- History
- The National Archives
- The Provincial Archives
- Organisation
- Strategy 2015
- Mission of the National Archives Service
- Operational objectives and methods
- Vision and values
- Changing operational environment
- Management and operational development
- Life-cycle management of documentary information
- Making documentary cultural heritage available
- Administrative services and operational development
- Mission and operations
Administrative services and operational development
Strategic planning, development and management support
Resources
Personnel and personnel policy
ICT services
International activities
Communications
Strategic planning, development and management support
Strategies are up-to-date and guide the operations and decision-making of the National Archives Service.
Strategic planning as well as the execution and development of financial and administrative services are based on joint development projects and operating practices of State administration.
The basis for operations of the National Archives Service is secure. Administrative tasks are outsourced in line with the common guidelines for State administration.
Planning activities and reporting support the management and are focused on strategic priorities.
The quality of internal operating processes which are developed continuously constitutes a critical element of success with direct impact on the efficiency and operations of the National Archives Service.
Coordination between areas of responsibility and units is clear and supports the execution of processes.
The National Archives Service complies in all operations with the principles of sustainable development.
The administrative services area of responsibility safeguards the operating conditions of the National Archives Service, promotes coordination between areas of responsibility and units of the National Archives Service and assists management of the National Archives Service. The quality of internal operating processes which are developed continuously constitutes a critical element of success with direct impact on the efficiency and operations of the National Archives Service.
The means for efficient managing services include continuously developing operational and financial planning as well as monitoring in the National Archives Service, regular evaluation of operations and management, developing and increasing online services and operating practices, identifying risk management issues, effective cooperation and skilled, motivated employees.
The National Archives Service updates its strategy every five years. Implementation of the strategy is monitored by means of effectiveness indicators and through evaluation of various activities.
The administrative services area of responsibility monitors the operations of the National Archives Service, supports management and prepares development proposals on operating processes and the organisation of the National Archives Service. Planning an international evaluation of the National Archives Service will be started at the end of the strategy period. Such evaluations are carried out on average once every ten years.
During the strategy period, the National Archives Service will develop the management in order to clarify the allocation of resources to the areas of responsibility and various projects, as well as the principles for their use. The matrix-like way of operating, which encompasses the units of the National Archives Service, will be strengthened. A management information system enabling the operations and use of funds to be monitored will be deployed to assist the management.
Planning will be developed and focus primarily on areas defined as strategic by the National Archives Service. Developing management systems and reporting practices are emphasized during the strategy period. Particular attention will be paid to administration and management of projects.
Long-term planning of operations and systematic monitoring of set objectives are strategic priority areas of the National Archives Service. Levels and degrees of cost-effectiveness and accountability in the operations of the National Archives Service will be pinpointed through the use of monitoring systems. Long-term financial planning as well as reporting on financial control will be developed.
A new finance and personnel management information system will be introduced during the strategy period. Targets of monitoring will be developed in line with general State policies.
The National Archives Service makes use of outsourcing opportunities and the joint services offered by State administration. Routine administrative tasks will be outsourced and no longer performed in authorities and agencies. The National Archives Service participates in the joint development projects of State administration and is actively looking for cooperation partners in the administrative sector of the Ministry of Education and Culture, and elsewhere in State administration. Staff resources freed up due to service centres and organisational changes will be allocated to core tasks of the National Archives Service.
Acquisition procedures in the National Archives Service will be organized during the strategy period. The acquisition processes will be harmonized and an electronic ordering management system introduced.
The operations of the National Archives Service will be developed in a responsible manner taking into consideration the objectives of sustainable development. Energy saving solutions and increasing recycling will attract particular attention. Domestic and foreign travel will be reduced in accordance with the general objectives of State administration when facilities for electronic conferences and communication are promoted. An environmental programme will be drawn up during the strategy period, specifying the objectives of sustainable development in greater detail together with the means for achieving them.
Resources
Long-term planning of the operations is based on the possibilities to evaluate the available resources in a realistic and reliable way.
Full coverage of real estate expenses is safeguarded in the State budgets.
The costs for electronic storage will constitute a significant new cost item in the budget of the National Archives Service during the strategy period. The National Archives Service develops cost-effective storage methods in cooperation with State administration and other partnerss.
