The document outlines best practices and guidelines for conducting significance assessments in community heritage grant programs, emphasizing the importance of thorough preparation and appropriate assessor selection. It details assessment criteria, the necessity of a well-structured significance statement, and the outcomes that can be achieved through effective assessments. Additionally, it provides a list of common pitfalls to avoid during the assessment process.

1. COMMUNITY HERITAGE GRANT
PROGRAM
SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT
TANIA CLEARY

2. DO’S
• PREPARATION
• ASSESSOR
• ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
• REPORT
• SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT
• OUTCOMES
• DON’TS

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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 ‘X’ COMMUNITY.
NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT MATERIALS DOCUMENT
THE DEVELOPMENT OF/ THE IMPORTANCE OF / THE
ROLE OF …

9. 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

10. DONT’S
• DON’T EMPLOY A FRIEND, ASSOCIATE OR
COLLEAGUE AS THE ASSESSOR
• DON’T ACCEPT GENERALISED OR MAYBE
STATEMENTS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE COLLECTION
• DON’T UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPT A REPORT
• DON’T IGNORE THE RECOMMENDATIONS