Your agency is responsible for storing its own information assets until the information assets can be legally disposed of by destruction or be transferred to State Records' custody.

State Records has entered into a Deed with the following Approved Service Providers (ASP) for storage, retrieval and destruction services of information assets.

The Deed only permits these companies to store sentenced, temporary information assets.

Approved Service Providers

Benefits of ASPs

Using an ASP for the storage, retrieval and destruction of temporary value information assets may see:

• financial savings to the government through reduced asset requirements
• financial savings to agencies through reduced costs of temporary information assets storage
• improved storage standards
• improved accountability of service providers and
• improved capacity to manage growth in temporary value information assets storage requirements.

Services available

Each ASP has been approved to provide storage, retrieval and destruction services for temporary value information assets. A detailed description of the services is provided in Schedule 2 of the Deed.

ASPs may also offer other information management services such as sentencing, boxing and listing, however these services have not been approved by State Records.

It is recommended that your agency seek the advice of State Records before engaging providers for information management services falling outside the scope of the Deed.

Establishing a services contract

A services contract must be established when your agency engages the services of an ASP. The Deed provides the legal framework and specifies general services, standards and performance measures. The services contract must specify your agency’s particular service requirements.

The process for establishing a services contract will vary according to the quantity of temporary value information assets storage and related services required, as these factors impact on the total value of the contract. Your agency should seek the advice of your procurement division regarding established procurement policies and the appropriate process.

When establishing a services contract, you should consider the following:

• Service contracts produced by ASPs may contain terms and conditions that conflict with those contained in the Deed. Therefore, it is advised not to use these contracts. If there is any inconsistency between the terms and conditions contained in the Deed and in a services contract, the Deed prevails.
• Agencies should initiate the services contract. It should comprise of a written document signed by both the agency and the ASP. It should include:
  • a precise description of the services and standards required, including reference to obligations under the Information Privacy Principles
  • the term of the contract
  • the fees for services and the terms for varying the fees over the term of the contract – ASP Fees Schedules are available from ASPs or State Records via a request to staterecords@sa.gov.au
  • a statement that “services are to be provided in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Deed between … (the name of the ASP) ... and the Minister”.
• A services contract may include service standards that exceed those in the Deed to meet particular agency needs.

Clause 5 (Formation of a Services Contract) of the Deed describes the procedures agencies should follow to engage an ASP to provide services under the Deed.

Schedule 5 of the Deed provides a template for issuing a Request for Services.

Schedule 6 of the Deed provides a template for an Official Order.

Complaint resolution

If agencies are dissatisfied with the service provided by an ASP, they should discuss this with the ASP in the first instance.

If the problem or issue is not resolved to the agency’s satisfaction, the matter should be referred to the Manager, Information Governance, at State Records at staterecords@sa.gov.au.

Storing Permanent or Unsentenced records at an ASP

The Deed does not permit Approved Storage Providers (ASPs) to store permanent or unsentenced records unless an exemption/transfer postponement is approved by State Records.

Permanent records

Process for storing permanent records

Agencies wishing to store permanent records with an ASP which are not in current administrative use must request an exemption from State Records by completing the Approval to store permanent records with an ASP form and emailing it to State Records.

NOTE: The Global Exemption that was established in 2018 allowing agencies to store permanent records at an ASP without applying to State Records for a postponement or exemption was revoked on 19 April 2024.

Unsentenced information assets

Agencies wishing to store records with ASPs which are unsentenced should request an exemption from State Records by completing the Approval to store unsentenced information assets with an ASP form and emailing it to State Records.