Archives Ordinance (ArchivVO) - Filing Plan (ArchivVO)

1. Each authority shall prepare a filing plan, which forms the basis for the archiving of documents in the state archive.

2. The filing plan shall contain

a) a classification system that reflects areas of responsibility and any finding aids (registers, directories);

b) statutory and administrative retention periods;

c) regulations on the management of documents;

d) decisions of the state archive regarding the appraisal of documents.

3. The authority shall provide the state archive with a copy of the filing plan and shall notify it of any changes and additions.

4. It shall designate a person responsible for the filing plan and the official archive. This person shall ensure that the filing plan is prepared or updated within 5 years from the effective date of this regulation and that the documents are archived accordingly.

1. Every authority ensures proper record-keeping, systematic filing, and comprehensive archiving of documents. It issues the necessary internal organizational regulations for the traceability of its business activities.

2. The organizational regulations define the tasks, responsibilities, procedures, and resources within each authority in a binding manner.

3. The state archive advises and trains authorities on matters of record-keeping, filing, and archiving.

1. Each authority shall preserve its documents, irrespective of the data carrier, appropriately and securely until they are delivered to the state archive or until destruction, and shall protect them from misuse, damage, and loss. This also includes the requirement to preserve project, system, and application documentation for IT systems.

1. The State Archive is authorized to inspect the registries and the official archives and to examine the filing, storage, and condition of the documents.

2. It has access to all documents and systems, as well as project, system, and application documentation to fulfill its duties, particularly for the assessment of the documents' archival value.

3. It issues directives to the authorities concerning the proper management, filing, storage, and delivery of documents.

1. Authorities must offer documents that are no longer constantly needed to the state archive for evaluation of their archiving worthiness and possible acquisition at the latest ten years after the last addition, provided there are no retention periods or agreements with the archive in effect.

2. The deadline can be extended by the state archive if the authority required to offer the documents can provide a justified explanation that they still require the documents.

3. Authorities shall organize the documents in such a manner that they can be evaluated and delivered to the state archive without additional effort.

4. Documents subject to a retention or protection period must be identified when being offered.

5. In the event of the dissolution of an authority, its documents must be offered to the state archive in consultation with its legal successor.

1. The obligated authority proposes which documents are worthy of archiving from a legal and administrative perspective.

2. The State Archive evaluates the offered documents according to historical and archival criteria. It decides, taking into account the proposals of the obligated authority, whether the documents should be permanently archived.

1. Archival-worthy documents must be placed in archival-appropriate containers, labeled, and delivered to the State Archive, along with a delivery list, at the agreed time without prompting.

2. The delivery list must at least contain information about

a) the scope of a delivery (number of volumes, boxes, etc.);

b) the content of the delivery (list of dossiers);

c) the period covered by the documents (date of the oldest and newest records).

3. The authority obligated to offer the documents organizes transportation in consultation with the State Archive.

4. The State Archive prepares an access protocol based on the delivery list, which must be signed by the delivering authority.

1. Non-archivable and no longer needed documents must be destroyed with the consent of the State Archives, in compliance with data protection. Any applicable retention periods remain reserved.

1. Archival materials are generally to be used in the state archive.

2. The state archive is open to the public within the available reading room spaces and according to the usage regulations issued by it.

3. The state archive may provide copies instead of originals if this is necessary to protect the archival materials.

4. Archival materials in poor condition may be restricted from use.

1. The State Archive grants access to archival material before the expiration of the protection period only upon written request.

2. The request must outline the interests for access, the purpose and context of use, as well as the further use of data including publication intentions.

3. The State Archive may approve access under conditions and stipulations, and in particular, may require data anonymization or prohibit the creation of reproductions.

1. Anyone who disregards conditions, handles archival materials carelessly and causes damage, or seriously violates the rules of use, will be excluded from use by the State Archives.

1. The state archive may lend archival materials to the delivering authorities or for exhibition purposes. It may attach conditions and stipulations to the lending process.

2. Particularly valuable, damage-prone, or very frequently used archival materials will not be lent out.

**1. Archival Material May Only Be Disposed Of If**

a) it exists in two or more identical copies and the duplicates are no longer needed;

b) it has no relevance to the Canton of Solothurn;

c) it serves the purpose of reconciling collections between the State Archive and other cantonal and municipal archives and libraries.

**2. The Exchange of Archival Material is Permissible**

provided that it can fill gaps in the collections of the State Archive.

1. The State Archive ensures the preservation of archival materials and implements the necessary conservation, restoration, or technical measures for this purpose.

2. Digital long-term archiving can be carried out in cooperation with other public legal entities. Corresponding administrative agreements require approval by the government council.

1. The following directives are hereby revoked

a) Directives on Document Management dated August 11, 1992;

b) Directives for the State Archive dated August 11, 1992.

1. This regulation shall come into force together with the Archive Law on January 1, 2007.

2. Subject to the right of objection by the Cantonal Council.