This two-day course is designed for heritage professionals who are currently planning or delivering real projects — including capital works, conservation programmes, relocations, refurbishments= and exhibitions, and grant-funded initiatives — and who need practical project management approaches that work in the heritage context.
Rather than teaching generic theory, the course focuses on how to manage projects effectively in practice, helping participants to:
-
avoid cost and time overruns in conservation and collections care projects
-
manage change without losing control of scope or budgets
-
reduce friction between curators, conservators, contractors, and stakeholders
-
deliver projects without placing unsustainable pressure on staff and teams
What the course covers
The course follows the full lifecycle of a heritage project, with an emphasis on practical application:
-
Defining and initiating projects in a heritage context
-
Project planning in practice, including realistic cost and time estimation
-
Monitoring and controlling projects, with a focus on managing change
-
Risk management: identifying, assessing, and prioritising risks to collections and projects
-
Reviewing projects and closing them effectively, including lessons learned
How the course is delivered
This is a highly practical workshop combining short lectures, real-world case studies, and applied exercises drawn from conservation and collections care projects. Participants will work through scenarios that mirror the challenges they face in their own organisations, enabling immediate application to current or upcoming projects.
Who this course is for
This course is intended for professionals working in museums, libraries, archives, galleries, and historic houses who are responsible for managing or contributing to projects such as:
-
remedial and preventive conservation programmes
-
exhibitions and gallery refurbishments
-
storage upgrades and collection relocations
-
grant-funded and time-limited heritage projects