Accountability - Digital Preservation Coalition

Being responsible for what an organization does and being able to give a satisfactory reason for it, or the degree to which this happens. Includes transparency: conducting organizational and financial activities in an open way without any element of concealment, so that processes can be trusted to be fair and honest.

What are the Risks of not preserving digital materials?

Organization Type	Risk	Potential Consequences
All organizations	Technologies used become obsolete; this may apply to elements such as hardware, software and file formats.	Unable to provide access to digital objects Required to maintain expensive legacy systems Disruption of business/organisation’s functions Unable to provide audit trails Unable to meet legal/regulatory requirements
All organizations	Rate of data creation outstrips capacity for storage, processing and preservation.	Important digital objects are not captured within the preservation system Data loss/corruption
Archives	Executive level support for digital preservation is not persistent	Unable to establish a sustainable, fit for purpose digital preservation programme Data loss/corruption Unable to provide access to digital objects Unable to meet legal/regulatory requirements
Archives	Failure to engage with stakeholders at all stages of the record life-cycle	Lack of support for digital preservation work System/procedures do not support user needs Do not capture necessary documentation Unable to provide access to digital objects in a useable format
Business	Inability to provide evidence of compliance with regulations	Loss of reputation and stakeholder confidence Fines/sanctions
Business	Inability to produce reliable and authentic records necessary to pursue or defend legal claims	Undermines ability to reach resolution Unsatisfactory or expensive settlements
Higher Education and Research	Inability to access legal documentation, institutional history and decision-making precedents	Unable to rely on past evidence to inform current decision-making Unable to meet legal/regulatory requirements
Higher Education and Research	Research data not transferred to the relevant repository for preservation	Data loss Gaps in the cultural/scholarly record Research repeated unnecessarily
Higher Education and Research	Lack of vendor accountability	Unable to place trust in services provided Services not fit for purpose Poor customer service Unable to plan for succession
Libraries	Organisation does not move important digital/digitized objects into a preservation system	Data loss/corruption Unable to provide access to digital objects Loss of context/documentation Loss of reputation Loss of funding
Museums and Galleries	Absence of appropriately skilled and invested people responsible for digital preservation	Incorrect/inadequate preservation Preservation does not occur Loss of ability to access/render digital objects Loss of context/documentation Loss of reputation Loss of funding
Museums and Galleries	Absence of a documented workflow for the creation/acquisition and then maintenance of digital files	Incorrect/inadequate preservation Preservation does not occur Loss of ability to access/render digital objects Loss of context/documentation Loss of reputation Loss of funding

What Opportunities do preserved digital materials create?

Organization Type	Digital Preservation can...
All organizations	demonstrate a commitment to transparency and accountability by sustaining an accurate digital record
All organizations	protect investment by maintaining clear audit trails
Business	enable better cooperation with regulatory bodies by sustaining access to reliable records as evidence of actions.
Business	allow an organization to defend decisions and attribute responsibility by sustaining access to reliable records as evidence of actions for legal, regulatory and IPR cases
Business	enable the organization to respond more efficiently to legal holds by sustaining access to reliable records
Business	demonstrate increased transparency through improved access to records for stakeholders
Higher Education and Research	demonstrate, to funders, a commitment to the sustainability of their investment and the cultural record
Higher Education and Research	save on storage costs by enabling documented appraisal, disposal and deletion procedures
Higher Education and Research	demonstrate greater transparency through documented audit trails
Higher Education and Research	demonstrate, to the public purse, a commitment to maintaining the sustainability of the cultural record
Libraries	earn the trust of the public through sustained access to documentary heritage which guarantees the integrity of digital holdings
Libraries	demonstrate a commitment to delivering on a public mandate, for present and future generations
Libraries	demonstrate that the organization is meeting its obligations and mandate through documentary evidence of compliance to legislation
Libraries	instill trust in cultural and creative data by demonstrating a complete cultural record
Museums and Galleries	demonstrate the fulfilment of a legal obligation to display and therefore preserve collection objects in perpetuity
Museums and Galleries	enable robust and trusted iterations and audit trails, review and update to remain in line with the latest standards and best practices, safeguarding organizational reputation.
Museums and Galleries	instill confidence in the ability to preserve digital collections