Dear Colleagues,

In his post to the List on this subject John Lovejoy states:
>The National Archives of Australia (NAA) also gives guidance on what parts
are mandatory and what parts are optional.  For example, the development >of
a Business Classification Scheme is mandatory, but the development of a
thesaurus is not.
I wish to address this statement as at the webpage John provides is the
document - Overview of Classification Tools for Records Management - and it
states the following:
The overview identifies the benefits of classifying by business function,
and of using that business classification scheme to develop a tool for
classifying and managing records. It then compares two different
classification tools. Both emerge from the agency's business classification
scheme. But one is hierarchical - a records classification scheme. The other
is alphabetical - a functions thesaurus.
It is my contention and understanding that both a Business Classification
Scheme and a Functional Thesaurus are synonymous as indicated in the above
NAA information one is represented hierarchically and the other
alphabetically. This is the only difference and to my understanding neither
is mandated or non mandated as they are the same. One cannot live without
the other and vice versa. A thesaurus or Controlled Vocabulary (VC) must
exist before a Functional Thesaurus can be crated and by extension a BCS.

The National Archives of Australia (NAA) Publication states the following on
page 14 -15 of their Overview of Classification Tools for Records Management
of July 2003:

2.3 What is a functions thesaurus? A functions thesaurus is a classification
tool presented in an alphabetical structure. Building on an organisation's
business classification scheme, its use can be extended from classifying,
titling and retrieving records and business information to managing,
sentencing and disposing of records. A thesaurus is: a controlled list of
terms linked together by semantic, hierarchical, associative or equivalence
relationships. Such a tool acts as a guide to allocating classification
terms to individual records. A functions thesaurus can provide
classification to three, four or more levels, allowing comprehensive
classification of records and other business information. Terms are
allocated according to established rules or conventions. Although a
functions thesaurus displays terms in alphabetical order, when the
classification terms are selected they are usually presented in the function
- activity - topic - subtopic - combination. A functions thesaurus also
includes terms that are not authorised for classifying and titling records.
These non-preferred terms, words or wording are similar to terms that can be
applied to records. The purpose of adding non-preferred terms is to provide
links, for users, to terms that can be applied to records.

This text is extended but sufficient for me to include the above and allow
you to address the full forty two (42) pages via a download from the NAA
website.

In respect to MANDATED Records and Information Management this issue has
been overstated in the list discussion. What mandatory requirement for
ISO15489.1 &.2 are or have been envisaged, to my knowledge is that they
would at some stage become a mandated part of ISO9000 Quality Assurance
Standard.
As John Lovejoy states - An interesting discussion! I concur.
Regards, Laurie

Mr Daniel Lawrance [Laurie] Varendorff, ARMA
Member of the Western Australian Government - State Records Commission (SRC)
- Digital Records Working Group (DRWG).
Specialist Technical Writer on Records and Information Management (RIM) and
related subjects, available for hire.
Published Articles available @ http://www.microfilm.net.au/articles.shtml
A Records Management Professional, and proud of the fact!
Consultant/Trainer/Tutor/Presenter: Records and Information Management
Imaging and Micrographic Specialist: 30 years experience
TVC -The Varendorff Consultancy also representing: Digital Microfilm
Equipment - DME
You may care to visit our web site @  Digital Microfilm Equipment (DME)
<http://www.microfilm.net.au/>  - For all things Micrographic
Alternatively email us @  [log in to unmask]
Our URL is  www.microfilm.net.au <http://www.microfilm.net.au/>

The Varendorff Consultancy ABN: 77 836 801 165
PO Box 6497 East Perth, Western Australia 6892 - AUSTRALIA
PHONE: +61 [0]8 9291 6925 - MOBILE: +61 [0]417 094 147
EMAIL:            [log in to unmask]

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance