Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento

22 – National Policy on Document and Archive Management for a transparent and responsible State

Brief description of the commitment: This initiative aims to contribute to strengthening transparency, access to public information, and accountability in the Uruguayan state through the design and implementation of a national policy on document management and archives administration. It will establish a roadmap for document management in the public administration, promoting the strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ensuring the proper organization, preservation, and access to public documents.

This policy will improve the traceability of public management, facilitate citizen oversight, and ensure that public information is accessible, complete, timely, and reliable.

Organization leading the commitment: Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) - General Archive of the Nation (AGN).

Supporting institutions/organizations: Public Information Access Unit (UAIP), Electronic Government and Information and Knowledge Society Agency (Agesic), Ministry of Education and Culture – National Museum System (MEC), University of the Republic (Udelar) - Faculty of Information and Communications (FIC), National School of Public Administration (ENAP) - National Civil Service Office (ONSC), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)-Historical Archive.

Person responsible for the commitment: Alejandra Villar, Director of the General Archive of the Nation, contact: alejandra.villar@agn.gub.uy  

Technical manager: Beatriz Muiño, Technical team. Contact: beatrizm@agn.gub.uy

Stakeholders

1. Government: National Museum System - Ministry of Education and Culture.
2. Civil Society: Uruguayan Association of Archivists (AUA) - Center for Archives and Access to Public Information (CAinfo).
3. Other actors: University of the Republic (in particular Faculty of Information and Communication).

Implementation period: December 2026 – June 2029.

Problem definition

What problem does the commitment intend to address?

Uruguay has a solid regulatory framework for access to public information in archival matters, and with Decree No. 355/012 Regulating the Regulation of the archival function, creating the National Archives System and Decree 70/015 which modifies Article 6 of Decree No. 355/012, relating to the National Archives System.

The existence of archival legislation and public access to information, in itself, is not enough to promote the exercise of the right of access to public information by individuals; rather, it is necessary to formulate a public policy for document management and archive administration that reinforces this legislation and guides the work of the different obligated parties in this area.

This situation affects the entire Administration, primarily all public bodies, both state and non-state, that are subject to the Law on the Right of Access to Public Information and the National Archives System. Ultimately, however, the social role of archives is also important, since documents and archives themselves hold significance insofar as they create emotional bonds within the communities where they are located. They are recognized as sources of knowledge, spaces for exercising rights, and opportunities for development in the economic, social, political, and cultural spheres for all who wish to access them.

What are the causes of the problem?

In general, the actions and planning of the General Archive of the Nation have been basically oriented towards the preservation of documents as heritage, without projecting activities for document management in the Public Administration, except for some aspect related to the document evaluation process.

The results of the work of the subjects obligated by the Law of the National Archives System, in matters of document management and archive administration, as well as the professionalization of archive services, are clearly shown in the data provided by the National Index of Transparency and Access to Information (INTAI), in its institutional dimension.

This section covers aspects related to document and records management in national regulations that are mandatory for entities subject to the Law of the National Archives System and the Right of Access to Public Information. However, the results for this dimension are the lowest compared to the other dimensions of the index; and they have an overall score below the average. As shown in the report produced by the Public Information Access Unit (UAIP), the Document and Records Management subdimension is the “most lagging in the study, with uneven results in each of the aspects evaluated” (UAIP, 2019c).[12]

These data indicate that the root causes of the problem lie, first and foremost, in the absence of an integrated national policy for document and records management that establishes common and mandatory guidelines for all obligated entities. This is compounded by the limited coordination between the National General Archive, Agesic (the Agency for Information and Communication Technologies), and the Public Information Access Unit (UAIP), key actors identified in the ecosystem comprised of archives, documents, information and data, access, and digital government. Furthermore, there is a clear weakness in the professionalization processes and ongoing training of those responsible for information and records management in public agencies, which compromises the quality and sustainability of archival practices. Finally, there remains a lack of technical standards and practical document management tools adapted to current digital contexts, focused on interoperability, and scalable across the entire Public Administration.

Description of the commitment

What has been done so far to solve the problem?

The design of a public policy for document management and archive administration, as such, has not been addressed.

Dissemination and training sessions on some document management procedures were held between 2014 and 2019 by the General Archive of the Nation and from 2019 to date by the Public Information Access Unit as its own initiative and in some cases, as part of a training plan of the National School of Public Administration (ENAP).

What solution does it propose?

To design, approve and implement a National Policy on Document Management and Archives Administration, as a strategic framework to strengthen transparency, access to information and accountability in the Uruguayan State.

This policy will be developed based on three fundamental lines of action:

1. Strengthening the National Archives System (SNA)

• To provide training and technical advice in document management and archive administration, aligned with the needs of the digital State.
• To establish a network of SNA representatives in each of the obligated entities, to promote a decentralized and coordinated implementation.
• To coordinate with Agesic and the Public Information Access Unit (UAIP) to integrate document management into the standards of interoperability, digital preservation and open data.

2. Development of capacities in document management

• To develop guides, manuals and practical tools on document management and archive administration processes.
• To train and advise Regulated parties to ensure an effective and homogeneous implementation of these processes at the institutional level.

3. Assessment and access to digital documentary heritage

• To improve document evaluation and selection processes by adopting unified technical criteria.
• To promote the dissemination of digital documentary heritage through accessible platforms of public bodies, guaranteeing its preservation and consultation by citizens.
• This solution will contribute to building a sustainable, modern and open document management model, aligned with the principles of open government and international best practices.

What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment?

The National Policy on Document Management and Open Public Archives will strengthen institutional capacities in document management, ensure the integrity and access to public documents, integrate this component into the digital transformation of the State, and improve national transparency indicators related to archives and documents.

Commitment analysis

How will the commitment promote transparency?

Document management and records administration provide the operational basis for effective transparency in public administration, because it allows the creation of quality documentation (authenticity, reliability and integrity), the tracking of decisions made over time (traceability), the provision of the basis for the planning of programs, activities and budgets, the simplification and standardization of documentary processes, compliance with the right to rapid access to information and the preservation of documents over time.

All of this improves the State's capacity to guarantee effective and timely access to public information. Furthermore, organized and readily available documentation enables social oversight, citizen auditing, and compliance with proactive transparency standards.

How will the commitment help foster accountability?

A democratic society requires an administration open to the citizenship; and this involves the establishment of a document management system that records the activities carried out in the State and that guarantees the accuracy and regulatory compliance of said actions.

The results of the different milestones of the initiative will be published on the website of the General Archive of the Nation, facilitating the availability of the information in different formats.

How will the commitment improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions? 

The participation of civil society organizations related to archival science, records management, and the right of access to public information, as well as academia and professional associations, will be promoted in the co-creation of policy and regulatory instruments. Access to archives as spaces of memory and the exercise of cultural and social rights will also be encouraged.