Ref: UN/CS/RAI/USAA/DB01/2004-00182
United
Nations Participating Ogranisations
Development
of a Strategic Plan for a
Digital Archives Programme,
Digital
Assessment Survey
Part
1: Information Technology *
* Information Technology Representatives, E-mail Administrators, Technology Coordinators, Information Architects, Application Owners
Digital Assessment Survey
This
Questionnaire is to be completed by Information Technology and Communications
professionals within each UNPO.
Part 1 - Information Technology
- General Information
- Technology and Information Systems
2.1 Technology Infrastructure
2.2 Technology Applications
2.3 Storage and Media
2.4 Data Integrity
2.5 Security and Access
2.6 Electronic Mail and Messaging Systems
- Additional comments
PART
I: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONNAIRE
This survey is
designed to collect information concerning the status and development of electronic records
programmes and related areas from IT Departments/Units. Where
a response is not received, we will assume that no efforts are being initiated
in that area.
Support Documentation:
Annex
1 – Organisational Units
Annex 2 -
Generic Functions/Subfunction Matrix
Annex 3 -
Record Series (to be used in RM questionaire Part II)
Annex 4 – List
of IT systems, applications and software
Annex 5 – List
of Policies and Procedures
1.0 General Information
UN Participating Organisations: UNOPS
Organisation/Work
Unit Name: Information Communication & Technology
Location:
Name and Title of Person Completing Survey:
Sonia E. Simmonds, Chief ICT Client Services Phone #:
E-mail Address: ___sonias@unops.org__________________________
Contact Person (if different from
above:
Phone #:
Contact Person’s (E-mail Address): ___________________________________
Reference Number (for WGARM/
Identify your role (check all appropriate boxes) within the IT environment:
__X_ Information Technology Representatives: Information Technology representatives form each of the UNPOs and/or other major subgroups within the UNPOs.
___ E-mail Administrators: Those individuals responsible for the development and implementation of the e-mail policies and procedures.
_X__ Technology Coordinators: Individuals within the UNPOs that are responsible for coordinating technology initiatives, usage, and standards across multiple business processes, groups, and/or technology applications.
___ Information Architects: Individuals within each of the UNPOs that are responsible for the functional composition of the business processes and their relationship to the high level function and information assets of the organization.
___ Application Owners: Personnel owning or responsible for the major Records, Document, and Transactional systems and applications within each of the UNPOs and/or other major subgroups within the UNPOs.
1.1 Departmental Background And Related Documentation
1.1.1 From
Annex 1, Identify which organisational unit(s) are covered by this survey. If the organisational unit(s) you represent
are not listed in Annex 1, please provide a separate list and attach to this
questionnaire.
Annotated Annex Yes __X_
No ___
Additional List Yes___ No ___
1.1.2 From
Annex 2, identify which functions and subfunctions are covered by this
survey. If the functions and
sub-functions you represent are not listed in Annex 2, please provide a
separate list and attach to this questinnaire.
Annotated Annex Yes _X_
No ___
Additional List Yes___ No ___
1.1.3
From Annex 4, validate list of IT
systems, applications and software (see 2.2.1).
If the systems, applications and software are not listed in Annex 4,
please provide a separate list and attach to this questionnaire.
Annotated Annex Yes _x_
No ___
Additional List Yes___
No ___
1.1.4
From Annex 5 validate list of Policies
and Procedures (see 2.1.1). If the
Policies and Procedures are not listed in Annex 5, please provide a separate
list and attach to this questinnaire.
Annotated Annex Yes ___
No ___
Additional List Yes___ No ___
2.0 Technology and Information Systems
2.1 Technology Infrastructure
2.1.1
Does your organisation maintain any Information Technology
Standards, Policies, Procedures or Practices?
Validate Annex 5 and indicate below and attach any relevant documents
that are not listed in the annex. Please
note if it is an undocumented practice and indicate if it is within the
specific organisational unit or across multiple organisational units.
