Practical Approaches to Resource Sustainability

1. Practical Approaches toResource Sustainability Grant Young – Technical Research Officer Karla Youngs – TASI Director http://www.tasi.ac.uk/

2. Introduction • Sustainability: • Worth the effort! • Broader than preservation(might include continued development, integration,re-purposing) … DRH Conference 2003

3. Introduction • Sustainability: • Key factors are often beyond project manager’s direct control(institutional politics and economics, technological change etc) • But practical measures can increase the likelihood of sustainability … DRH Conference 2003

4. Introduction • Practical Measures: • Flexibility of design • Use of standards and guidelines • Research, evaluation andquality assurance (QA) DRH Conference 2003

5. Flexibility • Sustainable resources are flexible in their design. DRH Conference 2003

6. Flexibility • Build flexibility into all areasof the project: • ‘Back end’ • ‘Front end’ • Project Processes DRH Conference 2003

7. Flexibility • How? • Break processes and products into discreet elements • Be clear about how the elements interact • Document and communicate • Maintain a dual perspective:holistic view and detailed view DRH Conference 2003

8. Flexibility • How does flexibility support sustainability? • Makes a project scaleable,repeatable or re-usable DRH Conference 2003

9. Standards and Guidelines • Sustainable resources: • Make use of appropriate standards • Make appropriate use of standards DRH Conference 2003

10. Standards and Guidelines • A caveat: • Today – few absolute ‘standards’ (so: frameworks, guidelines, models) • Tomorrow – may be firmer standards (so be prepared to change and migrate) DRH Conference 2003

11. Standards and Guidelines • How? • Be well informed • Favour open standards,but be pragmatic • Distinguish between the ‘core’ and the ‘extension’ • Where there are no standards, set your own and document them! DRH Conference 2003

12. Standards and Guidelines • How do standards and guidelines support sustainability? • They encourage consistency, support interoperability, and assist in data migration DRH Conference 2003

13. Research, Evaluation, QA • Sustainable resources are aware of their users and context and put the emphasis on quality DRH Conference 2003

14. Research, Evaluation, QA • Be aware of your users and their needs – speak to them: • Before you begin • During the project • Once complete DRH Conference 2003

15. Research, Evaluation, QA • Be aware of your context: • Who is ‘setting the standard’? • Who are your potential competitors? • Who are your potential collaborators? DRH Conference 2003

16. Research, Evaluation, QA • Build quality into your workflow: • Process QA • Automated QA • Personal checking • User fault-reporting DRH Conference 2003

17. Research, Evaluation, QA • How does research, evaluation and quality assurance support sustainability? • Ensures resource is relevantand of high quality DRH Conference 2003

18. Conclusion • Practical approaches to sustainability include flexibility, good use of standards and guidelines, research, evaluation and QA Any questions or comments? DRH Conference 2003