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