Digital records as evidence to underpin global development goals. (HN)

该项目审查了记录管理（以及越来越多的数字记录）在实现当前发展目标方面的关键作用。2015年9月联合国可持续发展目标（SDG）的启动，使得认识和解决政府官方证据库管理和使用方式的弱点变得越来越重要。衡量和监测可持续发展目标的计划是基于这样的假设，即有可能获得有意义的数据，作为基准和消除贫困的基础。不幸的是，记录往往不完整、不准确、无法查阅或完全丢失，结果是从记录中得出的数据和统计数字有缺陷。向使用数字记录的迅速过渡鼓励了旨在公开记录和数据的“开放政府”倡议，并与之密切相关。这也直接影响到当前发展议程的实现，确保政府更加透明和负责。然而，在数字环境中，如果没有国际标准所界定的法律、政策、做法和技能的控制制度，计算机化信息系统所创建的记录就不可靠或无法查阅，即使是短期内也是如此。如果不开发数字储存库，使数字记录和数据能够长期得到安全管理，就无法保证这些记录和数据将继续可用或可靠。不幸的是，正是那些从可持续发展目标的进展中获益最多的国家，在建立有效的数据管理系统方面遇到了最大的问题。该项目的目标是建立在高等研究学院（SAS）及其网络和合作伙伴组织的专业知识基础上，将学术界、记录管理员和档案管理员以及一系列非政府组织，考虑如何管理数字记录和数据，以帮助实现国际发展目标，特别是撒哈拉以南非洲的可持续发展目标。实现这些目标的一个重要因素是打击腐败，腐败严重阻碍许多国家的司法、善政和发展。有效管理记录本身并不能制止腐败，但如果没有可靠的记录作为证据，反腐败目标就无法实现。因此，这将是该项目的一个重要专题重点。它的目的是通过专门的网络资源和经过编辑的文章来传播其调查结果。该项目还将考虑制定一套全球适用的数字记录管理协议的可行性，以帮助确保记录管理政策、原则和做法成为数字环境发展的一个核心方面。该项目的一个主要特点是两阶段的专业知识交叉交流。在第一阶段，讲习班将鼓励记录管理领域的专家（发达国家和发展中国家的专家）与后殖民时代非洲的政治、经济和历史问题学术专家进行对话。第二阶段将使它们能够与积极参与执行国际发展目标的各方接触。因此，可衡量的成果将是这些对话产生的后续行动的程度，以及研究网络的直接产出在多大程度上被纳入决策进程。

This project examines the crucial role of records management (and increasingly digital records) in the attainment of current development goals. The launch of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015, has made it increasingly essential to recognise and address weakness in the way governments' official evidence base is managed and used. Plans to measure and monitor the SDGs are based on the assumption that it will be possible to access meaningful data as a basis for benchmarking and eradicating poverty. Unfortunately, it is often the case that records are incomplete, inaccurate, inaccessible or lost completely, with the result that data and statistics derived from the records are flawed. The rapid transition to the use of digital records has encouraged and been closely linked to 'open government' initiatives, aimed at making records and data publicly available. Again, this has a direct bearing on the achievement of current development agendas in ensuring that government is more transparent and accountable. Yet in the digital environment, records created by computerised information systems do not remain reliable or accessible, even for short periods of time, without a control regime of laws, policies, practices and skills as defined in international standards. If digital repositories are not developed, where digital records and data can be managed securely through time, there is no guarantee that they will remain available or reliable. Unfortunately, it is precisely those countries that stand to gain most from progress towards the SDGs that have the greatest problems putting effective data management systems in place.The objective of this, which project builds on the expertise within the School of Advanced Study (SAS), its networks and partner organisations, is to bring together academics, records managers and archivists and a range of NGOs to consider how the management of digital records and data can assist in the achievement international development goals, particularly the SDGs, in sub-Saharan Africa. An important element in the achievement of these goals is the combatting of corruption, something that severely hinders justice, good-governance and development in many countries. Managing records efficiently will not in itself halt corruption, but anti-corruption goals cannot be achieved without trustworthy records as evidence. As such this will be an important thematic focus of the project. It aims to disseminate its findings via and dedicated web resource and an edited volume of articles. The project will also consider the feasibility of a globally-applicable set of protocols for digital records management to help ensure that records management policies, principles and practices become a core aspect of development in the digital environment. A key feature of the project is a two-stage cross-fertilisation of expertise. In the first stage the workshops will be to encourage a dialogue between experts in the area of records management (from both the developed and the developing world) and academic experts on the politics, economics and history of post-colonial Africa. The second stage will allow them to engage with those actively involved in implementing international development goals. As such, measurable outcomes will be extent of the follow-up initiatives that emerge from these dialogues, and the extent to which the immediate outputs of the research network are fed into the policy-making process.