Systems, Application databases and
Software:
|
|
Document |
Description |
Reference |
Date
of issuance |
|
Policy |
UNOPS
Email-Internet Policy.doc |
Email-Internet |
|
Jan. 2001 |
|
Procedures |
|
|
|
|
|
Standards |
|
|
|
|
|
Security |
|
|
|
|
|
Scheduling |
|
|
|
|
|
Disposition |
|
|
|
|
Training
|
|
|
|
|
Electronic Records (structured or
unstructured):
|
|
Document |
Description |
Reference |
Date
of issuance |
|
Policy |
|
|
|
|
|
Procedures |
|
|
|
|
|
Standards |
|
|
|
|
|
Security |
|
|
|
|
|
Scheduling |
|
|
|
|
|
Disposition |
|
|
|
|
Training
|
|
|
|
|
Email (if separate from above):
|
|
Document |
Description |
Reference |
Date
of issuance |
|
Policy |
|
|
|
|
|
Procedures |
|
|
|
|
|
Standards |
|
|
|
|
|
Security |
|
|
|
|
|
Scheduling |
|
|
|
|
|
Disposition |
|
|
|
|
Training
|
|
|
|
|
2.1.2
Which of the following database technology applications is
your organisation using or considering? Please check all that apply.
|
Applications
Programmed in a Commercial Database |
Currently Using |
Considering Use |
Used in the Past |
Have Defined Need |
Current Project |
|
Microsoft SQL |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Oracle |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Sybase |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
dbase, Foxbase, etc. |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Microsoft Access |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Other (Please specify): |
|
|
|
|
|
Additional Details:
|
|
2.1.3
Which of the following application development tools is your
organisation using or considering? Please check all that apply.
|
Custom
Developed Applications |
Currently Using |
Considering Use |
Used in the Past |
Have Defined Need |
Current Project |
|
Java |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
HTML |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
. |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Visual Basic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pascal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C++ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other (Please specify): |
C# |
|
|
|
|
Additional Details:
|
|
2.2 Technology Applications
2.2.1
Does your organisation maintain an inventory or list of
automated applications (i.e., word processing, office automation, custom
applications, document repositories, databases, spreadsheets, etc.) used or
supported within your organisation?
Validate Annex 4 and indicate below and attach any relevant documents
that are not listed in the annex.
Response/Details:
|
Annex
IV to be validated |
2.2.2
Which of the following technologies and software
applications is your Department/Group currently using or considering? Please
identify all that apply and also provide appropriate details below. Please enter the appropriate system names
from question 2.2.1 above.
|
Technology Application |
Use Currently |
Considering Use |
Used in the Past |
Have
Defined Need |
Current Project |
|
Records Management |
|
|
|
Have undefined
need |
|
|
Document
Management Systems |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Content Management |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Artificial
Intelligence, Searching, Indexing |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Data Mining |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Taxonomy,
Intelligent Classification (e.g., Verity) |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
COLD Storage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Optical Character
Recognition |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Collaboration Systems (e.g., Lotus Notes, etc.) |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Digital Imaging (Kofax, etc.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Enterprise
Resource & Planning (e.g., |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Artificial Intelligence (AI) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Workflow, Business
Process Automation |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Electronic Mail
(Email) |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Geographic
Information Systems ( |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intranet/Internal
Web Postings |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Internet |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Other (
Describe): _____________ |
|
|
|
|
|
2.3 Storage and Media
2.3.1
Describe what media/storage devices are used by your
Department/Group to retain records and documents in electronic format. Please
identify all that apply and also provide appropriate details.
|
Storage Technology |
Use Currently |
Considering Use |
Used in the Past |
|
Computer Tapes |
X |
|
|
|
Storage Area Network |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD-ROM/ |
X |
|
|
|
Worm Disks |
|
|
|
|
Magneto Optical Disks |
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
Additional Details:
|
|
2.3.2
Does your organisation have agreements for off-site data
hosting? If so, are these reflected in
your standards, policies, and procedures?
Do these agreeements cover storage and information security issues?
