National Occupational Standards in
Archaeological Practice

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AG1 Develop strategies for the maintenance and use of an archaeological collection

AG1.1 Determine the scope and potential development of a collection

Performance Required

This will involve:

1. Reviewing the acquisition and disposal policies of the organisation thoroughly and presenting them in a suitable document
2. Identifying the scope and significance and the strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection
3. Assessing the effectiveness of the acquisitions and disposals criteria
4. Assessing the impact of current and future use of the collection
5. Evaluating the relationship between the existing collection and the requirements of the organisation's policies
6. Investigating thoroughly the options for adding to the collection
7. Taking fully into account the acquisition and disposal policies of other organisations
9. Identifying clearly any potential developments and the resource implications for the organisation, and assessing them for their impact on current and future collections

Occupational Context

1. Scope of the collection
   • quantity
   • quality
   • geographical area
   • historical period
2. Significance of the collection
   • historical, importance
   • cultural importance
   • scientific importance
3. Potential developments
   • anticipated use
   • availability of other items
   • funds
   • personnel
   • facilities

Knowledge Requirements

You need to know and understand how to:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of policies and procedures

You need to know about:

• How acquisitions and disposals contribute to the maintenance of the collection
• The criteria that are used in determining the strengths and weaknesses of the collection
• The policies of the organisation
• National guidelines on selection, retention and dispersal of collections
• The options that are available for the expansion of the collection
• What other organisations are doing in relation to acquisition and disposal
• The resource implications that have affected the organisation
• The new developments that might impact on the organisation

Required Skills

You should demonstrate:

• How to evaluate the effectiveness of acquisition and disposal policies and procedures
• How to assess the use of the collection
• How to evaluate the relationship between the collections and the overall objectives of the organisation

Evidence Required

You should provide evidence that you can determine the scope and potential development of a collection

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

• determine the scope and potential development of a collection.

The scope of the collection will cover areas such as quantity, quality, geographical area and historical period, and the significance of the collection should cover its historical, cultural or scientific importance.

Evidence Rules

The candidate must have been involved in developing a loan policy on at least one occasion.

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Today's date: 21/11/2008
This page last updated: 27/7/2007 15:16