National Occupational Standards in
Archaeological Practice

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AE5 Develop and implement preventive conservation procedures for archaeological items

AE5.2 Monitor, evaluate and advise on the environmental protection of items

Performance Required

This will involve:

1. Establishing schedules and procedures for monitoring and maintaining the environmental protection and condition of items, and evaluating their effectiveness
2. Ensuring schedules and procedures for monitoring and maintaining the environment of the items are correctly implemented
3. Identifying as quickly as possible any evidence of instability or change in the items and any other indications that the environment is not suitable, and taking appropriate action
4. Implementing ongoing conservation procedures according to schedule
5. Taking appropriate action when specifications for the environmental protection and condition of items are not being met
6. Ensuring the records of the monitoring process are clear and accurate
7. Complying at all times with health and safety procedures

Occuptional Context

1. Effectiveness
   • efficient protection and maintenance of condition
   • in terms of costs and benefits of resources and their outputs
   • in relation to strategy expectations, targets and milestones
2. Appropriate action
   • removal from / adjusting environment
   • improving monitoring, observation, inspection and measurement procedures
   • appropriate for resource capacity
   • appropriate for item requirements
   • appropriate for organisational policy and culture
   • appropriate for the objectives of the discipline and for contribution to it

Knowledge Requirements

You need to know about:

Monitoring and Evaluation

• How the location's environment can be accurately monitored, and the principal factors to monitor
• The indications that an environment is not suitable for the items

Advising

• The action that can be taken if the environment is not suitable for the item
• Who are the appropriate people to inform of any problems
• The health and safety implications of the available treatments
• The implications of an inappropriate environment.

Required Skills

You should demonstrate:

• Observation skills and attention to detail
• Record-keeping and data analysis skills
• Communication skills

Evidence Required

You should provide evidence that you can monitor, evaluate and advise on the environmental protection of items

The candidate should be questioned, based upon the documentation provided, to explore how they

• monitor, evaluate and advise on the environmental protection of items.

Evidence Rules

The candidate should have been developed and implemented a range of preventive conservation procedures typical to their work area.

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Today's date: 3/9/2010
This page last updated: 6/8/2007 11:58