Proces informatyzacji administracji publicznej i jego wpływ na kształtowanie narodowego zasobu archiwalnego stanowiącego dziedzictwo kulturowe ludzkości

W książce omówiono zmiany w zakresie kształtowania narodowego zasobu archiwalnego wynikające z rozwoju technologii informacyjno-komunikacyjnych. Nadzór i zachowanie dokumentacji ma ogromne znaczenie dla zachowania i przekazywania pamięci zbiorowej z pokolenia na pokolenie. Archiwa i archiwiści muszą uwzględnić nie tylko tradycyjne procedury postępowania, ale muszą także zadbać o wypracowanie nowych narzędzi, umożliwiających zachowanie rzetelnego obrazu dynamicznie zmieniającej się rzeczywistości i czasów, w jakich żyjemy. Wciąż trwa proces informatyzacji i wprowadzania dokumentu elektronicznego do archiwów, tymczasem powstają narzędzia automatycznego podejmowania decyzji m.in. w oparciu o technologie przełomową, jaką jest technologia sztucznej inteligencji, stąd też istotne jest omówienie procesu informatyzacji administracji publicznej w kontekście tworzenia narodowego zasobu archiwalnego.

The book discusses changes in the shaping of the national archival resource resulting from the development of information and communication technologies. The custody and preservation of records is of great importance for the transmission of collective memory from generation to generation. Archives and archivists find themselves in a situation where traditional procedures are insufficient. Care must be taken to develop new tools to enable the preservation of a reliable picture of the dynamically changing reality and times in which we live. The subject taken up in the book is difficult to study because it involves current chancellery practice. It is a common opinion that studies in the field of archival research are the most difficult to carry out. Nevertheless, taking up this subject is prompted by the changes in contemporary administration. The issues related to the introduction of electronic administration in Poland have been regulated and the electronic form of documents has been sanctioned. The process of computerisation and the introduction of the electronic document into archives is still underway, meanwhile, tools for automatic decision-making are being developed, based on, among others, breakthrough technology, such as artificial intelligence. In addition, social participation in public life makes it necessary to archive Internet resources. The overall picture of economic, social and cultural life goes far beyond the walls of offices and other entities that generate archival materials. The book consists of six chapters, which examine and describe changes in public administration, being the main creator of archival materials, as well as changes in the functioning of non-governmental organisations and changes in social life which result from the development of modern information and communication technologies. New problems and certain solutions in archival supervision have been pointed out, which may contribute to the improvement of the formation of cultural heritage in archives. A review and analysis of the public administration’s office system in Poland have been made, together with an assessment of the ways in which documentation is handled in public administration, using available sources of information in the form of book literature, articles from academic journals and electronic publications. The research covers chancery work in selected voivodeship offices in Poland. A statistical description of key dimensions of the use of electronic documents in communication with public administration and contextual phenomena, such as the costs of postal services or the use of electronic signatures, has been obtained. A broader quantitative background has been provided by statistical analysis obtained from available reports published on government websites (e.g. of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, and then of the Ministry of Digitalisation) and on the public data website (dane.gov.pl). Statistical analyses assessed, among other things, the level of advancement of public administration informatisation in Poland. Quantitative methods have been complemented with the analysis of domain-specific systems used in selected voivodeship offices in Poland. The modelling of the supervision and formation of the growing archival stock, at each stage of research conducted and described in this work, has made it possible to indicate new possibilities and perspectives for the development of this important sphere of archival activity. The book discusses various aspects of the implementation of information and communication technologies in public administration and, subsequently, in the supervision of the growing archival stock. Attention is paid to the social consequences of computerisation and the formation of the national archival resource. A unique perspective on the process of computerisation of public administration involves setting this process within the framework of culture-creating activity of archives. The problems diagnosed in the book as well as development trends in shaping the growing archival resources may contribute to a better understanding of the working environment of electronic administration. The aim of the work is to set the analyses of tools and methods used in the work of the office and archives (mainly actuarial work) in a broader historical context, which imposes a special mission on archives with regard to the preservation of national cultural heritage. The analyses carried out in this study result in the knowledge useful in the process of re-evaluating archival paradigms. The concepts and theories that for many years have been developed and applied in archival science need to be modernised. Technological progress is extremely rapid, even pointing to a worldwide revolution in working methods and tools. It also affects the functioning of archives, which is based on a long tradition and standardisation developed over the years. On the basis of analyses carried out in this book it is necessary to start a new chapter in the tasks and functions of digital archives within the scope of shaping national archival resources based on artificial intelligence solutions. Research on the use of artificial intelligence emphasises that it is a so-called breakthrough technology. The framework for the proposed changes has been defined by means of an analysis of the state of public administration informatisation, implementation of e-government programme assumptions, widely understood legislation and institutional analysis, conducted on a research sample of 16 voivodeship offices in Poland. A supporting role has been played by an analysis of scientific literature that provides information on global trends in the application of modern information and communication technologies, the availability of public information, and knowledge management, both on technical, legal, and socio-economic grounds. The book is addressed to readers interested in the problems of archival information, in particular to employees of chancelleries and archives, as well as archivists supervising entities producing archival materials. The author’s intention has been to indicate new research areas in archival science, in particular in the supervision of growing archival resources. This research may contribute to a better understanding of the changes that are taking place nowadays in the so-called archival foreground. Thanks to the conclusions that have been formulated as a result of the research, it is necessary to change the methods and tools of exercising supervision over the growing archival resources. We should also strive for frequent verification of the adopted methods and prepare for the acquisition of historical data that cannot be reduced to the classic definition and form of the document in the evidentiary sense.