Purpose
Overview: Every Trusted Digital Repository (TDR) needs to have a high-level digital preservation policy framework that explicitly states the scope, purpose, objectives, operating principles, and context of your organization's digital preservation approach. A policy framework is a high-level governance document that includes links to lower-level policies and procedures. It provides the basis for developing and maintaining comprehensive documentation to help demonstrate good practice.
The DPM Workshop team developed this model document to help you develop your high-level DP policy framework. The model document identifies and describes the sections of the document to be developed and provides examples of what to include in the section.
These are the sections in the DP Policy Framework sections and subsections:
Digital Curation Overview
OAIS Compliance
Administrative Responsibility: Purpose, Mandate, Objectives
Organizational Viability: Scope, Operating Principles, Roles and Responsibilities, Selection, Access and Use, Challenges and Risks
Financial Sustainability: Institutional Commitment, Cooperation and Collaboration
Technological and Procedural Suitability
System Security
Procedural Accountability: Audit and Transparency, Framework Administration
Definitions
References
Different parts of your organization will have information that you will need to develop your DP policy framework. Suggestions for developing your policy framework:
convene a team with essential members - consider who must participate and who needs to be informed
as the lead, share iterative drafts for review by team members - avoid word smithing as a team activity
define a timeline with phases and share updates to raise awareness and manage expectations
distinguish between planning (what you intend to do in the future) and policy (things you are doing now)
There are now many examples online to help you develop your DP Policy Framework. These two align with the model document provided here:
Once you have your DP Policy Framework, you will want to review and revise it on a two-year cycle - another opportunity to raise awareness and to keep this core component of your DP documentation updated with your current status!
Note: The DP Principles you adopted may populate or inform the Operating Principles section of your DP Policy. At minimum, referring to your current DP Principles improves your DP documentation (see DP Principles).
Question for your team/organization: How do TDL DP Services support developing and maintaining your DP Policy? TDL members contact TDL for more information and assistance.
Source: Adapted from DP Policy Framework developed by the Digital Preservation Management (DPM) Workshop: DP Management Tools. This third version of the model document adopts conventions used in the development of the Trustworthy Repositories Audit and Certification (TRAC) document released in 2007; adds curation (you can ignore this if it is not relevant for you); and updates the section descriptions and examples. See the DPM Workshop website link for additional provenance information about DPM’s DP Policy Framework, the model document, alignment with the DPM’s Five Stages, suggestions for developing and maintaining your DP Policy, and related resources.
Related Resources:
This is a joint initiative between TDL Digital Preservation Services and the Digital Preservation Management (DPM) Workshop and Global Archivist LLC. Dr. Nance McGovern 2024.