JISC

The JISC, on behalf of the Strategic Content Alliance (SCA) invites tenders to research the techniques and strategies being deployed by grant-funded digital content project leaders (e.g. project managers, senior responsible owners, collection developers) in eliciting host institutional decision makers (e.g. Provosts, Vice Chancellors, ICT Heads) support for the long term (post grant) development and sustainability of cultural, educational and not-for-profit digital content.

The significance of host institutional support and some of the assumptions being made by funders, institutions and project leaders alike have been highlighted in SCA commissioned research Funding for Sustainability: How Funders’ Practices Influence the Future of Digital Resources (2011). For the purposes of this ITT, sustainability is defined as ‘the ability to generate or gain access to the resources – financial or otherwise – needed to protect and increase the value of the content or service for those who use it’.

The assumptions relating to project leaders and host institutional support cited in the above research and elsewhere now need to be explored in more depth, in order to provide advice and guidance which may assist other digital content projects gain and/or maintain host institutional support post grant.

The deadline for tenders is 12 noon UK time on Monday 10th October 2011. The final work under this contract should be completed by Friday 31st July 2012.