The Digitisation checklist: overview is designed to be a quick reference source for information about inclusions in a back-capture digitisation project. For more information, consult the relevant sections of the guidelines and the checklists available in some of those sections.
| Digitisation checklist: Overview | Yes | No |
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Why digitise? - See Why digitise? for more information. |
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| Has the organisation defined the purpose of the digitisation project and its expected benefits? | ||
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Selecting the right records - See Selecting the right records for more information |
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| Are selection decisions closely aligned to business needs and the aims of the project? | ||
| Planning for digitisation - See Planning for digitisation for more information | ||
| Has an approach to digitisation been selected, documented and implemented? | ||
| Has a business case been developed for the digitisation program? | ||
| Does the business case fully address the scope, purpose, business drivers, benefits, costs and risks of digitisation and other relevant factors that might impact on the project's viability? | ||
| Are there documented plans for the digitisation project which further outline parameters and requirements for the project? | ||
| Outsourcing digitisation projects - See Inhouse or outsource? | ||
| Have roles and responsibilities been clearly articulated in contracts? | ||
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Have service providers been made aware of the requirements they must meet from the: |
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| Has a process for monitoring compliance been agreed to and documented in contracts? | ||
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Staffing and space issues - See Staffing digitisation projects for more information. |
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| Has the organisation determined whether to conduct digitisation in-house or outsource it? | ||
| Has clear ownership of the digitisation project within the organisation been identified (whether the project is in-house or outsourced)? | ||
| Have roles and responsibilities for managers and staff been defined, communicated and documented? | ||
| Have managers and staff been provided with suitable training to meet their roles and responsibilities? | ||
| Have health and safety issues concerning digitisation been identified and addressed? | ||
| Has adequate space been allocated for digitisation equipment and processes? | ||
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Change management issues - See Managing the ‘people factor’ for more information. |
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| Have change management strategies been introduced to help all staff with the transition to digitisation? | ||
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Policies, procedures and processes - See Policies, procedures, standards and documentation and Managing original paper records for more information. |
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| Are relevant, documented policies in place for the digitisation program? | ||
| Are there documented procedures to guide staff regarding the performance of digitisation processes, including the quality checking and storage of digital images? | ||
| Do procedures address how to manage original paper records before, during and after digitisation so they are protected until their authorised disposal? | ||
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Are the processes defined in procedures consistent with recognised standards including State Records’: |
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| Do procedures clearly outline where and how processes and actions must be documented? | ||
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Benchmarks and quality assurance - See Benchmarks and quality assurance for more information. |
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Have quality benchmarks been:
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| Has the organisation established, documented and implemented quality assurance measures to ensure that benchmarks can be met? | ||
| Do benchmarks make it clear what and when image enhancement techniques can be used? | ||
| Is quality checking completed before the digital images are used as part of business processes? | ||
| Is quality checking completed before any original paper records are disposed of? | ||
| Are the results of quality checks documented? | ||
| Are reviews of benchmarks and quality assurance measures conducted regularly to ensure processes continue to meet business requirements? | ||
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Technical specifications - See Technical specifications for more information. |
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| Are there documented and communicated technical specifications for the project? | ||
| Are the technical specifications aligned to business and digitisation requirements? i.e. are they fit for purpose, do they enable the capture of the essential characteristics of the records and are they suitable for how long the digital images need to be retained? | ||
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Metadata requirements - See Metadata requirements for more information. |
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| Are there documented and communicated technical and recordkeeping metadata requirements for the project? | ||
| Does the metadata captured meet the requirements of the Standard on records management? | ||
| Has additional metadata required by the organisation been identified? | ||
| Is metadata managed as a record and retained for as long as required? | ||
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Equipment for digitisation - See Equipment for digitisation for more information. |
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| Have requirements for digitisation equipment been aligned to digitisation requirements? | ||
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What are the official records? See What are the official records? for more information. |
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| Has the organisation identified the official records to be used in the transaction of business? | ||
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Management of digital images as records - See Managing digital images as records |
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| Are storage systems and backup procedures for digital images and their metadata documented and implemented? | ||
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Can systems ensure digital images are:
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| Are system failures documented? | ||
| If back-up copies are used for restoration of the images, are they accompanied by verification testing to ensure the integrity of the restored records? | ||
| Are digital images included in organisational strategies, e.g. migration and preservation strategies, for managing digital records so they can be retained for as long as required? | ||
| Have migration strategies identified which records and their metadata are required to enable the organisation to continue to access authentic digital records? | ||
| Is the disposal of any digital images authorised and documented? | ||
| Management of original paper records - See Managing original paper records for more information. | ||
| Has the organisation determined whether it intends to destroy the original paper records after digitisation? If yes, see Disposal of original paper records after digitisation for more information. | ||
| Is the handling and transportation of records carried out in accordance with the organisation’s records management policy, procedures and handling guidelines? | ||
| Do procedures address the management of original paper records before, during and after digitisation? | ||
| Is there adequate security and access control for original paper records before, during and after digitisation? | ||
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Disposal of original paper records - The following questions are relevant if you are intending to destroy original paper records. See Disposal of original paper records after digitisation for more information. |
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| Do the records being digitised have disposal coverage in current retention and disposal authorities? | ||
| Can the organisation meet all the requirements of General retention and disposal authority: original or source records that have been copied? | ||
| Is the disposal of original paper records authorised and documented in accordance with the organisation’s Records Management Program? | ||
| Has the organisation determined, documented and communicated to staff a standard period of time to retain the original paper records after digitisation for quality control purposes? | ||
| Has the organisation planned for and costed the long term viability of maintaining digital images in place of the original paper records? | ||
| Are disposal actions documented in the metadata associated with the records? | ||
| Monitoring and evaluation | ||
| Are the digitisation approach and processes regularly reviewed for continuing relevance and cost effectiveness? |