Connecting heritage collections with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda 

ICCROM is pleased to announce the launch of the Our Collections Matter (OCM) Self-assessment Tool. This innovative platform, accessible online, aims to connect the dots between collections-based work and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda to transform our world. 

The OCM Self-assessment Tool empowers collections-based organizations to realize their full potential as key players in sustainable development 

Heritage collections play a pivotal role in fostering social cohesion, preserving cultural identity, advancing knowledge, and other fundamental areas of sustainable development. 

The OCM Self-assessment Tool aims to help anyone working within collections-based organizations to strengthen their commitment to sustainable development by reducing negative impacts and enhancing the positive societal and environmental impacts of their work with and around heritage collections. Through a comprehensive understanding of how your collections-based work connects with the SDGs, you can effectively assess, improve, and communicate how your organization contributes to sustainable development. 

This tool is structured as a questionnaire addressing the different connections between collections-based work and sustainable development, based on ICCROM’s Our Collections Matter approach. Each question corresponds to a specific SDG target and is scored using a simple scoring system. This self-assessment will show how your work with heritage collections already supports the SDGs and will help you identify areas for improvement. 

If you are committed to making concrete contributions to sustainable development but are not sure about where to start or what tools to use, the OCM self-assessment tool is for you! 

The results of the self-assessment will help you to: 

1. Understand how your current activities are helping to achieve the SDGs. 
2. Identify gaps where you could contribute to the SDGs more effectively.
3. Create an action plan to develop or improve activities to achieve the SDGs more effectively. 
4. Communicate your work and progress in terms of the SDGs. 

START THE SELF-ASSESSMENT NOW 

For more information on the OCM Self-assessment Tool, explore the website

This Self-assessment Tool has been developed in collaboration with the following OCM partners: ApoyOnline, Canadian Conservation Institute, Centre for Global Heritage and Development, KIK-IRPA, SEAMEO-SPAFA, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Canadian Conservation Institute, which enabled us to produce the French version of the tool.