A fair review depends on records that still exist
A resident challenges a public service fee months after payment. If transaction logs, notices and decision records have been lost or altered, the agency may struggle to establish what happened. Evidence preservation protects accountable review.
Identify relevant records
Payment events, application status, communications, approvals and applicable policy versions may all matter.
Preserve provenance
Record where evidence came from, relevant timestamps and any transformations or corrections.
Apply authorised retention and holds
Preservation must follow applicable legal, archival, privacy and organisational requirements.
Protect integrity and access
Appropriate permissions, audit trails and secure storage help prevent unauthorised alteration or disclosure.
Distinguish copies and authoritative records
Screenshots and extracts may help, but their relationship to original systems should be clear.
Support efficient retrieval
Evidence that cannot be located in time may fail its practical purpose. Use consistent identifiers and ownership.
Break-test: a disputed record was routinely scheduled for disposal
Can the agency identify applicable preservation obligations and prevent inappropriate destruction?
Connected knowledge
See Dispute Resolution Evidence, Records Retention and National Archives of Singapore.