Assessing Risk to Cultural Property 2

Assessing Risk to Cultural Property 2

Challenges to Quantification and Estimating Type 2 and 3 Risks

Instructors: Robert Waller Moya Dumville
Course Date: June 5, 2023
Cost: $400
Enroll and Pay

Prerequisite:
Assessing Risk to Cultural Property 1 or Participation in a Protect Heritage workshop within the past 5 years

Assessing risks to cultural property, including but not limited to Museum, Library, and Archive collections, is becoming a fundamental ability for collection care professionals. This course builds on the foundation established in Assessing Risk to Cultural Property 1. We will explore challenges to quantifying risks and strategies for estimating rates of, and expected impacts of, sporadic incidents (type 2 risks) employing examples based on participant situations. Means of determining or estimating rates of progressive changes (type 3 risks) are provided and practiced. Finally, methods for presenting comprehensive, (semi-) quantitative risk profiles are demonstrated and employed by participants.

Participants will appreciate the impact of human thinking heuristics and biases on judgments and how these impact our understanding of risks. An Excel workbook for organizing and documenting a risk assessment will be provided. Using this workbook and working individually and in groups, participants will determine or estimate examples of both type 2 type 3 risks impacting their own collections.
    Course Goals
    Update

    Participant Outcomes

    Participants will:

    1. Update
    2. Understand hierarchical structures for comprehensive risk identification
    3. Learn how to define risks clearly and concisely
    4. Understand how risks can be quantified based on likelihood of occurrence and severity of impact
    5. Develop a semi-quantified and rank-ordered list of type 1 (rare and potentially catastrophic) risks to their collection

    This course is a prerequisite to Assessing Risk to Cultural Property 2.

Risk assessment and management approaches to preventive conservation were first suggested almost 35 years ago. Since then, numerous approaches have been developed, applied, and published. Three of the better known approaches include Quiskscan, ABC, and the Cultural Property Risk Analysis Model (CPRAM). People unfamiliar with these may think that they are interchangeable, and each could have value in any given context. That is not true. Each of these approaches was developed within a specific context and for certain purposes. This presentation briefly describes each of these three approaches, and their strengths and limitations. Armed with this understanding, institutions and collection care professionals can decide which approach(es) they believe will be most beneficial for their situation. Make sure you choose an approach that will be fit for your purpose. Watch the webinar Robert gave on September 12, 2023 Risk-based approaches to preventive conservation: Which to choose for my situation?

Too learn more about taking an online professional development course with Museum Study visit What is involved in taking a Museum Study course?

Assessing Risk to Cultural Property 2 addresses the American Association for State and Local History's

  • Stewardship of Collections Standard 2: The Institution legally, ethically, and effectively manages, documents, cares for, and uses the collections. Does the institution take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of artifacts and archival items in its care?
  • American Association for State and Local History's Management Standard 4: The institution has appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of people, its collections and/or objects, and the facilities it owns or uses.
  • American Association for State and Local History's Management Standard 7: The institution takes appropriate measures to protect itself against potential risk and loss.


Comments from participants:

I enjoyed this course, especially the chats where we were able to see how everyone was understanding the material, and to work through sticking points together.



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