This section signposts you to sources of data that may help populate your performance indicators and evidence lists and guidance on how to collect robust data on the contribution of archives to outcomes.
- Archives & Records Association, UK & Ireland hosts useful publications, sector surveys and reports, including the Survey of Visitors to UK Archives 2019 and Distance Enquiry Survey Benchmarking Report 2021 and the impact of volunteering in archives. There is also a service resilience indicator, which aims to provide a quick method of assessing the resilience of an archive and/or records management service. The indicator is designed as a generic tool to be suitable for use across services of all types and sizes.
- The National Archives has published the results of the Local Authority Archive Benchmarking Exercise. This gives archive services across the country a chance to compare and contrast with other services, with data available on subjects such as digital holdings and exhibition attendance. The exercise has replaced the annual Archive Services Statistics Survey run by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). Most of the questions in the benchmarking exercise remained unchanged from the CIPFA abbreviated survey. The National Archives also hosts a range of research and evaluation reports of completed projects that can also be used to help archives demonstrate their value. In addition, Plugged In, Powered Up supports digital preservation, discoverability and access, and impact. The online tool DiAGRAM can help you to manage the risks to your digital collections.
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Participation Survey is a continuous push to web survey of adults aged 16 and over in England. Fieldwork started in October 2021 and this is a main evidence source for DCMS and its sectors by providing statistically representative national estimates of adult engagement. Amongst the survey questions, respondents are asked about their engagement with digital heritage and a breakdown of responses is provided that indicates whether they have researched local history online or viewed documents from an archive in England online. There are also useful ad hoc statistical releases on topics such as adult digital engagement with digital heritage, and adult volunteering in the heritage sector.
- Archive Service Accreditation includes lots of useful advice, in particular within Section 3 Stakeholders and their Experience. It aligns with developing an outcomes framework as you are encouraged to explore how your service fits into the wider organisation and where your practices work well or could be improved across the different areas.