Policy recommendations

Policy recommendations based on the research findings are provided below, categorised in collaboration, proactive planning, and funding-related themes.

Collaboration
1)    Develop a knowledge alliance to coordinate a knowledge library (Operational Wisdom Library (OWL)) for the ECHAsystem.
2)    Knowledge resources should be reviewed by topic specific networks and suitable knowledge resources should be approved and added to the trusted knowledge library that builds the professional knowledge in the ECHAsystem.
3)    Every membership organisation could provide a list of all knowledge resources available through their membership, and the date developed or updated. The lists should be compiled in a directory that can be consulted by knowledge resource providers and funders, to avoid duplication. Provision of such a list should be a requirement by grant funders. 
4)    Connect the planning and provision of knowledge resources between the different award schemes. Especially accreditation and educational awards would be much more beneficial to organisations if planning and provision was more joined-up. 
5)    The leading user organisation(s) in each habitat should be actively involved in leading the accreditation or equivalent schemes for each habitat.
6)    Utilise local authority templates, policies, and guidance to improve ECHA organisations’ knowledge resources in each local authority.
Proactive planning
7)    A package of knowledge resources (knowledge artefacts (template, manual, video), training courses, and expert support (already trained on upcoming changes) should be developed before any guidance or legislation changes take place.
8)    Development of knowledge resources should be informed by a comprehensive and ongoing mapping of user needs and knowledge gaps. The knowledge curating design would enable such mapping.
9)    Open licensing (creative commons, open government licence, other) should be clearly stated in all sources and knowledge resources that the license applies to.       
10)    There should be a declaration regarding who is the responsible author, and the use of AI, in every formal document in cultural heritage management.
Funding-related
11)    Create commitment to knowledge curation and focus on professional development knowledge for everyone aspiring to join or already working or volunteering in the ECHAsystem, by:
   funding an ecosystem-wide knowledge alliance and provision infrastructure that makes a significant, large-scale, positive impact on organisa-tional performance and organisational culture (instead of funding short-term and limited impact knowledge resources projects); 
   funding training budgets for user organisations;
   funding train-the-trainer programmes for provider organisations;
   funding provider organisations to lead joined-up professional develop-ment packages for each of the four objectives, and each of their opera-tional areas (drums) or suboperations (flutes).
12)    Establish a formal process for evaluation of outputs and the lasting impact of the outcomes associated with grant funded knowledge resources. Additionally, grants should have a requirement that funded knowledge resources should be submitted for evaluation and depositing to the knowledge library (OWL) and a directory of knowledge resources is provided by funded organisations to avoid duplication when applying for funding and developing new resources.