We have kept the two things separate due to dependencies on external
projects and this is definately making our lives a touch more complicated
and possibly increasing the costs of the project. However, I think the long
term benefit is that it should demand more rigour and clarity in the design
of the various components to ensure that everything fits and works together
at the end. If this is done well then we will have a better
described/documented system that has been designed in an 'open' way by the
best people around making it easier to maintain and modify. It also reduces
the dependency on any one agency and makes it alot easier to bring in
different people in the future. Of course, if it doesn't go so well....!
BTW We will be inviting our web design agency to tender for the technial
build as well as specialist technical agencies.

Returning to an earlier question - is anyone going down the 'open source'
route with any parts of their system? And have you found any good agencies
or technologies? Are people looking at the Archive Management and Web Site
Management (CMS) as separate things or as integral (highly connected)
elements of the same system?

Thanks
Dan

~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Morrison
The Who Cares Trust

-----Original Message-----
From: This list allows people applying for New Opportunities Fund
Digitisation fu [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Paola
Marchionni
Sent: 01 March 2002 18:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Open Source Content Management


>We had initially thought of combining the tender for a CMS and the
website
>design in one document rather than doing them separately. However, we
have
>found that many suppliers of CMS are not necessarily good web designers
and
>vice versa. Having said that we can see advantages in dealing with one
>supplier as it may reduce costs and will keep both "back end" and
"front >end" of the site compatible.


Hi Alex,

With regard to your question, we have faced the same problems, however,
I included in my tender all the three main elements of our project:
archive management system, CMS and web interface. Some of the suppliers
who'll be bidding (I met a number of them informally before sending them
the tender) are archive/cms specialists but also have web design teams
working with them or are happy to work with external designers. As
someone else suggested, at least one of our respondents will be a
partnership between a specialist archive management system company and a
CMS/web design organisation.

I know other projects who have included all the different elements in
their tender and then sent it to companies specialising in the various
areas (back end, cms, design...etc) inviting them to reply to whichever
part of the tender their business relates to. Perhaps partnerships
between companies could be set up once you receive the proposals from
the various suppliers, according to who you feel is stronger in which
area.

Paola


Paola Marchionni
Project Director
SALIDAA
(South Asian Diaspora Literature and Arts Archive)
c/o Commonwealth Institute
Kensington High Street
London W8 6NQ
Tel: 020-7603 0355

SALIDAA is a registered charity No 1081584