Forward Planning: A Handbook of Business, Corporate and Development Planning for Museums and Galleries (The Heritage Care Preservation Management)

Forward Planning

The first step in the path to modern management is the preparation of a forward plan. Museums and other heritage bodies are under considerable pressure to change and develop their management procedures in order to respond to changing times and new problems. With limited and ever more constrained funding, and increased competition, careful planning is essential. A simple transfer of ideas and principles of business planning from industry, commerce or government to the world of museums is not adequate: the particular needs of the heritage context must be addressed. This book is designed to provide a specific set of practical guidelines for museum and heritage professionals. Forward Planning provides a complete basic guide, from the principles on which planning is founded, through drawing up the plan itself, implementation and monitoring, through to the wider potentials that good planning permits. The contributors have all been directly and successfully involved in the preparation of plans, and speak from wide practical experience.

Editor in chief Andrew Wheatcroft The Heritage: Care-Preservation-Management programme has been designed to serve the needs of the museum and heritage community worldwide. It publishes books and information services for professional museum and heritage workers, and for all the organisations that service the museum community. Heritage Gardens: Care, conservation and management Sheena Mackellar Goulty Heritage and Tourism: in ‘the global village’ Priscilla Boniface and Peter J.Fowler The Industrial Heritage: Managing resources and uses Judith Alfrey and Tim Putnam Museum Basics Timothy Ambrose and Crispin Paine Museum Security and Protection: A handbook for cultural heritage institutions ICOM and ICMS Museums 2000: Politics, people, professionals and profit Edited by Patrick J.Boylan Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge Eilean Hooper-Greenhill Museums Without Barriers: A new deal for disabled people Fondation de France and ICOM The Past in Contemporary Society: Then/Now Peter J.Fowler The Representation of the Past: Museums and heritage in the postmodern world Kevin Walsh

Forward Planning A handbook of business, corporate and development planning for museums and galleries

Edited by

Timothy Ambrose and Sue Runyard

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES COMMISSION in conjunction with Routledge London and New York

First published 1991 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 1991 Museums & Galleries Commission All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Ambrose, Timothy Forward planning: a handbook of business, corporate and development planning for museums and galleries.— (Heritage: care, preservation, management) I. Title II. Runyard, Sue III. Series 069.0681 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data also available ISBN 0-203-63993-6 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-67379-4 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0 415 06482 1 (Print Edition) ISBN 0 415 07026 0 pbk

Contents

Foreword The Rt Hon.Tim Renton, MP, Minister for the Arts

x

Introduction Peter Longman, Director, Museums Galleries Commission

xi

I Assessing your position 1

The purpose of a forward plan Timothy Ambrose, Director, Scottish Museums Councul

2

2

Policy and style Neil Cossons, Director, National Museum of Science and Industry

6

3

A wider view Dawn Austwick, Group Manager, Leisure and Tourism Consultancy, KPMG, Peat Marwick Management Consultants

10

4

Your museum in context John Myerscough, Independent Consultant

16

5

The role of marketing Peter Lewis, Director, North of England Open Air Museum, Beamish

25

II Writing your plan 6

What sort of forward plan?

31

vi

Ron French, Director, Heritage Consulting Consortium 7

A step-by-step guide J.Patrick Greene and Robert L.Scott, Director and Deputy Director, Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

41

8

Working with consultants Victor Middleton and Ken Robinson, Director and Managing Director, Ventures Consultancy

52

9

Working on your own with limited resources Adrian Babbidge, Director, East Midlands Area Museums Service

59

III Forward planning in specialist areas 10

Collections care and its costs Gail Lord, Independent Consultant

65

11

Maintenance Ron Essex, Estate Manager, Natural History Museum

69

12

Developments in financial management Jeffrey Defries, Assistant Directorn National Museum of Science and Industry

74

13

Staffing levels Simon Olding, Head of Museum Service, Bouremouth Borough Council

77

14

Documentation John Burnett, Documentation Officer, Natioanal Museums of Scotland

81

15

Fundraising Sue Runyard, Marketing and Public Relations Consultant, Museums and Galleries Commission

85

16

Conservation David Leigh, Head of Conservation Unit, Museums and Galleries Commission

89

17

Environmental planning and control

94

vii

May Cassar 18

Security requirements Bryan Dovey, Museum Security Adviser, Museums and Galleries Commission

101

19

Provision for disabled people Carolyn Keen, Disability Adviser, Museums and Galleries Commission

106

20

Policy planning for volunteers Sue Millar, Head of Education, National Maritime Museum

111

21

Training Simon Roodhouse, Director, Museum Training Institute

117

22

Temporary exhibitions Mark Suggitt, Assistant Director (Curatorial), Yorkshire and Humberside Museums Council

121

23

Performance indicators Ian N. Walden, Director, Black Country Museum

126

IV Using your plan 24

Implementation, assessment and monitoring Harry MacAuslan, Director, J. Walter Thompson Co. Ltd

131

25

Distribution and presentation Ian Taylor, Director, North West Museums and Art Gallery Service

135

V Samples and extracts from forward plans National Museum of Science & Industry: Synopsis of the corporate plan, 1990–1995

140

The Royal Scots Regimental Museum, Edinburgh Castle: Development plan 1989

146

viii

VI Checklist of tasks Equal opportunities: select bibliography

161 164

Acknowledgement

The editors wish to thank Ian Beesley, who took most of the photographsused in this book. Thanks are also due to Dr Patrick Greene and Bob Scott of theManchester Museum of Science and Industry for their help and patience.And to Andrew Wheatcroft of Routledge for his encouragement andsupport.

Foreword The Rt Hon. Tim Renton, MP Minister for the Arts

I believe that every museum should have a clear written plan which sets out its objectives and methods. In this way, an important but fundamental step is made to prepare for the future. This should not be undertaken just to satisfy funding bodies; the production of such a plan is in itself an activity which can help in many ways. First, and most importantly, it marries the highest philosophical goals to the practical actions necessary to achieve them. It expresses the vision and then says how this is to be achieved. Secondly, the process of writing the plan is an act of selfexploration and self-organisation which can be quite dramatically enlightening, providing an underlying rationale and a confidence in all later decision-making. Lastly, whether your organisation is large or small—museum, gallery, arts organisation, leisure or heritage centre—the preparation of a plan needs to involve all activities and every level of staff employed. It is a way of bringing your team together with a sense of common purpose and a realisation that ambitious goals can be achieved. For all these reasons I welcome this publication and thank and congratulate all those who have contributed to it.

Introduction Peter Longman Director, Museums & Galleries Commission

Writing a forward plan is not a bureaucratic chore. It is at the very least. a sensible way to go forward into a slightly uncertain future. At best it can knock problems down to size and enable an organisation to achieve goals and enjoy a new sense of purpose. All of the writers who share their experience here have been directly and successfully involved in the preparation of plans which have had to work in real life situations. Those situations have been very different from one another in scale and scope, but you will find an underlying theme. That theme is the conviction that the very process of writing a plan is an important—even a critically important —procedure to go through, and one which all would recommend. Any kind of forward plan, whether a corporate plan which sets out the vision and strategy, a business plan which translates that vision into practical and financial terms, or even a simple specification for how a particular project is to be achieved, is primarily a management tool. It focuses in a logical and organised way on objectives and methods of achieving them. It is the way you show those who need to know what you want to do and how you are going to do it. But it should do more than that. If prepared in a way which involves every aspect of your activity and key people, it will act as a cohesive rationale for all staff in the organisation. The reason it may seem a daunting prospect to begin with is because the process addresses many fundamental issues about your operation. It is all about identifying risks and opportunities, and often marries high-flown objectives with nuts and bolts issues. The SWOT analysis is a useful tool in this context; it will help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your organisation and focus your

xii

mind on the opportunities and threats. Perceived threats have often turned out to be great opportunities, but only because they were properly identified and addressed in the first place. Sometimes it is useful to be told ‘basics’ like keeping income items on one line and cost items on another for accounting purposes. Sometimes it is useful to hear varying interpretations on how to problem-solve. You should find all the ingredients you need to get started in this book. Its main sections introduce the various steps, from assessing your position to writing your plan, and provide advice on several specialist topics, many of which are peculiar to museums. The final section is devoted to using your plan. In one sense this is not the end of the process, but the beginning. For planning is not an end in itself but an essential and continuing part of the management process. I am grateful to the distinguished contributors, nearly all of whom met their deadlines, and to Sue Runyard and Timothy Ambrose, who devised the format and acted as editors.

xiii

Peter Longman

I Assessing your position

1 The purpose of a forward plan Solving problems; making the best use of resources; getting value for money Timothy Ambrose Director, Scottish Museums Council

A forward plan is a product of the planning process. While the completed plan will help the museum to improve its effectiveness in a number of different ways, the planning process itself will help provide solutions to the problems which the museum faces. The plan will give the museum a framework within which to work and measure success. How can forward planning help you and your museum to be successful? A forward plan can help you to: (a) identify those areas of your museum’s operation which require improved management or increased resources; (b) assess the strengths and weaknesses of the museum in an objective way; (c) provide a mechanism which allows staff and others to see what direction(s) the museum is moving in; (d) induce management to develop a future strategy for the museum; (e) improve the quality of decision-making by means of performance indicators and the museum’s management information systems; (f) pinpoint areas of development and innovation which require new resources or expertise; (g) demonstrate to funding bodies and patrons of all types the professionalism of the museum and its management. Forward planning is thus about freeing the museum to control its destiny by looking ahead. It should not be seen as a constraint. It is a creative process which will help the museum, whatever its size, to

THE PURPOSE OF A FORWARD PLAN 3

achieve value for money, cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness and to improve the quality of care for its collections and the quality of service to its users. That will mean greater job satisfaction for all its staff. Provided that your forward plan is realistic, it can achieve progress within and for the museum, and provide a means by which individual responsibilities can be effectively met. In essence the purpose of a forward plan is to provide the museum and its staff with a sense of purpose, a sense of direction and a sense of achievement. A sense of purpose Creating a sense of purpose for the museum is an important task of management. Forward planning provides an opportunity to ask the questions—where are we? how have we got here? and what are we here to do? It helps the museum establish a mission statement, a clear statement of purpose on which management and staff agree and which can be used to present the museum and its services to the outside world. Forward planning also assists the museum in establishing a set of organisational or functional objectives to provide depth to the mission statement and reflect the diversity of the museum’s responsibilities. These describe the intent and the purpose of the organisation. They will vary from museum to museum, although they can be expected to subsume the functions of a museum outlined in the Museums Association’s definition of a museum. A sense of direction The forward plan gives a sense of direction to the museum by setting specific planning objectives within the range of programme areas which the museum chooses. These might include, for example, conservation and collections management, research, marketing, personnel training, interpretation and presentation, financial planning (including fundraising) and public relations. A forward plan helps to answer the question—where are we going? The museum’s corporate or organisational objectives are drawn up on the basis of the market intelligence available to the museum and on the basis of the assessment of the museum’s overall operation. The

4 TIMOTHY AMBROSE

Timothy Ambrose

THE PURPOSE OF A FORWARD PLAN 5

planning objectives in the different programme areas into which the plan is structured carry with them a different resource allocation in terms of money, staffing and time. Management can thus judge how the museum’s work is to be structured and resources acquired and sensibly utilised over the plan period. Individual members of staff have a clear idea as to how their time must be allocated to meet the needs of the organisation. Personal targets related to each planning objective can thus be effectively set. Everyone working in and for the museum can see how their own work relates to the successful achievement of the museum’s agreed objectives. In management terms, this is a primary purpose of a forward plan. A sense of achievement There is no value in producing a forward plan if it is not used effectively. It should be used to answer the questions—how well have we done and how can we improve next time? At each revision the plan should look back and examine how well the museum met its previous year’s objectives. Wherever practicable it should be rolled forward on an annual basis. Through regular monitoring of progress at both organisational and individual levels, management can assess performance against the agreed objectives of the plan. The forward plan is thus supported in this way by an effective management information system. Performance can be measured, and achievements can then be reported to staff and supporters. The museum as a whole is able to measure its success against the goals it has set itself. It is in control of its destiny.

2 Policy and style Making decisions about the future: the role of a curator as a team leader Neil Cossons Director, National Museum of Science & Industry

Most museums serve two major client groups: the collections, which have to be properly housed and cared for and on which the museum’s wisdom and scholarship are founded, and the users who, as general visitors, scholars, enquirers or educational groups, require access in some form or other. Managing a museum is largely about getting a balance between these often conflicting pressures for resources. The nature and size of most museums is determined by the scale of resources available to them, not by the demands of the collections or the users. A sense of direction Increase the resources and you can do more or make the museum bigger. Equally, use those resources more efficiently and you can do the same. But the key to either is to have a clear picture of what you want to do. This needs to be written down—quite briefly—in the form of a series of headings and it needs to be widely agreed. It is, generally speaking, fairly easy to get a clear set of objectives written down. It is more difficult to put them in order of priority. Those people who have responsibility for the collection may put their interest first; those who want to use the collection—for educational purposes, for example—will see their needs as having the highest priority. The key is to get the balance right, achieving agreement to the aims and objectives, a consensus on the priorities for achieving them and a commitment from the staff towards a programme. The programme is the means by which the objectives will be achieved.

POLICY AND STYLE 7

Whether the museum is small, medium-sized or large it is important to write down the objectives, the priorities and the programme. This can be the forward plan which sets out, in language that everyone can understand, the direction in which you are going and the allocation of the resources—in terms of money and people—necessary to achieve your objectives. The number manager Management of museums takes place at a variety of levels—many people are managers. The intelligent managers, whether they are directors of museums or curators of collections, will need to have understood and agreed where they are going. They will be influenced by the intelligence, creativity and commitment of their staff and the political or philosophical climate within which they find themselves. It is their job to understand these things sufficiently to manipulate the various resources at their disposal in order to deliver the best value for money. All this is management common sense. But museums are extraordinarily complex organisms to manage. Like all institutions they need leadership. Good planning can help develop good leadership. But the style of a museum is important and it is therefore essential to decide whether it is better to have a focal point of leadership which is crisp and sharp, can energise creativity, arouse enthusiasm and maintain morale, or whether consensus has to be the order of the day. Usually, it is some of each. Wallowing in consensus can produce very dull and boring results; equally, eccentric leadership without the right management skills can be a dangerous path to tread. The mistakes can be expensive. In developing a management style amongst a group of curators, backing leadership is a good investment. Giving leaders the required management skills will help them to do the job better. This means training. Secondly, ensuring that the organisation (in terms of its structure, size and the quality of the people in it) matches the objectives of the museum is essential. Frequently, a museum modifies its objectives without changing the way in which the people relate to each other. A permanent state of instability is a bad thing but a thorough reorganisation, commencing with a clear agreement of the objectives, every seven or eight years, can help to

8 NEIL COSSONS

Dr Neil Cossons

POLICY AND STYLE 9

avoid complacency, keep the organisation lean and efficient and provide opportunities for good people. Thirdly, pushing responsibility and accountability as far down the line as possible not only will encourage people to perform, it will help to identify the leaders of tomorrow by giving them an opportunity to achieve something now. In a learned institution, thickly populated with the individualist, the expert, the eccentric and the scholar, the task of leadership is at once peculiarly privileged and singularly demanding. Leadership must be by example rather than by dictat, and by clarity about both mission and the level of performance that is expected. Job satisfaction And a final point. There is no point doing the job at all unless you are happy. Few people go into museums to make their fortunes; most are there to achieve other satisfactions. That can lead to selfindulgence in which the interests of the museum user become neglected. Happiness without responsibility is good for neither the museum, its collections, its users nor its staff. So it is essential that morale is maintained. Leadership, a clear plan and sense of direction (updated each year), plenty of information, up, down and across, can help to keep alive the museum’s second greatest asset after its collections—the people who work in it.

