Establishing an Online Reproduction of a Web Site Implementation Strategy

Procedures for establishing an online reproduction of a web site

The creation of an online web reproduction (a dedicated web server) should be carefully planned and designed to ensure both records management and system requirements are fully considered. Agencies should ensure that the necessary consultation occurs between records management practitioners, website administrators and IT staff. Modifications to website page counters will also need to be considered.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities to assign include:

· Determining whether this is an appropriate option, perhaps undertaking a cost-benefit analysis and comparisons with other options;

· Identifying system specifications;

· Setting up procedures to ensure that postings are captured;

· Ensuring sufficient metadata is captured;

· Identifying procedures and practices to ensure the system integrity of the online reproduction (eg data management tasks are identified and responsibility allocated);

· Identifying preservation implications and ensuring the web based-records are accessible for as long as required; and

· Implementing compliance programs to facilitate post-implementation review.

The above responsibilities represent the minimum list of responsibilities that should be documented in agencies' procedures and appropriately assigned. It is possible for agencies to add to and alter this list based on their specific requirements. The important point to emphasize in this approach is that there is a significant reliance on the early establishment of clear procedures. Consultation with various areas of the agency is essential for ensuring that the dedicated servers meet the requirements for the online web reproduction. To ensure the success of this approach, compliance with established procedures needs to be monitored.