National Occupational Standards in
Archaeological Practice

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AG3 Acquire and dispose of archaeological items and collections

AG3.2 Assess items and collections for their contribution to the organisation

Performance Required

This will involve:

1. Collecting and recording all relevant information on the items or collections
2. Assessing items or collections for their actual and potential contribution to the organisation
3. Assessing the items or collections against the organisation's criteria for acquisitions and disposals
4. Identifying clearly the resource implications of acquisitions and disposals
5. Identifying clearly the options for acquisition or disposal and assess them against organisational policies and relevant standards
6. Recording clearly the results of assessments of the items or collections

Occupational Context

1. Information relating to items
   • condition
   • value (to the collection / for insurance)
   • description
   • conservation needs
   • location
   • availability
   • restrictions (e.g. health & safety)
   • validation
   • legal title
   • provenance
   • item history
   • identification
   • projected life span of item

Knowledge Requirements

You need to know and understand how to:

• Identify the resources required for acquisitions and disposals

You need to know about:

• The information that is required to assess the contribution of items and collections
• What is normally expected during the acquisition process
• The history of similar acquisitions or disposals
• Who the important contacts are for acquisitions
• The impact of the main types of acquisition or disposal
• The resources that are normally required for acquisitions and disposals
• The insurance implications of the items and collections
• The possible implications of disposal through sale, transfer and sampling

Required Skills

You should demonstrate:

• How to collect and record all relevant information on the items or collections
• How to assess their actual or potential contribution to the organisation
• How to assess the costs for acquiring or disposing of material

Evidence Required

You should provide evidence that you can assess items and collections for their contribution to the organisation

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

• assess items and collections for their contribution to the organisation.

Evidence Rules

The candidate should have been involved in negotiating the transfer of rights over items and collections on at least 2 occasions.

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