3 A wider view Predictions of socio-economic trends; meeting the challenge; taking opportunities Dawn Austwick Group Manager, Leisure and Tourism Consultancy, KPMG, Peat Marwick Management Consultants The leisure market within the UK accounts for some 25 per cent of all consumer spending and was worth some £70 billion in 1988.1 However as leisure spending is discretionary its long-term future must be looked at in the context of demographic changes and social trends, in addition to economic forecasts. This chapter considers briefly the changes facing Britain in the 1990s, then looks at ‘leisure’ itself—i.e. the market place— before looking at the position and possible future role of museums and galleries as a part of this market. Demographic trends During the first half of the 1990s, the number of young people aged between 15 and 24 is expected to decline by 25 per cent at the same time as the 45–54-year-old range increases by 25 per cent.2 This increase in average age will call for a shift away from the youthoriented marketing that characterised the 1980s as spending power transfers to a more mature customer. At the same time there will be a rise in the number of young families, as the ‘baby boomers’ of the 1960s reach the peak child-bearing years, bringing a rise in demand for family-oriented activities. Economic trends The economy is expected to follow the trends set in the late 1980s, with the economy continuing to grow, albeit more slowly, at a rate of around 2.5 per cent a year. The current high levels of interest

A WIDER VIEW 11

rates and inflation are expected to moderate slightly and, whilst there may be some increase in unemployment, new jobs in the service sector will be created, reflecting the continuing swing towards service rather than manufacturing jobs in Britain. The trend towards greater individual wealth and increased leisure time will continue to create what has been called a ‘mass middle class’. Geographic spread Although the bulk of new service jobs will be in the south and migration will continue from Scotland and the north, the ‘northsouth’ divide is not expected to widen significantly. Economic expansion should be slightly more widely distributed than that experienced during the 1980s as London goes through a slowdown in growth as capacity constraints are reached.3 Amid this affluence, a significant, disadvantaged minority will remain. This raises issues of pricing and access policies in the 1990s which will have to be addressed by the not-for-profit sector. Assuming that there is no change of government, the prime thrust of policy will continue to be on reducing public sector subsidy to organisations such as museums and galleries, the achievement of value for money and the continuing promotion of ‘individual choice’ through free market competition. The leisure sector If this then is the environment in which the leisure industry is set to operate, what of the industry itself? ‘Leisure’ is a broad-based term encompassing everything from foreign holidays to home entertainment. The leisure industry provides goods and services to fill people’s free time which are paid for out of discretionary income. Museums and galleries compete for business with theme parks, ice rinks and multiple cinemas as well as with video recorders, compact discs and cameras. Recent trends, such as the growth of car ownership coupled with increased leisure time, have made people more willing to travel to seek out a new experience. This has led to the growth of ‘visitor attractions’ which are active rather than passive in nature. An early

12 DAWN AUSTWICK

Dawn Austwick

A WIDER VIEW 13

and successful example of this was the Jorvik Viking Centre in York. Attractions such as Alton Towers and the Granada TV Studios tour have demonstrated that ‘quality assurance’ is the key to success— people are willing to pay for an experience which lives up to their expectations. The museum sector has demonstrated its ability to compete on this basis with early success stories like MOMI, which is widely acclaimed and has exceeded target visitor numbers, and the success story of 1989, the Imperial War Museum with its ‘Blitz’ and ‘Trench’ experiences. Such attractions must involve constant investment in the latest technology as competition is intense not only in the UK, but also in Europe, where Euro-Disney will undoubtedly set the pace. This growing requirement for ‘quality and service’ will extend to all areas of leisure provision in the future, with catering facilities and the overall standards of care and experience proving almost as important as the attraction itself. The general ‘day out’ market will continue to expand and is currently well served by places such as the National Maritime Museum, which forms an integral part of a visit to Greenwich, or pioneer developments such as Ironbridge. The move towards ‘greenness’ may encourage demand for ‘authenticity’ and thus further benefit ‘heritage’based attractions such as country houses, National Trust properties, and the industrial heritage sector. The flip side of this ‘demand boom’ is the danger of the over-use of facilities and hence degradation. Marketing and the individual Smaller attractions will benefit from societal changes which stress ‘individualism’ over the old mass-market philosophies. As individuals become more willing to expend effort to seek out new experiences, new media technology is enabling smaller specialised target markets to be addressed directly through satellite television, commercial radio and direct mail. This is a particularly important development for attractions operating in ‘niche’ markets or with a regional rather than a national appeal. It is vital then that the leisure attraction of the 1990s is able to ‘position’ itself clearly—knowing exactly what it aspires to do and to whom it is designed to appeal—otherwise it will prove vulnerable to an increasingly competitive market place. The threat of

14 DAWN AUSTWICK

competition from the commercial sector is all too real, and a major issue of the early 1990s will be the level of investment required to present the traditional public sector museums and galleries product as an effective alternative. Answers to funding shortfalls are likely to come from private sector partnerships and increasing use of admissions charges, as much as through ancillary revenues such as retail, catering and fundraising. In due course, we may begin to see joint ventures between commercial leisure operators and museums as capital investment in facilities is needed.

The home entertainment challenges Whilst it is true that people are prepared to venture out to seek the ‘special experience, the fear of crime and inner city dereliction has led to much of the increase in leisure time being centred around the home. Britain already has one of the highest levels of video recorder penetration in the world and the growth of satellite TV will encourage this trend towards home entertainment. One of the major marketing challenges of the 1990s will be to persuade people to leave the home for outside entertainment; this could be spearheaded by the growth of joint marketing initiatives, with organisations working together to counter homecentredness. Conclusion In conclusion, leisure attractions in the 1990s will operate in a much more competitive environment. Museums and galleries will face a greater challenge from the commercial sector, as well as limited growth in public funding. Marketing will be crucial in terms of both positioning the attraction for a target audience—such as family outings—and being able to respond quickly to demographic changes and changing audience tastes. Most of all, ‘quality’ will be the key factor in determining success. Notes 1 Henley Leisure Forecasts.

A WIDER VIEW 15

2 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Projections 1985 based, HMSO. 3 Cambridge Econometrics Forecast.

4 Your museum in context Knowing the museum industry; the background statistics John Myerscough Independent Consultant

This paper looks in brief at the size and structure of the museum system and comments on its economic and social significance. Available museums statistics are poor. Registration of museums will make it possible to establish for the first time accurate figures using consistent definitions on the number, scale and activities of museums (institutions and buildings). Meanwhile, it is necessary to work with estimates and approximations. Key figures Turnover for the museum system in 1988/9 can be estimated at £484 million. The figure reflects revisions to previous estimates, and the real growth of the sector.1 From 1984/5 to 1988/9, English central government museum spending alone grew by 59 per cent in cash and 29 per cent at 1984/5 prices.2 The number of museum sites has been variously estimated at between 1,965 and 2,259.3 Museum and gallery employment might amount to 19,000 fulltime equivalents (1984/5),4 and attendances probably reached 78 million in 1989.5 The latter figure makes museums and galleries the UK’s biggest sightseeing draw. The museum market is greater than for the theatre (32 million in 1984/5) and concerts (10 million in 1984/5). Despite its stronger market position, the museum sector’s turnover represents perhaps only half (the value-added and employment two-thirds) that of theatre and concerts.6

YOUR MUSEUM IN CONTEXT 17

Organisation of the sector The museum system falls into three main areas. The national museums and galleries (NMGs) are distinguished as the funding responsibility of the Exchequer through various central government departments. These nineteen institutions operating on seventy-four sites dominate the system in financial and other ways. They account for perhaps half the turnover, one-third of the public and one-third of the staff of the system as a whole. They range from a massive integrated facility such as the British Museum (with a public of 4.6 million, the third most visited attraction in Britain) to small outstations (e.g. Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood) and special bequests (e.g. Wallace Collection). Their importance lies in the range, diversity and quality of their collections and their status as the intellectual hub of the museum system.7 The NMGs concentrate in the capital cities (London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast), though regional out-stations are of increasing significance (e.g. National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford). Local authority museums and galleries include major metropolitan institutions (e.g. Glasgow City Art Gallery and Museum, Birmingham City Art Gallery) comparable in importance to the NMGs, as well as very many local museums operated by district councils. They number some 750 plus sites. London’s concentration of NMGs discourages major local authority provision in the capital. London’s local authority museums were estimated at 4.9 per million resident population in 1984/5, compared with a national average of 13.1 per million.8 Provision over the rest of the country appears relatively even (on a regional basis) within the narrow range of 12 facilities per million (North) and 17.9 per million (Yorkshire and Humberside). Scotland had 20.3 local authority museum facilities per million population. Average staffing of seven per museum in England indicates the relatively modest overall resourcing and scale of activity.9 Nevertheless, the local authority museums and galleries account for almost one-third of the staff and just over one-third of the public for the system as a whole. The independent sector contains the greatest number of individual facilities, but most probably lies third in terms of both its share of the market and scale of operation. Included in this category are a host of smaller museums run by local enthusiasts, making

18 JOHN MYERSCOUGH

John Myerscough

YOUR MUSEUM IN CONTEXT 19

FIGURE 4.1Structure of the museum sector

significant use of volunteer labour, as well as some commercial operators and the university museums. Average turnover per facility was recently estimated at £86,000,10 approximately half the level of the local authority sector.

20 JOHN MYERSCOUGH

Sources of funding Unlike other sectors of the arts, where co-funding from a variety of public agencies is encouraged, museum funding is clearly differentiated for each area. The NMGs are supported by central funds, whilst local authorities assume sole responsibility for their own institutions. Some small central government grants to the museum system as a whole are administered by the Museums & Galleries Commission. National policy is to encourage museums to build their private sector income, in relation to which incentives were introduced for the NMGs in the late 1980s. Generated income (admissions, sales, contributions) has expanded and today perhaps accounts for up to 25 per cent of the needs of NMGs and 15 per cent for the local authority institutions. The independent sector is 70 per cent self-sufficient; grants from various public sector sources cover the remainder. Attendance Public interest in museums is on a rising trend and the 1989 attendance was 15 per cent higher than in 1976. The growth initially came from the NMGs and has more recently switched to the local authority and independent museums, especially outside London. NMG attendance peaked in 1979 (26.4 million).11 It came close to this figure again in 1984 but by 1988 it was 7 per cent below the peak. A point of some significance is that the galleries and art museums among the NMGs gained attendance during the 1980s, whilst science and other museums lost it. From the latter’s peak in 1980 to 1988 the fall in attendance was 35 per cent, a trend reinforced if not initiated by the introduction of admission charges. The recent upward movement in local authority museum attendance is clear, Attendance doubled at the Glasgow museums from 1982 to 1989. A sample of major institutions showed a 17 per cent increase between 1984 and 1988.12 This may not have been experienced in all parts of the country. Market growth also came through the independent sector, most probably from expansion in numbers of museums. As many as 39 per cent of the estimated 1,200 independents were founded between 1971 and 1984.13 There is also evidence of sharply increasing competition in this sector.

YOUR MUSEUM IN CONTEXT 21

The markets In social terms, museums and galleries touch the lives of a wider section of the population (29 per cent of adults) than most other cultural institutions.14 This is reflected in the market for museums and galleries, which has more C2DEs (e.g. 30 per cent in Glasgow and 47 per cent in Merseyside) than, say, the theatre and concert audience.15 Museums also draw more young people than theatres and concerts. In Glasgow the 16– 45 age group accounted for 65 per cent of museum attendance; in London the 11–40–year-olds formed 71 per cent of the V&A and 82 per cent of the Science Museum 11plus market. Different museums draw different publics. For art museums and galleries (e.g. the V&A), gender (57 per cent female) and high level of education (51 per cent completed education aged 21 or over) are the main discriminators, and are more important than income. The market for transport/science museums was more male (60 per cent plus) and came less from the educated public.16 In other words, the public for museums and galleries is segmented into many markets. Museums provide services to the local community, but they also address day-visitor and tourist markets. In the case of London, the residents are very much in the minority at 29 per cent of attendance.17 It is estimated that London museums/galleries draw 44 per cent of their visits from tourists (31 per cent overseas, 13 per cent domestic). Outside London the impact of museums on tourism is smaller, but nonetheless very significant. For example, tourists account for 25 per cent of museum attendance in Glasgow, 30 per cent in Suffolk and 20 per cent in Merseyside, but domestic tourists are rather more common than overseas visitors. Museums/galleries constitute the largest sector of the UK sightseeing market with 34 per cent of attendance in 26 per cent of visits. Of some concern is their falling market share. From 1976 to 1989 museum attendance grew (15 per cent) at only half the national average rate (31 per cent), and was well below historic houses (27 per cent) and other fast-growing attractions.18 It is clear that the public responds positively when major investment in museums/ galleries occurs (e.g. Glasgow’s Burrell Collection, Tate Gallery Liverpool, the Turner Wing in the Tate Gallery, London). In 1988/9,

22 JOHN MYERSCOUGH

FIGURE 4.2Museum and gallery attendance (index: 1976=100) Source: BTA/ETB Research Services; Museums & Galleries Commission, The NationalMuseums, HMSO, 1988.

YOUR MUSEUM IN CONTEXT 23

the decision was taken to invest extra central government funds in the buildings of the NMGs. Museums/galleries are prime magnets drawing visitors and their spending to Britain and its regions. Some 38 per cent of overseas visitors to Britain indicated that museums and art galleries were of particular importance in their decision to make the visit.19 The wider-dispersed assets of the museum system are integral to policies to build tourism outside London and to increase the quality of tourism. Residents as well as tourists wish to see improved museums and galleries, and so cultural tourism strategies should be in harmony with local interest. Wider goals By investing in their prime functions as centres of scholarship and illumination, museums and galleries can address wider targets. The public places a positive value on enhancing the quality of life and on the benefits which spring from active museums adding vitality and confidence to a region. Museums and galleries, alongside other cultural investments, have established a role in regeneration.20 The business community appreciates that museums bring prestige to a locality, add value to the city centre, help improve business services and build confidence in a location. The example of Glasgow shows how museums can be a centrepiece for transforming an urban area, including their contribution to training and education.21 In this and other ways the museum sector should be regarded as an economic asset of national importance. Notes 1 J.Myerscough et al., Economic Importance of the Arts in Britain, Policy Studies Institute, 1988, p. 36. 2 A.Feist and R.Hutchison (eds), Cultural Trends 1989: Vol.4, Policy Studies Institute, 1989, p. 4; allowing for the effect of replacement funding at the time of local government reorganisation, the real growth was 18 per cent; UK central government museum funding totalled £193.7 million in 1988/9 (England £161.3 million; Scotland £14.8 million (1987/ 8); Wales £12.0 million; Northern Ireland £5.6 million); local authority spending totalled an estimated £108 million in 1987/8; English local

24 JOHN MYERSCOUGH

3

4

5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

authority spending fell (at 1984 constant prices) by 6 per cent 1984/5 to 1987/8. ibid., p. 14; the ambitious database study (Museums Association, Museums UK: The Findings of the Museums Database Project, 1987) identified 2,131 museums. Economic Importance, p. 55; NMG staff in post were 6,420 in 1987, up 18 per cent on 1977; local authority museum staff (FTE) were estimated at 5,128 in 1984/5, after excluding institutions transferred from local authority control at the reorganisation and including an estimate for Scotland. Economic Importancei, p. 14, gave an estimate for 1985 of 73 million. BTA/ETB Research Services collect trend data on all attractions which have been used to project forward the PSI estimate; their first UK estimate of museum visitors was prepared for 1989 at 72 million; it relates to considerably fewer sites than enumerated in museum studies. ibid., pp. 36–7. Museums & Galleries Commission, The National Museums, HMSO, 1988, p. 5. Cultural Trends, p. 11. ibid., p. 11. ibid., p. 23. National Museums, p. 40. The figures for Glasgow were 1.285 million and 2.935 million. The ten most popular local authority museums and galleries were: Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum; Museum of Transport, Glasgow; Castle Museum, York; Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery; Burrell Collection, Glasgow; Castle Museum, Nottingham; Beamish Open Air Museum; Aberdeen Art Gallery; Preston Hall Museum, Stockton; People’s Palace, Glasgow. Museums UK. J.Myerscough (ed.), Facts About the Arts 2, Policy Studies Institute, 1986, p. 299. Economic Importance, p. 26. Facts 2, p. 307. Economic Importance, pp. 80–1. BTA/ETB Research Services, Sightseeing in 1989, 1990. BTA/ETB Research Services, Overseas Visitor Survey, 1989, 1990. British American Arts Association, Arts and the Changing City: AnAgenda for Regeneration, 1989. J.Myerscough et al., Economic Importance of the Arts in Glasgow, Policy Studies Institute, 1988.

5 The role of marketing Its fundamental planning function; devising a strategy Peter Lewis Director, North of England Open Air Museum, Beamish

Marketing is central to the process of target-setting and forward planning. There is no simple definition of marketing. The word has two separate and distinct meanings. At one level it defines a philosophy, at another a series of practices, which include publicity, advertising, public and media relations, market research, visitor surveys, etc. There is no point in pursuing or implementing the practices until you have defined and understood the philosophy of your museum. I offer the following simple statement as a starting point: Marketing is the management process which confirms the mission of a museum or gallery and is then responsible for the efficient identification, anticipation and satisfaction of the needs of its users. I have chosen words like needs and users with some care. Commercial marketers talk about the wants of consumers. It can seem elitist to give people what we perceive they need rather than what they want, but I do believe that to be an essential part of the ethos of museums. Similarly, to invite people passively to consume, visit or tour what we offer in museums is to behave arrogantly. To encourage them to participate and use the museum is to behave properly, to be truly professional. A museum exists to do five main things: it preserves, documents, exhibits and interprets material evidence and associated evidence for the benefit of the public and may seek to add to its collections. To achieve this it identifies for itself a distinctive purpose or mission.

