Standards and Guidance Documents

Existing guidance from English Heritage is available via several routes:

1. Specific pages devoted to particular topics on this website, for example the new guidelines on the management of research projects in the historic environment (MoRPHE) available on the Project Management page.
2. The EH managed HELM website provides a library of EH and local authority guidance to download.
3. The searchable EH Free Publications list includes many guidelines and standards from English Heritage.

This page provides information on our strategy for improving the process by which these guidelines are developed and made available to historic environment practitioners.

Current situation 

A large number of policy, standards and guidance documents exist within English Heritage and in the wider historic environment sector. It is increasingly difficult to keep track of all the available documentation, and to review its currency. We need to improve the process by which new guidelines and standards are produced, to ensure that they meet defined needs; we need to build up the skills of those involved in developing and disseminating these documents to improve their quality and consistency; and underpinning both of those we need a better system for directing people to the guidance they need.

Working Knowledge

The Working Knowledge Strategy for English Heritage will tackle these issues. The title reflects the practical, applied knowledge of good practice that is made available through published guidelines and standards. A full-time post has been created to co-ordinate this strategy, and a forum to bring together staff from teams across English Heritage established. Work is in progress on an online 'Guidance Finder' to improve awareness of and access to what documents exist and what are planned.

Prioritising new projects

As we develop a better understanding of what already exists, and how useful the discipline finds existing documents, we can  encourage, and where appropriate commission, new papers to full the most important gaps. Again, we wish to encourage suggestions and proposals in this area.

We will give priority to:

• standards and guidelines which will most effectively underpin the deliver of our corporate strategies;
• standards and guidance that have a wide audience and generally help the development of the discipline;
• completing useful unfinished documents, where effort has already been invested in the development of material.

Wherever possible we will also be looking to external partnerships in developing new documents. Sometimes the staff to develop new guidance will be within English Heritage, but often the most appropriate specialists to develop new documents will be outside English Heritage; in study groups, societies, universities and units. It is not our aim to dictate the practice of archaeology, but rather to encourage the development of standards and the exchange of ideas about approaches. By doing so we also hope to bring our own staff into contact with a broader range of colleagues, and enable us to develop our staff skills alongside them.

Feedback

We are very keen to get feedback on this initiative. We are particularly interested in references to other documents that we are unaware of, and comments on the efficacy of existing documentation.

We are also very interested in any ideas for new guidance, standards or policies - if you have any suggestions, please get in touch. Email us on working.knowledge@english-heritage.org.uk