• Do we need Benchmarks?

In the absence of a statutory mandate for HERs, the combination of the benchmarks with the NPPF is a useful alternative. The NPPF requires planning authorities to provide access to a HER, and the benchmarks broadly define what that should mean. Obviously not all HERs will meet all the benchmarks, but as an aspirational statement of the services we aim to provide they are very helpful.

• What do we, as a community, want the HER Benchmarks for?

As I said above, to my mind they are a quick and easy way of assessing what services we already provide and what we should be aspiring towards. I like the way they are set up at the moment, as they are loose enough to fit into any structure but still definite enough to act as a common standard.

With increasing variation in software packages used from one authority to the next “benchmark compliance” can be useful when putting services out to tender as well.

• How do we measure ourselves against the Benchmarks?

We don’t, at least not formally, although I occasionally go down the list with a highlighter…

 

But they are very useful for forward planning: I can set a goal of meeting a particular stage 2 benchmark (for example, we are in the process of digitising our grey literature archive) and use the fact that it IS a service benchmark to mug the Finance Department for their small change.

• How to audits and Benchmarks address specific issues like data quality?

They don’t directly. But they do provide a way to identify shortcomings and prioritise resources to improving data quality where it falls short. That doesn’t just mean financial resources either – it can mean help from commercial units to improve on the data they have been processing, volunteer time, or liaison with higher education institutions (one of the local universities around here has agreed to give their archaeology students HER enhancements to do as a coursework exercise!)

 

Which reminds me – we’re due an audit.

• Which HERs feel they have achieved all of the 1st stage Benchmarks?

I know we don’t – although we hit a lot more of them now than we did when I started after more than 6 months with no HER officer in post! We’ve even started hitting some of the stage 2 benchmarks. But there are some of the stage 1 benchmarks that I can’t see us achieving any time soon (the requirement for a full time HER Officer is something of a non-starter for a small unitary authority in the current economic climate, even if I do keep dropping hints about extra hours…)