National Occupational Standards in
Archaeological Practice

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AG4 Lend and borrow archaeological items

AG4.1 Establish criteria and procedures for lending items

Performance Required

This will involve:

1. Determining the categories of borrower and the purposes of borrowing
2. Estimating and agreeing the resources required to provide a lending service
3. Establishing criteria which express the standard conditions for lending items
4. Establishing procedures for identifying the current condition of an item
5. Establishing procedures for assessing risk to items
6. Ensuring the lending procedures collect and record all the details required by the organisation
7. Specifying clearly the limits of responsibility for lending items
8. Establishing procedures for monitoring and reviewing the lending criteria

Occupational Context

1. Categories of borrower
   • museum curators
   • educational institutions
   • researchers
2. Resource requirements
   • staffing
   • insurance (in transit / on loan)
3. Criteria and procedures should cover
   • decision-making
   • authorisation
   • recording
   • monitoring of the loan

Knowledge Requirements

You need to know and understand how to:

• Establish standard conditions for lending items and collections
• Specify procedures and criteria for loans
• Evaluate the effectiveness of procedures

You need to know about:

• The loan policy of the organisation
• National guidelines on the selection, retention and dispersal of collections
• How procedures can be used to identify potential risks to the item
• The information that is required during lending and borrowing
• The job roles in the organisation, and how to specify limits of responsibility
• The potential threats to objects from their environment
• Why a loan policy is necessary
• Who should receive copies of the loan policy

Required Skills

You should demonstrate:

• How to describe the current condition of an item
• How to assess risk to an item
• How to specify the limits of responsibility for lending items
• How to develop procedures for monitoring and reviewing lending criteria

Evidence Required

You should provide evidence that you can establish criteria and procedures for lending items

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

• establish criteria and procedures for lending items.

The criteria and procedures should cover the decision-making, authorisation, recording and monitoring of the loan, and should be aimed at protecting the loaned items from risks caused by theft and accidental or malicious damage.

Evidence Rules

The candidate should have been involved in lending and borrowing a range items over a period of time, typical to their area of work activity.

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