Expert Panel
What is Heritage Network's Expert Panel?
The Heritage Network’s Expert Panel is a group of experienced individuals who help us to support member organisations with a range of needs—from strategic planning to tackling day-to-day challenges.
Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland, the Heritage Network Expert Panel helps us offer specialist, structured support to community heritage organisations where it’s most needed.
All Expert Panel members are individuals with a strong working knowledge of the heritage sector and relevant experience. They are selected and managed by the Heritage Network team to ensure the right skills are matched to the right tasks.
The Panel
Expert Panellists help the Network in:
- Responding to complex or technical member queries
- Providing short-term mentoring and organisational development
- Carrying out our “Organisational Health Checks”
- Facilitating discussions or supporting events
- Contributing to funded projects led by the Network
How does the Expert Panel work?
When you need help with your project, the Heritage Network team can assess your needs, open a 'Case’, and suggest appropriate support. This is something we have done for our members for years.
More complex or technical queries might require the help and advice of our Expert Panel and staff can assign your case to them if you're a paying member of the Network.
A panellist from the Expert Panel will be invited to give dedicated, specific support (typically around half a day’s work) to the Heritage Network member in need.
Our Expert Panel is carefully chosen, so that our members are supported by trusted specialists with a range of experience and expertise.
You won’t be expected to approach panel members directly – we’ll manage the process and find the information and support you need.
Sometimes we’ll invite you to complete an “Organisational Health Check” with us. This is where we’ll guide you through a more holistic look at your organisation, project and progress, leading to identified, actionable steps for moving forwards.
What is an “Organisational Health Check”?
An Organisational Health Check is a support process offered by the Heritage Network to our members, where we’ll work together to take a holistic look at your community heritage organisation’s set up, ways of working, and goals. We’ll help you to reflect on what’s working well and what isn’t, and identify practical steps for moving forwards. An Organisational Health Check will usually be focused on a specific challenge you are facing, and sometimes we’ll bring in members of the Heritage Network’s Expert Panel to help us carry out this work.
The staff team at the Heritage Network oversee the Organisational Health Check programme, and we will offer to support you with a Health Check when we think you’ll benefit from this.
Do I need to be a paying member of the Heritage Network to benefit?
Yes. Support from the Expert Panel is one of the key benefits that Supporter, Network and Network Plus members can access as part of their Heritage Network membership package. Connect members are not able to access the support of the Expert Panel. If you’d like to know more about the Expert Panel and Organisational Health Checks, speak to the Development and Outreach Officer for your nation.
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