26 PETER LEWIS

This is the philosophy side of the equation. The museum must then prepare a detailed master plan with five key areas: conservation, research, interpretation, marketing and financial planning. In this sentence, marketing is used in its practical sense. The five elements deserve equal status. Curatorial primacy must not be exercised. The mark of a real ‘museum professional’ is the ability to acknowledge the professionalism of other professionals. Within the museum, from Friends and volunteers, to cleaners and curators, to technicians and teachers, everybody from the director downwards, must endorse the way things are done and the fundamental reasons why they are done. The practical plan that follows is not a challenge to the sanctity of scholarship or to the integrity of the museum object. It does emphasise, however, that a collection of things is not a museum until all staff accept a proper and professional responsibility for the collections and their users. Having established a mission, the consequences of that judgement must be accepted and a strategy implemented. To plan means to arrangebeforehand, to produce a set of workable priorities. Making the future happen is not easy, nor are tactics immutable. You should plan up to ten years ahead and review both the plan and the strategy each year. The marketing plan must include: (a) An assessment, using research, however simple, into the present users of the museum. Who uses it? How are they using it? Are their needs being met? (b) Another assessment, discovering who is not using the museum. Do you want them to? What would encourage them to use your services? (c) A judgement of the operational opportunities and constraints imposed on the museum. Are there policies of local or national bodies which determine, encourage or inhibit the museum’s operation? Should the museum stay within its present organisational framework, seek trust status, go independent or reinforce its links with local authorities? (d) A forecast of the quantity and quality of the experience you plan to offer. What numbers can be expected? Will the museum cope? If the museum charges for admission, what should those charges be? How can those who might not be able to afford those charges still be included? If, laudably, admission is free,

THE ROLE OF MARKETING 27

Peter Lewis

28 PETER LEWIS

how are the core costs to be met? What hours does the museum open? Are these realistic? Do they meet the needs of users? (e) A policy, detailing what publications, retailing and catering services are appropriate. They must accord with the museum’s image, do credit to its reputation and provide a sensible and achievable net profit. This profit should be used to improve the museum’s central functions of collection, conservation, display and education. (f) A promotion of the museum’s services. This implies a mandatory programme of all staff training and internal communication. It may, if affordable, include a programme of media information, advertising, trade exhibitions, mailings, pamphlets and posters. The training programme should cost at least 2 per cent of the museum’s budget; promotions never less than 10 per cent. Any less is a waste of money. (g) A timetable with a tight time-scale. Museums, as institutions, take overlong views. A long-term plan with no end-date or an implied and acceptable ‘slippage’ is a museological disease. (h) A budget which forecasts both income and expenditure. The figures must be realistic and kept to. If extra money becomes available, adapt the plan and spend the money quickly. If money is short or if there is a sudden spiral in inflation, cut accordingly but stay within the budget. (i) A dream is essential. Great museums are founded and pushed forward by eccentrics and entrepreneurs. The idea that God, Government or a Generalised Good will provide is not totally out of date. Remember the parable of the talents. Rewards are made, not to those who bury them in the ground in order to preserve them, but to those who take risks, use and multiply their talents. (j) Yet another assessment. Regularly and realistically assess performance and the judgements of your users. Test what you are told, but don’t discard the findings because they don’t fit your own preconceptions. Then start the cycle over again.

THE ROLE OF MARKETING 29

Further reading Bryant, Jonathan, The Principles of Marketing, a Guide for Museums,Association of Independent Museums, Guideline 6, 1990. This has a detailed marketing plan and a useful bibliography. Drucker, Peter, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices,Heinemann, 1974, is a usefully jargon-free guide to management applicable to service organisations. Museums Journal,September 1988 and December 1988, contain a series of uneven but useful articles on actual museum practice. Wilmhurst, John, The Fundamentals and Practice of Marketing,Heinemann, 1984, on behalf of the Institute of Management, defines simply the items and practices of commercial marketing.

II Writing your plan

6 What sort of forward plan? Frameworks and formats; getting started Ron French Director, Heritage Consulting Consortium

Forward plans come under a number of names: strategic, business or corporate plans. As these names imply different things to different planners and as there is no universally accepted definition, we need to say what we intend by these terms. We will treat strategic—and corporate— plans as the same thing. These are plans which are the result of careful and extensive research and strategic thinking by the company. In a commercial environment, such plans would beat the competition. Many museums publish their corporate plans but, as museums become more commercial and compete directly with each other and with other attractions, this may happen less often. Business plans in our terminology are plans primarily employed to convince potential backers to make funds available. If the plans form the basis of a request for funds from a bank, for example, they will be confidential between the bank and the company. If, on the other hand, they form the basis of an offer for shares, the plans become public property and at the same time also attain a certain legal status. For this reason, what is said needs to be very carefully considered before publication. Corporate or business plan? Typically, corporate plans will be long on explanations and set out in some detail how the targets which are set will in fact be achieved. Financial figures will be included to act as a support for these statements. In a typical business plan, the fincancial figures are

32 RON FRENCH

central to the presentation and are supported by just sufficient words to provide understanding and confidence. Corporate plans would be updated on an annual cycle. Business plans might only be produced when needing to seek outside funding. A cor porate plan concentrates upon determining and setting down the actions required to close the gaps between forecast and targeted performance. A business plan summarises the totality of a museum’s planned activities. Corporate planning is a process of clarifying the challenges which face the organisation and then being creative about finding solutions. A business plan is more concerned with demonstrating to others that the facts ‘stack up’ and that the museum is a viable operation. Museums could well have a need for either or both types of plan. The development of an initial corporate plan is probably the best way of reviewing the position of the museum and taking decisions about the way forward. Corporate planning is therefore often embarked upon as a positive response to a crisis. New or prospective museums are likely to require a business plan in order to attract funds. A business plan is typically one of the outputs produced by management consultants when they are commissioned to undertake feasibility studies for proposed new museums or heritage developments. Marketing plans might also be added to the list of forward plans. A treatise on the preparation of a marketing plan would follow a very similar route to that recommended for a corporate plan. You should consider treating the marketing plan as one of the more important action plans which should arise from the corporate plan. Another important derivative of the corporate plan is the sponsorship brochure. This is an important PR document which needs to set out in an exciting and stimulating manner how the sponsorship funds sought would be employed. Highly detailed financial projections would be counter-productive in such a document. In preparing any future plan, it is essential to be clear who is the intended audience. It is the expectations of this audience which will determine the type and structure of plan which is appropriate. The requirement by government sponsoring departments, and more recently local authorities, for museum corporate plans means that these will not have the confidentiality of their commercial analogues.

WHAT SORT OF FORWARD PLAN? 33

Dr Ron French

34 RON FRENCH

It could be argued that what such government bodies require is something more akin to a business plan. The planning process It is most helpful to follow a clear, logical process for the development of a corporate plan. This process is not the same thing as the structure of the final corporate plan itself. This structure should in fact evolve from the corporate planning process, which will decide the priorities that need to be considered and presented. For a business plan, however, it is possible to say what the contents of such a plan should be. Such guidelines can be found in a number of publications. You will find it helpful to complete the following steps in developing a corporate plan: ■ ■ ■ ■

agree objective list key issues agree targets produce forecasts and compute gaps select strategy ■ prepare action plans and budgets implement and monitor. These steps are an adaptation of those put forward by Argenti,1 one of the clearest exponents of the corporate planning process. Agree objective There are semantic problems with the word ‘objective’. Where I use ‘objective’, others might use ‘mission statement’, and others would use ‘objectives’ where I employ the word ‘targets’. My terminology is basically that of Argenti. Experience demonstrates that it is essential to make the time to debate and agree the objective or central purpose of the museum. This may at first sight appear an unnecessary process as the objective should be clear to all involved with the museum. It is, however, instructive how often a range of apparently obvious objectives prepared by colleagues who work together turn out to be

WHAT SORT OF FORWARD PLAN? 35

not quite compatible. The objective must not be confused with the short- and long-term quantitative targets, which will vary with time and circumstances. There are tests which can be applied to help the planning team to confirm whether a proposed objective is acceptable and useful. One such test, for example, requires a response to the question: ‘If the proposed objective was no longer satisfied, would the museum cease to exist?’ This question has to have the unequivocal answer ‘Yes’ for the objective to be a sound one. Superlatives should be avoided within the definition of objective because it is impossible to ascertain, for example, whether the museum is in fact the ‘best’ or the ‘most’ at whatever is specified. Quantitative statements are also not helpful, as numbers date quickly and a sound objective should not change with time. The place for quantitative statements is later on during the target-setting stage. Argenti suggests that the objective for most commercial organisations should be simply ‘to achieve a satisfactory return on capital’ A statement of similar simplicity would be more helpful to most museums than the lengthy all-embracing paragraphs that many now adopt. Thus, a good objective is short and clear and is one that will not change with time or circumstances. If the terse statement advocated does not adequately describe the culture and spirit of the museum, it is acceptable, and may also be politically desirable, to support the statement with subsidiary comments which the museum might choose to call their mission statement. The statement of the objective of the museum plays a key role in the whole planning process. It is a statement against which all proposed actions can be evaluated and which allows proposed actions which do not support it to be rejected without further consideration. List key issues It is helpful at a very early stage in the planning process to encourage those contributing to the production of the plan to list what are to them the key issues for the future. This helps to ensure that such issues are in fact considered during the course of the planning cycle.

36 RON FRENCH

Agree targets The targets must, of course, support the objective and should be set in relation to what the museum has achieved in the past and to what other museums (and perhaps other attractions or other research institutions) are achieving now. Targets also need to be set in relation to the expectations of the owners or stakeholders. What, for example, does the Office of Arts and Libraries, or do the trustees or the local authority expect of your museum? In a commercial environment the key targets will invariably be financial. These days, achieving museological aims will invariably also be closely linked to achieving financial targets. And it will therefore be the exceptional museum which does not wish to set at least one key financial target. The targets which are set should be high-level, corporate targets. Do not be tempted to set too many targets. Remember that, as a comparison, a major international company might well set as few as three: profits, capital and return on capital. Other subsidiary targets will eventually emerge from the planning process and become components of the action plans. The targets should be established over the agreed planning horizon. Five years is fairly typical, but the museum should set its own time-scale to fit in with the rate of change of the environment in which it is operating. Produce forecasts and compute gaps The targets are what the museum wishes to happen over the planning period. The forecast is what the museum expects to happen if the establishment continues to act broadly as at present. If the forecast comes out the same as the target, then the museum has no problems (or perhaps no ambitions). The gaps over the planning horizon are then the differences between the forecasts for each year and the targets in the same year. In 1986, for example, the Natural History Museum concentrated on a single target which defined a gap of approximately £1 million in the revenue funding available. Much of the corporate plan was then devoted to determining how this gap should be closed.

WHAT SORT OF FORWARD PLAN? 37

Select strategy This is the most creative and challenging aspect of the corporate planning process. It has a number of subheads: Culture and constraints. It is helpful before moving to the next stage to clarify the culture within which the museum proposes to operate and the constraints, either self-imposed or imposed from outside, within which it must work. Obvious constraints for the national museums, for example, are the Treasury rules and the staffing complements. Social, environmental and staff policies all impose constraints. These are not necessarily to be seen as negative, but they impose boundaries outside of which the museum management has determined that the selected strategy of the museum must not stray. The SWOT analysis. This is now a well-known process in which the museum sets down and evaluates its own Strengths and Weaknesses and considers the external Opportunities and Threats. It is instructive to do this as a brainstorming exercise, possibly under the guidance of an experienced consultant. There will be some cases where the same item can appear on both sides of the table. For example, the opening of a major attraction in the vicinity of the museum presents both the opportunity of more visitors to the area and, of course, the threat of added competition. Before moving on to the next stage, the lists under each heading should be graded and those strengths and weaknesses and threats and opportunities which are significantly more important should be identified. Alternative strategies. Under this heading the museum planning team starts to consider the alternative strategies that could be adopted to close the gaps defined earlier. The outcome of the SWOT analysis should be used as a starting point, as clearly one should attempt to use the strengths of the museum in any strategy and to avoid or rectify weak areas. This is the stage in which the results of market research should be employed. The museum will need to know about its present and also potential customers. It will need to understand what the competition is doing and also what can be learnt from other organisations that run similar operations but are perhaps not in direct competition. If funds are available or specific grants can be obtained, this would be

38 RON FRENCH

the point at which to define the market research requirements and brief market researchers. However, if funds are short, the imaginative use of published papers from the national and regional tourist boards and the specialist press can be very helpful. Agree strategy. The museum now needs to select and agree a strategy from the several alternatives which will have been drawn up. In selecting the preferred strategy, a check needs to be made that the strategy is flexible enough to respond if the forecasts turn out to be wrong (which they almost certainly will be) and that the museum has a response to such deviations. It makes sense to check again that the proposed strategy builds upon the strengths that have been identified earlier. Prepare action plans and budgets It is now important to convert the agreed strategy into action plans. An important advantage of the corporate planning approach that we are recommending here is that these action plans will concentrate on those specific activities needed to close the identified gaps. The action plans will not be so much concerned with the perhaps 90 per cent of the museum’s activities which will carry on much as before. Such action plans for a museum currently struggling under new financial pressures are quite likely to concentrate upon the areas of organisation structure, marketing and fundraising for example. Approach In corporate planning the process of analysis and preparation is probably more important than what is finally set down on paper. The process provides the opportunity for all key staff to become involved in considering and influencing the future of the organisation. It may perhaps be unpopular to suggest that the plan should start as a topdown process, but it does need to. It should be an iterative process with successive interaction between the management team and the staff of the museum so that both sides are confident that they have a plan which both meets the objective and is implementable. Time must be made therefore for at least one iteration: that is, the Board agreeing

WHAT SORT OF FORWARD PLAN? 39

the objective and the broad targets and the staff responding with action plans to support that objective and to achieve the targets. The interaction is important because in due course the plan will need to be implemented. Staff who have had no hand in its drafting will feel no commitment to its achievement. More than motivation is involved, however, as a plan which does not incorporate the knowledge of the staff may in fact not be achievable. In subsequent planning cycles in later years it should be easier to ensure staff involvement, as formalised means of obtaining input can be established. A fine balance then has to be struck between the efficient participation of staff and the introduction of another wasteful, bureaucratic process. Workshops led by an experienced independent consultant can be a very effective and efficient way of starting the corporate planning process and of introducing a museum management team to the key concepts of planning without formalised classroom training. How long? For a reasonably large organisation, starting more or less from scratch, a full six months should be set aside to allow sufficient time for research and for the internal interaction necessary for the development of a corporate plan. It should be possible to develop a business plan in about half that time. Summary A corporate plan is not simply a forward-looking version of the annual report which attempts to set down everything that the museum plans to do over the next five years or so. A corporate plan concentrates upon what will be different and what specific actions will be taken to close the gaps that have been identified in key areas of the museum’s activities. Note 1 John Argenti, Practical Corporate Planning, Unwin Hyman, 1989.

40 RON FRENCH

Further reading Argenti, John, Practical Corporate Planning ,Unwin Hyman, 1989. Barrow, Colin and Paul, The Business Plan Workbook,Kogan Page, 1988. Business Plan, The, Touche Ross, 1990.

7 A step-by-step guide Approach to key areas J.Patrick Greene and Robert L.Scott Director and Deputy Director, Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

The production of a corporate plan can be divided into six major stages, which are described here. They should be capable of adaptation to changing needs, priorities and external circumstances, ideally on an annual basis. In practice you will find that the plan will quickly become out of date as additional information and data (e.g. costs of scheme, pay awards) become available. Updating will require a similar process to the production of the initial plan, with the difference that as a sequence of plans is produced it should be possible to identify trends and build these into forward planning. For those responsible for producing the plan, familiarity with the process makes the task much easier as the sequence is developed. Production and presentation of the plan Stage 1: taking stock It is not possible to plan for the future without a thorough appreciation of the museum’s current strengths and weaknesses. One of the benefits of producing a corporate plan is indeed to act as a prompt for questions that may not otherwise be faced up to. The assessment will include the following areas: Buildings. What is their condition, along with that of mechanical and electrical services and external areas? Will the plan contain proposals for restoration and conversion to museum purposes? If so, architects and building surveyors will be required to produce a

42 J.PATRICK GREENE AND ROBERT L.SCOTT

detailed programme for the works, together with full estimates of costs including fees. Visitors. Who are they? Are their needs being met? Visitor surveys and techniques such as the use of focus groups can help. Do educational programmes meet the needs of schools in respect of the national curriculum? Do researchers have adequate access to information about the collections? The plan should include projections for visitor numbers and income. It is important that these forecasts should be as realistic as possible, as income generated from visitors will almost certainly be used to fund future developments. Too optimistic an approach will lead to difficulties later in finding adequate resources to fund developments. Collections management. Are reserve collections stored in environmentally acceptable conditions? What is the state of documentation? Are enquiries being responded to effectively? Do resources need to be found to be directed to this area? Exhibitions—the need for refurbishment and redisplay quantified; reliability (or otherwise) of working exhibits and audio-visual aids. The development of new exhibitions and galleries will have particular implications in terms of capital expenditure. Estimates of expenditure as accurate as possible should be obtained. It is equally important to bear in mind the implications for revenue expenditure: will more staff be required? Will there be substantial growth in running costs because of the new development? Financial resources available to the institution—an assessment of all forms of income that can be predicted over the length of the plan including fundraising, sponsorship, admissions income, catering and retail income. This will be the opportunity for those preparing the plan to consider further avenues for generation of income. Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, to maximise income, has its own conference/event facilities, and also recently purchased a Super X flight simulator. It is once again important that the assessment of income is as realistic as possible. One of the major benefits of a plan is the ability to change direction quickly if resources suddenly become available (e.g. European Regional Development Fund funding). Consideration should be given to the way in which income is to be used. Obviously, operating income (catering, shops, etc.) will be used to offset operating expenditure. It

