The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0 1.0Joining a demanding network
Becoming an OIMAP expert means accepting to practise under oversight, with a duty of independence and an obligation of permanent training. In return, the expert works in a framework recognised in 67 States, with fair remuneration and legal protection.
Applications are open to any professional meeting the conditions, whatever their country. They are examined twice a year, in spring and autumn.
This page describes the conditions, the training path, the examination and the course of accreditation.
Accreditation in figures
Conditions of application
The accreditation path
- ApplicationSpring or autumn
Submission of the file: degrees, publications, references.
- Processing6 weeks
Verification of the conditions and references.
- Training4 weeks
OIMAP Academy programme.
- Examination1 day
Ethics, practical cases, interview.
- Decision4 weeks
Accreditation granted by the committee.
The training programme
| Module | Content | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Legal framework | Conventions, directives, OIMAP procedure | 2 days |
| Expert assessment method | Protocol of Directive No. 2019-07 | 3 days |
| Laboratories | Reading scientific analyses | 2 days |
| Ethics | Independence, confidentiality, conflicts of interest | 2 days |
| Drafting the opinion | Reasoned opinion and degrees of certainty | 1 day |
A demanding examination
First accreditation or renewal
First accreditation
New expert- Full ten-day training
- Full examination
- Four years
Full path.
Renewal
Serving expert- Assessment of activity
- Three-day continuing training
- Four more years
Lighter path.
Calendar of a session
- Opening
Spring call for applications.
- Closure
End of submission.
- Training
Ten days at the Academy.
- Examination
Tests and interview.
- Decision
Accreditations granted.
Case study: a candidate
A restorer becomes an expert
A Kenyan restorer specialising in tribal arts submits her application.
- Favourable review of her file.
- Training in Nairobi, at the regional office.
- Examination passed with distinction.
Four-year accreditation in tribal arts — Africa; first expert assessment six months later.
Remuneration and status
The expert is paid per act, according to a public scale. They keep their professional activity, within the limits of the non-combination rules: they may neither buy, sell nor advise on the sale of a work they have examined, for two years.
They benefit from liability insurance paid for by OIMAP for opinions given in this framework, provided they have followed the procedure.
An expert's point of view
« Being an OIMAP expert means knowing that you will be reread, contradicted and questioned. It is good discipline. »
Vocabulary of accreditation
- Application
- Application for accreditation by a professional.
- Jury
- Panel of three members in charge of the interview.
- Non-combination
- Prohibition on holding certain roles at once.
- Continuing training
- Obligation of training during accreditation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to be an academic?
No: a qualification equivalent to a doctorate and ten years' experience suffice.
How much does the training cost?
It is funded by OIMAP for successful candidates.
Can I apply from a non-member State?
Yes, if you meet the conditions.
What happens if I fail the examination?
You may sit it again at the next session.
Useful documents
Contacts
Related pages
OIMAP AcademyThree campuses, eighty-six trainers and seventeen years of experience: OIMAP's school at the service of heritage.›
Code of ethicsThe ten principles binding on accredited experts: independence, impartiality, confidentiality, competence, prudence and transparency.›
DirectoryThe public directory of accredited experts: search by name, specialty, country and language, and check the validity of an accreditation.›
Apply
Image credits (16)
- Portrait of a Man, Louis Lafitte (1793) — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Compass and Sun Dial (1700–1750) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Woman, Corneille de Lyon (c. 1540) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Leaf from a Lectionary with St. Luke (1057–1063) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Woman, Gerard ter Borch (c. 1665) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Medal: In Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary - The Warner and Swasey Company, Victor D. Brenner (1930) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts, Giuseppe Castiglione (1736–70s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Bookplate: Boylston Medical Library, George Girdler Smith (1806–39) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Man, Possibly Sir Soulden Lawrence, John I Smart (1770) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Leaf from a Psalter and Prayerbook: Ornamental Border with Carnations, a Thistle, and a Cook Ladling Soup (verso) (c. 1524) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of a Woman, John I Smart (c. 1772) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Architectural Conference (c. 1622) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Farmhouse on the Slope of a Hill, Fra Bartolommeo (c. 1508) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Annunciation to the Shepherds: Leaf from a Book of Hours (1 of 6 Excised Leaves), Henri d'Orquevaulx (c. 1420–30) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- A Lady Reading, Francis Seymour Haden (1833–1910) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0