Online course on reducing risks to cultural heritage

"Reducing Risks to Cultural Heritage - 2011"

    23 May to 9 September 2011
    Online

    3-14 October 2011
    Face to face

    17 October to 28 November 2011
    Online

Deadline for application: 28 January 2011

Organizers

    ICCROM
    International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and
    Restoration of Cultural Property
    <URL:http://www.iccrom.org>

    CCI
    Canadian Conservation Institute
    <URL:http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca>

    ICN
    Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage
    <URL:http://www.icn.nl>

Background: Today, preventive conservation has become a leading
theme in all fields of cultural property. Useful scientific and
technical knowledge continues to grow but is often incorporated in
current practice slowly, incorrectly, or not at all. Despite the
best intentions, professionals and institutions dealing with the
preservation of cultural property may apply unrealistic standards,
guidelines or lists of best practice, with no clear sense of
priority, or of realistic expected benefits. With limited resources,
decision makers are usually confronted with difficult choices in
planning conservation strategies.

The risk management approach, which informs and guides decision
makers in many other fields, offers a sound methodology to
incorporate the most recent knowledge into current practice. It
allows an integrated view of all expected damages and loss to
cultural property, and of their mitigation, thus providing a useful
tool for the design of more efficient conservation strategies.

In the recent years, ICCROM, CCI and ICN have worked on developing
and disseminating the risk management approach for cultural heritage
field, including five joint training initiatives since 2005. For
2011, they have partnered again to offer this exceptional course.
For the first time, it includes a substantial distance-learning
component, to enable participants to apply the risk management
approach in their own working and cultural context.

Audience and Application Requirements:  The course is designed for a
maximum of 30 participants. They can be conservators, architects,
archeologists, archivists, conservation scientists, collection
managers, registrars, curators (in museums, archives, historic
houses), and any other professionals involved in the preservation of
cultural heritage. At least three years of practical experience in
the field is preferred.

Because the course has a strong distance-learning component, the
participants must have access to a computer with an Internet
connection.

Each participant must make arrangements with an institution that
will form the case-study for that participant. This institution may
be the employer of the participant or can be another institution.
During the course, the participant must have full access to the
collections or the cultural heritage under study.

Objective: Participants will become familiar with the risk
management concept and its various applications in the field of
cultural heritage. They will learn a practical method of evaluating
different types of risks and apply it to a case study in their own
working and cultural context. They will also examine recent research
that is necessary for better estimates of risk, and thus for
establishing priorities. In each participating institution, they
will implement each stage of the risk management approach, from risk
assessment of the cultural heritage under study to the development
and planning of options for risk mitigation. They will produce a
formal report for the participating institution.

Course methodology: The course structure follows the steps of the
Australian and New Zealand Standard for Risk Management, the
international reference in the field. These include 1. Context and
values assessment, 2. Risk Identification, 3. Risk analysis, 4 Risk
evaluation, 5. Risk treatment (or mitigation) and 6. Risk
communication.

In its first part online, the course will address step 1-4. The
face-to face workshop (in October, exact dates and venue will be
determined at a later date) will focus on step 5 and 6. After the
workshop, a last distance-learning phase will allow participants to
finalize their case-study report and present it to their
institutions.

During the distance-mentoring/online coaching, the required time for
participation in the course is 12 to 15 hours per week. At all
stages of the learning and risk management process, participants
will be able to share their experience with colleagues. They will
have access to readings/resources/forums and to mentors and tutors
who will help them through the process advise them on how to resolve
challenges. Regular assignments will measure progress.

Tutors and Mentors: CCI, ICCROM, ICN, associated professionals,
former Risk course participants

Working language: Core materials will be available in English,
Spanish, and French. Tutors will also be available in these three
languages (other possible to be determined). However, a proficiency
in reading English is necessary to access many important
publications in the field.

Course fee: 1300 EUR (Euro)
payable in 6 instalments

Travel, accommodation and living expenses
(3-14 October 2011, only):

Participants are responsible for their round trip travel costs,
accommodation and living expenses for the face-to face workshop. In
order to cover these costs, participants are strongly encouraged to
seek financial support from sources such as governmental
institutions, employers and funding agencies. The organizers may be
able to offer a limited number of scholarships to selected
candidates who have been unable to secure funding.

Application requirements: By 28 January 2011, candidates must
submit:

    Application form
    <URL:http://www.iccrom.org/
        eng/01train_en/forms_en/applfrm_en.doc>

    **** Moderator's comments: The above URL has been wrapped for
    email. There should be no newline.

    A letter of interest from the institution which will form the
    case-study

    Maximum 5 pages illustrated presentation on the case study with
    a brief description of the cultural heritage under study, its
    institutional context, and the risks that are perceived by the
    institution and which could be the focus of the case-study.

Applications should be mailed to

    Risk 2011 - Collections Unit - ICCROM
    13, via di San Michele
    I-00153 Rome RM, Italy
    +39 06 585531
    Fax: +39 06 58553349
    risk2011<-at->iccrom<.>org


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:26
                Distributed: Thursday, November 18, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-24-26-015
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