RCAHMW to use CANMORE system for Wales Wales

Submitted by Andy B on Friday, 03 October 2003 Page Views: 2066

Country: Wales SWISH (Shared Web Information Systems for Heritage) is a major new project involving a partnership between the Royal Commission and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Its main objectives are to extend and develop the existing Scottish database for use in Wales and to provide public access to the rich content of the National Monuments Records of Wales and Scotland via the internet.

During 2001 RCAHMW
commissioned an Information Systems
Strategy Study, funded by the National
Assembly for Wales, to investigate a
programme of strategic IS
developments, building on life-expired
existing facilities with options for
hardware, software and operating
environment platforms, together with
proposals for the implementation of the
strategy recommendations. The IS
Strategy was completed in September
2001 and followed by a fact-finding
mission to RCAHMS by staff from
RCAHMW.This resulted in a proposal
for shared services developed jointly for
RCAHMS and RCAHMW to servethe
common needs of both national records.
The proposal was endorsed by the
RCAHMW’s Information Systems
consultant, and a business case was
prepared to support an application to the
Welsh Assembly Government for
substantial additional funding to support
the project.This was finally agreed early
in 2003, when the Royal Commission
was granted total additional funding
approaching one million pounds to
develop the project.

The technical application will be developed and maintained
by the experienced IT section at RCAHMS and delivered to
RCAHMW using web technology. Staff in Wales will be able
to use the application in the normal way but will not have to
maintain the computer system that makes it operate.External
users will be able to access data through custom-made
RCAHMW interfaces.The aim, ultimately, will be to merge
the functionality of the two systems, providing economies of
scale in IT development and maintenance and in information
management and retrieval. Staff in RCAHMW and
RCAHMS will work together to enhance existing
applications and build others to meet mutual requirements,
and experienced staff in both organizations will work in
partnership to establish data standards, undertake data
enhancement programmes and develop joint visions for
working relationships with a network of users both in and
beyond their respective countries.
The main benefits to RCAHMW are:
● An integrated data system allowing NMRW data input
and retrieval for all staff at RCAHMW
● Data storage and associated computer maintenance
systems managed off-site
● Improved standardisation and consistency to data
imposed by rigorous database standards
● Ability to run the system from remote locations (home,
abroad, on fieldwork) because the system is delivered using
password protected web technology
● Automatic delivery to the public of the RCAHMW
database and map data on the Web through the existing
technology currently running CANMORE and
CANMAP(www.rcahms.gov.uk).
● A quicker and cheaper solution than starting an
application from scratch.RCAHMS has an existing database
that already closely matches the RCAHMW requirements
Benefits to both RCAHMW and RCAHMS are:
● Cheaper development costs through economies of scale
● Cheaper hardware and software licences through
economies of scale
● Development of remote working technology
● Improved standardisation
● Improved access for users
● Cheaper development of co-operative ventures
( e.g. with Ordnance Survey)
This innovative project was formally launched in May when
the Chairmen and Secretaries of the two Royal Commissions
signed a formal Memorandum of Agreement. Work on
delivering the first phase of the project is now well underway
and the launch of the new facility, scheduled for 2004, will be
advertised in a future edition of Cofnod.
e-bost - e-mail: [email protected]

Contributor Bio for Andy B: Megalithic Portal Founding Editor.

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