TNA publishes positive business plan for 2011-2015

One hallmark of a well managed organization is a having a business plan. The (UK) National Archives have now released their plan for the next five years.

As government documents go it's remarkably readable, and just 17 pages.

The bottom line for TNA is continuing cuts to government funding. However, the statement is made that " we hold fast to the view that the cut in funding does not have to mean a cut in service quality."  Whether is means a further cut in quantity in some areas remains to be seen.
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While much of the content of the plan deals with internal process for the organization and government there are items of client interest, especially items in the section on Business priorities 2011–12.

In order to widen the funding base TNA will improve online commercial systems  (DocumentsOnline), including a new Image Library with a due date of 31 March 2012.

By the same date TNA plans to digitise non-commercial, but heavily used, record series and catalogues and, where appropriate, remove the paper indexes and finding aids from the reading rooms; pilot and put in place new public services approaches, including web chat for more remote advice and self-service book scanning.

Also in a year's time TNA will have digitised key components of First World War regimental diaries. By the end of this calendar year it will have digitised a test sample of Home Guards records, and developed a clear transfer policy for large personal data record sets.

To be accountable TNA will develop indicators which will be made transparently available. For some of these publication is supposed to be already started, although I was unable to find them on the organization website,

You can read the plan, available as a pdf, here.