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 43

Dr J.Patrick Greene and Robert L.Scott

44 J.PATRICK GREENE AND ROBERT L.SCOTT

may be possible to earmark certain income (e.g. admissions, bank interest, sponsorship) for funding a development programme. Expenditure. An accurate assessment is needed of what the organisation will spend (in revenue terms) over the period of the plan. You will already have a revenue budget for the current financial year. Indeed, preparation of revenue estimates for the length of the plan needs to be tied in closely with the setting of objectives and targets in the plan. The plan will include a number of (as accurate as possible) assumptions about inflation, wage levels. Staffing strategy. Perhaps the most important item of expenditure is the staffing strategy for the period it covers, including an assessment of existing staff, their skills and qualifications (are there any gaps?). Consideration has to be given to the implications for staff resources of future development and growth (e.g. new galleries may require more attendants). The first priority will be to ensure that there are adequate resources available to ensure that the organisation can function as effectively as possible. Any additional resources can then be diverted to funding growth—new staff perhaps. External factors. For example, the objectives of the parent authority in the case of local government museums, economic trends, competition from neighbouring attractions, etc.1 Stage 2: the corporate approach For a corporate plan to work effectively it must command the support of the museum staff and governing body. It follows that there must be an opportunity for all interested parties to contribute to the formulation of the plan and its component parts on a widespread basis. Where plans have met with a hostile or negative response, the reason has often been that there has been a lack of consultation. It is vital that the production is organised in a well-structured manner. The following steps may be appropriate (adapted to the circumstances of the individual museum). Discussion by the museum’s management team. The opportunity for the managers to spend a day away from the museum to ‘brainstorm’ and produce outline ideas for the plan can be very effective. The assessment studies described in the first section can provide a factual basis for the discussions. One of the results of this

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 45

approach could be the production of a series of policy option papers setting out and evaluating proposals for individual projects. The papers should include some indications of costs and future revenue implications (if a capital scheme). These papers would be considered by… …the working group established to produce the draft plan. Membership of the group should be small—not more than six people —and should be chaired by the director (or deputy director). One of the first tasks will be to establish a programme and outline functions for the production of the plan. The group will then consider the outline of the plan and determine chapter headings. They could be as follows: (a) Introduction. A description of the purpose of the plan (who is it for?). (b) The organisation. A summary of the organisation’s overall aims and objectives and some details of the organisation’s past development. (c) The plan itself. A summary of the main factors affecting the plan and the main objectives and targets included in it. The overall capital expenditure planned, commercial revenues expected to be generated, forecasts of visitor numbers, the organisation’s revenue requirements (including manpower projections) during the period covered by the plan. A summary of financial projections both capital and revenue. (d) Capital expenditure programme. Descriptions of (and rationale behind) major schemes included in the plan, whether conversion of buildings or new galleries. (e) Revenue requirements. Assessment of the revenue requirements over the plan’s lifespan. (f) Staffing. Assessment and implications of development proposals for staffing strategy. Will more posts be needed? Description of any training initiatives likely to be taken to equip staff for the challenge presented by the plan. (g) Performance indicators. Operational objectives for the organisation. Factors to be used in monitoring and assessing performance of the organisation (and its staff) in meeting the plan’s objectives.

46 J.PATRICK GREENE AND ROBERT L.SCOTT

(h) Potential revenue. Breakdown of sources of commercial income. These might include merchandising, catering, special event income (if appropriate). This chapter will also include forecasts of visitor numbers and income. A description of marketing initiatives being taken to assist in the realisation of these targets may be appropriate. (i) Financial projections. A breakdown for the year of the plan of capital expenditure, income to meet capital expenditure plans, profit and loss accounts and source and application of funds statements. (j) Key assumptions. A list of the main assumptions used for the various elements of the financial projections such as revenue costs and cash flow. Appendices will include detailed breakdown of capital performance targets. Some activities take place in parallel. One of these is the organisation of discussions within sections, initiated by managers, but involving all members of staff. This can be done either prior to or following production of the first draft. There will be a wealth of ideas and knowledge that can be contributed towards the production of the plan. There will also be fears about the future, and managers must make themselves aware of areas of insecurity that can be addressed. There is a need for realism and an awareness of constraints in the production of the plan. The plan needs to be a credible document, its aims and objectives capable of being achieved. It can be very damaging to raise expectations unrealistically with overoptimistic forecasting and planning only to have to correct them later. Part of the intelligence-gathering function of the project team is to identify those areas where the input of information from outside advisers or consultants is required. This will be particularly appropriate if major schemes and development are planned or where policy option papers are in the course of preparation. There may well be further opportunities when the first draft of the plan is well advanced, since it will be much easier to identify gaps in knowledge or expertise. The briefing of advisers can then be much more precise, leading to better service and savings in cost.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 47

Stage 3: production and consideration of the first draft Following the deliberations of the working group, the chairman should then produce the first draft of the corporate plan presented in a variety of forms including programmes, charts, diagrams and illustrations as appropriate. The availability of desk-top publishing systems makes possible the attractive presentation of, for example, information in a graphical form. Once the first draft is available, discussion, which prior to production will have been generalised, can now be focused, and the issues that emerge can be tackled by the management team. They will include: Modification in light of discussion, and the incorporation of additional or different ideas resulting from discussion with sections of the museum staff. Prioritisation: the process of producing the plan will identify many goals to be achieved, but it may be that resources identified as likely to be available during the period of the plan will not be adequate to tackle the programme of development incorporated into the first draft. A major advantage of a corporate plan which surveys the work of the museum over a five-year period is that objectives can be prioritised and programmed over the plan’s lifespan (and, if necessary, beyond it). There will always be different perceptions between individuals about priorities, but by considering the future development of the organisation over a span of five years it may be easier for agreement to be reached. In any museum it is sapping for morale for proposals to be raised on an annual basis, only to be rejected year after year. It must be noted that the inclusion in the plan of any proposal is no guarantee that it will come to fruition. There may be circumstances later in the plan’s period which will result in radical changes to the objectives and targets of the organisation. Reassessment in the light of the latest financial information. The availability of finance can vary considerably over relatively short periods, so it is important for the plan to be written in such a way that the most upto-date financial information is incorporated into it. This can include wage rises, inflation projections, cost of schemes, etc.

48 J.PATRICK GREENE AND ROBERT L.SCOTT

Stage 4: presentation for consideration by the governingbody and other groups Having subjected the plan to the three steps identified in the foregoing paragraph, a second draft will be prepared and it is probably at this second-draft stage that the corporate plan is best presented to the museum trustees or committee for their detailed consideration. The members will already be aware that the production of the document is in train, and may well have considered preliminary papers already—for example, a description of the museum’s aims and objectives, a mission statement (in the case of charitable trust museums this will be based on the memorandum and articles of association, which are obliged to define the purpose of the charity, or the policy papers). There are significant implications for the organisation. It is important, however, that the detailed plan is not presented at too early a stage, before the museum staff have brought their full experience and expertise to bear. This enables the distinction of roles to be maintained. Trustees are responsible for strategy and overall performance of the museum on the advice of the director. The director and staff are responsible for day-to-day management and operation of the museum.2 If the museum has an Association of Friends or an organised group of volunteers it is important that this group is also able to discuss and make comments on the second draft. Again, it is likely that there will have been some preliminary discussion with the person who chairs the Friends, or with the volunteers’ co-ordinator, not least at the initial assessment of resources stage. One of the benefits of involving volunteers at this stage, in addition to the generation of ideas and comments, is the opportunity to present an overall view of the activities of the museum to the group. It is often the case that volunteers with a particular subject interest will be unaware of the wider picture. Stage 5: production of the final document Final editing. The project team will need to correlate all the comments and criticisms that have been obtained as a result of the

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 49

consultancy process, and study any gaps in information that have been identified. The person who is acting as the author then has the task of undertaking a final rewrite and editing of the document. Publication. The completed report should be made the basis of a presentation to staff as soon as it is available, with implications for the organisation and individuals carefully explained. Every member of staff should receive a copy. The members of the governing body will all receive a copy. In the case of local authority museums, other key members and officers should be sent copies. Another important recipient group will be the members of the volunteers’ committee. Other people who it might be appropriate to inform about the museum’s plans and activities are: ■ ■ ■ ■

grant-giving trusts and agencies actual and potential sponsors media (with accompanying press information) opinion formers Using the corporate plan

The corporate plan provides an excellent tool for use in discussions with funding bodies. All such organisations, whether public or private sector, require the reassurance that their support for the museum will be efficiently and effectively used. The corporate plan will provide ample evidence of the museum’s business-like approach to the use of its resources. The corporate plan will inevitably provide a broad approach to the operation of the museum. To be really effective it requires application to an individual level. It therefore must be regarded as a framework within which departmental and individual activities can be planned to meet the overall objectives set out in the plan. That in turn will generate performance targets and training needs. Planning for the unexpected. All forward planning has to make assumptions about the future, and inevitably there will be changes in circumstances which will require the plan to be modified. This does not negate the value of forward planning, however—far from it. The plan provides the information upon which reasoned decisions can be made. The effects of a surge in inflation can be assessed, and, if necessary, corrective action to ameliorate its effect can be

50 J.PATRICK GREENE AND ROBERT L.SCOTT

introduced. A sudden, unexpected source of finance may become available, enabling developments that are programmed for the plan’s later years to be brought forward. Updating can be carried out at any time of the year, but a thorough revision of the plan is best timed to coincide with the annual budgetsetting exercises as the two activities are inextricably linked. Are corporate plans appropriate for small museums? Any museum, of any size, can produce a corporate plan—and all will experience benefits from so doing. The principles set out in this chapter can be scaled down for application to small museums, including those that are entirely voluntary. It is a frequent assumption that in the case of a small museum everyone associated with it knows what the plans are for the future. This is frequently not the case however! Small museums that feel intimidated by the thought of producing corporate plans should comfort themselves that, if some of the types of information suggested in this chapter are not available, it does not make it impossible to achieve. Use the information you have, and work gradually towards a more comprehensive plan. Your Area Museums Council may be able to help you if you feel uncertain about how to proceed. Area Museums Councils and other bodies, such as the Museums & Galleries Commission, will increasingly expect applicants for grants to demonstrate evidence of long-term planning. Notes 1 See the Association of Independent Museums’ Future Visions report for an assessment of trends in the 1990s. 2 Association of Independent Museums, Guidelines 11 and 15, The Roleof Trustees in Independent Museums, give detailed consideration to these distinctions in the case of England and Wales, and Scotland respectively. For a discussion of roles in respect of capital schemes, which will form part of the corporate scheme, see The Manual ofMuseum Planning, HMSO, 1991.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 51

Further reading Ames, Peter J., ‘A challenge to modern museum management: meshing mission and market’, International Journal of Museum Management andCuratorship,7(2), June 1988, pp. 151–8. Museums for a New Century: A Report of the Commission on Museumsfor a New Century,American Association of Museums, 1984. For general reading, the authors also suggest: Lord, Gail and Barry, The Manual of Museum Planning,HMSO, 1991. Millar, Sue,The Management of Volunteers in Museums,HMSO, 1991. Road to Wigan Pier, The,Audit Commission’s report on local authority museums, HMSO, 1991.

8 Working with consultants Choosing; importance of the brief; costs and evaluation Victor Middleton and Ken Robinson Director and Managing Director, Ventures Consultancy

Leisure sector consultants are often caricatured as a new breed of witch doctor weaving their superficial and expensive magic to confuse the scholarly endeavour of curators and trustees. Scepticism about the value of consultants and their activities is healthy. But if they know their business—and have proved their expertise in your context—their services will be highly valuable in practice. Good consultants will not be cheap, but any assessment of cost should allow for the potential gain in time and money saved by avoiding wrong decisions and the potential revenue gained by making better decisions. Why employ a consultant? If you can solve a problem, or initiate and implement your own developments and carry them through your organisation, do it yourself. If you or your staff lack the time or do not possess a particular skill or combination of knowledge, expertise and skills which the circumstances demand, hire a consultant. There are ad hoc reasons for using consultants, such as a particular development need, or a crisis in finance, organisation, personnel or marketing, which need an urgent response. For such tasks you can buy in proven expertise on a day-rate basis. Major redevelopments or changes in organisational and operational arrangements may require comprehensive strategic analysis and reports. There may also be continuing reasons such as need for support in implementing and managing a project once it is agreed, or securing full- or part-time management services over a period. The

WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS 53

appropriate expertise can be obtained on a time-related fee basis or through a share of revenue/profit contract. Consultants thus provide a fast and flexible way to extend full-time staff capabilities on a short- or longer-term basis. They may be used to train new employees to take over their roles at the earliest opportunity or train existing staff in new skills. They have the ability, through the breadth of their experience and objective impartiality, to perceive situations and compare performance in ways which internal staff seldom can. Choosing consultants There is no shortage. Over the last decade, perceiving opportunities in a growing sector of the economy, most of the major national and international management and financial consultancies have developed leisure and tourism divisions. They joined the previously established hotel specialist consultancies who have also broadened their scope into leisure and tourism. Several smaller consultancies emerged in the 1980s who specialise solely in aspects of leisure, recreation and tourism. There is also a rapidly growing number of individuals operating singly or as associates. Recommendations from colleagues, through professional association contacts and through statutory agencies are the normal route for selecting possible consultants. All reputable consultants will supply details of their track record and relevant work completed. It is quite normal to invite consultants to name clients who might be contacted in confidence and it may be helpful to talk to one or two informally on the telephone before making commitments. Role of a brief inviting consultants to tender In order to achieve the best, most cost-effective use of consultants, the brief is the all-important document. The overt purpose of a brief is to instruct consultants by defining the task, and to control their activities. Its more important role is internal to the commissioning body, where it should be used to focus the minds of those whose decisions are ultimately going to be involved anyway. A good brief will explain clearly the nature of the task to be undertaken, to the best of the client’s existing knowledge and

54 VICTOR MIDDLETON AND KEN ROBINSON

Victor Middleton

WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS 55

experience. Good consultants will question and challenge the initial brief, drawing on their own knowledge and experience and the fresh, outside vision they bring to the issue in question. Through that dialogue an amended brief can be agreed. A poor brief will aim to specify exactly what the consultant is to do in carefully detailed stages. For larger jobs there is much to be gained by involving consultants in the preparation and refinement of the brief. This may involve a fee, but should contribute significantly to costeffectiveness overall. A good brief is flexible to change as the task unfolds and knowledge of the issues develops. If you know the answers before you approach consultants you should not be wasting your money—unless all you require is confirmation or external support and validation for a particular course of action. Contents of a brief The headings used in briefs are fairly standard around the world and the following will serve as a checklist. For a small project under £10,000, a brief of about five pages will usually suffice. For projects up to £50,000, ten to fifteen pages is normal, perhaps with supporting documents. For major projects it would be better to produce a short initial brief and use the tendering process to select the consultant with whom you wish to work prior to finalising the comprehensive brief with them within agreed budget guidelines. Background. Specify the perceived nature of the problem/ opportunity/task, noting key events, personnel, marketing, organisational and financial issues, and the way the issue developed. Specify any limiting constraints on possible solutions. Consultants are used to reading between the lines and a synopsis will suffice. The extent to which consultants ask pertinent questions to fill in the detail is a useful indicator of their knowlege and interest in the project in hand. For smaller projects (under about £15,000) the brief should aim to make preliminary site visits unnecessary to limit costs. Plans, photographs and relevant papers are always helpful. Objectives: terms of reference; outcome required. Undoubtedly the most important section of the brief, the objectives should be set out in terms of what the client wants to achieve at the end of the

56 VICTOR MIDDLETON AND KEN ROBINSON

consultancy process. The more a client’s objectives are focused on perceived action to be taken, the more likely a good consultant will be able to comment constructively on whether the stated objectives are achievable or should be amended. A good brief is precise about the client’s objectives, but not about expected conclusions or specific ways in which the consultant should tackle the work. If key objectives are clearly stated, subsidiary objectives will emerge once the work commences. Consultants are sometimes asked to propose solutions to specific problems when submitting tenders but before any work is commissioned. This practice will not produce quality work and professional consultants are unlikely to respond to unrealistic expectations. Reporting. Consultants need to know whose decisions will be final as the work develops. It may be a committee or a board of trustees; if it is, the same committee should also be involved in approving the brief and in the final selection process. Working parties are often used to approve the programme of work as it emerges from the consultants’ approach to the task and to monitor and receive consultants’ work. If they are so used, the roles of the chairman and the members should be made clear. The programme of work must be adjusted to fit the schedule of control meetings. Stages. For many projects it will be beneficial to identify the stages at which, for example, go/no go decisions should be taken, or the direction of the study changed. Continuous contact and monitoring of critical decisions is usually desirable and an interim reporting process for larger jobs may also be helpful providing it is relatively informal. Interim reports involve careful preparation and documentation as well as meetings and they add significantly to the cost of projects; they should only be required if fully justified. In the process of selecting consultants, clients should ask them to suggest what the key stages will be and to advise when they will be reached. Draft and final report. A good final report will usually be the product of interaction between client and consultant. It often makes sense to ask for an initial submission in draft form for consultation and comment before the document is finalised. A brief should specify the type of report required and indicate the number of copies

WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS 57

needed. If management summaries and/or personal presentations of findings are required they should be specified in the brief as they influence cost. Timing. For smaller jobs (under £15,000) it is increasingly common for briefs to be sent by fax with expectations that consultants will respond within a week or ten days, commence work within two or three weeks of the decision to proceed, and complete within ten to twelve weeks. If you choose competent consultants with a good track record they are likely to be busy people with extensive work loads. All consultants expect to respond to crises, but many refuse attractive briefs because better-organised clients have already retained their services. Generally only second-rate consultants will have no other work load in hand. Good practice suggests that three weeks is a reasonable minimum for the production of a brief, and a four- to six-month completion time for small to medium-sized projects is likely to command better work from better consultants. Most projects require several meetings; generally more than are anticipated by clients at the outset. The time-scale set for project completion can often be frustrated by the normal difficulties of arranging for several busy people to attend important meetings at critical phases of the work. Budgets and quotations. There are conflicting views about whether to state the budget limits to competing consultants before they submit quotations. If a figure is stated, it is normal for consultants to quote it plus or minus about 10 per cent. There are no objective criteria for how long most jobs should take and management consultancy, in particular, is as long as a piece of string. In our view it is essential to suggest, however informally, broad upper limits or express expectations in approximate terms of days/ weeks of work. All tendering will then have the same basic budget framework in mind and the client will be able to compare like with like and focus on what is offered for the money rather than the sum itself. Good consultants will do the best possible job within the available budget measured in days of time.

