RCAHMS Review
As many of you may be aware, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, has commissioned Historic Scotland to undertake a strategic options appraisal on the future of RCAHMS. It is important to understand the context of this review and how it might contribute to ensuring a stable and sustainable future for the work of RCAHMS.
The value of the work that RCAHMS does and the expertise that it holds in a modern Scotland are not being questioned. With the Scottish Government placing more emphasis than ever before on Scotland’s cultural heritage, being able to record the historic built environment, maintain a living collection of artefacts that describe it, and make this collection accessible to both specialists and enthusiasts, remains important to Scottish Ministers. Indeed, it is in this context that they have commissioned a review.
Diana Murray, Secretary at RCAHMS
Diana Murray, Secretary at RCAHMS, said, “We welcome the level settlement we received in the Spending Review and the recognition of our work as one of Scotland’s National Collections which records and promotes an understanding of the nation’s built and historic environment and looks after archives of international significance. Looking ahead, we, like many other organisations, face a number of challenges in the coming years, but we seek to be innovative and efficient in our use of government resources and effective in raising additional funding to deliver real value to the public in Scotland and beyond. We look forward to working with Government on the options appraisal that will help determine how our vital work relating to Scotland’s cultural heritage can best be secured and enhanced for the future.”
Ian Walford, Chief Operating Officer at Historic Scotland
Explaining the context of the review, Ian Walford, Chief Operating Officer at Historic Scotland and Chair of the Review Strategic Steering Group, said, “The current economic environment, means that the Scottish Government is having to make significant reductions in spending across all areas of public services. As a small organisation, with most of its income tied up in fixed costs like staff and accommodation, RCAHMS will inevitably find that more challenging than some larger organisations. It has already made significant efficiency savings over recent years and there is a risk in applying more savings that the organisation’s critical mass of expertise could be threatened. Rather than simply accept that as inevitable in the current climate, the review allows the opportunity to take a strategic look at what RCAHMS does and whether there are other ways of delivering the same services with less income.”
How You Can Contribute to the Review
The review will focus on how RCAHMS delivers its functions and whether there are alternative options that would be more efficient, while delivering the same outcomes. You can find out more about the review process through an FAQs document.
Michael Proctor, Review Programme Manager explains, “The first part of the option appraisal is to develop a detailed understanding of what RCAHMS does currently. Without that, there is no baseline against which to compare other options. As stakeholders and partners of RCAHMS, you can contribute your thoughts on the status quo to help inform the decision making process.”
There are a series of questions we would like your thoughts on, which can be answered through our online questionnaire. The questionnaire will close on Friday 10 February.
If you would like to make general comments about the review outside of the questionnaire, please feel free to email them to RCAHMSreview@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Stakeholder workshop
The Built Environment Forum for Scotland (BEFS) is hosting a stakeholder workshop on 8 February in Edinburgh. For further information and bookings contact awilkinson@befs.org.uk, 0131 220 6241. you do not need to be a member of BEFS to participate in the workshop.
