WIREDGOV

Would you like to represent the views of archive users and help to improve our services? If you are a regular archive user who would like to get involved at a more strategic level we’d love to hear from you, as we are seeking new voluntary delegates to join our User Advisory Group (UAG).

The User Advisory Group aims to give everyone who use our services the opportunity to participate in our planning and decision-making processes.

Delegates represent the collective voice of different sections of our user community, not only their own interests. As well as attending meetings, each delegate has a responsibility to engage with members of their respective user communities, sharing information and gathering feedback.

We would particularly like to hear from users who feel they could effectively represent one or more of the following user groups:

• Student users: current under/post-graduate students in subjects that make use of archives
• County/external archive users: staff or users of other archives
• Online users: users who rely on digital resources and tools to undertake their archive research and to interact with other researchers.

Representatives will also need to demonstrate they have the qualities to actively participate in the group, including:

• Willingness to express the views of their communities in the setting of a large meeting
• Time to prepare for meetings, including reading papers and networking
• Ability to think strategically and consider ‘the bigger picture’.

Meetings are usually held at The National Archives in Kew four times a year but are currently being held virtually by video conference. The meetings are usually scheduled on Tuesdays during working hours. Dates and times are published well in advance and delegates are expected to make every effort to attend. Delegates may claim travel expenses.

We ask prospective delegates to commit to a minimum term of one year’s service. Find out more about the groups already represented and our current delegates on the UAG pages.

How to submit an expression of interest

If you would like to express interest in representing one of the groups listed above, please email us at the address below with the following information:

• Indicate in the subject line of your email that it is an expression of interest
• Indicate which sections(s) of the user community you would like to represent; if you list more than one, please rank them in order of preference
• Check the list of the sections of the user community which are already represented; if you feel that there is a group that we have not listed, and that you would like to represent, please specify this
• Tell us about your experience as an archive user and why you feel that you would be suitable as a delegate (please write no more than 150 words)
• Give examples to show that you have the personal qualities required as a delegate of UAG (please write no more than 150 words)
• Indicate your ideas and suggestions for how you would disseminate details of the group to the user community or communities that you would be representing, and how you would gather feedback (please write no more than 150 words)

Delegates will be selected based upon the information provided.

It is important to us that our organisation is more diverse, so we encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. We’re especially keen to hear from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates who are currently under-represented.

Please email your expression of interest to UAGrecruitment@nationalarchives.gov.uk by 17:00 on Friday 13 August 2021.