Point taken on the essential need not to exclude small
and voluntary groups from the development of such a standard, or from
using the standard, due to costs.
However I'm not convinced that the barrier is as real
as it seems. As regards participation in development, any such standard would
need to go through a public consultation, using the internet to gather comment.
Anyone can take part in that. As professionals it would be up to us to put in
the effort to make sure that the voluntary sector are aware of the consultation
and do contribute - but that would be the case however the standard was
developed. And on cost of purchase, I would not see this as the sort of standard
that you would need to be referring to day to day, suggesting that you would
need to buy it. A BS standard would be available via inter-library loan from any
public library. Once a group had consulted the standard, and adapted their
approach and procedures to meet it, they they would be just as informed as
anyone in the sector.
The BS committee that would be likely to take on to
such as Standard, should we proceed with it, currently has EH
representation on it - so it would be up to us to make sure these things
happen.
Best wishes
Ed
Standards and Guidelines manager
English Heritage
From: The Forum for Information Standards in
Heritage (FISH) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of REYNOLDS,
Trevor Sent: 18 August 2010 10:14 To:[log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [FISH] HEGEL - approaches to
development
Please not BSI!
The cost of their published standards means that small and
voluntary organisations are excluded. Also because they only really manage
to consult BSI members when they develop their standards they exclude
organisations without much money from that process too.