PECB Certified Digitalization and Electronic Archiving Training Course

Understanding Process Digitalization and Retention

1. The Context of Digitalization:
   • Information Lifecycle Management (ILM).
   • Distinguishing between digitization (process), digitalization (process transformation), and electronic archiving.
2. Regulatory Framework:
   • Legal retention mandates (including statutes of limitations).
   • Compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and local laws.
   • Contractual and insurance considerations regarding data integrity and preservation.
3. The Strategic Value of Archiving:
   • Reducing costs and optimizing physical space.
   • Ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery.
   • Enhancing organizational agility and decision-making capabilities.
4. Risks and Threats:
   • Identifying risks such as technical obsolescence, data loss, and unauthorized access.
   • Applying risk analysis methodologies to digital archives.
5. Workshop 1: Assessing the current state of information management within an organization.

Methodological Aspects of a Digitalization Project (Part I)

1. Project Initiation:
   • Defining the scope of the digitalization project.
   • Conducting stakeholder analysis and establishing organizational charters.
2. Requirements Analysis:
   • Functional requirements: Search, access, security, and interoperability.
   • Non-functional requirements: Performance, storage capacity, and format preservation.
3. Information Classification:
   • Categorizing documents (Active, Inactive, Historical).
   • Developing classification schemas and taxonomies.
4. Selecting Partners and Providers:
   • Preparing the RFP (Request for Proposal).
   • Establishing criteria for vendor selection, including SLAs, audit trails, and long-term viability.
5. Workshop 2: Drafting a Project Charter and Requirements Document for a digitalization initiative.

Methodological Aspects of a Digitalization Project (Part II)

1. Digitization Processes:
   • Workflow: Capture, indexing, verification, and transfer.
   • Quality standards for digitized files (Resolution, color, OCR quality).
2. Metadata and Indexing:
   • Metadata schemas (Dublin Core, METS).
   • The role of metadata in ensuring searchability and preservation.
3. Storage and Preservation:
   • Strategies for physical vs. logical storage.
   • Format preservation (e.g., PDF/A, XML) to prevent obsolescence.
   • Bit-level management and integrity checks.
4. Validation and Handover:
   • Setting acceptance criteria for digitized content.
   • Transitioning from paper-based to digital workflows.
5. Workshop 3: Designing a Metadata Schema and Quality Assurance checklist.

Solutions and Documentation Framework

1. Electronic Archiving Solutions:
   • Comparing DMS (Document Management Systems), ERMS (Electronic Records Management Systems), and ARMS (Archive Records Management Systems).
   • Selecting solutions based on architecture and capabilities, without becoming overwhelmed by technical specifics.
2. Security and Access Control:
   • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
   • Encryption (at rest and in transit).
   • Audit trails and user logging.
3. Retrieval and Search:
   • Advanced search capabilities (Boolean, faceted search).
   • Ensuring data availability over extended periods.
4. Legal and Contractual Aspects of Storage:
   • Maintaining the "original" status of electronic documents (Chain of Custody).
   • Managing legal holds and supporting litigation.
5. Workshop 4: Evaluating vendor solutions using methodological criteria.

Developments, Governance, and Certification Exam

1. Data Governance:
   • Formulating policies for data retention and destruction.
   • Ensuring compliance and auditability.
   • Implementing governance models and steering committees.
2. Future Trends and Technologies:
   • Utilizing AI and Machine Learning in archiving (automated classification).
   • Cloud Archiving and Distributed Ledger Technology (Blockchain).
   • Addressing sustainability in digital archiving.
3. Case Studies:
   • Analyzing real-world success and failure scenarios.
4. PECB Certification Exam:
   • Passing the theory-based exam to become a PECB Certified Lead Digitalization and Electronic Archiving Manager.