A UK Needs Assessment was identified as a key priority in the DPC Business Plan for 2003-2006 in order to identify the volume and level of risk and assigning priorities for action. The first stage of this exercise was a DPC Members survey. This was carried out between August 2003 and March 2004, with a Workshop in November 2003 to discuss preliminary results and determine further action required. The survey form used is available below and the final report of the DPC Members survey and annexes, by Duncan Simpson, who was commissioned to undertake the survey on behalf of the DPC are also available. The report of the Workshop is also available below, and this Powerpoint slide presented by Duncan Simpson at the Workshop, indicates the proposed timeframe for the UK Needs Assessment, assuming funding for key initiatives.

Other deliverables from the survey are the map of DPC members, which provides details of each DPC member and their interest in digital preservation and (where appropriate) what material they have undertaken responsibility for. The table of DPC Member projects was also derived from the survey, and will be periodically updated. A related follow up task was Scenarios of Risks of Data Loss, real-life examples where data was either lost or at risk, provided by some DPC members and collated by Duncan Simpson. This is available below.

DPC Members Survey

Survey Form (PDF 140KB)

The report comprises the main document and six annexes (these are also linked from within the main report):

• Report (PDF 94KB) March 2004 by Duncan Simpson, consultant
• Annex 1 (PDF 129KB) Details of organisations responding, contact names/addresses and statement of reasons for interest in digital preservation.
• Annex 2 (PDF 58KB) Overall collation of responses.
• Annex 3 (PDF 133KB) Some selected comments on particular questions or issues, verbatim.
• Annex 4 (PDF 72KB) Questions 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3: members’ notes of digital preservation projects completed, in progress, or planned.
• Annex 5 (PDF 37KB) Question 4.1: types of material being preserved.
• Annex 6 (PDF 27KB) Questions 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4: suggestions for other needs and actions.
• Report of DPC Members Survey Workshop (PDF 30KB) November 2003
• Risk of Loss of Digital Data (PDF 39KB) Case Studies and Analysis, September 2004