Modernising legacy compliance processes for government records management
Customer overview
The National Archives is the official archive and publisher for the UK government. It plays a critical role in supporting transparency, accountability and the preservation of public records under the Public Records Act.
As part of this responsibility, The National Archives oversees compliance across Public Record Bodies (PRBs), helping organisations manage, retain and transfer records appropriately.
At a glance:
- Responsible for oversight across government departments and Public Record Bodies
- Operates within highly regulated public sector and compliance environments
- Supports long-term preservation of nationally important public records
- Requires accurate, accessible and trustworthy compliance data at scale
The challenge
The National Archives’ Information Management Assessment (IMA) process relied heavily on manual administration, spreadsheets and disconnected reporting processes.
This created a significant operational burden for both TNA staff and Public Record Bodies (PRBs). Assessments took days to process, data was difficult to consolidate, and teams lacked a clear, real-time view of compliance activity across government.
The process also limited the programme’s ability to scale. With large amounts of time spent managing administration and gathering information manually, only a small number of organisations could be assessed each year.
Key challenges included:
- Manual and time-consuming compliance reporting
- Disconnected data held across multiple tools and documents
- Limited visibility of compliance risks and trends
- Administrative bottlenecks slowing assessments
- Difficulty scaling the programme across government
- Lack of real-time reporting and operational insight
The client says…
“The way you’ve built up your knowledge and your magical understanding of how the national archives work is incredibly impressive… Your insights and leadership in this space have been truly inspiring.”
The National Archives
Our solution and process
Zaizi worked with The National Archives to design and test a digital service that simplifies compliance reporting and gives teams a clearer view of records management activity across government.
Following the Government Digital Service (GDS) Standard, we delivered Discovery and Alpha phases focused on understanding user needs, reducing operational friction and improving the way compliance information is collected and managed.
Working closely with TNA teams and Public Record Bodies, we carried out user research, workshops and rapid prototyping to test ideas early and shape the service around real operational challenges.
The new service brings reporting, assessment workflows and compliance data into a single platform, helping reduce manual effort and improve consistency across the process.
Key activities included:
- Discovery and Alpha phases aligned to GDS standards
- User research with TNA teams and Public Record Bodies
- Co-design workshops and accessibility testing
- Low and high-fidelity prototypes
- Technical architecture and reporting design
- Development of a Data Mesh strategy
- Target Operating Model (TOM)
- GDS Service Assessment passed with an all-green outcome and zero recommendations for Beta progression
The results
- Faster assessment processing – The new service is expected to reduce assessment processing time from 2–3 days to around 1 hour for TNA staff.
- Increased programme capacity (by 200% increase) – The digitised process is projected to increase annual Information Management Assessments from around 10 to 30 organisations per year.
- Reduced administrative burden – Automating manual workflows reduces time spent gathering, reviewing and consolidating compliance information across multiple systems.
- Improved reporting consistency – Bringing assessment data into a single platform improves the accuracy, consistency and accessibility of compliance reporting.
The benefits
- Better oversight across government – A centralised view of compliance activity gives The National Archives a clearer understanding of records management practices across Public Record Bodies.
- Earlier identification of risks – Real-time dashboards help teams identify potential compliance issues sooner, supporting quicker intervention and more proactive risk management.
- Stronger foundations for future services– The new digital approach creates a scalable foundation that can support future reporting, automation and service improvements.
- Simpler experiences for operational teams – Reducing manual administration makes the process easier for both TNA staff and Public Record Bodies, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work.
Read: An AI readiness roadmap for decision makers
Facing similar challenges?
If you’re managing manual compliance processes, fragmented reporting or legacy information management systems, we can help you identify a practical path forward.
Talk to Zaizi about how we can help modernise your services, improve operational oversight and create scalable digital foundations for the future.
Related case studies:
- Modernising public records compliance across government
- Using automation to improve Border Force operations
- Replacing manual workflows with legacy modernisation
Next step:
Book an AI & Digital Acceleration Workshop to map your challenges, identify quick wins and explore safe modernisation opportunities.
Other case studies
-
Exploring how edge AI can overcome connectivity and security challenges in public services
-
Replacing manual asylum case reporting with a shared government digital service
-
Modernising critical legacy systems without disrupting services — The National Archives
-
Exploring how AI takes the heavy lifting out of casework — A UK independent statutory body
-
How Border Force explored AI for freight scanning in just 12 weeks
-
Digital government: Building a better UK — Zaizi’s year in review
