DRAMBORA

In April 2008, DRAMBORA Interactive was released. Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment (DRAMBORA) is a methodology and online tool that includes a form-based interface, peer comparisons, reporting mechansisms, and maturity tracking. The tool requires repository personnel to describe its characteristics. The goal is to create an ever-evolving ontology of repository attributes through which repositories can be compared to similar repositories. The toolkit was developed by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE). It is not competitive with audit checklists, such as nestor or TRAC, but encourages repositories to use these tools in conjunction with DRAMBORA.

DRAMBORA is a two phase system self-assessment tool. The first phase results in a comprehensive organizational overview. The second phase involves risk identification, assessment, and management. Through the bottom-up approach repositories evaluate themselves based on the repositories own contextual environment and can then compare their characteristics to other repositories. According to this article, DRAMBORA’s creators are also developing “key lines of enquiry” which are sets of questions that will guide auditors within an organization to focus on significant issues or risk factors.

The overall idea is that a successful digital repository is one that plans for uncertainties, converts them into risks, then manages these risks. It involves a cyclical process by which a repository reduces the level of risk after each iteration. Participation is not rewarded by a certification or endorsement. Repositories benefit by strengthening their self-awareness and ability to identify and manage risks. This enables them to present information about their repository that makes them more approachable and trustworthy. The creators argue that DRAMBORA “offers benefits to repositories both individually and collectively” in that it opens up lines of communication between repositories. DRAMBORA facilitates classification of digital repositories so that services and characteristics are more easily communicated to an audience.

The website states that he purpose of the DRAMBORA toolkit is to facilitate the auditor in:
- Defining the mandate and scope of functions of the repository
- Identifying the activities and assets of the repository
- Identifying the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the mandate, activities and assets
- Assessing and calculating the risks
- Defining risk management measures
- Reporting on the self-audit

There is an offline version of DRAMBORA that you can download from the website, but both options require registration. While it is a European initiative, DRAMBORA has been implemented at numerous repositories in the US and Europe.