National Occupational Standards in
Archaeological Practice

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AF2 Develop and maintain procedures for the use of information systems

AF2.2 Develop documentation rules

Performance Required

This will involve:

1. Ensuring the structure of the records meets the requirements of users and complies with relevant standards
2. Ensuring the indexing procedures are suitable for what is being documented
3. Specifying the individuals authorised to record the collection
4. Ensuring the period between entry and accession is minimised
5. Specifying information that is mandatory
6. Identifying the information that is confidential and specifying access restrictions
7. Establishing procedures for the security of the information
8. Identifying any problems with the documentation rules and implementing improvements
9. Recording clearly the documentation rules and distributing them to all the appropriate people

Occupational Context

1. Structure of the records
   • in terms of order (alphabetical / numerical / date / category)
   • in terms of format / arrangement (index, contents, listings)
   • in terms of location
2. Security of the information
   • illegal access and criminal damage / theft
   • environmental damage (fire, flood, lighting, temperature etc)
   • usage: validity, reliability, relevance (in terms of lifespan, content, et
3. Documentation rules
   • for protection and upkeep
   • about access and dissemination
   • in line with Codes of Conduct and Best Practice
4. Appropriate people
   • data input staff
   • information system managers
   • maintenance and support staff
   • students / supervisors
   • research team staff
   • external professionals: experts, advisors, consultants

Knowledge Requirements

You need to know and understand how to:

• How to provide guidelines and procedures for users

You need to know about:

• The different requirements of users
• The field and record structure of the database
• The different indexing procedures available
• Who is responsible for authorising users, and where records of this are kept
• What type of information is mandatory and optional
• Guidelines on best practice
• The procedures for accessing and amending data
• What security measures are necessary for the information
• What methods there are for securing the catalogue
• The backlog policy of the organisation

Required Skills

N/A

Evidence Required

You should provide evidence that you can develop documentation rules

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

• develop documentation rules.

Evidence Rules

The candidate should have been involved in developing procedures for and using information systems over a period of time within a working context.

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Today's date: 31/7/2010
This page last updated: 27/7/2007 16:17