COMMUNITY HERITAGE GRANT PROGRAM

SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

TANIA CLEARY

DO’S

• PREPARATION

• ASSESSOR

• ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

• REPORT

• SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

• OUTCOMES

• DON’TS

PREPARATION

• DEFINE THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT

• UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS AND CRITERIA

• IDENTIFY & ISOLATE THE MATERIAL

• GATHER DOCUMENTATION

• CONTACT PEOPLE TO ASSIST

• PREPARE WORKSPACE

• CHOOSE SUITABLE ASSESSOR

ASSESSOR

SEEK EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS INCLUDE:• MUSEUMS AUSTRALIA• AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF PROFESSIONAL

HISTORIANS• AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF ARCHIVISTS• AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION

ASSOCIATION• COMMUNITY HERITAGE GRANT COORDINATOR

PRIMARY AND COMPARATIVE CRITERIA

SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTS SOMETIMES DEMONSTRATE INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING AND USE OF THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

THE SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT MUST INCLUDE DISCUSSION OF BOTH THE PRIMARY AND COMPARATIVE CRITERIA

THE SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOLLOW THE CHG REPORT TEMPLATE:

http://www.nla.gov.au/chg/significance-assessments

THE RESULTS OF THE SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE VALID AND RELIABLE

THE REPORT WILL BE SCRUTINISED FOR PROCESS LOGIC AND RIGOUR

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

THE SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT SHOULD CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHY THE COLLECTION IS SIGNIFICANT. THE BASIS OF ANY STATEMENT IS COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT

POOR

THE COLLECTION HAS LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL AND PERHAPS INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

BETTER

THE COLLECTION HAS LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE: IT CONTAINS RARE AND UNIQUE MATERIAL OF HIGH RESEARCH VALUE, IT PROVIDES MATERIAL EVIDENCE OF THE COMMUNITY, IT DOCUMENTS THE HISTORY OF THE ORGANISATION

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

BETTER STILL

THE WHOLE COLLECTION IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT RECORDS THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY X TO Y. THE COLLECTION COMPRISES RARE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCE MATERIALS THAT ARE CULTURALLY, SOCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT TO THE COMMUNITY. NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT MATERIALS DOCUMENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF/THE IMPORTANCE OF / THE ROLE OF …

OUTCOMES

SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENTS ENABLE ORGANISATIONS TO:

• CONSIDER THE COLLECTION IN NEW WAYS

• REAPPRAISE THE COLLECTION’S POTENTIAL

• THINK LONG TERM

• THINK STRATEGICALLY

• REDIRECT RESOURCES INTO MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COLLECTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

DONT’S

• DON’T EMPLOY A FRIEND, ASSOCIATE OR COLLEAGUE AS THE ASSESSOR

• DON’T ACCEPT GENERALISED OR MAYBE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COLLECTION

• DON’T UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPT A REPORT

• DON’T IGNORE THE RECOMMENDATIONS