Advisory Services

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We work with museums, libraries, archives, and historic houses to support clear, well-reasoned decision-making in conservation and collections care.

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Our advisory services support organisations operating under constraint with limited resources - competing priorities, institutional risk, and ethical responsibility. We work primarily with management and leadership teams, supporting judgement where decisions have long-term consequences and no ideal options.

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​​Risk-Based Collections Care Planning

We assist organisations to prioritise collections care through structured, risk-based planning. Using established methodologies, including the ABC risk management framework, this service supports transparent prioritisation and clear decision-making within limited resources.

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Our work may include:

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• identification and analysis of risks to collections

• prioritisation of actions based on impact and likelihood

• decision-support frameworks for planning and resource allocation

• alignment between risk assessment, policy, and funding priorities

 

This approach commonly underpins strategic planning, funding applications, and leadership-level decision-making in collections care.

 

Policies, Procedures, and Governance Frameworks

We support heritage organisations in developing clear, practical policies, procedures, and governance frameworks that strengthen accountability and decision-making in care for collections.​

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Typical outputs may include:

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• collections care and emergency preparedness policies

• procedures aligned with risk and governance frameworks

• clarification of roles, responsibilities, and authority

• documentation supporting organisational oversight

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This work is often integrated within broader advisory engagements.

 

Project Governance and Decision Support

(Conservation and Collections Care Projects)

 

We provide senior project governance and decision-support for conservation and collections care projects, including capital works and complex initiatives such as collections relocations, new storage developments, and refurbishments.

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This service is particularly relevant where projects involve:

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• significant institutional, ethical, or reputational risk

• complex trade-offs between standards, resources, and feasibility

• pressure on project managers to absorb decisions beyond their authority

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Our advisory input may include:

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• project governance structures and oversight

• decision-making and escalation frameworks

• realistic approaches to scope, time, and cost estimation

• integration of risk considerations into project decisions

• alignment between project objectives and organisational priorities

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​Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems

We support organisations to design and strengthen risk-based emergency preparedness systems for heritage collections.

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This work moves beyond generic plans and checklists, focusing instead on preparedness arrangements that are realistic, maintainable, and usable in practice, with clear roles, authority, and escalation pathways.

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Advisory services may include:

• emergency preparedness frameworks for collections

• definition of response roles, responsibilities, and decision authority

• scenario-based planning and exercises

• integration of emergency preparedness into organisational systems

• post-incident review and recovery planning

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Training and exercises are used to support organisational readiness and decision-making, not as standalone activities.

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Training and Professional Development

We design and deliver training that supports organisational judgement and shared understanding, rather than technical skills in isolation.

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Training may include:

• public webinars on strategic and reflective topics

• senior-level courses and masterclasses

• tailored workshops delivered for organisations

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Courses draw on tools such as risk management, emergency planning, and project management to support clearer thinking and more realistic decisions, and are designed to be applied within participants’ own organisational contexts.​

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Wellbeing, Resilience, and Leadership in High-Pressure Contexts

We provide advisory input, workshops, and courses addressing the human dimensions of work in high-pressure heritage environments, including wellbeing, resilience, and leadership in crisis and recovery contexts.

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This work complements advisory services in emergency preparedness, risk management, and project governance, supporting individuals and teams operating under sustained pressure.

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Contact

To discuss how these advisory services may support your organisation, or to arrange an initial conversation, please contact:

Andor Vince at andor@heritagecollectioncare.com