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Results-based Management and Accountability Framework
For Making the documentary heritage
known and accessible for use
Activity 1.3 of the Program Activity Architecture
2.0 Profile of PAA Activity 1.3
In 2002, the Minister of Heritage announced that the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada would be consolidated to form Library and Archives Canada, which was officially established in 2004.
The mandate of LAC, as outlined in the preamble to the Library and Archives Canada Act, is:
- To preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations
- To be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada
- To facilitate in Canada cooperation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge
- To serve as the continuing memory of the government of Canada and its institutions (LAC, 2006).
In addition, LAC has designated the following five Strategic Choices (Department Priorities):
- LAC will adjust all aspects of its activities to adapt to the needs and benefit from the opportunities of the digital information environment
- LAC will increase the relevance and accessibility of the LAC collection and expertise to Canadians outside the National Capital Region
- LAC will focus its role in Government of Canada information management on the development of effective record-keeping
- LAC will make systematic use of collaborative arrangements and will increasingly deliver on its mandate through or with others
- LAC will ensure citizen / client research and evaluation results are built into management and decision-making (LAC, 2008a, p.17)
To support its mandate and Strategic Priorities, LAC carries out four main activities, which are outlined in the departmental Program Activity Architecture (PAA). Table 1 lists these activities and the sector(s) accountable for each.
| Table 1: Program activities of LAC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number in PAA | Activity | Accountable sector |
| 1.1 | Managing the disposition of the Government of Canada records of continuing value | Corporate Management and Government Records |
| 1.2 | Managing the documentary heritage of interest to Canada | Documentary Heritage Collection / Corporate Management and Government Records |
| 1.3 | Making the documentary heritage known and accessible for use | Programs and Services |
| 1.4 | Internal services | Corporate Management and Government Records / Programs and Services Sector |
Source: LAC, 2008a
This RMAF covers PAA Activity 1.3. The LAC collection is intended for use by those who are interested in its content. LAC's Report on Plans and Priorities for 2008-2009 states that Program Activity 1.3 contributes to the Department's Strategic Choices 2, 4 and 5. Activity 1.3 is carried out by providing services that support access to the collection, and by conducting programs to make Canada's documentary heritage known and used. The Sub Activities of Activity 1.3 are conducted mainly by the Programs & Services Sector (PSS) of LAC, which is the interface between LAC and the public. The Sub Activities of Activity 1.3 are:
- Services supporting client access to collections (Sub-Activity 1.3.1), and
- Web-based and in-person interpretive public programs (Sub-Activity 1.3.2)
The following two sections (2.1 and 2.2) describe the Sub Activities of Activity 1.3. These descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive; rather, they provide a general overview of the main functions of the PSS under Activity 1.3.
