Knowledge and Information Management Practice Lead

As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is a special place to work. We’re an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history. We’ve set ourselves the challenge of becoming the 21st Century national archive

• a different kind of cultural and heritage institution: Inclusive, Entrepreneurial, Disruptive. We won’t become this overnight. It will take time, focus, effort and daring. That’s where you come in. Because we can’t do this without you. Job Overview Salary: £40,853 per annum Contract type: permanent Band: F / SEO Closing date: Sunday 11th October at midnight The National Archives (TNA) has statutory responsibilities under the Public Records Act (PRA) to provide guidance and supervision to public bodies on the safekeeping, management, and selection of public records. This includes providing advice, issuing guidance, delivering training to help organisations manage information effectively so that they can identify records of long-term historical value and transfer them to TNA for permanent preservation. The Strategic Compliance Team sits within the Government and Archives Leadership Directorate. It leads TNA’s engagement and relationships with government stakeholders, and monitors and reports on their compliance with the PRA. This post will be responsible for providing TNA expert advice, guidance and training on the appraisal, selection, and safekeeping of public records with our government stakeholders, ensuring that government departments are compliant with TNA Records Collection Policy to support timely transfers of public records in all formats. The postholder will be a significant subject expert in assessing and identifying the long-term value of information across all formats. They will be developing and delivering training, advice and guidance in appraisal and selection techniques to enable government departments to create bespoke appraisal methodologies that aid transparency and accountability for the selected public record. The postholder will provide training and guidance to government departments as they considered transferring records in all formats to TNA. This will include practical interpretation of TNA’s Records Collection Policy, leadership of TNA’s Panel on Records and Collection on appraisal and selection and safekeeping of public records and advice on handling of material subject to government classifications and information rights legislation. As a significant subject expert, the postholder will develop and deliver training and advice to bodies subject to the PRA, setting out best practice in the disposal of information in line with the Code of Practice. The role will also review, analyse and report on the practical feasibility of solutions and service models for appraisal, selection, and sensitivity review of records. The post holder will have opportunities to work with our data science team on AI test and learn activities, exploring tools and techniques to enhance the capture and curation of the digital public record. They may also contribute to and take part in TNA Information Management Assessment programme. This is a full time post. However, requests for part-time working, flexible working and job share will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of the Department. A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site for a minimum of 60% of their work time. Application Process:
• Interview: Interviews will be held on-site and candidates will be expected to complete a pre-interview task. You will be given a scenario and asked to write a response, and then discuss it during the interview.
• Personal Statement: We ask all applicants to submit work history details and a personal statement, not exceeding 1200 words. Selection for interview will be based on the ‘essential’ requirements in the job description below so please ensure that your application demonstrates in detail how you meet these requirements. If we receive a large number of applications, candidates will initially be assessed on the first criteria only:
• Qualification or equivalent experience in information and records management, including safekeeping, lifecycle management and disposal of records and information through assessing value, developing appraisal and selection techniques, and handling and manging material subject to government classifications and in line with information rights legislation. Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please visit the Civil Service Careers website where you can find further information on the use of AI in the application guidance section. SC clearance/willingness to obtain SC clearance will be required for this role. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past five years. Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than five years as your application will be rejected. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Job Description Role and Responsibilities Relationship Management:
• Lead, develop and manage face-to-face engagement with government stakeholders supporting understanding of roles and responsibilities for the public record under the PRA. Provide regular updates, reports and statistics on departmental compliance and capability, including appraisal and selection and safeguards for the public record.
• Develop, build and maintain trust based relationships with key stakeholders, including Departmental Record Officers (DROs), Heads of Government Knowledge and Information Management (GKIM), creating a cohesive programme of engagement to help bodies that are subject to the PRA to manage their records in line with TNA’s current Collection Policy , inclusive of all formats and information rights legislation.
• Lead. Participate and contribute to internal and external knowledge-sharing forums, providing expert advice and guidance on appraisal and selection and safekeeping of public records, including material subject to government classifications. Significant Subject matter expert in the disposition of information:
• Set out best practice for information disposition, including appraisal, selection, and the handling and management of material subject to government classifications and Freedom of Information Act 2000 exemptions.
• Provide advice, guidance and training to external stakeholders to support the transparent selection and transfer of the public record in line with legislation. Lead the monitoring, research, development and promotion of best practice techniques that demonstrate compliance with the PRA.
• Support government departments to develop overarching information management plans, covering the creation, selection/disposal/ transfer/presentation of information through a risk-based approach. Practical interpretations of TNA Records Collection Policy to our external audience:
• Chair of TNA’s Panel for Records and Collections providing subject expertise internally and externally to support the Panel’s interpretation of TNA’s Collection Policy.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on appraisal and selection and safekeeping of public records and the handling of material subject to government classifications and work with bodies subject to the PRA to enable them to develop their bespoke appraisal methodologies.
• Problem-solve with government departments and develop innovative solutions to support the appraisal of government’s digital records and their timely transfer to