Welcome to the Observatory of Public Archival Policies of the Iberarchives Programme.
This space has been created as a tool for consultation, cooperation and analysis for the National and State Archives of the countries that make up the Iberarchivos Programme. Through interactive resources and a series of strategic indicators, the Observatory offers updated and comparative information on archival public policies in the region.
Its purpose is to strengthen the exchange of knowledge, promote mutual learning and facilitate informed decision-making that contributes to the development and continuous improvement of archival policies in Ibero-America.
We invite you to explore this space and to use its contents as a source of support for collaborative work and archival management at national and regional level.
Key indicators
Relayed in 2023
Existence of a website
Most of the national archives of Iberarchivos member countries have a website where users can obtain information about their location and activities. The data point to an almost generalised commitment to an online presence, making the workings of the archives more visible to citizens.
Description rules
75% of the institutions use the International Standard for Archival Description (ISAD(G)), 18.8% use other standards, and 6.3% use RiC (Records in Contexts).
Volume of documentary holdings
The graph shows the volume of documentary holdings (linear metres) held by each institution. The diversity of functions and backgrounds of each institution explains why they hold different types of holdings; in addition to the documentation produced by the public administration, some institutions also hold judicial and other types of documentation.
Women in management positions
Introducing a gender perspective in the analysis of archival institutions allows for measuring and identifying possible gaps. In 2023, 50% of management positions were held by women, reflecting an equitable gender representation in management positions in the context analysed. Taking into account all positions of responsibility, such as coordination and middle management, the percentage rises to 62.5%.
Women's participation in institutions
Most countries have a strong presence of women in archival staff. Although there are differences between institutions, the average across all institutions shows that 54% of the workforces are made up of women.
The national archives of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain and the Philippines are represented in the graphs.