Do you have a DP policy?

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 your high-level digital preservation policy document. Your completed DP Policy Framework will have links to lower-level policies, procedures, and other required digital preservation documentation, as well as to organizational or external documents that impact the content of your framework, e.g. mission statements, regulations, and requirements. It provides the basis for developing and maintaining comprehensive digital preservation documentation that enables you to demonstrate good practice.

• TDL DP Decision Tree FAQ | What are the benefits of developing a DP Policy Framework

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:

Different parts of your organization will have information that you will need to develop your DP policy framework.

TDL DP Decision Tree FAQ | How defining roles and responsibilities helps demonstrate good practice

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:

• Example: Bryn Mawr College Digital Preservation Policy

• Example: ICPSR Digital Preservation Policy Framework

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!

TDL DP Decision Tree FAQ | What are the benefits of documenting our alignment with DP good practice

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:

• DPM Workshop Overview of TDR

• DPM Workshop Management Tools: DP Policy Framework

• TDL DP Decision Tree FAQ | How working definitions help with preservation planning

_{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.}

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