58 VICTOR MIDDLETON AND KEN ROBINSON

What to look for in evaluating proposals and selectingconsultants An effective, written proposal will normally only emerge after a meeting with the client or at least one or more telephone discussions. Key points to look for in evaluating proposals are the extent to which the consultants appear to have understood the brief and accurately defined/redefined the task. In particular scrutinise any discussion of objectives and the methodology proposed. Beware of the superficially comprehensive proposal which purports to offer solutions before the project is commissioned. The final selection process normally involves a meeting. It is often helpful to judge consultants by the quality of the questions they put to clients as well as by the responses they give to questions put to them. Prior consideration of the questions to be put is advisable before the interviews start. Always check on the names and experience of the particular consultants who will actually work on the job and their approximate involvement in terms of days, not fees. It sometimes happens that impressive leading consultants, who appear at selection meetings, will subsequently have little input into a project once their organisation has been commissioned. Smaller consultancies may propose subcontracting aspects of larger projects and, whilst this may be appropriate, clients should satisfy themselves about the quality of the subcontractor’s work and interview them if necessary. Finally, it is generally unsatisfactory to select consultants solely on a competitive cost evaluation because there is no prospect of precision in what a number of days’ time can produce. Ten days of one consultant’s time may produce far less than three days by another, even if the ten-day fee is apparently less expensive. Further reading Managing Consultancy: A Guide for Arts and Voluntary Organisations,National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Arts Council of Great Britain, 1990.

9 Working on your own withlimited resources Clear thinking; prioritisation and commitment Adrian Babbidge Director, East Midlands Area Museums Service

Working alone is no unusual feature of museum careers. Even in larger institutions, departmental managers are often singletons, with their principal management task being of themselves. Smaller museums may have just one member of professional staff, expected to undertake a range of duties embracing those of curator, conservator, teacher, academic, designer, shopkeeper, public relations officer, accountant, lawyer, caterer, impressario—and sometimes even drudge and bouncer! The manager as an acrobat The range of skills and expertise required to perform all these various roles are unusually found in a single person, yet the limited resources of the museum world—and the personal commitment of the people who work in it—often lead its managers to perform a substantially broader range of activities than might their counterparts in other areas of the public sector, or in the world of commerce and industry. The danger that arises out of this versatility is that museum staff, and particularly those in smaller institutions, become significantly over-extended, and unable to deliver such an extensive range of activities to a uniformly high quality. This dissipation of effort can create a veneer of dynamism and achievement underlain by the reality of structural weakness, peripheral benefit, poor quality and limited effectiveness. A by-product is demoralisation and cynicism on the part of museum workers. To avoid this unhappy condition requires discipline of a similar nature to that employed in the management of more substantial

60 ADRIAN BABBIDGE

resources. However, the management techniques and skills employed in those situations are perhaps more complicated and timeconsuming than those appropriate to single-person situations. Whereas the same elements underlie effective operation in both situations, they can be crystallised in the smaller institutions as follows. Know yourself Before you think what you feel you ought to be doing, you need to test your personal attributes: any project you undertake, since you have no other significant human resources than yourself, will depend on your personality, outlook and character. Take stock of yourself. Are you outgoing or an introvert? Are you prepared to take risks? Can you manage political pressures from outside (particularly from your governing body or superior managers)? Are you prepared to put in voluntary extra hours or work outside your normal working week? How is your health and strength? Are you persistent—once you get your teeth into something will it be impossible to shake you loose? By answering questions of this nature you will begin to establish a series of parameters which will guide you through the planning process. Know the needs of the museum Don’t think things have to be done because they have always so been. The needs of the last year may not be those of today; the needs of five or ten years ago certainly will not be. List all the activities presently undertaken in the museum, separate them into individual projects or programmes, identify the resources required to deliver them. Then ask why you do them, and question those reasons. Apply careful thought and research to their relevance. Identify those you feel still relevant and discard those not. Produce a list of activities not previously undertaken which you feel meet present needs. Whilst doing this exercise, bear in mind that the project discarded as non-viable a few years back may now be both relevant and attainable.

WORKING ON YOUR OWN WITH LIMITED RESOURCES 61

Adrian Babbidge

62 ADRIAN BABBIDGE

Visualise your dream On the basis of your knowledge of yourself, and of the museum, write down your mode of perfection for the museum. Like all dreams it will probably be impossible to achieve in total, but it will provide a sense of purpose, and attainable elements can be isolated to enhance the performance and effectiveness of the institution. It is important, of course, that the dream should be based on the public service of the museum rather than on self-indulgence and personal benefit! Assessyour priorities You will now be able to break the dream down into competent projects and programmes, some of which will be capable of speedy implementation, whilst others will take longer. Establish priorities based on the resources you have at your disposal, and any additional resources that are realistically attainable. Your may need to reorganise or redeploy your existing resources to achieve those priorities, the first to be tackled being those which will make the most efficient use of those resources. Establish a compact Having created priorities, you will next have to secure the support of others—initially your senior manager and/or governing body. This marketing exercise is fundamental: if you can’t convince those who should have some commitment to the museum, what chance is there that the project or programme will be attractive to the general public or outside funding bodies? The acceptance of the proposals by your governing committee should imply that the resources that are required are made available: one of the foremost responsibilities of governing bodies is to provide resources to enable effective management. Once the proposals are accepted it is important that they are considered binding on both employer and employee. Governing bodies and senior managers must accept that they cannot introduce other projects, or expect you to undertake additional work outside of that which has been accepted. You must devote yourself wholeheartedly to the approved projects, refrain from diversion and

WORKING ON YOUR OWN WITH LIMITED RESOURCES 63

deliver in the manner specified on time and on budget. This will require single-mindedness. You can probably develop only one idea or proposal at a time, and once work has commenced your priority is to bring it to a successful conclusion. To help you concentrate on your targets keep a project log-book; enter in your timetable and project budget, then identify the time you allocate to the work, the problems you encounter and how you overcome them, and any variations or compromises you make along the way. Stand back and think Always leave time in your schedule to widen your experience and knowledge of the museum world. This can be through formal training, participation in events or professional/specialist associations and groups, and visiting museum developments locally and further afield. Take special care to maintain contacts with colleagues, and develop these. Use these opportunities to think creatively—even if this means changing your dream! Working alone should not mean professional isolation. The inquest Once a project is complete, or a task concluded, using the log-book go over how it was accomplished, and how easy or difficult it was to implement. See what, with the benefit of hindsight, you could have improved or dealt with differently. Write up the project and circulate it to colleagues for information or comment. If the project didn’t work then say so: the only people who never make mistakes are those who never do anything! Codify what you have learnt as a source of reference and aidemémoire for future projects. The above procedures are simple but can be effective. What they do demand is a sense of discipline on the part of the participants, and a realisation of the limits of a job as well as the opportunities. However, personal fulfilment and satisfaction of governing body, senior managers and the public generally can often be obtained by performing well within the constraints of limited resources rather than providing a lower quality across a broader span of activity. In this situation, small should be beautiful!

III Forward planning inspecialist areas

10 Collections care and its costs Gail Lord Independent Consultant

A study carried out by our organisation1 used a variety of quantitative methodologies to identify the categories of costs which can be attributed to collections management. We found it useful to distinguish between the direct and indirect costs of collecting, and this is a distinction which the curator needs to be aware of in the planning process. The direct costs of collecting in museums amount to 38 per cent of operating costs. This figure breaks down as follows (per cent): Security Curatorial programmes Documentation Conservation Research Stock taking

14 13 4 4 2 1

The indirect costs associated with museum collections cover general maintenance and administration. On average, UK museums have 80 per cent of their collections in storage and 20 per cent on display. Combined, these collections occupy about 64 per cent of museum space. Utilising survey data and other data sources, it can be estimated that the indirect costs of collecting amount to about 28 per cent of the museum running costs.

66 GAIL LORD

Factors influencing the costs of collecting Forward planning is concerned with allocation of resources to achieve agreed goals and objectives. Failure to attend to factors that influence the costs of collecting can result in squandering scarce resources. The two main factors are the condition of the collection and the condition of the building which houses it. These are interdependent variables since poor environmental conditions necessitate repeated remedial conservation treatment. The implication for the majority of UK museums is the need to plan and implement a capital renewal programme with preventive conservation as its focus. In this context, the sections on conservation and environmental control may be found useful. The framework of costs Our study proposes a framework of costs which would be useful to the forward planner in projecting collection management related costs: (a) The initial costs of acquisition purchase price (if any) curatorial costs documentation cost conservation cost cost of providing storage (b) The direct and indirect operating costs for collections managementand care These have been detailed above, and in the study survey averaged about £120 per square metre of museum space. (c) The ‘capitalised cost of collecting’ This allows the forward planner to evaluate the opportunity costs of acquisitions. For example, an object requiring 1 square metre of storage space requires a capital investment of the acquisition costs listed in A above, plus an endowment of roughly £1,200 which (at an annual interest of 10 per cent) would yield £120 per year to cover the annual running cost referred to in B above.

COLLECTIONS CARE AND ITS COSTS 67

Gail Lord

68 GAIL LORD

Planning strategies It is becoming more widely understood that museums are underfunded relative to the real costs of collecting and the growing value of collections. A detailed knowledge of the cost of collecting in each specific museum can lead to practical forward plans that address future needs. These forward plans should utilise capital improvements as a strategy to reduce long-term running costs; establish endowment funds to help meet the growing operational costs of collecting; develop new approaches to the solicitation of donations so that some of the real costs of collecting can be met at the point of acquisition; and make the case for realistic core funding for the museum’s main function, the preservation of collections for future generations. Note 1 Gail and Barry Lord and W.John Nicks, The Cost Collecting:Collection Management in UK Museums, HMSO, 1989.

of

11 Maintenance Ron Essex Estate Manager, Natural History Museum

Adequacy of funding for maintenance has always been a contentious issue, with some authorities seeing maintenance as an area where reduction in funding is always possible when pressures elsewhere get high, or simply when other demands become more attractive to them. Maintenance managers invariably feel that provision is never sufficient for their needs. Who is right? The art of achieving a sensible balance between over- and underfunding maintenance is one that requires experience and a clear understanding of the risks involved in order to achieve the optimum level required. There are a number of good publications providing advice on this and explaining the processes involved in managing the maintenance of large estates. Three areas of advice are common. They may be summarised as: (a) know your estate (b) identify and programme its maintenance needs (c) calculate and plan resources to meet those needs (budgeting). To ignore any one of these areas leaves the manager in a weak position. When making a case for sensible funding, all are necessary and interact with each other. Knowing your estate means having to hand all the information about it, e.g. drawings giving details of building construction, layout, floor areas, plant and equipment schedules with servicing requirements, copies of lease conditions, etc. Should any part of the information be missing, then it is essential to devote time to

70 RON ESSEX

obtaining it. Trying to manage maintenance without such basic data is like trying to steer a boat without a rudder— you can very easily lose direction. Identifying maintenance needs is achieved mainly through inspection. This is particularly true for buildings and static mechanical and electrical installations. Potential deficiencies are obvious to the trained eye. In the case of moving plant and equipment, maintenance can be based more on servicing needs related to the amount of use each item receives, for which manufacturers usually make recommendations. Nothing, of course, lasts forever, and replacement must be considered at some time in the future, usually when maintenance costs become uneconomic. However, one should not forget that upgrading to improve efficiency is also an option worth considering. Once all the maintenance needs have been identified, they should be listed in the order in which they should be carried out, and programmed over a period of, say, five years. Some items will be of a cyclical nature and will repeat themselves at regular intervals (e.g. redecoration), while others will be irregular in pattern (e.g. replacing roof coverings) and technical judgement will be needed to decide when. Programming work in this way enables its cost to be spread more evenly over time, and gives early warning of major expenditure peaks. It also ensures that valuable resources are directed to the work in the correct order of priority, allowing the ‘stitch in time’ principle to operate where practical in order to reduce overall costs. When assessing priorities, consideration should be given to the work in the following order: (a) Work to rectify defects affecting health and safety of staff and visitors. (b) Work needed to comply with statutory requirements. (c) Work required to maintain buildings wind- and weather-tight or to prevent serious deterioration to the structure or the mechanical and electrical services. (d) Work to maintain or improve operational efficiency or staff morale. (e) Work of a cosmetic nature.

MAINTENANCE 71

Ron Essex

72 RON ESSEX

Programmes should be reviewed as often as is necessary to take account of changes in circumstances or improved information. They should be continued through time, because year 2 and subsequent years eventually become year 1. The judgements made for future years’ work should also be reassessed, confirmed or amended as those years approach the beginning of the cycle. The current year’s maintenance programme may be adjusted if necessary to fund an unscheduled high priority, by simply rescheduling the lowest priority forward into year 2, provided no commitment has been made at the time the need is identified. Similarly, work can be rescheduled from year 2 into year 1 should additional funds become available, provided there is adequate time left in the year to plan and execute it. The process of calculating the overall financial resources needed for maintenance (e.g. submitting a budget bid for funds to complete the programme) cannot be treated in isolation from the programming process outlined above. It is an essential part of it, and necessary in order to make sensible judgements to obtain the desired even spread of expenditure. However, the cost estimates needed for the individual packages of work making up the budget bid need to be properly assessed and cannot rely on pure guesswork based on inspiration and little else. Whilst such estimates need to be reasonable assessments of the cost involved, they do not need to be accurate in detail at budget stage. The methods used should therefore reflect this. The following methods are suitable for the purpose: (a) Historic cost data. These can be used where the cost of similar work carried out in the past is known. Such data will need to be updated for inflation and adjusted to take account of changes in circumstances and variation in the scope or quantity of the content. (b) Contractor/consultant guide prices. Contractors and consultants are often willing to provide ‘order of cost’ estimates for budgeting purposes. If this is accepted, then the fullest details of the requirement must be given together with any known restrictions (e.g. limited access or working time). Considerable distortion between the estimate given and the final tenders for the work will otherwise arise.

MAINTENANCE 73

(c) Pricing books. These are useful in providing prices for work that can be quantified in reasonable detail at the budget stage. However, it is important when using such books to read carefully and understand the basis on which the prices given are calculated and to make allowances where they differ from the case being considered. Suitable books are listed in Further reading. Further reading Architects & Builders Price Book (Spon, annual). Building Maintenance Price Book (Building Maintenance Information Ltd, annual). Estimating Handbook for Building Maintenance (based on ‘Schedule of Rates for Building Works 1985’; PSA/DBQSS). Mechanical & Electrical Services Price Book (Spon,annual).

12 Developments in financialmanagement Jeffrey Defries Assistant Director, National Museum of Science & Industry

Planning is about resource levels and utilisation. Money is both a key resource in its own right and also a means of quantifying other resources. Financial management concerns the planned utilisation of money, including other resources measured in money terms, in order to meet corporate objectives themselves expressed through the planning process. It is necessarily a forward-looking discipline, although its traditionally most well-understood application— accounting—has significant responsibilities for the accurate reporting of past activity and the establishment of a framework for current activity. Financial management in museums Museums have tended to be adept at financial administration, including the operation of rules and regulations, but less capable of financial management. Thus, financial accounting is normally of the receipts and payments (cash accounting) type, which might satisfy central or local government requirements but does little to evaluate performance against targets or to present the true financial position of the institution. The introduction of income and expenditure (accruals) accounting is essential if museums are to measure the success of planning and budgeting rather than to view the position at a snap-shot in time, i.e. at the end of the financial year. Gallery and building projects necessarily span financial years and the accounts must reflect this. The analysis of source and application of funds and the preparation of a balance sheet are important tools of

75

management and serve as valuable indicators to trustees and the outside world of financial health. The importance of budgeting control Changes in financial accounting must be mirrored by changes in management accounting. The setting of forward budgets for the year ahead and for rolling three- or five-year periods is a vital component of corporate planning. It is the job of the budget to support the strategic objectives identified in the corporate plan. Traditionally budgets have been at worst on a last-year-plus-inflation basis and at best based on analysis of commitments. At some stage zero-based budgeting must be introduced. This asks fundamental questions about activities and the level of resources attributed to them. Just as planning involves the examination of work programmes and methods and sets targets, so budgeting must examine resource levels and utilisation. Budgetary control, in time augmented by performance measurement, will allow management to monitor current performance objectively and to improve the planning base for future years. No more cocoa tins Whereas the management of resources is normally decentralised to line managers (I recognise that in the smaller institutions no such demarcation will exist), the management of money per se will normally be a responsibility of the finance officer. The management of cash, the manipulation of working balances, the avenues for investment—from overnight to a year or longer—must become the concerns of museum financial managers more now than ever before for two reasons. First, because funds (whether public or private) are tight and therefore if money can make money, however small, the means should be exploited. Second, the fiduciary duty of trustees and the outward accountability of museums require the demonstration of sound business practice. Financial administration and ‘cocoa-tin accounting’ are no longer acceptable because museums, whether they like it or not, are ‘in business’.

