Stronger Together – ARA signs collaboration agreement with The UK National Archives
On 20th June 2023 The Archive and Records Association and The UK National Archives entered into a Collaboration Agreement for 2023 – 2025
The UK National Archives and the Archive and Records Association are committed to archives, records and conservation, and to showing how the sector is innovating, and engaging people with their collections and services, reinforcing why archives matter for individuals and society.
This Collaboration Agreement builds on the desire for cooperation and collaborative working between The UK National Archives and the Archives and Records Association. The agreement sets out the role of each organisation and describes how they will work together to achieve their separate and common goals and recognises that while both organisations have distinct roles, their strategic visions, programmes and aims reflect many areas of shared interest.
The agreement outlines how both organisations will continue to build on their relationship to date to ensure strong leadership and clarity for the archive, recordkeeping and conservation sector. The agreement and its action plan reflect common values, goals and realities.
Through the process of drafting the agreement the following shared objectives were identified:
Together, The National Archives and the Archives and Records Association will:
Work to develop a more sustainable and resilient archive and record keeping sector, making the most of available advocacy, skills sharing and funding opportunities for organisations and people.
Act strategically and practically across the full spectrum of the archives and record keeping sector to support services so that our sector's collections and activities are sustained, open and accessible to all.
Actively identify shared challenges and opportunities to work together locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Develop inclusive workforces, collections, schemes and programmes that better reflect the diversity of our society and include diverse perspectives and points of view.
Explore shared approaches to opening up data and developing digital capacity across the cultural sector.
And in a statement of intent within the agreement both organisations set out how this might work in practice:
The Archives and Records Association and The National Archives recognise that in order to ensure that the archive and record keeping sector continues to develop and grow, a strong and collaborative working relationship is essential.
The National Archives and the Archives and Records Association recognise that they have complementary expertise and overlapping interests.
The two organisations will endeavour to cooperate and work together in so far as their separate interests, legal constraints and corporate aims permit.
The Archives and Records Association will continue to provide input into the strategic direction of The National Archives' leadership role for the archives sector through contribution to The National Archives’ sectoral leadership initiatives.
Both parties will share knowledge (so far as they are legally permitted to do so), expertise and best practice in relation to matters of mutual interest, and, if there is an overlap or mutual interest in a particular area, they will consult as appropriate.
Both parties are committed to the principle of good communication with each other and promoting one another, including where we are working together on initiatives affording due recognition to one another.
Both The National Archives and the Archives and Records Association will seek to alert each other as soon as is practically possible to relevant developments within their respective remits.
This Collaboration Agreement can be found here
Thumbnail picture shows John Chambers of ARA and Jeff James of the UK National Archives signing the agreement on 20th June. Image courtesy of the UK National Archives.