JISC

Libraries, archives, museums, and data archives and services, play a critical role in organising, preserving, and providing access to the cultural and scientific resources of society. The introduction of digital technologies into the processes of production, distribution, and storage of information challenges the capacity of these institutions to discharge their responsibilities for preservation. The purpose of this project was to determine training needs for digital preservation, determine the course content, and identify training providers, delivery methods and likely training costs.

Executive summary

Background

A number of reports and studies funded by JISC (under its Continuing Access and Digital Preservation strategy) have identified training in long-term management and preservation of digital assets as a major issue for the HE and FE sector. It remains difficult to recruit individuals with appropriate skills and the need for such skills is growing. The potential impact of this long-term skills gap on institutions in the UK is likely to be severe and is a cross-sectoral issue.

Feedback from the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) forums, training events, and members has revealed that digital preservation training is seen to be a pressing issue across its membership. Consequently, both JISC and the DPC wished to explore commissioning the development of a training programme for their respective constituencies. JISC recognised that such an initiative would benefit from input from a wide range of partners within the DPC membership and might ultimately be more sustainable on a cross-sectoral basis.

The purpose of this project was to determine training needs for digital preservation, determine the course content, and identify training providers, delivery methods and likely training costs.

Approach

We gathered information by surveying and interviewing selected Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) identified by the DPC and JISC. We developed a semi-structured interview questionnaire and a short survey. These aimed to elicit the challenges faced by interviewees, their perceptions of various strategies for digital preservation, and implications for training provision.

Out of the 11 nominated SMEs, 8 agreed to help with the project. Of these eight, 7 were interviewed but only 4 completed the survey. The interview data was analysed and the results presented in the interim report (issued on 14 May 2004). The analysis of the questionnaire data and the results are presented in this report.

Following completion of the analysis of these inputs, we developed a course outline, and we contacted potential suppliers (selected in agreement with DPC and JISC) to request training course design and estimated costs.

Conclusions

Based on the responses of SMEs and potential training suppliers, our main conclusions are that:

• Training should be offered according to level of expertise (basic, intermediate, advanced)
• The intermediate and basic courses should be planned for 5 days each, such that each day can additionally be offered as a separate session
• Development of the training should be separated from its delivery
• A training steering committee should be set up to guide the training development
• Estimates of development costs varied in an unusually wide range; therefore a competitive procurement is advised to obtain the best balance of quality and cost
• A budget of £44,000 should be allowed for development of each of the intermediate and basic courses, though the cost may turn out to be less (this figure is based on a high estimate plus 10% contingency)