76 JEFFREY DEFRIES

Jeffrey Defries

13 Staffing levels Simon Olding Head of Museum Service, Bournemouth Borough Council

A museum is defined by three characteristics: its building, the collections and the staff. Perhaps the most important of these is the staff. The people who ‘are’ the museum (since they communicate most obviously about it) create the atmosphere and style which can mostly be recalled by the visitor. Staff costs will always be the major element in the museum budget: so it is essential to get the staff plan right. How many staff does a museum need? In establishing a new museum project, or considering a radical restructuring of a service, the question of ‘how many staff?’ will need to be answered in the same breath as ‘what sort of image should we have?’ and ‘what are our essential jobs?’. Only then do the vital constraints of cost and availability define the staffing plan. Since no one museum is quite like another, there is no easy answer to the question of ‘how many people should we employ/ direct?’. Some case studies may help to guide the team-builders to a realistic assessment of need. Advice may be available from your Area Museums Council. The role of volunteers For a community museum dependent on volunteers, some basic assumptions can be made. Volunteers must be able to provide an information and warding service consistently, where possible acting with professional advice from a curatorial adviser or the Area

78 SIMON OLDING

Museums Council. There should be an unshaken guarantee that the museum will open at all times. If the museum needs, say, three volunteers in post (one on the shop/counter, two for warding/ answering enquiries), your pool of workers needs to be comprehensive to cover sickness, holidays, unforeseen absences, and so on. In this case you might need 30 volunteers. One small museum in the West Country with one volunteer on duty at a time (open four days a week) requires 12 volunteers. Minimal staff, maximum responsibility Local museums run by local authorities are often poorly staffed—a typical pattern is one curator, one attendant and a counter assistant. Very often the curator’s post will demand an eclectic mix of responsibilities—and the harassed curator will often feel as if he or she is doing 20 jobs at once. This may be a moment to assess, clearly and decisively, how well professional responsibilities towards the care and use of collections are being met. Even a small local museum justifies at least two professional staff with responsibilities weighted towards the care of collections (documentation, storage, research) and their use (interpretation, education and display). Possible structures For larger museums this division of labour can act as a focus for more detailed approaches to professional posts. A medium-sized local authority museum with mixed collections might have this as a good model for staff: Large museum services will have well-established (and sometimes entrenched) staff, classically ordered into subject departments. Changing the structure The process of change has been painfully exposed at some national institutions. The roles of curators and marketing professionals, conservators and managers have been comprehensively, though not always clearly, analysed. This new style of management looks like a

STAFFING LEVELS 79

Simon Olding

80 SIMON OLDING

trend set to continue energetically through the 1990s and the challenge for directors will be to ensure the creation of innovative new types of museum jobs and to maintain the importance of jobs which care for collections and interpret them to high professional standards. What principles can be drawn from this discussion? First, however large or small the staff, there must be clear lines of management and well-defined job descriptions. An adaptable management structure will serve a museum’s needs best. A rigid hierarchy of departments will stop it from working in the interests of the public. Enough people for the task in hand Museum staff should work in project teams created to meet the needs of projects (such as an exhibition or moving to a new store) not departmental politics. The aims and objectives of the museum should provide the touchstone for any decision about staffing, Job descriptions should be written impersonally so that the needs of the post are objectively assessed, not the needs of a particular individual. Last word Most importantly of all, a strict equal opportunities approach should be taken to human resource management. The number and needs of museum jobs should be clearly written against an assessment of the forward plan of the museum. If the museum as a whole knows where it is going, then your staff will take you there.

14 Documentation John Burnett Documentation Officer, National Museums of Scotland

Information lies at the centre of almost every museum activity. Documentation, in one form or another, is the means for structuring, controlling and making available that information. It may involve ledgers and card indexes, and computers which are often appropriate tools for handling certain types of documentation. In addition to describing a museum’s collections, documentation may include many kinds of related information. This may be general information which relates to the outside world (biographies, genealogies, lists of archaeological or other sites), or it may be information which is useful for the management of the museum’s collections (locations of objects, conservation reports, photographic negative numbers, etc.). Since information occupies a central place in museum life, other museum activities have to be considered in a planning exercise before it becomes possible to define the ways in which documentation could, or should, serve them. Systems and staffing The planning of a documentation system in a large museum is a complex exercise—as is made clear in their books by Elizabeth Orna1 and Andrew Roberts.2 Although in smaller museums the solutions to documentation problems are usually simpler, the thought required in planning is probably greater in proportion, since resources of staff and money are often limited, and every longestablished museum is likely to have an uncomfortable diversity of documentary sources.

82 JOHN BURNETT

The most important fact about museum documentation is that it can consume very large amounts of staff time, often the time of the most knowledgeable individuals. There are only certain parts of accessioning and cataloguing which can be left to junior staff. The likelihood of a documentation project spanning a long period of time also indicates that a degree of monitoring is needed during its course, and this again requires the time of experienced staff. Counting and computers Fortunately, documentation is one of the few areas of museum work in which it is reasonably easy to quantify problems, even if the results are unpalatable. The size of collections, the typical size of existing records, the rate at which records can be written, input to a computer, and edited— these are all knowable facts. For example, it is possible for full–time data input staff to key records averaging 900 characters each into a computer at the rate of 350 a week—but this figure is dependent on the aptitude and experience of the staff, the clarity of the material they are working on, and the type of software used. These knowable facts make it possible to allocate staff time, to set realistic objectives, and to make defensible applications for outside funding. Collections documentation is becoming increasingly dependent on the computer. The selection of the most suitable system for a particular museum is not straightforward, and even small museums are advised to seek advice or even employ a consultant. Two golden rules are: always choose the software first, and then find out what kind of machine it best runs on; and examine the software in action in an institution similar to your own. Two areas of documentation should never be allowed to lie unattended: the recording of new acquisitions and the maintenance of an adequate record to permit the museum to account for its holdings. An allowance of time has to be made to safeguard these two activities in the face of competition from other projects— documentary or otherwise.

DOCUMENTATION 83

JohnBurnett

84 JOHN BURNETT

Notes 1 Elizabeth Orna, Information Policies for Museums, Museum Documentation Association, 1987. 2 D.Andrew Roberts, Planning the Documentation of MuseumCollections, Museum Documentation Association, 1988.

Further reading Burnett, John and Morrison, Ian, Wimps, Worms and Winchesters: AGuide to Museum Documentation,National Museums of Scotland, 1989. Roberts, D. Andrew (ed.),Collections Management for Museums, Museum Documentation Association, 1988. Saransan, Lenore, ‘A system for analyzing museum documentation’, inR. B.Light, D.A.Roberts and J.D.Stewart (eds),Museum DocumentationSystems: Developments and Applications, Butterworth, 1986.

15 Fundraising Sue Runyard Marketing and Public Relations Consultant, Museums & Galleries Commission

Forward plans are often written in an uncertain financial climate. You may not be confident that sums applied for will be forthcoming; you may find that the policy of a funding body changes within the period of implementation; the leisure spending habits of your market may change for reasons outside your control; or you may need to demonstrate that you can obtain additional funding from elsewhere. Whatever happens, the chances are that you will need to consider how you are to raise money to support your goals. This probably means looking at how fundraising is to be carried out; whether there are staffing implications; other resource implications; and what sources of assistance exist. The task of fundraising is laborious and time-consuming. You will need to consider whether it can be carried out within the existing staff structure, or whether it requires a level of time and expertise which is going to be difficult to find. There is no rule of thumb about what financial targets require or justify the appointment of a full-time fundraiser. This will vary depending upon what part of the country you are in and how high your publicity profile is. A common experience with fundraising posts is that results cannot be expected immediately upon appointment. Often it will take a year or two for any income to be generated, and longer for the post to pay for itself and get into ‘profit’. In 1990, there were fewer than twenty known full-time development-type posts out of over 2,000 museums. Arts organisations seem to have more people working in this area, but they are still rare. Often such jobs merge with those of the marketing or public relations officer. In smaller

86 SUE RUNYARD

organisations, the director will take direct responsibility for fundraising, and in some places individuals or heads of departments are expected to raise funds to support selected areas of work. The consensus of advice from museums large and small around the country is that as soon as you have to ‘get serious’ about fundraising you need extra time and expertise. The consensus of opinion from people who do this kind of work in museums seems to be that publicity for the organisation needs to be working well before fund-raising stands a chance, so this area needs to be addressed early on. Once the need has been established, and a serious commitment made to fundraising, a strategy needs to be drawn up, which will probably be quite separate from the forward plan, but the targets set and the outline method will be included in the plan. This should be done by the person who will be largely responsible for carrying it out, in consultation with other managers. In order to consider every possible opportunity, it is advisable to separate out every possible means of raising money, and then ask whether the organisation can make use of each method, and if so, who will carry it through, and how. These are areas which might be considered: ■ charitable giving/donations one-off gifts in cash or goods by companies and individuals regular giving through various schemes appeal funds legacies ■ sponsorship in cash or goods ■ support from educational and charitable trusts ■ commercial activity selling goods or services ■ membership and subscriptions ■ lobbying for increased funding from existing funding bodies.

This last area is often discounted, but if extra effort is going to be devoted to raising money, it may be fruitful to dedicate some of it to presenting a better or more persuasive case to the funding body. This is more likely to be achieved over a period of time as part of a considered strategy than by an improved one-off presentation. Throughout this area of activity, there needs to be constant monitoring of how much time and effort is going into any one area,

FUNDRAISING 87

Sue Runyard

88 SUE RUNYARD

by comparison with the return. For example, experience seems to show that membership organisations are a labour-intensive way of raising relatively small amounts of money, although the public relations benefits may outweigh this consideration. Legacy-raising, which is an important area for many charities, yields no immediate return, but can produce income within two to four years. When introducing full-scale fundraising into an organisation, there are various natural phases of activity which, after a while, begin to repeat themselves in a circular fashion. On a scaled-down version, through part-time application to the task, the sequence would be much the same: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

research planning implementation monitoring assessment

A forward plan needs to take this phasing into account when referring to targeting. A considerable amount has been written on this subject, aimed at organisations of all kinds. The publications listed in Further reading are especially useful in our sector. Further reading Tax-Effective Giving to the Arts and Museums, available from the Arts Council of Great Britain or the Museums & Galleries Commission, 16 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AA. Corporate Support of the Arts—A Tax Guide, available from the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts, Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street, London SE1 2NY. Various publications on sponsorship and giving are available from the Directory of Social Change, Radius Works, Back Lane, London NW3 1HL. Various useful publications on most aspects of fund-raising are available (ask for book list) from the Association of Independent Museums, c/o The Boat Museum Trust, Dockyard Road, Ellesmere Port, South Wirral L65 4EF.

16 Conservation David Leigh Head of Conservation Unit, Museums & Galleries Commission

Since preservation of the collection is a cornerstone of any museum’s mission, its collecting policy must take into account resources already available, as well as additional resources demanded by new acquisitions. These include space, environmental control and conservation expertise. Priority must go to creating a benign holding environment. However, fragile, damaged or unstable objects impose a particular burden and if conservation resources cannot be afforded then acquisition should be reconsidered. How static is the collection? If it is growing then the forward plan must take into account its rate of growth and the cost implications of stabilising on acquisition and of on-going treatment and passive care thereafter. Any forward plan should recognise the potential conflict between two parts of the museum’s mission: display and conservation. It should build a management process for containing this, so that the greatest flexibility in displaying the collection is congruent with the highest standards of collection care. Planning for permanent or temporary exhibitions should be undertaken by a team which includes, from the earliest possible stage, all the relevant staff, including the conservators. This will ensure that writers and designers work in accord with conservators’ judgements on the suitability of objects for preferred display techniques and that appropriate environmental conditions are designed in from the start, rather than being imposed as an afterthought, often at increased cost.

90 DAVID LEIGH

The building A primary consideration is the space available for existing or planned collections. Is there room on the premises for the collection to be housed in appropriate conditions, so that all items are readily accessible without risk? Plans for new buildings or extensions should take into account the environmental needs of the collection discussed by May Cassar (Chapter 17). These should inform any architect’s brief and should be specified in consultation with a professional conservator. Well-considered access routes between storage and display areas will contribute significantly to the safe transport of objects. Another building factor is the space which may be required for a laboratory or studio. If such a facility is deemed necessary (see below), it should be designed in close consultation with a conservator, preferably the one who will manage it. Conservation studios require environmental conditions comparable with those elsewhere in the museum, as well as abundant daylight and/or colour-controlled artificial light. Staff A primary consideration is the likely requirements for treatment of the collection in relation to the professional conservation expertise at your disposal, whether in-house or out-of-house or a mixture of both. A careful analysis is required of the cost-benefits of in-house expertise, taking full account of the advantages of having conservation advice readily available for curatorial consultation, exhibition planning, environmental monitoring and control, and condition monitoring. A lot depends on the scale and degree of specialisation of the collection. Large collections of one type (e.g. costume) justify inhouse expertise. However, a solution involving a sole conservator working in isolation from other conservators should be avoided. There should either be at least two conservators (in the same or different disciplines) or none. In considering this, account should be taken of the scope for sharing the service with other nearby museums with similar needs, and using benefits of scale.

CONSERVATION 91

Dr David Leigh

92 DAVID LEIGH

Next to consider are the out-of-house services. In the UK, the first port of call for a non-national museum is the Area Museums Council; sometimes the County Museum Service. The pattern of provision by these varies from one part of the country to another. Some offer a centralised service, others operate agency agreements with various laboratories; some prefer to grant-aid work by freelance conservators; a combination of options may be on offer. Forward plans have to consider the scope of this kind of provision, the specialisms in which it is offered and whether these match the museum’s collection, the availability of these services, their cost and the level of grant-aid available from the Area Museums Council. This last factor may also influence the degree of reliance placed on conservators in the private sector. Working with outside conservators brings additional responsibilities of liaison, supervision, transport and security which have to be balanced against the advantages of in-house expertise. However, once a good working relationship is established with a few trusted Area Museums Council or private conservators, this can go remarkably well, provided arrangements exist for regular in-house inspection of collections and environmental conditions. Information about local conservators is available from the Museums & Galleries Commission’s Conservation Unit or in Scotland from the Conservation Bureau. The collection and its condition Targets in conservation should focus on the condition of the collection. What percentage is in A1 condition and is stored or displayed in A1 environments? How will you measure this? Against what standard? Responsibility for monitoring the condition of the collection should be clearly apportioned. This may be a job for outside expertise. Condition reporting should be built into the museum’s documentation system and should be an integral part of the collections management policy. Object condition is particularly important in relation to loans. Planning for loans should also take into account the appropriateness of conditions both during transport and in receiving venues. The quality of collections care is critical, but what standards should be considered acceptable? These have up to now only been

CONSERVATION 93

defined in the specialised conservation literature, but a more accessible set of standards is currently in production by the Museums & Galleries Commission, along the lines of the Commission’s Eligibility Criteria for the Storage of Excavated Archives. What is vital is that others in the museum team share in the planning for conservation. The responsibility for conservation decision-making should be clear to all, particularly with regard to treatments, e.g. priorities and extent. Furthermore, forward plans should encourage continuing awareness of the primary importance of the physical wellbeing of the collection by all staff, not just conservators, and allow for their initial and on-going training in preventive conservation. Ideally, staff should be as aware of the conservation and environmental conditions as they are of the need for the highest level of security. Further reading Keene, Suzanne (ed.), Managing Conservation,UK Institute for Conservation, 1990. Sandwith, H. and Stainton, S. (compilers), National Trust Manual ofHousekeeping, The National Trust, 1984; Penguin Books, 1985. Thompson, G., The Museum Environment, Butterworth, 1978; 2nd edition 1986. Thompson, John (ed.), Manual of Curatorship, Butterworth and Museums Association, 1984, chapters 26–42.