Resources of the National Archives Service will be subject to contradictory pressure during the planning period. The productivity programme of the State and the general ambition to cut public administration expenditure are reducing the resources of the National Archives Service at a time when the statutory tasks increase. The National Archives Service strives to reach the right amount of staff in relation to objectives to be agreed upon in the productivity programme and the performance negotiations held with the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The operating expenditure of the National Archives Service is divided into three main parts in the State budget: real estate expenses, salary expenses and other operational expenses. At the end of 2010 the holdings of the National Archives Service exceeded 180 shelf-kilometres of records to be stored permanently and other materials. The transfers of official materials to be stored permanently under the Archives Act will by the end of 2050 have doubled the need for space in the National Archives Service. The State administration will, according to estimates, then have transferred all its material for permanent storage to the National Archives Service. Planning for the necessary construction of additional archival premises must be started during the strategy period.
Real estate expenses accounted for almost 40% of the total budget of the National Archives Service in 2009. The relative proportion of real estate expenditure during the strategy period will increase as volumes of documentary material to be transferred to the National Archives Service increase. Transfers of materials to the responsibility of the National Archives Service will, however, reduce expenditure elsewhere in State administration. The Ministry of Finance will enhance monitoring of the use of premises and the allocation of resources for premises in the State administration by 2012.
In order to avoid a situation where increases in real estate expenses jeopardize peformance the National Archives Service will in performance negotiations with the Ministry of Education and Culture call for a separation of the monitoring and budgeting of real estate expenses from the budgeting of other operating expenses.
A Sámi Archives will be placed in the Sámi Cultural Centre in Inari and will become part of the National Archives Service in 2012. It will be responsible for developing the documentary culture of the Sámi region and for permanently storing official materials and private material of the region. Operations of the Sámi Archive will mainly focus on cooperation with archives operating in the Sámi regions in Sweden and Norway.
The deployment of the VAPA system in 2010 will require allocation of a permanent funding for the permanent storage of electronic materials from State administration. At the start of the strategy period the National Archives Service will investigate the costs of permanently storing electronic material and draw up an operating model that will safeguard the permanent storage of material in a cost-effective and operationally appropriate manner.
External funding promotes development and creates possibilities for essential new expertise. The National Archives Service will at the start of the strategy period investigate the methods for using external funding in its operations in an appropriate manner. Policies on the use and seeking of external funding will be specified on the basis of analysis. The National Archives Service will continue to implement government investigation projects that have been funded separately, as long as salaries do not have a negative impact on the productivity programme.
The National Archives Service will make plans for such implementation caused by reforms in State administration where sufficient funding is allocated.
Personnel and personnel policy
The number of employees will decrease by nearly 20 per cent during the strategy period. Recruiting staff for strategic priority areas and adapting the operations in relation to the development of resources will be key elements of success.
A successful personnel policy makes development of competence possible and provides a good working environment and work motivation.
The number of employees will drop during the strategy period as a result of the productivity and savings measures of the State. Work practices are similarly changing dramatically. The National Archives Service needs staff with even more expertise and higher education than before and will have to compete for them. Each time someone is recruited, consideration will be given to the strategic priority areas, the perspective of centralizing the operations and the impacts of regionalization. With these considerations in mind an evaluation will be carried out on whether it would be appropriate to manage the tasks in-house or whether the expertise can be acquired externally.
Resources freed up from developing processes and information systems will be allocated to core processes which are defined in the strategy. Indicators and a monitoring system for the management of personnel provide information about staff structure, well-being at work and expertise of personnel. Reports on personnel are regularly available for timely allocation of resources in advance.
Strengthening special expertise will further operations of the National Archives Service as an expert agency. Participation in scientific further training is promoted as fas as possible, with particular empasis on theoretical competence in records management, archives management and heraldry. Linguistic skills and ability to utilize international developments in operations of the National Archives Service is taken into account in recruitment of expert civil servants.
Motivated employees and well-being at work are key requirements for successful operations. Diminishing staff, rising age of employees and changes taking place in work are the greatest challenges for well-being at work. Special emphasis will be placed on staff management and support measures for personnel in change situations. The personnel strategy of the National Archives Service will include a plan on well-being at work presenting concrete measures. It will be drawn up in cooperation with the staff.
