The Strategic Content Alliance Sustaining Digital Resources
The Strategic Content Alliance Sustaining Digital Resources Sarah Fahmy Manager, Strategic Content Alliance www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 2
SCA Sponsors www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 3
The e-content Framework components (The SCA is developing these themes for the e-content Framework) www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 4
Advocacy, Adaptation and Adoption Policy makers dialogue and influence Practitioners retooling and re-skilling www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 5
Sustainability: No end of big issues! Fragile and hostile economy Government public funding cuts - Browne Review - CSR: 7.1 billion to 4.2 billion, a 40% reduction overall Rising student and academic expectations Increased competition at home and abroad Stimulating groundbreaking research Capturing and preserving collective knowledge for future generations http://www.flickr.com/photos/off2onmedia/2721600281/ www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 6
Project perspective Pain points at every stage in the life cycle of a funded project: Previously funded projects asking for more funding at the end of their initial grant cycle out of a dwindling fund Once the project s initial grant ends, less funding available for ongoing support from libraries, universities, and other host institutions More innovative projects seeking start-up funding Long-term risk that projects are not being digitally preserved www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 7
Sustaining Digital Resources: An On-the-Ground View of Projects Today (2009) With support from SCA, NEH, and NSF, Ithaka undertook a second round of research and analysis, profiling 12 projects deeply engaged in creating and sustaining digital resources. Sustaining Digital Resources: An Onthe-Ground View of Projects Today (2009) is the result of that inquiry 12 case studies and a summary report.
Five Steps to Sustainability Empower leadership to define the mission and take action Create a strong value proposition Creatively manage costs Cultivate diverse sources of revenue Establish realistic goals and a system of accountability
Empower leadership Found that successful projects have leaders who: are strongly dedicated to the projects pursue new opportunities and risks hire talented staff build capacity for entrepreneurship and innovation in project leaders http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniscollette/1817034358/
Create a strong value proposition Project leaders: Create a resource that offers unique value, and understand that value Deeply understand to whom the resource offers value, and why Continue to add value to the resource based on an understanding of users needs Is value articulated from the start?
Creatively manage costs Project leaders: Minimise direct costs Secure contributions from the host institutions Outsource to vendors Recruit volunteers Need accurate and full accounting of operating co Our research pointed out that host institutions may be less able to provide the in-kind support that was possible in a stronger economies http://www.flickr.com/photos/davebr/524629324/
Cultivate diverse sources of revenue Project leaders: Cultivate sources of revenue to cover both direct costs and ongoing upgrades Experiment with different revenue models Clearly identify the value of the resource to the target audiences Consider diverse sources of revenue policies regarding IP constrain revenue options for projects revenue projections? http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilsingapore/4085711803/
Project leaders: Establish goals and targets with their host institutions Determine balance between financial and mission goals Assess progress Connect their broad mission to quantifiable targets Measurable goals and objectives Impact reports Establish realistic goals and accountability http://www.flickr.com/photos/magic-mushroom/2779236762
Five Steps to Sustainability Empower leadership to define the mission and take action Create a strong value proposition Creatively manage costs Cultivate diverse sources of revenue Establish realistic goals and a system of accountability
Sustainability strategy task How has your project engaged with some of these issues? What is meant by each of the themes in the real world? Have these themes already informed strategic decisions around the sustainability of your project? How has adoption of some of these themes been successful or otherwise? How would you change aspects of your project to include some of the themes discussed? Do you know of any examples or illustrations of how and why implementation of some of these themes has been successful? Are there any other themes that you would wish to add to your and why? www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 16
That s all folks! Thank you for listening and any questions? For Further information please contact me at.. Sarah Fahmy s.fahmy@jisc.ac.uk www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance 08 November 2010 Slide 17