17 Environmental planning andcontrol May Cassar Environmental Adviser, Museums & Galleries Commission

The environment in which collections are displayed and stored is increasingly recognised as a fundamental area of curatorship. It is true that in the past, as in the present, few of our collections have enjoyed ideal conditions. Increased technical knowledge and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of climate control mean that we are now able to address problems of assessment and improvement. This means that any forward plan for a museum or gallery should take environmental monitoring and control into account. Forward planning for the environmental control of an interior should start with an assessment of the collection’s need for climatic stability within that space. This is necessary so as to help formulate realistic environmental parameters appropriate to the different materials within the collection. In many cases, human comfort conditions as recommended by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers may be adequate for the preservation of the collection. However, human beings are temperaturesensitive, while most museum objects are made of moisture-sensitive materials. Consequently, fragile materials or combinations of materials which are vulnerable to climatic variations can be kept stable if fluctuations in relative humidity are kept under control. This is clearly an area where technical knowledge is required. If you do not have this in house, you may need to consult specialist agencies.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND CONTROL 95

Planning How can the museum’s management plan for better understanding and practical measures to bring about stable conditions for collections? Before a budget is allocated for control equipment and a regime which will achieve improvements, it is necessary to assess the scale of the problem. For example, if a collection is growing, then a forward plan must take into account its rate of growth and the cost implications of housing the new acquisitions in environmentally sound conditions. New acquisitions are especially vulnerable when they are moved from one set of climatic conditions to another. Often there is a delay between the time they are examined and the time their needs are identified. It is important to acclimatise objects as gradually as possible to more stable climatic conditions than the ones to which they have been accustomed. The building Plans for new buildings or extensions should take into account the needs of the collection for stable relative humidity and temperature provision, the control of light and the elimination of ultraviolet radiation and all pollution emissions. These requirements should be specified by the staff member responsible for the day-to-day care of the collection. This person should also be involved in drawing up the specification for the air-control system. If there is a conservator on the staff, then the conservator is the appropriate person to ensure that the correct conditions for the objects are specified in the architect’s brief. Environmental recommendations should be specific to the collection; they should never just quote general textbookrecommended standards. When specifying the required standards, recommendations should take into account energy efficiency, a commitment to maintenance and running costs as well as capital costs. When planning a new building for museum use, every effort should be made to ensure that its construction should make it as environmentally stable and energy-efficient as possible. Such steps would maximise the usefulness of the building as a weather modifier and eliminate the need for—or at least reduce the size of—the air-

96 MAY CASSAR

May Cassar

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND CONTROL 97

control system that is installed to stabilise the climate for the collection. Full air-conditioning is expensive to install and run especially if stringent controls are to be maintained over large volumes of air. Complete dependence on mechanical and electrical systems can be dangerous. Such systems can be unreliable; when they break down they can create dangerous conditions very quickly in buildings which have a low thermal mass. Many museums occupy traditional buildings of heavy construction which have a high thermal mass. Depending on the use to which these buildings are put, they are considered better environmental buffers than many modern structures. When old buildings which were never intended to house collections are transferred for museum use, substantial modifications may be necessary to help control the internal environment. For example, large expanses of glazing can cause light damage to objects made of organic materials and can cause heat-gain inside a building. Such major alterations should never be undertaken without prior monitoring and expert advice on the consequences, since such action may have an unforeseen and detrimental knock-on effect. The responsibility that is shouldered should never exceed the limits of expertise. Every forward plan should emphasise a regular maintenance programme especially for old buildings and antiquated services and the need for on-going repairs. Such action may prevent decay to the fabric before it causes internal environmental problems. Monitoring The environmental performance of the building should be investigated by monitoring. Forward planning for environmental control should start by monitoring the internal climate for at least a year before any alterations are proposed. Once a monitoring programme is in place, the data will need to be evaluated before vital decisions are taken on how stability is to be achieved and what these measures will cost. The data from continuous monitoring need to be interpreted in order to find out about the causes of any fluctuation; to look at the underlying interactions between the building, the weather, the materials involved, the people using the building and the maintenance programme—or the lack of one. Planning for improvement needs to take place in each of these

98 MAY CASSAR

related areas. Sometimes an environmental survey provides an opportunity for an overall appraisal of the performance of the building. These investigations are a fundamental and integral part of the discipline, and should be included in planning and budgeting. Scale of control Control of the environment is a sum of many parts, and forward planning is not just a matter of budgeting for equipment purchases. The scale of the control system will depend on the inherent stability of the internal environment, the availability of funds, the size of the collection and the number of sensitive objects requiring a stable climate. It is more cost-effective and more conducive to the longterm preservation of a collection to plan for comprehensive capital investments in environmental control equipment than to purchase equipment as the need arises. Although the latter approach may fit in well with local authority funding, sponsorship bids or fundraising activities, it should be resisted because it can create hidden running costs. Often such an approach encourages the use of portable equipment whose maintenance can be labour-intensive. Once a start has been made on the purchase of portable equipment, the tendency is to add to the number over the years. This perpetuates an unwieldy system which can be difficult to alter because capital investment in equipment has already been made. Such ad hoc purchases make the development of an overall plan for environmental control difficult. Total control If total control of the environment is planned, discussions between the conservator and the engineering consultant designing the control system should take place at the earliest possible opportunity. The museum should make clear its expectations and the consultant engineers should make clear the limitations of the proposed system. A regular maintenance programme should be devised to ensure the efficient running of the system when it becomes operational. When the hand-over of the control system takes place, the conservator and the services manager should meet regularly to discuss the monitoring data that the museum must continue to collect and to see

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND CONTROL 99

whether the performance of the system is meeting the museum’s requirements. Local control Micro-environments provide direct control of climatic fluctations around moisture-sensitive objects. The use of microclimates within display cases or storage boxes can be an effective solution in a number of situations: ■ to provide a permanent solution appropriate to the scale of the problem for a small number of vulnerable objects. In such a situation ‘small is beautiful’ applies; local control may be the appropriate alternative solution to full air-conditioning of a large volume of air; ■ to provide an interim solution for a relatively large number of vulnerable objects while comprehensive monitoring of ambient conditions takes place to identify a problem and devise a permanent solution; ■ to provide a short-term solution for any number of vulnerable objects on temporary loan from another institution.

However, forward planning is essential for the successful operation of microclimates whatever the circumstances of their use. Extra planning time should always be allowed for when microclimates are included in an exhibition. This is in order to construct the specialised display cases, to measure the efficiency of the case, to calculate the quantity of buffer material (e.g. silica gel) required, and to condition the buffer to the correct level of relative humidity necessary to maintain the objects on display in a stable environment. Environmental control and display Any forward plan should recognise the potential conflict between the design of exhibitions and the conservation of the exhibits. A management process for containing this should be built into a forward plan so that the greatest flexibility in displaying the collection is congruent with the highest standards of collection care.

100 MAY CASSAR

Planning for exhibitions, whether permanent or temporary, should be a team effort which includes a conservator from the earliest possible stage. This will ensure that designers are advised of the suitability of objects for preferred display techniques and that appropriate environmental conditions are designed in from the start (including allocating space for monitoring equipment in the design of the layout) rather than being imposed as an afterthought. It is vital that all staff in the museum share in the plan for preservation of the collection. For this reason, forward planning should include primary and on-going training of all staff in preventive conservation. Further reading Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Libraries, Museums, Art Galleries andChurches, Energy Efficiency Office, Department of Energy, March 1989. Guidelines on Environmental Monitoring and Control, Museums & Galleries Commission, 1992. Ramer, B.,A Conservation Survey of Museum Collections in Scotland, Scottish Museums Council/HMSO, 1989.

18 Security requirements Bryan Dovey Museum Security Adviser, Museums & Galleries Commission

The role of security has been defined in the commercial world as the ‘safeguarding of a company’s assets’. This definition is very much in sympathy with the idea that ‘preservation of the collection’ is central to conservation policy. These similarities are important since they emphasise the need to recognise that solutions to problems in one discipline may be used to cure deficiencies in the other. That being so, it will be appropriate to deal with security towards the end of the forward plan so as to take account of changes planned under other headings. Current state of security There must be a point from which the requirements for the years ahead can be planned. In the case of security that must be a recent survey of the building and crime prevention systems in use. The survey is vital, as only a careful inspection will reveal weaknesses in the defences and identify maintenance requirements for existing security hardware. Advice and assistance in carrying out such a survey are available from consultants operating in the field, from crime prevention officers of the local police force, from Area Museums Councils, county museum services and the Museums & Galleries Commission. Objectives to be achieved The plan should seek to fulfil the following basic requirements of an efficient security regime within a specified period:

102 BRYAN DOVEY

■ the provision of strong physical protection to the openings in the building perimeter; ■ the installation of automatic intruder and fire detector systems in support of the physical defences; ■ the deployment of well-trained attendants throughout the building; ■ the adoption of an internal security regime devised to cope with the particular needs of the institution.

Physical protection The defences needed to reinforce the doors, windows and rooflights will figure as a substantial cost in the first years of the plan. However, if these are properly installed, the succeeding years will carry much less cost as maintenance is simple and cheap, This will be particularly marked where physical defences not only strengthen the perimeter but are also used to provide a solution to another problem. For example, large areas of glass may let in too much daylight and/ or sunlight, but if properly filled in with brickwork will meet both conservation and security requirements with no further maintenance costs. Advice on the physical measures recommended by the Museums & Galleries Commission is available in leaflet form. Detector systems Modern electronic systems to detect intruders or fires are readily available on the open market and may be offered on a leasing system or purchased outright. Whichever method is used to obtain the system, there will be an initial substantial cost followed by a cost each year to maintain and service the equipment. Figures will be quoted by the installers on installation, but allowance must be made for inflation and the attendance of an engineer to reset the system if the alarm is initiated. It is important not to forget this latter item as such charges can be substantial. Eventually, despite maintenance and repair, the system will need to be replaced and forward plans should cater for this eventuality.

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS 103

Bryan Dovey

104 BRYAN DOVEY

Invigilation The ideal situation permits the deployment of at least one attendant to each exhibition space. This utopian ideal is rarely reached, however, but provision must be made in the plan to take account of any increase in exhibition space. Future extensions, refurbishment of galleries unused for some years or a change in exhibition policy are all events that demand more staffing. Training and supporting equipment such as closed circuit television systems, designed to assist attendants, are necessary but will not be found if excluded from the planning process. Internal security The initial survey may reveal that the security regime in force does not easily cope with the demands of the institution. Temporary exhibitions differ in design and content and changes in internal layout will frustrate intruder and fire detector sensors installed at an earlier date. Provision must be made in the plan to cope with these problems as they invariably carry a financial penalty. The presence of contractors in the building will also carry the penalty of providing supervision, and unless the plan recognises this need it is likely that galleries will be closed rather than the extra supervisor found. General In conclusion, it must be said that the security arrangements at a museum will only work if all the staff support the idea that security is necessary. One method of reinforcing the support is to ensure that a suitable security plan is contained in the forward plan for the institution to which all the staff have contributed. Their willing involvement will help to ensure that the portion of the budget spent on security does not become detrimental to a museum’s development. Further reading Bugg, D.E. and Bridges, C., Burglary, Protection and Insurance Surveys,Stone & Cox, 1982.

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS 105

Burke, R.B. and Adeloye, S., A Manual of Basic Museum Security,International Congress of Museums, 1986. Hamilton, P. and Currer-Briggs, N., Handbook of Security, Croner Publications Ltd, 1990. Hoare, Nell,Security for Museums, Committee for Area Museums Councils and Museums Association, 1990.

19 Provision for disabled people Carolyn Keen Disability Adviser, Museums & Galleries Commission

Disability issues have for too long been seen as separate from the mainstream of good museum and gallery practice. If improvements in facilities and opportunities for disabled people are to be achieved it is essential that this work is incorporated into your thinking when preparing a forward plan. It is no longer appropriate to talk of ‘special provision for disabled people’. The special exhibition, ramp, braille guide or signed tour are often devised as one-off exercises rather than as part of a planned programme of activities and developments aimed at widening access for users and maintaining that as part of mainstream provision. Demographic changes (for example, by the year 2000, 25 per cent of the population will be over retirement age, and the incidence of disability is closely linked to ageing), increased leisure time, the requirements of funders and an articulate and more discerning public are just a few of the reasons why disability issues have to be addressed in a coherent and comprehensive way. Who are disabled people? In the UK, 14 per cent of the population has a disability of some kind; 6.2 million are adults. If one takes into account family and friends, a large section of the community is likely to be affected by how good or bad your provision is. Planning and delivery of services which appropriately meet the needs of the community must take account of disabled people. It is all too easy to think of disability in terms of ramps and handrails— when in fact only 2 per cent of physically handicapped people use a

PROVISION FOR DISABLED PEOPLE 107

wheelchair—rather than the social and attitudinal barriers which restrict opportunities for disabled people. Buildings which are well signed, and unencumbered by steps, dark and narrow passages and protruding objects, where programming serves a diverse range of interest groups and where staff are well trained and welcoming, benefit all users. Disability Policy Statement and Action Plan The Museums & Galleries Commission Code of Practice on Disability for Museums and Galleries provides a basis on which each museum governing body, in the light of its circumstances, can decide its policy on disability and the action required to give effect to that policy. The Code recommends that every institution, however small, prepare a Disability Policy Statement stating the museum’s policy on provision for disabled people and an Action Plan, with timetable and budget, setting out the order in which work will be undertaken to fulfil the Disability Policy Statement. Each area of service provision should be referred to in these documents including employment, training, collection presentation, design, education, marketing and publicity, outreach and funding. Before the Action Plan can be devised, a disability audit should be made covering each aspect of the organisation’s work. This will identify current levels of awareness of disability issues, quantify and qualify how services are meeting perceived needs, and what members of staff and user groups highlight as areas for action. The audit should take place in consultation with people who have direct experience of disability. A Disability Policy Statement and Action Plan can best ensure that limited resources are deployed to best advantage. Implementation The Action Plan has to incorporate a monitoring and evaluation process by which developments are regularly reviewed and modified as necessary. Responsibility for initiating this work rests with the senior manager who may delegate day-to-day action to a management team consisting of representatives from all sections of staff. This is important because disability policies dovetail with all

108 CAROLYN KEEN

Carolyn Keen

PROVISION FOR DISABLED PEOPLE 109

aspects of planning and service delivery such as security, environment, conservation, health and safety, building management, etc. While a designated disability officer may be required to coordinate the development and implementation of the Disability Policy Statement and Action Plan, it is important to see this role as eventually being absorbed within the responsibilities of each member of staff. In terms of forward planning, this means allocating staff time to determining needs, backing up their findings and accepting proposals with the necessary financial resources, and, perhaps most importantly of all, ensuring good lines of communication between staff of different disciplines, so that everyone becomes aware of the global objective, and has an opportunity to make appropriate contributions towards policy and implementation. Once the Disability Policy Statement and Action Plan are established, future changes in the museum will need to refer to them. It is also important to remember that the Disability Policy Statement and Action Plan, plus any departmental guidelines, need to be followed by any agencies undertaking work on behalf of the museum. This includes contracted-out services. The Action Plan will seek to implement changes identified through the audit in order to meet the Disability Policy Statement. Set out below are some of the issues that will need to be considered: Employment and training practices. Is there an equal opportunities policy? How does it operate and how is it monitored? What training is provided in disability awareness? Physical environment. Are all the areas around and within the museum well signposted, safely lit, and appropriately surfaced? Is there parking? Presentation and display. Has thought been given to style of display cases, positioning of exhibits and labels, typefaces and point sizes, colours and seating? Can displays be enhanced through use of audio, visual or sensory aids to assist visitors whose mobility, sight, hearing or mental ability may be impaired? Programming and outreach work. What is the exhibition policy and how responsive is it to community needs? Maybe outreach work and work in conjunction with other arts/heritage agencies should be considered.

110 CAROLYN KEEN

Education. What are the criteria? Are programmes developed as part of an on-going policy or as one-offs, and how well do they relate to the school curriculum, care in the community policies and other needs? Information, marketing and publicity. What information is required by users and in what formats, e.g. printed, tape, large print, telephone, talking newspaper, media? How is information gathered and checked and how is it presented? (e.g. Don’t say ‘Steps’, say There are three steps into the main entrance’.) How is information linked into staff training? Does the information reach the target audience? What new information networks can be used and how does the marketing tie in with the image that the museum wishes to project? It will be readily observed that the planning procedure needs to take into account a period of assessment and consultation, followed by implementation and monitoring. Furthermore, none of this can be done in isolation, so setting up good lines of communication will be essential. Further reading ADAPT Grants for Art Centre, Cinema, Concert Hall, Library, Museum, Public Art Gallery and Theatre, ADAPT, 45 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. After Attenborough, Arts and Disabled People, Carnegie Council review published for Carnegie UK Trust by Bedford Square Press, 1988. Arts and Disabled People,the Attenborough Report published for Carnegie UK Trust by Bedford Square Press, 1985. Arts Council Disability Code of Practice, Action Plan, Check List, Directory Arts Council Access Unit, 14 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3NQ, 1985–91. Museums & Galleries Commission Code of Practice on Disability, Disability Resource Pack, Bibliography and List of Organisations, Museums & Galleries Commission, 1991.

