Letellier 
17 
‘Bridging the Gap’ between the Information User and the Information Provider 
f other Conservation 
egrated to the ‘Con- 
> heritage Recording, 
dissemination. 
ructuring itself with a 
The intention behind the Matrix Framework was to provide Information Users from ICOMOS with a tool to have access to 
Information Providers from ISPRS and vice versa, using the Matrix as a Web communication / data sharing mechanism. Unfortu 
nately this interaction did not take place as anticipated by Outreach Workshop / CIPA participants. 
The results remain to be implemented. It is important to mention that CIPA has worked seriously in the past five years at 
understanding better / creating links with ICOMOS, ICCROM and UNESCO. Although these efforts led to much willingness to work 
closer with the Information Users, CIPA does not have all the resources needed to operate and maintain a sustainable program of 
activities. 
Some CIPA members have taken the lead in seeking assistance from other organizations that would like to support the activities of 
Heritage Recording, Documentation and Information Management. The following “Bridging the Gap Concept” is a logical con 
tinuation of the commended efforts made by the Outreach Workshops participants. 
;ed (Diagram B). This 
OS were identified on 
were identified on the 
3. 2000 -BRIDGING THE GAP CONCEPT 
3.1 Background since 1998 
In 1998, the GCI showed a particular interest in WG1 activities outlined on CIPA’s website. It also expressed an interest in the above 
mentioned manuscript entitled “Heritage Recording, Documentation and Information Management Guidelines for World Cultural 
Heritage Sites”. Following dialog on these interests, conservation specialists from the GCI were invited by WG1 to attend CIPA’s 
Outreach Workshop 3 in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, in September of 1999. As a result, the potential of CIPA’s unique knowledge base 
and newly proposedframework of activities was recognized. 
During ICCROM’s November 1999 GraDoc Seminar on graphic documentation for mural paintings, dialog between the GCI and 
WG1 initiated the idea of ”Bridging the Gap between the Information User and the Information Provider”. This idea became a 
Must as the GAPS between the Users and the Providers of information became obvious to seminar participants (see “Results of 
Working Groups” and in particular Group’s 3 “Critical Evaluation pertaining to Digital Heritage Recording” discussions (see pages 
291 to 298 of the GraDoc publication - ICCROM February 2001). 
At both the Brazil workshop and the GraDoc seminar, the pressing need for heritage recording guidelines, technical manuals, training 
and information dissemination was clearly expressed. Consequently, during 2000 / 2001, dialog between the GCI and WG1 led to 
develop the ‘Bridging the Gap’ idea mentioned above and the following 5-year initiative. 
3.2 Heritage Recording, Documentation and Information Management should be at the Center 
of the “Conservation Management Process” 
The GCI and WG1 believe that proper heritage recording, documentation and information management are essential activities within 
the “conservation process” of cultural resources (Diagram D). These activities provide conservationists with an Information Base to 
better: 
• Understand, • Operate, 
• Evaluate, • Maintain, and 
• Make decisions, • Monitor historic resources. 
Information Base 
To better 
Understanding 
Evaluate 
Make Decisions 
Maintain / 
monitor 
Landscape 
Architect 
Heritage 
Recorder 
Architect 
haeologi 
- To comply with Article 16 of the Venice Charter 
- Interdisciplinary Approach 
- Every stage of the work should be included 
Manager 
Diagram D: 
Planner 
Historian 
Curator