Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/18973-archway-database?unfold=1 on November 22, 2024 05:10

Archway Database

Craig Innes made this Official Information request to Department of Internal Affairs

The request was refused by Department of Internal Affairs.

From: Craig Innes

Tena koe,

This is a request for information under the Official Information Act 1982.

Please provide a copy of the Archway Database, the database of holdings of Archives New Zealand..

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes

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From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs

Mōrena Craig,

Your enquiry has NOT been accepted by the Department of Internal Affairs as an Official Information Act request, as it does not meet due particularity - i.e. we are not able to identify the specific information you are asking for.

In order to make a duly particular request that the Department can respond to, please clarify what specific information you are asking for.

For example:

Are you asking for the IT information and source code for the Archway database?

Are you asking for a status update on the archway database?

Are you asking for all of the 6 million+ (i.e. hundreds of millions of pages of information) archived documents in the database to be uploaded and attached to this FYI.org.nz thread?

Are you asking for particular documents that may be held in Archive?

I note that all of the publicly accessible information in the archway database remains accessible through the Collections search tool (on the Archives NZ website). It is also accessible, as always, via a research request to Archives NZ. If you would like to withdraw your request, please let me know.

Nāku noa, nā

Michelle Reed (she/her)  
Kaitohutohu Ārahi, te Ture Pārongo Ōkawa | Lead Advisor Official Correspondence 
Te Urūngi | Organisational Strategy & Performance
Level 6, 45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand |  www.dia.govt.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Innes <[FOI #18973 email]>
Sent: Friday, 25 March 2022 7:58 PM
To: OIA <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Archway Database

[You don't often get email from [FOI #18973 email]. Learn why this is important at http://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentifica...

Tena koe,

This is a request for information under the Official Information Act 1982.

Please provide a copy of the Archway Database, the database of holdings of Archives New Zealand..

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

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[FOI #18973 email]

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From: Craig Innes

Tena koe Michelle,

I disagree with your statement about the accessibility of records. I have accessed Archives records over a period of more than twenty years. I am have used Archives records for many historical research reports. Many of the records I am familiar with cannot be located on the new search engine.

I have requested databases under the Official Information Act 1982 in the past and I know what I am asking for. I want a copy of the database for the Archives records. A simplified version of the record is acceptable, but at the minimum I require a list of the full inventory by the 'R' number. I also require the following fields: Title, Years, Item ID, Agency, Series, Accession, Record group, Box / Item, Sep Record no., Part Alternative no., Record type, Former archives ref.

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes.

Link to this

From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs

Kia ora Craig,

Apologies for the time taken to come back to you. There was a miscommunication about which business area would be sending acknowledgement. We have accepted your request as duly particular as of the date on which you provided clarification about what you were specifically seeking here. (included in train).

The Department will provide its response as soon as practicable and within twenty working days. The 20th working day is 4 May 2022.

Please note that in cases where the Department’s response provides information that is identified to be of general public interest, the response may also be published on the Department of Internal Affairs website. If the Department publishes its response to your OIA request, all personal information, including your name and contact details, will be removed.

Nâku, nâ

Michelle Reed (she/her)  
Kaitohutohu Ârahi, te Ture Pârongo Ôkawa | Lead Advisor Official Correspondence 
Te Urûngi | Organisational Strategy & Performance
Level 6, 45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand |  www.dia.govt.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Innes <[FOI #18973 email]>
Sent: Friday, 1 April 2022 3:58 PM
To: OIA <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Archway Database

[You don't often get email from [FOI #18973 email]. Learn why this is important at http://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentifica...

Tena koe Michelle,

I disagree with your statement about the accessibility of records. I have accessed Archives records over a period of more than twenty years. I am have used Archives records for many historical research reports. Many of the records I am familiar with cannot be located on the new search engine.

I have requested databases under the Official Information Act 1982 in the past and I know what I am asking for. I want a copy of the database for the Archives records. A simplified version of the record is acceptable, but at the minimum I require a list of the full inventory by the 'R' number. I also require the following fields: Title, Years, Item ID, Agency, Series, Accession, Record group, Box / Item, Sep Record no., Part Alternative no., Record type, Former archives ref.

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes.

-----Original Message-----

Môrena Craig,

Your enquiry has NOT been accepted by the Department of Internal Affairs as an Official Information Act request, as it does not meet due particularity - i.e. we are not able to identify the specific information you are asking for.

In order to make a duly particular request that the Department can respond to, please clarify what specific information you are asking for.

For example:

Are you asking for the IT information and source code for the Archway database?

Are you asking for a status update on the archway database?

Are you asking for all of the 6 million+ (i.e. hundreds of millions of pages of information) archived documents in the database to be uploaded and attached to this FYI.org.nz thread?

Are you asking for particular documents that may be held in Archive?

I note that all of the publicly accessible information in the archway database remains accessible through the Collections search tool (on the Archives NZ website). It is also accessible, as always, via a research request to Archives NZ. If you would like to withdraw your request, please let me know.

Nâku noa, nâ

Michelle Reed (she/her)
Kaitohutohu Ârahi, te Ture Pârongo Ôkawa | Lead Advisor Official Correspondence Te Urûngi | Organisational Strategy & Performance Level 6, 45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand | https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #18973 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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From: Archives SOS - Strategy
Department of Internal Affairs

Attachment Archives NZ Response to Craig Innes.pdf
157K Download View as HTML

Tçnâ koe Mr Innes,

 

Please find attached Archives New Zealand’s response to you.

