Archive Pace Setter Scheme - Further information
What is the scheme about and who runs it?
The Archive Pace Setter scheme is led by the National Council on Archives in partnership with a range of strategic bodies working with the archive sector across the UK including the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, The National Archives, the Scottish Council on Archives, the Society of Archivists and the Welsh Assembly Government. These bodies have come together to create the Archive Pace Setter scheme, with the aim to encourage innovative projects within the UK archive sector.
The scheme will run from 1 October 2009 to April 2013. By supporting innovation within the UK archive sector, through its lifetime the scheme aims to achieve the following outcomes at a national level
- New users are encouraged to use archives and archive users have access to new ways of engaging with archives
- Record keeping is improved through new methods of management and collections care
- Archive services will be incentivised and supported to trial new working practices
- The archive sector will have a body of evidence to support further strategic development and advocacy work
- External funders will have guidance from the sector on prioritising projects
- Strategic bodies will have provided demonstrable developmental support to the sector
What types of projects are eligible?
The aim of the scheme is to identify around 50 projects that demonstrate innovation within the UK archive sector. We are looking for a range of archive services, both big and small, and from all parts of the archive sector, to showcase how they are developing new working practice within their organisations through project-working. Through meeting the criteria of the scheme, the outcomes for services who achieve Archive Pace Setter status will be:
- New users are encouraged to use their service and archive users have access to new ways of engaging with archives and/or;
- Record keeping is improved through new methods of management and collections care
- Archive services will have demonstrated their adherence to good practice in relation to project planning, management and evaluation
- Involvement in the scheme will have supported archive services in strengthening advocacy at a local level, supporting the profile of their service within parent organisations, and promoting the service more widely
- Archive services will have had the opportunity to gather evaluation data and demonstrate its evidential value in a national context
What do we mean by innovative projects?
Although we would hope that some projects will be demonstrating practice that is ground-breaking for the UK archive sector as a whole, the aim of the scheme is to encourage and recognise archive services that are thinking strategically about their development and using project-working to support this process. Applicants will be required to explain how the project they are putting forward as an Archive Pace Setter demonstrates new ways of working for that organisation.
The detailed guidance note (available shortly) contains some examples of project-working within the archive sector, demonstrating how it can be used to support a wide range of professional practice and service improvement.
Who can apply?
Any organisations in the UK that manages or works with archives can submit an application for a project to become an Archive Pace Setter. Projects can involve a single organisation or a number of partners.
What is the application process?
You must complete a simple application form available to download from the National Council on Archives website (available shortly). There is a more detailed guidance note (available shortly) to accompany the application form to help guide you through the form. Advice is available throughout the process from Louise Ray, Archive Pace Setters Scheme Manager, National Council on Archives (louise@nca.org.uk or 020 8392 5347).
Applications can be submitted at any date from 1 October 2009 to 31 March 2012. Any project you are submitting must be completed and evaluated by March 2013 at the latest.
Once your application has been received by the National Council on Archives it will be assessed against the programme criteria. You will be notified of the results of the assessment within 4 weeks of submission.
If your project is accepted as an Archive Pace Setter your organisation will become part of the programme as outlined in the Terms of the Award (available shortly).
If my project is accepted as an Archive Pace Setter, what then?
The scheme will provide the following:
Use of branding
You will be able to use the Archive Pace Setter branding to promote your project and your organisation for a set time period.
Networking, learning opportunities and mentoring
Nominated contacts for Archive Pace Setter projects will be invited to regular networking events and will be able to keep in contact through a shared e-list. As this group of Archive Pace Setter contacts grows over time there will be the opportunity for the group to shape and create its own networking activities and learning opportunities for example, through action learning sets, training courses or work shadowing. As well as providing opportunities for learning and sharing practice within the Archive Pace Setter group, the aim as the scheme progresses is for members to support the development of projects in other organisations through mentoring. Contacts will be provided with support and guidance on how to approach this mentoring.
National publicity
Your project will be used as part of national publicity and advocacy work by the National Council on Archives and its partners in the Archive Pace Setters scheme. You will be able to contribute updates on your project to the Archive Pace Setters blog.
Fundraising
Although there is no funding directly attached to the programme, you can inform potential funders, to the status of your project as an Archive Pace Setter. This may help to strengthen your application.
last updated 5 August 2009