ISO 16363: Digital Preservation Management System

: Ensuring the reliability of digital repositories and preserving assets for generations

ISO 16363: Auditing and certification ofTrustworthy Digital Repositories(Trustworthy Digital Repositories – TDRs) is an international standard that defines a comprehensive set of requirements and criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of digital repositories. The standard aims to provide a framework to ensure that organizations that preserve digital assets (such as electronic archives, research data, and historical records) have the infrastructure, policies, and procedures in place to ensure the long-term integrity, authenticity, and usability of these assets.

This standard is based on the Open Archival Information System (OAIS – ISO 14721) model and is centered on three main areas of audit:

  • Organizational Infrastructure: To ensure that the repository is financially, legally and administratively sustainable.
  • Digital Object Management: To control deposits, maintain metadata, and verify the integrity of assets.
  • Infrastructure and Security Risk Management: To ensure technical security and protect data from loss or damage.

Expert Development’s methodology to qualify you for ISO 16363

We provide a rigorous workflow to ensure your digital repository is transformed into a trusted and internationally accreditedrepository, enhancing the confidence of depositors and users:

  1. Diagnostic Assessment andGap Analysis:
    1. We comprehensively assess your digital repository against the 105 standards detailed in ISO 16363. The goal is to identify gaps in policies, procedures, technical security, and infrastructureto design a focused action plan.
  2. Capacity building and qualification of data and archive owners:
    1. We are launching an intensive training plan to qualify staff responsible for digital preservation. We focus on equipping them with the knowledge to implement OAISconcepts ,how to buildPreservation Metadata, and manage long-termpreservation risks.
  3. Documentation and Strategic Preservation Plan Formulation:
    1. We support your team in drafting and documenting all essential documentation required for accreditation. This includes the development of a strategic preservation plan, access and exchangepolicies, and operational and security riskregisters, in compliance with the standard.
  4. Implementation oversight and validation:
    1. To ensure operational readiness, we oversee the implementation of technical controls to ensure asset integrity (e.g. change/digital signature mechanisms – Fixity Checks), and help document the creation of Archival Information Packages (AIPs).
  5. Donor visit finalization:
    1. We take care of the complete preparation for the visit of the third-party certification body. Our goal is to ensure that you pass the audit with flying colors and achieve ISO 16363accreditation, giving you global recognition for the reliability of your repository.

The end result:

Partnering with Development Experts ensures that you don’t just get certified, you build a trusted digital repositorythat ensures your digital assets remain authentic and usable through technological changes, and enhances your credibility as a custodian of digital memory and knowledge.

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