This document provides an overview of the FIAT/IFTA Outsourced Digitization Tendering Guide, which aims to help archives write requests for proposals (RFPs) for outsourcing audiovisual digitization projects. The guide was created by the FIAT/IFTA Preservation & Migration Commission in response to member requests. It is based on existing digitization guides and specifications. The overview document outlines the guide's purpose and structure, which covers topics like project scope, technical requirements, cost breakdown templates, and evaluating contractor proposals. It is intended to help archives properly plan digitization projects and write specifications to ensure successful outsourced work.

1. FIAT/IFTA Outsourced Digitisation Tendering Guide
A guide to composing specifications for
outsourcing audiovisual digitisation
FIAT/IFTA World Conference, Venice, 2019 – Brecht Declercq (VIAA) – 25.10.2019

2. What is this guide?
 An initiative started in 2017 by the FIAT/IFTA
Preservation & Migration Commission.
 Answering to the request for concrete help and
guidance of the FIAT/IFTA members
 A guide to help archives who want to write a
tender for audiovisual digitisation services.

3. For whom is this guide?
 Every organisation planning to carry out a
digitisation project and involve a third party (usually
a commercial company) to execute (part of) the
work.
 Bound (or not bound) to tendering legislation.
 With the digitisation being done on site or at an
external location.

4. Why do we write this guide?
Because you’ve asked for it:
 Answering to the request for concrete help and guidance of
the FIAT/IFTA members: learn from experience exchange.
For better digitisation projects:
 Well thought over project specifications are a key document to
establish a solid and successful project.
For a further professionalization of the field in general:
 Homogenization in the tenders may lead to clearer and better
answers and better accordance with the service providers.

5. “You can’t get
what you want …
‘till you know
what you want.”
[Joe Jackson]

6. How can you use this guide?
As a step-by-step guide:
 To inspire, to help you make your mind up, to encourage
thorough project preparations
 To remind you to cover all necessary aspects in your tender
and your specifications statement
This guide should not be considered as:
 A handbook for the digitisation of audiovisual heritage
 A complete one-fits-all document

7. What does this guide consist of?

8. General
introduction
Concept
Audience
Use
Content
Purpose
Sources
Authors
Contribute

9. Overview
Document
Introduction
Procedure
Proposals evaluation
Contractual clauses

10. Background
Document
Project scope
Timeline
Budget
Project partners
Collection description
Business case
Technical requirements
Project management
requirements

11. Price Matrix
Template
Contact information
Key project information
Costs overview
Costs breakdown
Minimum requirements
checklist

12. What is this guide based on?
Several similar documents:
 De Stefano, P., Tarr, K., Buchman, M., Oleksik, P., Moscoso, A., Moskowitz, B. Digitizing Video for
Long-Term Preservation: an RFP Guide and Template. New York, Barbara Goldsmith
Preservation & Conservation Department - New York University Libraries, 2013.
http://guides.nyu.edu/ld.php?content_id=24817650
 Lacinak, C. Guide to Developing a Request for Proposal for the Digitization of Video (and More).
New York, AVPreserve, 2013. https://www.avpreserve.com/papers-and-presentations/guide-to-
developing-a-request-for-proposal-for-the-digitization-of-video-and-more/
 Moufflet, J.-F., Jacobson, M., Claerr, T. Le Galèze, P., Zillhardt, S. Écrire un cahier des charges de
numérisation de collections sonores, audiovisuelles et filmiques. Paris, Ministère de la Culture
et de la Communication, 2009.
https://francearchives.fr/file/9c1987da1084ddc8f81eae806042c6c57a7ec2fc/static_7929.pdf
 Teruggi, D. Models for Defining Technical Specifications for Digitisation Service Level.
Agreements. Hilversum, PrestoCentre, 2012.
Bring strong points together and update!

13. What is this guide based on?
Several relating documents:
 IASA Technical Committee, Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio
Objects, ed. by Kevin Bradley. Second edition 2009. (= Standards, Recommended Practices and
Strategies, IASA-TC 04).
 IASA Technical Committee, Handling and Storage of Audio and Video Carriers, ed. by Dietrich
Schüller and Albrecht Häfner. First edition 2014. (= Standards, Recommended Practices and
Strategies, IASA-TC 05).
 Brylawski, S, Lerman, M., Pike, R., Smith, K. (eds.) ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation. Eugene,
OR – Washington, DC, ARSC, 2014. https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub164/pub164.pdf
 Casey, M., Gordon, B. Sound directions. Best practices for audio preservation. Cambridge (MA) -
Bloomington (IN), Harvard University, Indiana University, 2007.
http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/projects/sounddirections/papersPresent/sd_bp_07.pdf
Act as reference sources for the digitisation specifications

14. What will this guide look like?
 An online available .pdf in the official FIAT/IFTA lay-out
 Licensed CC BY-SA
 No printed version is envisioned
 Freely available online, registration as a member not required

15. Who writes this guide?
The FIAT/IFTA Preservation & Migration Commission:
Christoph Bauer (Österreichische Rundfunk), Laurent Boch
(RAI), Adrian Chan (National Library of Singapore), Charles
Fairall (British Film Institute), Carlos Hernandez-Esteban
(ASECIC), Jörg Houpert (Cube-Tec), Etienne Marchand (INA),
Richard Wright (Preservation Guide), Brecht Declercq (VIAA)
And you! – get in touch via office@fiatifta.org!

16. What is the current status?
Partially ready for publication
 Introduction and Overview Document v1 ready for publication
 Background document and Price Matrix further prepared
Preparing promotion and communication actions

17. Overview Document
• What do we mean?
• Which information to
mention?
• Which options /
variables? Pros and cons
• Why is it important to
mention?
• Where relevant:
example

18. Overview Document: example
“We’d like to avoid having to work with a totally
inexperienced company, but we fear we’ll have to, if they
offer a very low price. How do we avoid that in a legal
way?”
II. Procedure - C. Who can be a candidate
 Mandatory and optional exclusion
 Proofs against exclusion and financial and economic capacity
 Proofs of technical capacity: references

19. Overview Document: example
 Can I give a score for references?
 What is the best place in the tender to ask for it?
 Which information should I ask for?
 Which information am I allowed to ask for?
 How many references should I ask for?
 What are the risks of asking for particular references?
 How strict should the terms be set?
 How can I check the references?
 How do I determine a good balance between price and
quality scores?

20. THANK YOU!
FIAT/IFTA PMC Members
Brecht Declercq (VIAA), Christoph Bauer (Österreichische Rundfunk), Laurent
Boch (RAI), Adrian Chan (National Library of Singapore), Charles Fairall (British
Film Institute), Carlos Hernandez-Esteban (ASECIC), Jörg Houpert (Cube-Tec),
Etienne Marchand (Institut National de l’Audiovisuel), Richard Wright
(Preservation Guide)
Twitter: @FIATIFTA_PMC