Agency documentation is an important part of Archives New Zealand's descriptive model for its archival holdings. An 'agency' is any organisational entity which has engaged in recordkeeping activities such as creating, controlling or transferring public records of archival value to Archives NZ. An agency is normally an independent business with its own record-keeping system. It may be linked to other agencies, most commonly those that came before or after it, or were in control of or controlled by it. There are 5740 approved agencies documented in Archway (Archives New Zealand's online finding aids database) as at 26 June 2013. These agencies are categorised into the following types: Person (Individuals who transfer records to Archives New Zealand); Central government agency; Local government agency; District Health Boards; State schools; Universities; Polytechnics; Other, including Courts, State Owned Enterprises and private companies. The agencies listed here are only a subset of those documented on Archway. The 'Person' agencies have been excluded and also those agencies not documented to full descriptive standard on Archway. The brief information given here is intended to provide a glimpse of how agencies are displayed in our finding aids system. Full agency documentation includes a summary; an administrative history; links to predecessor/successor and superior/subordinate relationships and links to the records series controlled by the agency. To view full agency documentation go to www.archway.archives.govt.nz.
