On 12 May, CIfA and the Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation (IHBC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which outlines the intention of both institutes to develop a more structured partnership and creates new possibilities to enhance complementary membership benefits.
The MoU recognises the shared aims of promoting good practice and a commitment to developing high quality skills and learning environments in archaeology and conservation respectively, as well as a shared interest in influencing legislation and policy affecting the historic environment and securing investment and support for areas of common interests.
The MoU also recognises that both institutes have distinct roles in shaping the historic environment, with the accredited skills-sets and competences of members, but also identifies complementary characteristics and a greater potential to work to ensure mutual support of aims, events, and services.
CIfA Hon. Chair, Jan Wills said of the agreement:
“We are delighted to have this document in place to underpin the relationship between CIfA and IHBC - two of the leading professional bodies in the historic environment sector. It is grounded in our common interests of sustaining the historic environment and recognises that the best way to do that is through mutually supporting each other to nurture the professional roles and skills of our memberships. We hope that the document signals an era of greater cooperation that will benefit both organisations and the nation’s heritage.”
CIfA Chief Executive, Peter Hinton said:
“This document is a testament to the mature, collaborative spirit of CIfA and the IHBC. The mutual recognition set out in the MoU will help us to understand each other and to work effectively together; and it will help others to realise that the two organisations share a commitment to a unified historic environment, but individually promote the skills and competences required of the very different disciplines or building conservation and archaeology. I would like to thank IHBC Chair, Mike Brown, for his leadership and for instilling a sense of optimism around the future collaboration between the two bodies.”
You can see more on the announcement on the IHBC blog, here.
The full Memorandum of Understanding can be downloaded here.
