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Christiane Quaisser, René Dekker, Michel Guiraud, Rob Huxley, David Mabberley. The Directors of Collections Group beyond EDIT - Options and consequences -. Seventh EDIT BoD meeting Paris, 22-23 June 2010. DoCC – current structure.
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Christiane Quaisser, René Dekker, Michel Guiraud, Rob Huxley, David Mabberley The Directors of Collections Group beyond EDIT - Options and consequences - Seventh EDIT BoD meetingParis, 22-23 June 2010
DoCC – current structure • Directors or heads of collections of 16 EDIT institutions:BGBM, HNHM, IBPAN, MfN, MIZPAN, MNHN, NBGB, NHML, NHN, NNM, RBGK, RBINS, RMCA, SMNS, UKBH, ZMA • Structure: task group, coordinator • Initiated in June 2008, three full DoC, three task group meetings • Agreed policies & strategies • Efficiency, cooperation with regard to collection preservation and access • Implementation of SYNTHESYS results Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Context EDIT Activities: - Science Policy Group - BoD EDIT Directors of Collections Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Target audience Institutions holding scientific collections Scientists of earth and life sciences EDIT Directors of Collections Collection managers Political boards & fora National & international funding agencies Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Current activities • Common principles for scientific loans • “Clearing house” for orphaned collections • Overview of coll’s man’ organisational structures • Opportunities for a EU collection managers association • Cooperation with science policy groups: strategies for specimen digitisation & acquisition • Cooperation with SYNTHESYS NA2(Collection standards) • helpdesk & performance indicators • Newly arising issues, e.g. collections security, repatriation • Continuation of DoCC after EDIT: options & consequences Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Summary • The DoCC as a working group on a directors of collections level is successfully addressing problems linked with colls man. • The EDIT BoD has defined the DoCC as one of the core activities to be sustained after EDIT. • The structure of a post-EDIT DoCC network- will need some amount of coordination and additional funding to ensure work progress, outreach and flexibility - must not be too heavily funded and formal; hinders partners in participating over long-term perspective- must be flexible to be adapted smoothly and quickly to internal or external changes Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Mission • Strengthen the role of EU natural history collections in the world as a community, by: • Helping to ensure long-term management and preservation as cultural heritage and fundamental research infrastructure • Increased efficiency by developing and implementing common standards, policies and procedures in coll’s man’ and access • Facilitating access to collections and their associated information to enable more collection based science • Increased effectiveness by seeking commonsolutions for collections complementarity (incl collection development and growth) Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Objective & strategy Key objective: Durable integration - build a sustainable network of EU natural history collections at a decision taking level Strategy:Move from project phase (year-to-year planning) to mid- and long-term planning to deliver vision for EU natural history collections Requirements:- Partner involvement and expertise- Common purpose and identity- Organisation and governance- Communication tools- Resources Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Organisation: Option I 1. Digital discussion forum Description: loose network based on a digital forum to circulate news and documents, temporary task groups set up on demand, in-kind coordinator, some coordination within the task groups, commitment almost 100 % in-kind by staff time dedicated to work in task groups, some funds for task group meetings Pro: lightest version, only a few additional costs, easy (?) to maintain, successful within other communities Con: more an information forum, hardly possible to work towards common goals, slow work progress Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Organisation: Option II 2. Directors of Collections working group Description: working group with a minimum of organisational structure, e.g. core group, chair, and coordinator, basic communication mechanisms (mailing list, discussion forum), coordinated activities and projects, periodical meetings, task groups on demand, commitment in-kind by staff time, some funds for meetings, activities, and a (part-time) coordinator Pro: focus on certain tasks, flexibility and work progress in balance Con: long-term maintenance depends on funds from projects and member institutions, work progress and outreach on availability of members, might change over time Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Organisation: Option III 3. Directors of Collections Committee Description: committee with a complex organisational structure including chair, steering committee, and secretariat, annual meetings and reporting periods, agreed work plans, periodical information service, e.g. newsletters and website, coordinated activities and projects, sub-groups possible, commitment by staff time and funds, e.g. through membership fees, to finance meetings, activities, and the secretariat Pro: work progress fast and focused, high visibility and outreach Con: formal and heavy administration, financial and possibly also in-kind commitment might be too heavy to be maintained on a long-term perspective Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Conclusions From 3rd DoCC workshop, Tervuren, May 2010: Recommend: Option ii New model: might not look much different from the current EDIT DoCC working group - Task groups to achieve agreed task to date- Coordinator- Communication: internet platform, mailing list Affiliation: under the umbrella of CETAF- Pilot project on how to integrate EDIT activities in CETAF Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Resource implications • Institutions:- Minimum in-kind staff-time: > 4 person days/month • - Under direction DoCC leader • - Fund travel and meetings (from each participating inst) • Coordination: - 1/3 FTE (ca. 25 kEuro on annual basis)- Some costs for communication, workplace (if not provided by an institution) etc. • Co-funding with another initiative could be cost-saving Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Next steps – DoCC & BoD DoCC • Revision & refinement of business plan • Investigation of opportunities for cooperation or liaison with other groups & initiatives • Opening up to non-EDIT institutions, e.g. starting with CETAF institutions Action requested from the EDIT BoD • Decision on institutional commitment to DoCC beyond EDIT Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010
Considerations Option I Option II Option III Discussion forum Working group Committee Institutional commitment (indirect & direct)Organisational structures Seventh EDIT BoD meeting, Paris, 22-23 June 2010