Module 3.3 Cultural Heritage First Aid Framework
Step 1: Situation analysis
Situation analysis provides understanding of the wider context of the emergency. It enables first aiders to develop a context-specific plan for on-site actions. An in-depth situation analysis is carried out at the end of the emergency phase in oder to determine mid-to long-term needs for the recovery of cultural heritage.
Step 2: On-site damage and risk assessment
On-site damage and risk assessment allows the identification and recording of damage caused and risks posed to cultural heritage in the aftermath of a disaster. The outcomes of this step help to determine prioriities for on-site actions.
Step 3: Security and stabilization
Security and stabilization includes actions that help to contain damage and reduce risks, taking affected heritage one step closer to recovery. In this stage, the action for tangible and intangible heritage vary.
Documentation, ongoing risk management. communication and coordination with other first responders are essential for the successful implementation of the steps outlined in the framework. The workflows described within this framework help to identify the areas of joint action between cultural first aiders, local communities, emergency responders and humanitarian organizations.
The actions taken to secure and recover cultural heritage should align with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.
Guiding Principles for documentation
- Reasons: this was required as an explanation for why documentation is required. This is even more important in an emergency situation when there is a humanitarian crisis.
- Responsibility: each person on a team was critical and efforts could not duplicated or, worse, areas or sites missed. So outlining clear responsibilities was a key guiding principle. This answered the question of who was responsible with a clear reporting structure.
- Planning: was an essential principle in order to properly address the shortages caused during an emergency-time, money and skills. These had to be properly addressed and assisted in answering the when and where questions.
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