
Risk Assessments are one of the most important steps that heritage institutions can take in emergency and business continuity planning. The objective of this course is to enable participants from small to mid-size heritage institutions to undertake a risk assessment specific to their institution, enabling them to identify potential natural, traditional, made or non-traditional risks and evaluate their impact. Utilizing existing knowledge of their institution and its collections, programs and assets, participants evaluate hazards and risks based on information from the heritage field, the insurance industry, the commercial business resumption sector and government agencies. A recommended reading list/bibliography will be provided.
At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify and understand the internal and external hazards likely to affect their institution (building, collections, people)
- Evaluate the likelihood of these hazards affecting their institution
- Rank these risks posed by these hazards through the lens of their institution’s key functions and program priorities
- Assess the likelihood and impact of these hazards on their institution’s buildings and collections
- Summarize this information and identify risk priorities using a Heritage Risk Assessment Matrix
Course Schedule
Webinar One: Introduction – March 5, 2025 100-230pm ET
In this session participants will review their institution’s key functions and asset vulnerabilities in order to identify the key programs and critical needs of their institution. A consideration of the relative importance of these areas leads into a discussion of how and for how long their institution could continue to operate if any these were impacted. Participants complete an assignment outlining the key functions and asset vulnerabilities of their heritage institution.
Webinar Two: Identifying Hazards & Risks March 12, 2025 100-230pm ET
This session discusses the different types of hazards and outlines the differences between a hazard and a risk. Reference material and guidelines are provided to help participants identify potential hazards in their area, and discusses methods to determine the extent to which they pose a risk. Participants complete an assignment that identifies the hazards that could pose a risk to their institution.
Webinar Three: Risk Impact March 19, 2025 100-230pm ET
This session evaluates the impact of hazards that participants have identified as posing a risk to their heritage institution. This module discusses the primary and secondary effects on your institution, its collection and assets, and its functioning. Participants complete a Risk Impact assignment using Hazard Trees to evaluate the impact of disruption of services and the loss of collections, assets, revenue, facilities, reputation and information on their institution.
Webinar Four: Putting It All Together March 26, 2025 100-230pm ET
This module brings together the information created in the Self Study component of the previous modules to complete a Cultural Heritage Risk Assessment Spreadsheet specific to participants’ institutions. This information is transferred to an institution-specific Risk Assessment Matrix. Together, the Spreadsheet and the Matrix provide a risk assessment snapshot that enables participants to address and prepare for the most likely risks to their institutions. Although risks, hazards and institutional circumstances change from year to year, updating these documents through an annual review will enable participants to be prepared.
Course Instructor
- Jane Dalley, Jane Dalley Heritage Consulting
Captioning in English and Spanish is available. The program will be held using Zoom Meeting.
Registration Fee
- $99 Early Bird through February 21, 2025
- $149 Regular Fee
Connecting to Collections Care courses are made possible in part by generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.