The Sustainability Test: A Self-Assessment Tool for Evaluating Digital Sustainability

Toolkit/framework/roadmap

Resources

Docs & Forms

OCM Datasheet

Intended Audience

“Curators, educators, marketing professionals, policy makers, cataloguers, IT staffers and other heritage professionals”

K. Van Malssen, ICCROM

2022

“This tool can be used anytime you need to pause and reassess your digital sustainability. It can be used before you start planning a project, after you complete a project, before submitting a request for funding, or at any other key moment.

This survey should be used by organizations managing digital collections with the goal of ensuring this content is available over the long-term. This assessment can be completed by one person, but preferably by a small team. The results can be used by your team to help you plan your next steps, to communicate needs to your leadership or other influencing decisionmakers, to set annual priorities, to choose a project to work on, to plan a project, or to create a funding request, and more.” (p.7)

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English

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SDGs LINKAGES

The resource is linked to SDG targets relating to long-term effectiveness of heritage collections and supporting infrastructure, including SDG 9.1 (develop sustainable infrastructure for human wellbeing and economic development), 11.4 (protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage), 16.6 (effective, accountable and transparent institutions) and 16.10 (protect the right to information and fundamental freedoms).

Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators

SDG 9.1: Develop Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Infrastructures
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Development of research-useful collections to support reliable, sustainable and resilient use by researchers and others.
Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that support economic development and human well-being.
Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that provide affordable and equitable access for all.
Investment in collections facilities.
Inclusion of collections information in regional and transborder initiatives, notably via digital access for discoverability.
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SDG 11.4: Protect the Worlds Cultural and Natural Heritage
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage.
Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections for a variety of purposes, protecting and safeguarding both collections and those who use them.
Plans, policies and procedures in place for the identification, safeguarding and protection of cultural and natural heritage at risk.
Collecting programmes in place to protect, safeguard and make use of cultural and natural heritage, addressing the needs of communities and stakeholders, and ensuring that collections can be an effective resource for sustainable development.
Number and diversity of educational, awareness-raising, research programmes, and partnerships that aim to strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage.
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SDG 16.6: Develop Effective Accountable and Transparent Institutions
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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SDG 16.10: Ensure Public Access to Information and Protect Fundamental Freedoms
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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5Ps

ACTIONS

SDGs