Responding to the social values of communities is fundamental to realising the mission of most heritage organisations. Specific business processes and workflows will vary depending on the structure and roles within your institution, but key questions to consider (for your role/ your team/ your organisation) include:
- What is already being done on social values assessment (formally or informally) and who is involved?
- How does/could an understanding of social value contribute to different policies and functions or tasks? Are there points of connection or overlap?
- Are there pre-conditions or dependencies between functions, for example, strict time limits on processes in one area that mean social values could only be considered if an assessment was already available/undertaken as part of a prior process?
- When planning an assessment, who else might find this information useful/have similar questions?
- If you are collaborating across teams or supporting a partner in an assessment, who will be involved in defining the scope or in reviewing and responding to the findings?
- How might the differing needs and questions between areas of practice impact on methods selection and interpretation?
- Is there existing expertise within the organisation/team and who might you need to collaborate with? Combining the complementary skills of multi-functional or inter-disciplinary teams is recommended when working with rapid methodologies.
How can assessments meet multiple requirements/ avoid duplication?
Organisational resources are almost always limited, from staffing to time to funding. This suggests a strong imperative to maximise on the opportunity when colleagues are engaging with communities or visiting a site. Most communities also have limited resources to engage in participatory processes and often receive repeated requests to attend meetings and provide input. More joined-up approaches, combining activities and outreach, would minimise duplication and support relationship development. This is particularly acute for sites without a regular staffing presence. A caveat is that relationships are forged between individuals and may not be readily transferable.
Accessing the required skills and expertise
In theory, any heritage professional in any function may find themselves working with or needing to understand social value. It does not follow that all heritage professionals will need to become experts in conducting social value assessments. Assessments require specific resources and skills, normally developed through specialist training and relevant experience. Such expertise may be present within your institution or accessed through working in partnership or with consultants. It is recommended that organisations develop internal mechanisms for identifying and sharing expertise. This could be for example a roster of peer mentors, an online discussion board, or a group of experienced advisors.