Standards

South African Bureau of Standards
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in collaboration with the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) has a specific initiative through participation in the local SABS SC 46 D Committee viz. Information and Documentation - Archives/Records Management to adopt International Standards and best practice regarding Archives and Records Management that fits the local industry which includes governmental bodies.  
 
The standards do not replace the requirements contained in the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (Act No. 43 of 1996, as amended) (NARSSA Act) but affirm and support the statutory requirements. NARSSA endorses the standards listed below in so far as they serve as benchmarking tools for sound records management in governmental bodies and also guide governmental bodies regarding other archival matters.
 
Heads of governmental bodies are reminded that the detailed requirements regarding their records management obligations in terms of archival and records management legislation are contained in the NARSSA’s publications:
 
  • Records Management Policy Manual;
  • Managing electronic records in governmental bodies: Policy Guidelines; and
  • Performance criteria for records managers of governmental bodies.

 

Should anyone wish to acquire copies of the South African National Standards (SANS), they can be obtained from Standards South Africa’s Standards Sales Division: Office address: 1 Dr Lategan Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria; Postal Address: Private Bag X191, Pretoria, 0001; Telephone: (012) 428-6883, fax: (012) 428-6928, e-mail: sales@sabs.co.za

List of SANS Standards Adopted

1. SANS 15489-1:2004 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Records management Part 1: General

​Purpose: Provides guidance on managing records of originating organizations, public or private, for internal and external clients. Recommends that all elements outlined are implemented to ensure that adequate records are created, captured and managed. ISO has produced a new version 15489-1:2016 which is in the process of being adopted by SABS. The new standard is more focused on the electronic/digital environment whereas the previous SANS 15489-1 is more focused on the paper environment or hybrid environment;

2. SANS 15489-2:2004 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Records management Part 2: Guidelines

Purpose: Provides an implementation guide to SANS 15489-1 for use by record management professionals and those charged with managing records in their organizations. Supplies one methodology that will facilitate the implementation of SANS 15489-1 in all organizations that have a need to manage their records. Gives an overview of processes and factors to consider in organizations wishing to comply with SANS 15489-1;
 
3. SANS 15801:2013 (Ed. 2.00): Document management - Information stored electronically - Recommendations for trustworthiness and reliability
 
Purpose: Describes the implementation and operation of document management systems that can be considered to store electronic information in a trustworthy and reliable manner;
 
4. SANS 30300:2013 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Management systems for records - Fundamentals and vocabulary
 
Purpose: Defines terms and definitions applicable to the standards on MSR prepared by ISO/TC 46/SC 11. Establishes the objectives for using an MSR, provides principles for an MSR, describes a process approach and specifies roles for top management;
 
5. SANS 23081-1:2006 (Ed. 2.00): Information and documentation - Records management processes - Metadata for records Part 1: Principles
 
Purpose: Covers the principles that underpin and govern records management metadata. These principles apply through time to records and their metadata, all processes that affect them, any system in which they reside and any organization that is responsible for their management;
 
6. SANS 23081-2:2010 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Managing metadata for records Part 2: Conceptual and implementation issues
 
Purpose: Establishes a framework for defining metadata elements consistent with the principles and implementation considerations outlined in ISO 23081-1 (published in South Africa as an identical adoption under the designation SANS 23081-1). The purpose of this framework is to enable a standardized description of records and critical contextual entities for records, to provide common understanding of fixed points of aggregation to enable interoperability of records and information relevant to records between organizational systems, and to enable the reuse and standardization of metadata for managing records over time, space and across applications;
 
7. SANS 19005-1:2006 (Ed. 1.00): Document management - Electronic document file format for long-term preservation Part 1: Use of PDF 1.4 (PDF/A-1)
 
Purpose: Specifies how to use the Portable Document Format (PDF) 1.4 for long-term preservation of electronic documents. It is applicable to documents containing combinations of character, raster and vector data;
 
8. SANS 19005-2:2011 (Ed. 1.00): Document management - Electronic document file format for long-term preservation Part 2: Use of ISO 32000-1 (PDF/A-2)
 
Purpose: Specifies the use of the Portable Document Format (PDF) 1.7, as formalized in ISO 32000-1 (published in South Africa as an identical adoption under the designation SANS 32000-1), for preserving the static visual representation of page-based electronic documents over time. Does not apply to specific processes for converting paper or electronic documents to the PDF/A format, specific technical design, user interface, implementation, or operational details of rendering, specific physical methods of storing these documents, such as media and storage conditions, or required computer hardware and/or operating systems;
 
9. SANS 30301:2013 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Management systems for records – Requirements
 
Purpose: Specifies requirements to be met by an MSR in order to support an organization in the achievement of its mandate, mission, strategy and goals. It addresses the development and implementation of a records policy and objectives and gives information on measuring and monitoring performance;
 
10. SANS 16175-1:2014 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Principles and functional requirements for records in electronic office environments - Part 1: Overview and statement of principles (Based on ICA-Req Module 1)
 
Purpose: Producing globally harmonised principles and functional requirements for software used to create and manage digital records in office environments;
 
11. SANS 16175-2:2014 (Ed. 1.00: Information and documentation - Principles and functional requirements for records in electronic office environments -- Part 2: Guidelines and functional requirements for digital records management systems (Based on ICA-Req Module 2)
 
Purpose: This part articulates a set of functional requirements for digital records management systems. Applies to records irrespective of the media in which they were created and/or stored;
 
12. SANS 16175-3:2014 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation -- Principles and functional requirements for records in electronic office environments -- Part 3: Guidelines and functional requirements for records in business systems (Based on ICA-Req Module 3)
 
Purpose: This document will help organisations to ensure that the evidence (records) of business activities transacted through business systems are appropriately identified and managed; and
 
13. SATR 13028:2010 (Ed. 1.00): Information and documentation - Implementation guidelines for digitization of records 
Purpose: Establishes guidelines for creating and maintaining records in digital format only, where the original paper, or other non-digital source record, has been copied by digitizing; establishes best practice guidelines for digitization to ensure the trustworthiness and reliability of records and enable consideration of disposal of the non-digital source records.
 
 
Other Standards
In addition to the SANS Standards, NARSSA also recommends compliance with the State Security Agency’s Minimum Information Security Standard (MISS).
  • The MISS can be obtained from the State Security Agency, Private Bag X87, PRETORIA, 0001, Telephone: 012 427 4000, Fax: 012 427 4651.