This document establishes the legal framework for the transition of power and the administration of elections during the constitutional shift from Southern Rhodesia to the independent state of Zimbabwe. The order was issued by the British government to provide a formal mechanism for the appointment of officials and the conduct of electoral processes during the decolonization period. It serves as a primary legal instrument defining the authority of the interim administration and the procedural requirements for the inaugural democratic elections.

Legal scholars and historians view this document as a foundational text for understanding the formal end of British colonial rule in Zimbabwe. It is frequently cited in academic research regarding the legal mechanics of decolonization and the specific constitutional arrangements negotiated at the Lancaster House Conference.