David Dawson
There are currently a number of
initiatives to share experiences in the management of digital content creation
programmes. The creation of digital content is still a new area, and many
aspects are untried and have yet to be evaluated. The field is rich in
assertions, and poor in proven experience. In such an area the sharing of experience
and the adoption of approaches that have been shown to work can save large
amounts of scarce resources, both financial and human. Beginning in 2000, moves
have been made within Europe to encourage shared developments, and the process
is being echoed by a wider international initiative. However, these are early
days, and progress depends on the detailed circumstances in each country.
In the UK there have been a number of significant developments in content creation programmes over recent years. A striking feature has been the evolution from small-scale activity, largely as the result of bids by single institutions, towards large scale funding. At the same time, the focus has been shifting towards partnerships and shared approaches by the institutions developing projects, and a more user-focussed approach being taken by funders.