Cooperation between management and staff in the National Archives Service runs smoothly and is based on dialogue on equal terms seeking mutual understanding. The staff participates in the handling of a matter before a decision is taken on it. Interaction between employer and staff is reciprocal at all levels of the organization regardless of nature (representative or direct participation).
The need for expertise is determined according to the process. Special expertise is developed in the National Archives Service e.g. through mentoring and internal training as well as active efforts to find best practices in units of the National Archives Service and in external partners. Process owners are responsible for evaluating the need for expertise required by a particular process. Special expertise is acquired as an outsourced service, if necessary.
ICT services
Electronic services and operating practices are increasing in information services aimed at customers and in the internal records and archives management of the National Archives Service.
Operating practices based on management of electronic material have a key role in all the processes of the National Archives Service.
Implementing and developing online services within the National Archives Service call for good coordination between areas of responsibility, units and projects in the National Archives Service. An adequate level of expertise in ICT is ensured in all operating processes. The tools, equipment and information systems must be appropriate for operations. The organization of ICT services and related planning concerning recruitment and use of resources are handled in an object-oriented long-term manner.
Development of online services for customers and the staff of the National Archives Service will be in focus during the strategy period. The joint development projects on online services in State administration will be utilized. Activities will be outsourced when opportunities arise.
Management of the overall ICT architecture is centralized, which guarantees uniformity of processes within the National Archives Service. The ICT architecture is developed on the basis of strategic priority areas of the National Archives Service. Information management in the National Archives Service is described in detail and interfaces as well as responsibilities for the systems will be specified in the beginning of the strategy period. A plan specifying all the strategically vital projects and their timetables will be drawn up for the strategy period in order to facilitate development of the ICT architecture.
The planning of resources needed for ICT will enable implementation of internal and external services in line with the strategic policies.
International activities
The National Archives Service monitors international developments in its sphere of activities and participates actively in them.
All functions of the National Archives Service are on good Nordic level. International success is measured through Nordic benchmarking and other evaluations performed by experts.
International expertise will be utilized in national solutions. An analysis of the international situation is included in projects implemented within the National Archives Service.
International activities are part of key operating processes of the National Archives Service. The purpose of international contacts is to ensure that the expertise of the National Archives Service is up-to-date and compatible with international standards and practices. International know-how will be utilized in the operations of the National Archives Service.
The priorities in international activities include Nordic cooperation, cooperation carried out among the member states of the European Union and the wide-ranging multilateral activities carried out by the International Council on Archives (ICA). The National Archives Service participates in international cooperation for the preservation of cultural assets, especially in UNESCO and the international Blue Shield organization.
Developing the European digital library (Europeana) is in focus of attention. Digitization and management of heraldic materials will be developed as a special field of Finnish expertise and the aim is to create a common European heraldic database Europeana Heraldica. The National Archives Service intends to participate actively in standardization in the archival sector and in projects on managing electronic data.
The National Archives Service is internationally compared to other national archives services in the Nordic countries. Ensuring that all functions in the National Archives Service represent good Nordic quality is a strategic object. Development is monitored and evaluated through regular benchmarking covering various areas of operation.
Operating practices and funding models that enable the National Archives Service of Finland to participate in international co-financed projects in a long term, planned systematic manner are confirmed together with the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Communications
Communication undertaken by the National Archives Service is active and wide-ranging.
The Internet is the key communications tool.
Communication is incorporated in all operating processes of the National Archives Service.
Communication undertaken by the National Archives Service is active and wide-ranging. It promotes customer services, serves management of the National Archives Service, improves the internal coordination of operations, promotes achieving of strategic aims and increases general awareness of the National Archives Service.
Communication enhances the information services and official activities of the National Archives Service through active interaction with customers and partners. The Internet is the key communications tool.
The communications strategy will be revised at the start of the strategy period and updated when necessary. A communications plan based on the communications strategy is drawn up annually defining objectives, operating practices, responsibilities and resources. Raising the relative share of resources of the National Archives Service for communication is an aim.
The provision of information is incorporated into all the operating processes of the National Archives Service. It will ensure execution of communication relating to each activity at the right time and in correct form. A sectorial communications plan will be introduced during the strategy period enhancing the joint provision of information by the National Archives and the Provincial Archives in a cost-effective way.