Costing and budgeting for preservation and conservation in the East and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) region

Within the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) region, little or no information is available on budgeting systems for archival institutions in the region to enhance preservation and conservation programs. Preservation and conservation requires both economic time management and fiscal prudence. With limited budgets throughout the region, there is an acute need for proper budgeting and costing in an effort to maximize the limited resources. This paper attempts to highlight the importance of budgeting and costing in conservation and preservation practices by archival institutions in the ESARBICA region. The paper concludes by proposing the need for preservation and conservation managers to formulate a deliberate and conscious strategy aimed at promoting best and sound accounting practices to ensure maximization of resources. This would convince the skeptics of the necessity of channeling more funding to promote preservation and conservation activities. ESARBICA Journal Vol.23 2004: 68-74