For the term 2012-2016, the EGAD is charged with developing a formal conceptual model for archival description that identifies and defines the essential components of archival description and their interrelations to promote a shared understanding of archival description, to facilitate the development and use of archival descriptive systems, to enable national, regional, and international collaboration, in the archival community as well as with allied cultural heritage communities.
The objectives of the EGAD are:
- to encourage and facilitate the development and implementation of standards and best practices regarding archival description,
- to support communication and exchange of information about descriptive standards and best practices and related implementation and training, and
- to provide liaison with other information professions such as IFLA, ICOM and with international standards bodies.