Professional Competencies for Archivists Working Group

Terms of Reference

1.    Purpose: The Professional Competencies for Archivists Working Group (PCAWG) is responsible for:
                        a.  Examining and identifying the core competencies required for practicing archivists
                        b. Examining and identifying the supplementary competencies useful for practicing archivists
                        c.  Identifying employers of archivists/archival practitioners for discussions relating to an institutional needs assessment
                        d.  Developing an ACA strategy for supporting the development of identified professional competencies (i.e. workshops, on-line courses, cooperative education offerings, etc.)
                        e.  Developing a professional competencies document for approval by the Board and membership, and eventual publication on the ACA website
                        f.  Identifying and reporting on recommended procedures for re-evaluating and updating the competencies document on a regular basis

2.    Goal: PCAWG’s report to membership and Professional Competencies document will be presented at the ACA AGM in June 2023.

3.    Composition: PCAWG will consist of 5 members appointed by the ACA Board. These members should include one of each of the following: an educator from a graduate-level archives program, a practicing archivist, a recent graduate from an archival or information studies program, a manager of an archival institution, and an ACA Board liaison

4.    Term: Members of PCAWG will serve until the 2023 ACA AGM at which point the Working Group will be dissolved.

5.    Participation and attendance: Working Group members will be ACA members in good standing, participate in committee work with timely completion of project tasks, and regularly attend Working Group meetings. An individual who is absent for two consecutive meetings or misses a task submission deadline without providing the Working Group with written or verbal notification and reason for such, will be deemed to have resigned from the position.

6.    Compensation: No compensation will be made to members of the Working Group for their participation. However, reasonable authorized expenses will be reimbursed.

7.    Meetings: PCAWG will meet at the discretion of Chair; Working Group members will typically via web or teleconference calls and email correspondence.

8.    Recordkeeping: PCAWG notices, agendas, and minutes will be prepared on a rotational basis by individual Committee members and will be submitted to the ACA Secretariat for retention.

9.    Reporting: PCAWG will report to ACA Board via the Director at Large with liaison responsibilities for Professional Development and will operate at the discretion of the ACA Board.

2023 Working Group Members

Amanda Oliver, Director-at-Large

Adria Seccareccia

Anne Quirk

Amanda Jamieson

The final report has been submitted, and approved.  The ACA Competency Framework can be accessed here. https://archivists.ca/ACA-Competency-Framework