Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) Announces Public Comment Period for All E-Discovery Projects

Comment period for all eight standardization projects extends through April 15, 2010, and includes an “Open Mic” page for comments, questions and suggestions \r\n\r\nST. PAUL, Minn. – February 23, 2010 – The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) project teams announced today announced the beginning of the public comment period for new work product drafts posted on the EDRM website. Updates on each EDRM projects – Evergreen, Metrics, Search, Information Management Reference Model, Jobs, Model Code of Conduct and XML – were given at EDRM’s luncheon that took place on February 1 during LegalTech New York. The comment period for each of the projects’ working drafts extends through April 15, 2010, and includes an “Open Mic” page for general comments, questions and suggestions.\r\n\r\nA recap of each of the project updates and work product drafts posted include:\r\n

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• Evergreen – The Evergreen project team has made considerable progress in updating the EDRM.net website to standardize the organizational flow of content across all EDRM working groups. Website updates support Evergreen goals to streamline access to content and promote feedback. Posted materials include:\r\n
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  • EDRM Evergreen Overview

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  • 2nd level diagram for each EDRM node, plus a Project Management diagram

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• Metrics – After three years of hard work, the Metrics project team has developed an extensive set of codes designed to provide an effective means of measuring the time, money and volumes associated with e-discovery activities. Posted materials include:

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  • The EDRM Metrics Cube – a top-level graphic that portrays interrelationships

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  • Version 1.0 of the Metrics Code Set

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  • Metrics Problem Profiles – the first of several case studies that demonstrate the use of metrics in e-discovery

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• Search – The Search project team is developing a framework for defining and managing Search as applied to e-discovery workflow, specifically focused on techniques for collecting, culling, filtering, locating and classifying electronically stored information. Posted materials include:\r\n
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  • EDRM Search Overview

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  • EDRM Search Guide

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• Information Management Reference Model (IMRM) – The IMRM project team is working to provide a common, practical, flexible framework to help organizations develop and implement effective and actionable information management programs. In an effort to facilitate dialogue among legal, IT, records management, line-of-business and other stakeholders, the work group has posted the following materials for comment:\r\n
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  • A top-level, draft diagram of IMRM

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  • The IMRM Draft Guide – a narrative to support the top-level diagram

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  • IMRM Overview – a high-level description of the project

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• Jobs – The Jobs project team is in the process of developing a framework for evaluating pre-discovery and discovery personnel needs or issues. This includes providing scenarios based on existing business models that can help organizations identify, assess, advocate for, recruit, on-board and retain qualified professional resources. The first posted materials include:\r\n
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  • EDRM Jobs Overview – high level description of the EDRM Jobs framework

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  • 1st and 2nd level diagrams that support the EDRM Jobs framework

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• Model Code of Conduct – The Model Code of Conduct project team is evaluating and defining acceptable guidelines of ethical business practices within the e-discovery service industry, which are intended to serve as a basis for decision-making by all participants. Posted materials include:\r\n
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  • EDRM Model Code of Conduct Overview

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  • Draft principals and corollaries

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• Data Set – The Data Set Project is providing industry-standard, reference data sets of ESI and software files that can be used to test various aspects of e-discovery software and services. Posted materials now include:\r\n
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  • EDRM Data Set Enron PST files

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  • EDRM File Format Data Set

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  • EDRM Internationalization Data Set

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• XML – The XML Project has developed a series of standard, generally-accepted XML schema to facilitate the movement of ESI from one step of the e-discovery process to the next, from one software program to another and from one organization to the next. Twenty one organizations representing 28 products and services now demonstrate compliance with the EDRM XML schema. Posted materials include:\r\n
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  • EDRM XML Overview

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  • EDRM XML Goals

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\r\nMore information on each of the EDRM projects and the materials is available at https://edrm.net.\r\n\r\nAbout EDRM\r\nLaunched in May 2005, the EDRM project was created to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the electronic discovery market – a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for vendors and consumers alike. The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of electronic discovery products and services. Expanding on the base defined with the Reference Model, the EDRM projects were expanded in May 2006 to include the EDRM Metrics and the EDRM XML projects. Over the past four years, the EDRM project has comprised more than 180 organizations, including 120 service and software providers, 45 law firms, three industry groups and 16 corporations involved with e-discovery. Information about the EDRM project is available at https://edrm.net.\r\n\r\nPress contacts:\r\n\r\nGeorge Socha\r\nSocha Consulting\r\n651.690.1739\r\n pr@edrm.net\r\n\r\nTom Gelbmann\r\nGelbmann & Associates\r\n651-483-0022\r\n pr@edrm.net