Advisory
We support museums, galleries, libraries, archives and historic houses with difficult collections care decisions involving priorities, risks, resources, responsibilities and change.
Whether planning a collections project, preparing for emergencies, managing risks to collections, adapting to organisational changes or developing staff capability, our approach combines practical experience with informed decision-making to support effective collections care.
Select a service below to learn more about how we can help.
Independent Reviews, Advisory and Organisational Change
Independent advice for complex collections care decisions and organisational change
We provide practical advice where decisions involve uncertainty, competing priorities, limited resources, or complex organisational considerations.
Support may include:
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independent collections care reviews
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collections care capacity and priorities reviews, including following changes in staffing, resources or responsibilities
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feasibility and options studies for collections care projects
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strategic prioritisation in collections care
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project reviews
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emergency preparedness reviews
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policy and procedure development
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facilitated planning and decision-making workshops
Our role is to help organisations clarify collections care priorities, evaluate realistic options, understand the implications for collections, staff and resources, and make informed decisions about how collections can be cared for sustainably.
Managing Collections Care in Times of Organisational Change
Changes in staffing, budgets, responsibilities or organisational structure can directly affect an organisation’s ability to care for its collections. Teams may be working with fewer resources while demands remain the same or increase, specialist expertise can be lost, and project work can create ongoing responsibilities that are difficult to sustain once temporary funding or fixed-term roles end.
We help organisations understand what this means for collections care in practice: what capacity and expertise remain, what needs to be prioritised, what can realistically continue, what needs to change or be deferred, and what risks or consequences need to be made clear to senior management.
Support can include:
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reviewing collections care capacity following restructuring or staffing changes
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reviewing priorities where resources have reduced
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identifying risks to collections arising from changes in staffing, expertise or capability
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clarifying what work can continue, what needs to change and what may need to be deferred
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helping make the consequences of reduced capacity clear to senior management
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supporting teams in adapting to changed roles, priorities and ways of working
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one-to-one advisory support for Heads of Collections, Conservation or Preservation to understand the impact of change and develop practical ways to lead, communicate and make decisions through it
Independent reviews and advisory support can be provided online internationally, with site visits incorporated where the nature of the work requires them.
Risk Management and Prioritisation
Supporting better decisions about collections risks.
Managing collections risks is about understanding which risks matter most, deciding where resources will have the greatest impact, and identifying practical actions to reduce risk over time.
We support heritage organisations in developing practical, risk-informed approaches that strengthen collections care and support informed decision-making.
Support may include:
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risk management training
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ABC Risk Management methodology
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facilitated prioritisation workshops
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collections risk assessments
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prioritisation to support strategic collections care planning and funding decisions
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identification of policy, procedural, and resource gaps
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review of collections care priorities following significant changes in resources or responsibilities
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Feasibility and options assessment
Our approach focuses not only on identifying risks but also on supporting practical decision-making where competing priorities and limited resources require careful judgement.
Collections Care Projects
Helping organisations plan and deliver complex collections care projects.
Collections projects often involve multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, changing requirements, and decisions that extend well beyond the technical care of collections.
We support organisations throughout the planning and delivery of projects, helping teams coordinate work, manage risks, and make informed decisions as projects evolve.
Support may include:
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project planning
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scope development
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scheduling and sequencing
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project risk management
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collections relocations
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storage development projects
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refurbishment and capital works
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rehousing programmes
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project reviews and troubleshooting
We also assist organisations when projects become difficult to navigate because of changing scope, coordination challenges, competing priorities, or increasing operational complexity.
Emergency Preparedness for Collections
Building capability, not just emergency plans.
Effective emergency preparedness is about more than producing a written plan. It requires practical procedures, clear responsibilities, training, and the confidence to make decisions under pressure.
We help heritage organisations improve emergency preparedness for collections through practical planning, training, and capability development that support effective response and recovery.
Support may include:
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emergency preparedness planning
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review of existing emergency plans
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emergency preparedness assessments
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table-top exercises and emergency simulations
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practical salvage training
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recovery planning
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prioritisation of collections for response and recovery
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integration of collections emergency procedures with wider organisational emergency management and business continuity arrangements
Our work is tailored to the nature of the collections, the risks faced, available resources, and organisational priorities.
Training and Capability Development
Developing judgement, confidence, and practical capability.
We design and deliver training programmes that combine practical knowledge with real-world application.
Training is tailored to each organisation and draws upon practical exercises, case studies, facilitated discussion, and project experience to build capability that participants can apply directly within their workplace.
Topics include:
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decision-making under constraint in collections care
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managing collections care through organisational change
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strategic and risk-based approaches to collections care
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ABC Risk Management methodology
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project management in collections care
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human preparedness and decision-making in heritage emergencies
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emergency preparedness for collections
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practical salvage of collections
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preventive collections care
Training can be delivered online or in person and adapted to suit organisations of different sizes, collection types, and levels of experience.
Contact
If you would like to discuss a project, workshop, review, or advisory support, please get in touch.
Andor Vince