Convergence of UK conservation organizations

The NCCR and, before it, the Conservation Forum, were set up to
provide a united voice for conservation/restoration in the UK. The
decision to merge the conservation organisations indicates that
neither of these bodies was completely successful. The Convergence
Factsheet only informs us that the decision has been taken to
converge--it does not inform us of what analysis has been carried
out on the reasons for failure and what evidence there is to support
the theory that the new body will be any more successful at uniting
conservation bodies in anything other than name. We are told that
one of the benefits of the new organisation will be better lobbying
of the government; what efforts failed in the past, why did they
fail and why should a government listen to the new body any more
than it did to the old?  I understand the arguments for shared
office staff, e.g. for accreditation, membership etc. but, beyond
that, there is a real lack of facts and figures about the NCCR
targets/aims versus performance and we need this information for us
to understand the added value of the new body and to make any
worthwhile decision.

Caroline Bendix
Library Conservator
Wry Furlong
Welford Road
Sibbertoft
Market Harborough LE16 9UJ
UK


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:8
                 Distributed: Wednesday, July 21, 2004
                        Message Id: cdl-18-8-030
                                  ***