12th December, 2011 Dear colleagues, RE: ACARM Strategic Review The Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers (ACARM) was founded in 1984 to provide a link for archival institutions, archivists and records managers across the Commonwealth. At the 2011 AGM the Chairman of ACARM, Mr Charles Farrugia, proposed the establishment of a Strategic Review Working Group to: a. Review the mission and statute of ACARM; b. Propose any changes that might be needed in the governance instruments; c. Prepare the strategic direction of ACARM for 2012-2017. The members in attendance at the AGM welcomed this proposal, and the Strategic Review Working Group was established. The group has designed the attached questionnaire to elicit the views of the membership and prospective membership, to ensure that the association’s strategy addresses the needs and interests of records professionals across the Commonwealth. We invite ACARM members and other records professionals working in Commonwealth countries to complete the questionnaire. Please return completed questionnaires to James Lowry, via e-mail to jlowry@irmt.org or post to: James Lowry c/o IRMT Suite 14/15, 2nd Floor, 88-90 Hatton Garden London EC1N 8PN United Kingdom Completed questionnaires will be treated as confidential. Answers will be reported as statistics or percentages, and where responses are quoted, they will be anonymised. We would be grateful if questionnaires could be returned by 31st January, 2012. Yours faithfully, James Lowry, per pro ACARM Strategic Review Working Group

ACARM Strategic Review Questionnaire Please return by 31st January, 2012

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1. AWARENESS OF ACARM 1.1 Are you or have you ever been an individual member of ACARM?_________ 1.2 If not, are you aware of ACARM, it’s mission and/or activities?____________ 2. ACARM MISSION 2.1 How well do you think ACARM has pursued or achieved the following aims? Promoting the development of professional archival and records management standards in the Commonwealth.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure Reinforcing the importance archives and records should have in the national heritage and in programmes of national development.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure Promoting the development of professional archival and records management education and training throughout the Commonwealth.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure Permitting archivists and records managers who share a common heritage to compare, exchange share and develop their common experience.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure Encouraging the dissemination of information, eg. photographic copies of archival material, amongst member institutions.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure Promoting and increasing awareness of the Commonwealth through the exploitation of archives and records in teaching.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure Encouraging the formation and continued development of professional and archival records management associations in individual countries of the Commonwealth.

☐ Very well ☐ Sufficiently well ☐ Not well ☐ Not at all ☐ Not sure

ACARM Strategic Review Questionnaire Please return by 31st January, 2012

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2.2 Are there any aims listed above that you think are no longer relevant to you and/or the archives and records management profession? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2.3 Are there any other broad aims you think ACARM ought to be working towards? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ACARM GOVERNANCE 3.1 Do you feel that the Executive Committee adequately represents you and/or your country? ________________________________________________________ 3.2 Do you feel that the Executive Committee is accessible? __________________ 3.3 What could be done to make the Executive Committee more representative or accessible? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.4 What could be done to make ACARM more active or productive? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.5 What committees or working groups would it be useful for ACARM to establish? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ACARM Strategic Review Questionnaire Please return by 31st January, 2012

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. ACARM MEMBERSHIP 4.1 ACARM’s present membership structure allows for institutional membership and individual membership. Should ACARM offer other categories of membership? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.2 Do you think ACARM should offer Honorary Memberships, and if so, who should be eligible for these and how should they be selected? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.3 Do you think you get value for your membership rates? __________________ 4.4 If not, what could ACARM do to ensure that members get value for their membership rates? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.5 Do you think ACARM’s membership rates are suitable for: Students? ____________________________________________________________ Retirees? _____________________________________________________________ Individual members in developing countries? ________________________________ Institutional members in developing countries?_______________________________ 5. ACARM ACTIVITIES

ACARM Strategic Review Questionnaire Please return by 31st January, 2012

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5.1 ACARM offers training workshops to members. To your knowledge, how many workshops has ACARM offered in your country? _____________________ 5.2 How many ACARM workshops have you attended? _____________________ 5.3 Are workshop fees generally affordable? _______________________________ 5.4 Do these workshops offer value for money? ____________________________ 5.5 How would you describe the quality of the content and presentation of ACARM workshops? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5.6 What subjects would you like to see addressed in ACARM workshops? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5.7 What other activities could ACARM undertake to better achieve the following? Promoting the development of professional archival and records management standards in the Commonwealth. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reinforcing the importance archives and records should have in the national heritage and in programmes of national development. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ACARM Strategic Review Questionnaire Please return by 31st January, 2012

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Promoting the development of professional archival and records management education and training throughout the Commonwealth. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Permitting archivists and records managers who share a common heritage to compare, exchange share and develop their common experience. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Encouraging the dissemination of information, eg. photographic copies of archival material, amongst member institutions. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Promoting and increasing awareness of the Commonwealth through the exploitation of archives and records in teaching. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Encouraging the formation and continued development of professional and archival records management associations in individual countries of the Commonwealth. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5.8 What other programmes, projects or initiatives do you think ACARM should undertake? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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6. ACARM FINANCES 6.1 What could ACARM do to become self-financing? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6.2 What sources of funding should ACARM try to access? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. ACARM COMMUNICATIONS 7.1 Have you visited the ACARM website? ________________________________ 7.2 Did you find the website useful? ______________________________________ 7.3 What kinds of information would you like to see on the website? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7.4 Do you subscribe to the ACARM list-serv? ________________________________ 7.5 If not, why not? ____________________________________________________ 7.6 Ideally, how many times per year would you like to receive a newsletter? ___ 7.7 Would you prefer a hardcopy or electronic newsletter? __________________ 7.8 What other kinds of publications would you like to see ACARM produce? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7.9 Which of the following media should ACARM use to communicate with members?

Wikis ☐ Linked-in ☐ Blogs ☐

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Twitter ☐ Flickr ☐ Facebook ☐

Other? _______________________________________________________________ 8. ACARM PARTNERSHIPS 8.1 ACARM has formal partnership agreements with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the International Council on Archives and the International Records Management Trust. How could ACARM engage more actively with these partners? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8.2 With which other institutions or organisations should ACARM seek partnerships and why? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________