ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) is an intergovernmental (IGO), scientific and autonomous organization, with a worldwide mandate to promote the conservation of all types of cultural heritage, both movable and immovable. It was founded by UNESCO in 1956 and established in Rome in 1959. ICCROM’s Archives function is to arrange, describe and preserve records produced and used by ICCROM’s functions and activities, regardless of medium and form. The Archives also provides reference assistance to users. The Archivist at ICCROM was appointed in 2002. This case study focuses on developing a system for managing ICCROM’s active and semi-active records. The following project phases are foreseen to accomplish this aim:

• Creation of a records classification scheme for the whole institution.
• Creation of a records retention and disposal schedule for all the records generated by the institution, which would need to be integrated to the records classification scheme.
• Identification and adoption of a records management software application that allows registering mail and e-mail, classification and filing, records flow management, and records retention and disposal timetable management.
• Elaboration of a records management procedures manual, which contains:
• Procedures for the creation, maintenance and long-term preservation of records.
• Procedures and functional components of the electronic records management system.
• As attachments: Records classification scheme, records retention and disposal schedule, and technical documentation of the electronic records management system.

The procedures for the creation, maintenance and preservation of records should take into consideration international policies and standards; in particular, the methodologies and recommendations on the long-term preservation of authentic records in electronic systems produced by InterPARES 2.

ParER (Polo archivistico regionale dell'Emilia-Romagna), instituted in July 2009 as the central archives of Regione Emilia-Romagna, is responsible for the permanent preservation of born-digital records transferred from regional public administrations.

This case study focuses on analysing functional requirements for the purpose of developing an OAIS-compliant Digital Archives system. This system is planned to ingest digital records created by the Regione, as well as other adminstrations, within a digital trusted repository, in accordance with Italian law. The development of such a system is highly relevant to the Archives’ functioning because it will facilitate the preservation of authentic digital records created by the public administration system.

The main objectives of this case study are to identify relevant InterPARES findings and to incorporate them into the project’s requirements analysis activity. The expected outcomes are translated InterPARES findings in use-case scenarios and/or requirements/specifications supporting the development of the system. The end-goal is to develop an OAIS-compliant, functioning prototype digital preservation environment with an accompanying policy and procedural framework that will enable the ParER to preserve authentic and reliable electronic records created by the Regione Emilia-Romagna, its boards and agencies, as well as records acquired from other public administrations (universities, healthcare systems, etc.).

• Allegati 1: Schema di convenzione
• Allegati 2: Schema di disciplinare tecnico

The Province of Ravenna was established as a local administration in 1831 by the Papal State. The Province’s tasks are defined by Legislative Decree n 267/2000. Complying with the Subsidiarity principle, the Region Emilia-Romagna has devolved several administrative functions to provinces in many fields, such as agriculture, environment, culture, tourism, territorial administration and vocational training.

In 1858, the Province of Ravenna established an Archives Service for document management. The Protocol Registers have been produced since 1832 and were edited on paper until 2006. In 1988, the Protocol Register was converted into a computerised register, which is then printed on paper.

In 2006, a new Protocol Register was implemented with a computerised management system that includes document workflow (sorting of documents and files), digital document management and interoperability. A management manual and a new classification/filing system were adopted; documents for the editing of the Protocol Register and the files by subject were prepared. Responsibilities for document management have been identified. The ongoing training of the staff is considered an essential prerequisite.

The new document management model adopted is based on an operative distributed model that actively involves several subjects, such as offices serving end users or archives management decentralised offices. Each subject is authorised to perform tasks according to its own competence under the coordination of the Archives Service: consultation, taking charge, assignment, protocol registration, creation and management of files containing the documents recorded and classified (both digital and on paper), as well as incoming and outgoing mail.

Since 2006, the Archives Service has been responsible for the management, recordkeeping and preservation of documents received and produced by the Province of Ravenna. The Archives Service also acts as coordinator and has the responsibility of the data storage process, of the management of the Archives Repository and of the Historical Archives Depository.

This case study analyses in detail both the operating specifications of the computerised document management system and the main features of the electronic protocol in order to preserve it in a digital trusted repository.

The main objectives of this case study are to identify relevant InterPARES findings and to incorporate them into the project’s requirements analysis activity.

According to Italian law, all public administrations must provide for a digital recordkeeping system. Within the digital recordkeeping system, the Protocol Register is both a preferential trustworthy public act and an archival unit, which is at the root of the documentary system in every public organisation. Most Italian universities have chosen the recordkeeping system named Titulus97, which indicates the basic rules for university recordkeeping systems.

This case study examines the “Protocol Register” as a digital entity; it identifies its proper features, it identifies suitable requisites for the digital environment and for supporting long-term preservation. It also aimes to set the proper treatment for long-term preservation of this trustworthy digital object.

The case study team aimes to establish for this object:

• its juridical characters;
• its diplomatic characters;
• the roles, procedures and controls needed for ensuring authenticity and reliability in long-term preservation; andd
• its format standards and metadata requirements.

The main objectives of this case study are to devise policies, procedures and guidelines for the creation, maintenance and long-term preservation of authentic and reliable Protocol Registers selected for permanent preservation.

Prior to this case study, Provincia di Forlì-Cesena had begun initiating a record digitalisation path aimed at producing digital records that can be preserved permanently in digital archives.

This case study analyzes three different kinds of records that are created in different ways:

• electronic evidence of payment – whose management is based on a proprietary application developed and managed by an external company that controls the short-term chain of preservation;
• registration of tourist accommodation prices – the  records are managed within a web software application realized by Provincia di Forlì-Cesena and accessible through a user id and a password. This system allows data to be transformed into PDF digital records directly registered in a Protocol Register thanks to a web-service link; and
• records signed by the head of department are realized with a digital signature using the electronic recordkeeping system that also manages every step of record creation.

The main objectives of this case study are: to test ways and methods for record creation; to check the record links to the Protocol Register and to the electronic recordkeeping system; and to assess the record reliability for long-term preservation.

This is a MoReq2 standard compatible document management system, aimed at organising, archiving and sharing documents in digital format.

The functional requirements analysis and coding activities have been carried out by a multi-disciplinary workgroup (archives managers, IT and organization experts) from public institutions and academia (Regione Piemonte, Comune di Torino, Provincia di Torino, Politecnico e Università di Torino).

The system is based on open source technologies; it is suitable for large and small Institutions as it is easily customisable; indeed its components are re-usable. The designed system is compliant with SOA paradigms, broken down into self-contained modules and based on ECM standards.

Acta organises in a single logical archive, through the titles management list, all the documents of the institution (digital and on paper, either protocolled or not) and it sets up, together with the ‘protocol’ module (PRT), the core of the document management system, relying on the Content Management platform DoQui Index.

The production/acceptance system components, as well as the Authentication, Authorization, Digital Signature, distribution and preserving selection function systems are all integrated with the archive management.
 
In particular, the PRT module, unlike other systems, is not the core of the ECM solution, but rather only one of the modules that feeds the whole system. It produces the protocol registry, managed and archived within the system, so as to guarantee the integrity and identity of all its contents.