 

Ngâ mihi maioha,

Advisor, Planning and Development

Archives New Zealand | Te Rua Mahara o te Kâwanatanga

10 Mulgrave Street | PO BOX 12-050 | Wellington 6011

[1]www.archives.govt.nz | 04 499 5595

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.archives.govt.nz/

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From: Craig Innes

Tena koe,

I wish to make a complaint against Archives New Zealand for its refusal to supply information requested under the Official Information Act 1982.
The refusal to supply the information includes two false statements, each is addressed in turn:

"While your request is duly particular, the information requested cannot be made "available without substantial collation or research. Archives New Zealand does not "have the resources or administrative capacity to supply the information that you "have requested. The enormity of the database of Archway is a considerable "barrier as Archives New Zealand holds over seven million records. 

I am familiar with databases and I gather that the Archway database is still operational and being used by staff at Archives New Zealand.  The transfer of the underlying data for seven million entries is not an overwhelming task by any stretch of the imagination.

"In addition, the individual records held in the Archway database are publicly "available via the Collections Search function, although not in the format you have "requested.

This is completely untrue.  I have over twenty years experience with Archives New Zealand records.  I have tried to find records that I know for a fact are held, but found that references to the records cannot be retrieved with the Collections Search.  I will provide a list of example records to prove this point if it assists your investigation.  Further to this, it is my understanding that the reason that Archives staff continue to use the Archway database because they themselves cannot use the publicly available search engine.  

To see the full correspondence on the subject see the following link:

https://fyi.org.nz/request/18973-archway...

Please find attached the letter refusing to supply the requested information.

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes.

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Craig Innes left an annotation ()

The complaint about the refusal to supply the requested information was sent to the Ombudsman on 4 May 2022.

Link to this

Craig Innes left an annotation ()

This is a link to a post on the issue: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/craig-inn...

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Craig Innes left an annotation ()

Email to Ombudsman's Office 19 June 2024
**************************************************
Re: Office of the Ombudsman Reference: 606230

Craig Innes <craig.b.innes@gmail.com>
Wed, 19 Jun, 16:16 (17 hours ago)
to Info

Tena koe Scott

Please be advised that I am now of the view that the apparent inability of the Office of the Ombudsman to fulfil its obligations under Statute requires that I will be obliged to include a statement to this effect with any evidence filed with a Court. This will be included with a statement about the access to records held by Archives New Zealand.

I will provide a copy of this statement for your records. I will offer in good faith an undertaking to include any response from your office in reply as an appendix to any future filed evidence.

I will also publish an opinion piece covering and summarising the decisions of the Office of the Ombudsman with regard to the complaints that I have made over the last ten years. In my opinion, the length of time taken to decide on complaints, together with the apparent willingness to accept assertions from agencies that can can be disproven by a trivial investigation of the facts undermines any confidence in the integrity of the system and the whole of the public sector as a whole.

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes

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Craig Innes left an annotation ()

Final Decision of Ombudsman 582255 (Complaint ground: 582256)
************************************
Dear Mr Innes
Official Information Act investigation – Department of Internal Affairs – Request for a copy of the Archway Database

Thank you for your letter of 11 March 2024, concerning your complaint about the decision of Archives New Zealand (the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA)) to refuse your request for a copy of the Archway Database.

I have now had an opportunity to consider your comments on the provisional opinion. However, having considered all the issues raised, I have now formed the final opinion that DIA was entitled to refuse your request, on the basis that the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.

I address your response to my provisional opinion below.

Your response
You have responded that the statements from DIA are disingenuous and explained that while you are not an expert in databases, you have enough familiarity with them to know that a number of the statements made by the DIA are false. In particular, you consider that DIA’s statements that it is not possible to export or download the Archway data and that Archway Staff does not have the functionality for bulk download are dishonest. However, I note that your objections to DIA’s statements rely on a number of assumptions about its system. I reiterate the key points from DIA that export from the Archway Public database was not feasible as it had been decommissioned and that the remaining Archway Staff database did not have the functionality for bulk download. Any attempt to meet your request, even if it were technically feasible, would have required substantial collation and research of information held on Archway Staff to ensure restricted records (of which there are around 800,000) were not released.

Having analysed DIA’s response and drawn on the necessary expertise, my opinion remains unchanged.

I also acknowledge your concern with the functionality of the Collections Search system, and your view the DIA is not meeting its obligations under Section 47 of the Public Records Act 2005. You noted that the issue of the Collections Search not being able to provide a means of fully discovering and accessing the public records held by Archives New Zealand was not directly addressed by DIA or the provisional opinion.

The complaint raised by you was in relation to Archives New Zealand’s refusal of your request for a copy of the Archway Database, relying on section 18(f) of the OIA. My investigation was commenced under the OIA and considered whether DIA was entitled to refuse this request. Where an agency is subject to the Ombudsmen Act 1975 (OA), an Ombudsman may investigate a complaint about the acts or decisions of that agency under the OA, however, a complainant is generally expected to have exhausted all other reasonably available ways of resolving the matter before the Ombudsman would consider investigating. This includes formally complaining to the
chief executive of the agency, who is often in a position to resolve the matter or at least provide an explanation.

It is unclear whether you have made a formal complaint to DIA about your concerns about the Collection Search system itself. If you have not already, you can escalate the matter to the Chief Executive of DIA, Paul James. You can do so by writing to complaints@dia.govt.nz, and addressing your concerns to Mr James.

I have now concluded my investigation into your OIA complaint.

Yours sincerely

Peter Boshier

Chief Ombudsman

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