Heritage and the role of data management systems: a prototype model for New Zealand

Heritage management in New Zealand is data rich but information poor. For nearly 50 years, the New Zealand Archaeological Association has maintained a paper based, largely textual, database of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. While originally set up as a research tool, this database now serves a major management role. However, the increasing pace of development in New Zealand means that information delivery to an expanding range of stakeholders is beyond the capabilities of the current system. Here we propose a model for an information management system designed to replace the paper record and to provide maximum flexibility of storage and access to data. The model is described is based on a prototype implementation.