Council England
  • Welsh Government through its CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales division
  • National Records Scotland
  • Scottish Council on Archives
  • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
  • Archives and Records Association
  • Archives and Records Council Wales

The archives sector played a central role in the creation and testing of the scheme during the co-creation process in 2012.

  • During January to March 2012 members of the archives sector and its stakeholders came together and commented on a discussion document, based on existing sector standards, making over 1,000 contributions through workshops and online discussions. These were drawn together to shape the draft standard for further comment by the sector. The draft standard was piloted by a group of 20 archive services from all home nations, from public to private, from single professional operations to large, integrated heritage services. Participating services reviewed their own services against the new draft national standard.
  • Feedback and comments received from the archives sector during September to December 2012 are now being reviewed to feed into the final shaping of the standard.

Future activity

Spring 2013

  • Publication of the Archive Service Accreditation Standard in late Spring 2013 and launch of the Archive Service Accreditation Scheme

Draft Archive Service Accreditation Standard and Guidance

The draft Archive Service Accreditation Standard is available below.

Draft Archive Service Accreditation Standard (PDF, 0.45Mb)

The following draft guidance will help archive services understand how they can meet the standard. It recognises the wide range of archives which exist within the UK and the diverse environments in which they operate.

The draft guidance helps archives to:

  • understand the requirements for meeting the standard for their particular service
  • understand what evidence can be submitted as part of the process
  • decide whether they are eligible to apply for Archives Services Accreditation

Draft: Archive Service Accreditation Standard Guidance (PDF, 0.39Mb)

Draft: Scalability Guidance (PDF, 0.24Mb)

Draft: Eligibility Guidance for Applicants (PDF, 0.37Mb)

Draft: Accreditation Standard and Places of Deposit (PDF, 0.23Mb)

Archive Service Accreditation Glossary (XLS, 0.03Mb)

The standard is accompanied by a developing glossary, above.

Further information about accreditation

We will continue to update this page to provide further information. You can also follow updates on Twitter: #archivesaccreditn

For further information about this or any other aspect of the accreditation development process, please email us at Accreditation@nationalarchives.gsi,gov.uk

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