DiSSCo Prepare Milestone report MS7.5 - Design of the DiSSCo policy framework tool

Abstract

To develop the organisational readiness of DiSSCo, we need to ensure the related policies of DiSSCo members align with the needs of DiSSCo services. Work in previous projects has shown that the complex governance structures and fragmented policy frameworks of DiSSCo members mean that direct imposition of a new set of DiSSCo service policies would be extremely difficult. Instead, we sought to develop an alternative approach, measuring institutional compliance with DiSSCo policy needs through the development of a new software tool. This tool must 1) support the self-assessment and development of member institutions existing policy frameworks against DiSSCo service needs; and 2) support the DiSSCo Coordination and Support Office (CSO), or its successor, in their efforts to demonstrate and incentivise policy alignment. The following document (DiSSCo Prepare Milestone 7.5) provides a blueprint for the technical features for such a tool based on a set of functional and non-functional requirements, expressed as acceptance criteria. These are drawn from a set of user stories, developed through a series of interviews and meetings with policy stakeholders. The criteria are accompanied by definitions, user roles and workflow descriptions that would enable the technical development of the tool, as outlined in the associated Deliverable 7.3, due for completion in July 2022. Throughout the development of this technical blueprint, we became aware of a set of closely related technical needs to support the self-assessment of member institutions digital maturity (DiSSCo Prepare Task 3.1). While these needs are described separately, their potential synergy should be taken into account when building a technical solution that addresses these policy requirements.