Please provide appropriate detail.
q
xYes.
q
No.
q
Don’t Know
Additional Details:
|
Cori/Unisys
for Atlas; Off-site storage of backup tapes with UNDP |
2.3.3
Does your organisation have a Digital Archives? If so, when did you organisation begin its
digital archive? Please briefly
describe the associated record types and identify the file format (eg., .doc,
.pdf, .xml, etc.). Use separate sheet as
necessary.
q
Created in the
1960’s.
q
Created in the
1970’s.
q
Created between
1980 and 1985.
q
Created between
1985 and 1995.
q
Created after
1995.
q
Do not have a
digital archive.
Additional Details:
|
No |
2.3.4
Does your organisation have one or more defined document
archival file format standards. Please
explain and identify the file format (eg., .tiff, .pdf, .xml, etc.). Use separate sheet as necessary.
Additional Details:
|
No |
2.3.5
Does your organisation have one or more defined data
archival standards. Please identify if
listed in question 2.1.1 above. Use
separate sheet as necessary.
Additional Details:
|
No |
2.3.6
Do you use any retention and/or destruction methods for
electronic records? Please explain.
Response:
|
E-mail
– mailbox contents deleted 90 days or older.
Retention is user controlled through archiving. |
2.4 Data Integrity and Access
2.4.1
Has your Organisation ever converted data from one hardware
environment to a new hardware environment?
q
Yes
q
xNo
q
Do Not Know
Additional Detail on the most recent (3-4 years):
|
|
2.4.1.1 If yes, Please describe
the project, your level of success and the hardware and data you used, provide
appropriate details below or on a separate sheet:
|
|
Project Name/Description |
|
Very Successful |
|
|
Average |
|
|
Not Successful |
|
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.2
Has your Organisation ever converted data from one software
environment to a new software environment?
q
Yes
q
xNo
q
Do Not Know
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.2.1 If yes, Please describe
the project, your level of success and the software and data you used, provide
appropriate details below or on a separate sheet:
|
|
Project Name/Description |
|
Very Successful |
|
|
Average |
|
|
Not Successful |
|
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.2.2
Was there a loss of data associated with one or more of the
projects identified above, if so explain:
|
|
Project Name/Description |
|
More than Expected |
|
|
Less than expected |
|
|
No Data Loss |
|
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.3
How often does your agency perform regular backups and in
what medium and location are the backups stored?
2.4.3.1
Frequency: Please
check all that apply.
|
Back-up/Recovery |
Daily |
Weekly |
Monthly |
Never |
|
Mainframes |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
Minicomputers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
X |
|
|
Personal Computers |
|
|
|
|
|
Laptops |
|
|
|
|
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.3.2
Storage Medium:
Please check all that apply.
|
Back-up/Recovery |
Disk |
Magnetic Tape |
Optical Disk |
|
Mainframes |
|
|
|
|
Minicomputers |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Personal Computers |
|
|
|
|
Laptops |
|
|
|
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.3.3
Location: Please
check all that apply.
|
Back-up/Recovery |
On-Site |
Off-Site |
|
Mainframes |
|
|
|
Minicomputers |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Personal Computers |
|
|
|
Laptops |
|
|
Additional Detail:
|
|
2.4.4
Does your organisation utilize any digital signature
technologies? If so, does the organisation have standards, policies, and
procedures for digital signatures?
Response:
|
No |
2.4.5
Please describe the verification and authentication process
for digital records within your organisation.
Response:
|
|
2.4.6
Does your organisation have any specific Policy, Procedure
or standards governing remote access of UNPO systems, applications or data?
Identify and reference as appropriate.
Response:
|
|
2.4.7
Does your organisation have any plans to increase remote
access of UNPO systems, applications or data to traveling staff, external
partners or governments, NGOs or related groups?
Response:
|
|
2.4.8
How does your organisation address concerns of systems and
data security with the increasing need for remote access by users?
Response:
|
|
2.5 Electronic Mail and Messaging
Systems
2.5.1
Do you have an email policy, how do you capture and maintain
emails as business records?
Response:
|
|
2.5.2
What system is used for e-mail and how do you manage your
e-mail?
Response:
|
|
2.5.3
Do you use any retention and/or destruction methods for
e-mail records? If so, please explain.
Response:
|
|
3. Additional Comments:
Thank You for Your
Participation in this Survey
For clarification or further
information, please contact the
UNPO
Dhurjati Mueller,