20 Policy planning for volunteers Sue Millar Head of Education, National Maritime Museum

The formulation of a policy on volunteer involvement is essential for all museums where volunteers are present. Volunteers are a valuable part of a museum’s resources. Recognition of the validity of volunteer activity and all-volunteer museums as a major aspect of museum provision in the United Kingdom is given by the Museum Registration Scheme. No distinction is made between those museums partly, or wholly, managed by volunteers and those run by paid staff. Yet, the effective participation of volunteers can only be achieved if the specific issues relating to their management are addressed in any corporate plan. Why is a volunteer policy needed? A volunteer policy clarifies the position of volunteers in relation to the main goals of a museum in the broad context of staffing policies. In small, self-managed, all-volunteer museums—or those with one paid curator/manager—for the most part the volunteer policy will be synonymous with overall management policy. A volunteer policy has to be tailor-made to the requirements of a particular museum and organised around the potential pool of volunteers in the region. The large number of retired professional people in south-east and south-west England, for example, makes careful selection both a desirable and a viable option. The sparse population in certain areas of north-east England and Scotland means that there must be a greater emphasis on training to maximise the abilities of available volunteers within the community.

112 SUE MILLAR

The enhanced status of volunteering and demographic trends indicate that there will be increased competition for volunteers in the 1990s. A reduction in the numbers of 16–19 year olds and a ‘middle-

POLICY PLANNING FOR VOLUNTEERS 113

Sue Millar

age bulge’ by the year 2000 mean that museums will need to offer an attractive ‘package’ to volunteers if they want to recruit and retain good people.

114 SUE MILLAR

The nature of volunteering Volunteering is based on the principle of reciprocity. Volunteers do not come free. People’s motives for volunteering in the museum sector are many and various. The chance to pursue a special interest or hobby, meet like-minded people, stave off loneliness, use their expertise, offer a service to the community, add to their own knowledge in a life-long education or begin a career in the museum field are just some of the factors that motivate people to volunteer. Each has a personal agenda. In return, volunteers expect a high degree of satisfaction, respect for their contribution, and working conditions commensurate with paid staff. Commitment is required from both the volunteer and the museum. What are the practical considerations in policy planning? Consultation The planning process involves a review of the existing volunteer resources and a new policy may necessitate changes in the way volunteers are deployed. Consultation gives coherence to the formulation of volunteer policy and eases its implementation, whilst maintaining the ethos of volunteer activity. Some, or all, of the following participants should be included: volunteers, paid staff, the volunteer organiser, trade union representative and members of the Friends’ Association. ‘Core’ functions The identification of ‘core’ functions is important in those museums where volunteers work alongside paid staff. The Museums Association’s Policy Statement on Volunteers in Museums emphasises that ‘Volunteers can only in exceptional cases replace the trained, qualified permanent staff in the museum’, and that the value of volunteers is in a supplementary and supportive role. The expansion of recognised museum functions to include the care of visitors as well as the care of collections has led to a wider range of ‘core’ activities. Twelve are highlighted by the Museum Training

POLICY PLANNING FOR VOLUNTEERS 115

Institute. Each museum must decide, for example, whether guiding and information services—often traditionally provided by volunteers —should be considered part of ‘core’ or support functions. In the area of conservation, clear distinctions need to be made between pre ventive conservation tasks suitable for volunteers, including National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies volunteers, and work requiring the expertise of a conservator. Supervision Volunteers take time to supervise. A volunteer co-ordinator, on either a paid or an unpaid basis, can increase the visibility and acceptability of volunteers amongst paid staff and ensure the smooth running of a volunteer programme. S/he can negotiate job descriptions with curators/managers, instigate recruitment schemes, arrange rotas, keep records and, when necessary, start disciplinary proceedings. Good communications are fundamental if fragmentation of the volunteer effort— and a consequent reduction in its effectiveness—is to be avoided. A coordinator can produce a newsletter, offer a friendly word and liaise with the Friends’ Association. If a curator/manager is responsible for the supervision of a volunteer task on a day-to-day basis, this should be included in her/his job description. Resources In addition to staff supervision time, other physical and financial resources are required to operate a successful volunteer programme. Space to work and the right equipment are important. So, too, is providing insurance cover (including public liability, personal accident, vehicle and professional indemnity), paying expenses and offering training. The increase in administration is unavoidable and this needs to be taken into consideration at the planning stage. Some Friends’ Associations operate on an independent basis within the museum; but this has the disadvantage of removing them— psychologically at least—from the main management structure. What is a cost-effective return on investment in volunteers? Volunteer hours need to be converted into a monetary equivalent to find the answer. How many volunteers a museum needs on either a

116 SUE MILLAR

project or long-term basis can only be assessed once areas of work and individual tasks for volunteers have been identified in relation to the corporate plan. Procedures, practices and rewards A loose-leaf manual detailing recruitment, induction and training procedures and giving information on such matters as insurance cover, the payment of expenses, discount at the museum shop and codes of practice on health and safety, for example, offers a practical reference guide for paid staff and volunteers alike. It assists the integration of volunteers within the management framework of the museum as a whole. Copies of the Volunteer Agreement (to be signed by the volunteer before commencing work), job descriptions and information on the Friends’ Association are useful additions. A statement on the volunteer policy, history and current management structure of the museum can also be included. Conclusion There is a need for a regular review of the relationship between volunteers and the museum. A mechanism for this should be built into any volunteer policy. Volunteers offer a museum flexibility and a chance to pilot new schemes at low cost. They can fundraise to provide new acquisitions, give their time to help disabled visitors and bridge the gap between the museum and the community through informal contact and formal public relations activities. Some volunteers are themselves disabled, some are oral history sources in their own right. Many have an infectious enthusiasm that can be wearisome for paid staff. Careful planning can ensure that this keen energy adds an extra dimension to the quality of the museum service and is channelled to meet a museum’s immediate objectives and long-term goals. Further reading Millar, Sue,The Management of Volunteers in Museums,HMSO, 1991.

21 Training Simon Roodhouse Director, Museum Training Institute

Planning for training can be a complex, long-term activity which requires careful thought in relation to the objectives of the organisation and its readiness to fulfil those objectives. It is no longer sufficient simply to allocate a budget and wait for needs to arise. The process of change and development will only be achieved by individual people working in your organisation, and as your best resource they will require investment in order to equip them for the task ahead. Some museums and galleries are now allocating between 2 and 5 per cent of their budget to training needs. Before deciding on your training programme it is obviously essential to define your training needs, and this is going to be closely integrated with the stated objectives in your forward plan. For example, if you are going to be more active in financial management, it makes sense to review your staff’s capabilities in this area and assess what help is going to be needed. Similarly a commitment to improved visitor services or increased admission charges may well mean that more attention needs to be paid to training in customer care. This kind of ‘audit’ is known as a training needs analysis, and might be phase one of your strategy as outlined in the plan. The Museum Training Institute (MTI) was set up to advise and assist in this area, and will, if required, carry out training needs analyses for individual organisations. However, once you have assessed your needs, you need to prioritise each area by matching it against your objectives, and then decide how to go forward. This is a point at which you will need to discover what is available, and which courses are going to fit your needs. Advice here is available

118 SIMON ROODHOUSE

through Area Museums Councils as well as the Museum Training Institute. Throughout this early stage it is important not to overlook any aspect of your team’s activities. This checklist, which emerged from our own occupational mapping exercise, may be useful: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

conservation education documentation management & administration research collections management exhibition & design fundraising & sponsorship security, attendant & warding advertising & publicity technical work, driving & maintenance retail sales.

By 1992, MTI will be acting as the Industry Lead Body, which means that it will be able to advise on occupational standards in all key areas— a system which will be linked with that of the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) administered by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (in Scotland, SVQs administered by SCOTVEC). This will make it easier to identify and prioritise training needs, but also to choose training courses, since another MTI role will be the accreditation of both training and training providers. Advice is also available from training officers at Area Museums Councils, and the free MTI quarterly newsletter provides up-to-date news on developments in this fast-changing area. So the topics which need to be covered in your forward plan are as follows: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

assessment of training needs prioritisation of needs matching the above with the museum’s ‘mission’ statement outline plan for meeting these needs allocation of budget evaluation of benefits through performance appraisal.

119

Simon Roodhouse

120 SIMON ROODHOUSE

Further reading MTI newsletters, publications, and advice are available from the Training and Education Executive at MTI, Kershaw House, 55 Well Street, Bradford BD1 5PS. Harrison, Rosemary,Training and Development, Institute of Personnel Management, 1988.

22 Temporary exhibitions Mark Suggitt Assistant Director (Curatorial), Yorkshire and Humberside Museums Council

The purpose of this chapter is to consider the practical requirements of introducing a temporary exhibition programme into a forward plan. In doing so, one of the key factors must be that of definition. Exhibitions are as diverse as museums themselves. Some are the result of large teams and substantial budgets, others are more modest affairs, possibly the work of one person. Some can be bought in, others can be produced ‘inhouse’. Once the type of exhibition is established, many other questions need to be asked. My role is to ask them; the answers can only come from the reader, who understands them in relation to his/her own institution. Choices So, does the type of exhibition selected begin a process of change? Does it alter older temporary exhibition programmes? Do you want to reduce the number but increase the size and/or quality? Do you wish to introduce new subjects or do you have to start from scratch, introducing exhibitions into a museum with no history of developing them? Your choice will have been arrived at by research and it is important to share this with the audience of your plan. Comparisons and costings of similar projects are useful in arguing for funding. They help prove that exhibitions involve more than just ‘sticking things in cases’ or ‘putting pictures on the wall’ Site visits to other museums can help trustees or elected members place your projects in context.

122 MARK SUGGITT

Budgets We must now consider the financial aspects. The largest part of any exhibition budget is that which is often never costed—staff time. The question ‘Can we afford to do exhibitions?’ should never consider the materials budget alone. Staff time can be seen as ‘losable’ but it never is. If staff are to be transferred away from their regular tasks to become exhibition team members, what will not get done? Priorities must be set and staff made aware of possible changes to work schedules. In forward planning for temporary exhibitions such implications need to be laid out. If the pressures of collections management and backlog work are to be maintained, then additional staff may be required. This would not be confined to the curatorial departments. In-house exhibitions will add to the work of conservators and could skew programmes contracted to outside agencies. Attendant and technical staff will also be affected. A move to an exhibition policy can alter their work patterns. In-house exhibitions usually utilise in-house skills. Attendants are often expected to assist with the erection of hired exhibitions and to abide by the lender’s security conditions. Exhibitions also need the help of education staff to assist in planning and the running of activities to go with them. Their schedules need to be consulted if their role is to be effective. Capacity Planning must also be given to the process of team-building. Who will be the project leader? Who will monitor the budget heads? Who will be responsible for marketing? If no new staff are available, will there be training for existing staff ? This leads on to the role of designers. Are they to be used if no in-house service exists? If so, have they been costed in the budget? Has enough time been allocated to invite tenders? Questions must also be asked about the museum hardware. Are the galleries big enough to take the touring exhibitions you want? Are there flexible lighting and power systems? Is there sufficient storage space and access for incoming material? Are your security and environmental controls adequate to meet the demands of an Area Museums Council or the Arts Council?

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS 123

Mark Suggitt

124 MARK SUGGITT

Such questions help plan an exhibition programme and aid a successful business plan. Forward planning is an essential part of devising a varied programme which could be planned up to five years in advance. If a mixed programme of home-grown and hiredin exhibitions is planned, it is important to be aware that providers such as Area Museums Councils advertise exhibitions up to three years in advance. Early bookings are essential as most operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Targeting and assessment Forecasting is also important with regard to the subjects to be covered in exhibitions. The use of visitor surveys or out-of-themuseum market research can be a great help. The museum should also examine its own aims and objectives for guidance. Temporary exhibitions can help target new audiences for the museum. The final consideration is also one that is often overlooked: evaluation. Did the exhibitions perform well? Did they communicate properly? Will the cost of a visitor survey be included in the budget? A number of performance indicators (did it open on time?) and measures (was it a quality experience?) need to be developed. Temporary exhibitions are costly, time-consuming things; without proper planning they can become tails wagging dogs. They need to be kept under review in order to remain what they should be, one of the vital attractions of a thinking museum. Further reading Exhibition reviews are often useful in planning what to do (or not to do!) and are to be found in the Museums Journal and the newsletters and journals of the Specialist Groups. There is a huge amount of literature on exhibitions. The quickest way to discover what you need is by subscribing to the Scottish Museums Council’s excellent Museum Abstracts. Cannon-Brooks, Peter,‘The evolution and implementation of a transportation strategy for works of art’, International Journal of MuseumManagement and Curatorship,5(2), 1986. Communicating with the Museum Visitor—Guidelines for Planning, Royal Ontario Museum, 1976. Designers and the Small Museum, Association of Independent Museums, Guideline 8.

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS 125

Green, D.J.G., ‘Managing in the museum organization. I & II’, IJMMC,7(1), 1988. Griggs, Steven,‘Orientating visitors within a thematic display’, IJMMC, 2(2), 1983. Hall, Margaret,On Display, Lund Humphries, 1987. Sitwell, Christine Leback, ‘Transporting exhibitions’, IJMMC, 2(4), 1983. Temporary & Travelling Exhibitions, Unesco, 1963. Witteborg, Lothar P., Good Show! A Practical Guide for TemporaryExhibitions,Smithsonian Institution, 1981. Writing on the Wall: A Guide for Presenting Exhibition Text,National Maritime Museum, 1989.

23 Performance indicators Ian N.Walden Director, Black Country Museum

A forward plan sets down the way in which an organisation is to operate in an agreed period. This requires the setting of objectives and the monitoring of performance using quantifiable performance indicators. In 1990 the Museums Association adopted a policy on the use of performance measurement which recognised the benefit which could be derived from the regular use of performance indicators, particularly as part of a forward plan, and recommended that the performance of a museum be considered in the four key areas of: collections; communications; operation; and external services. Key areas for measurement Museums exist for many reasons, are of many types and can carry out a wide range of activities. The key areas of museum activity were selected to highlight the importance of the specimens and exhibits within a museum—its collections—and their use for the benefit of the public— communication. The selection of key areas separates these activities, which are peculiar to museums, from the areas of activity common to the management of any business—the operation—and other activities which might be carried by a museum but which are outside its basic function, here described as external services. When considering a forward plan, activities should be regarded in the key area and targets set, and performance indicators established.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 127

Methods in general The basket of indicators chosen will vary from museum to museums depending on the services being offered and the market segments at which they are aimed. Indicators can be established in one of the following ways: Absolutes: the measurement of numbers or quantities or the Yes/ No attainment of particular standards. Comparisons: the comparison by way of percentage or ratio of absolute measures. Performance measures: these require the comparison of an input and output in order to assess efficiency or value for money. Performance measures are already commonly assessed in such nonmuseum matters as cleaning or ground maintenance but can be applied to purely museum activities. With any measurement, care must be taken both to define the unit or standard of measurement, and, where making comparison, to compare like with like. There may, for instance, be a target of answering all enquiries within five working days, but there is clearly a difference between preparing a well-researched response and returning a standard reply to the enquirer. Specific areas for museums The key areas specific to museums (collections and communications) include the following areas of activity: Collection: acquisition, conservation, documentation, research and storage. Communication: education, exhibition, information, interpretation, out-reach and visitors. In the case of acquisition, absolute measurement could be the number of items collected each year, the existence of an agreed collecting policy or the number of staff employed collecting exhibits. Comparisons might be the percentage of items offered to the museum which are accepted, the increase in collection year-on-year or the ratio of items collected in one subject area relative to another. Performance measurement would relate to the cost per item acquired, staff time per acquisition, or similar.

128 IAN N.WALDEN

Ian N.Walden

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 129

A forward plan for a museum should include targets for activities within all key areas, with particular reference to those in collections and communication, and should set out how such activities are to be assessed by both measurement and comparison with nationally accepted standards. Qualitative indicators All of the above appears to be very much to do with measuring quantitatively. The Museums & Galleries Commission, in its own policy documents, and other organisations concerned with standards of excellence in museums, point out that qualitative measurements are also desirable. This is more difficult, but is important because often a major constituent of a museum’s ‘mission statement’ is to do with quality of service and performance. This is going to be a matter of judgement—for museum management, trustees or peer groups— but should result in clearly stated targets and assessments of achievement which do not shrink from qualitative evaluation. Further reading Some guidance on performance measures for local authority museums is given in The Road to Wigan Pieri, the Audit Commission’s report on local authority museums, HMSO, 1991, and in the Museums & Galleries Commission report, Local Authority Museums,1991, and The Office ofArts and Libraries Report on the Development of Performance Indicatorsfor the National Museums and Galleries,1991. Management of Performance, a Manager’s Guide, Society of Chief Personnel Officers, 1989. Managing Services Effectively—Performance Review, Audit Commission, 1989.

IV Using your plan

24 Implementation, assessmentand monitoring Harry MacAuslan Director, J.Walter Thompson Co. Ltd

A review of the current position of your museum, gallery or leisure centre has been made, the objectives have been set and now all you have to do is put it all into operation. Unfortunately, the effort of ‘doing’ becomes an end in itself rather than actually ‘achieving’. The purpose becomes lost in the activity. The need for inventiveness and inspiration lessens and there becomes a greater need for the setting up of efficient routines and administration. It is now that muddle sets in, corners are cut and changes can occur in midstream. The techniques of critical path analysis are particularly valuable at this stage. A critical path analysis results in a diagram of all the jobs that have to be done, in the order in which they have to be done, with the estimated time taken for each. This means that the whole of the plan has to have been mapped out in some detail before the plan is executed. A list of jobs that have to be done should be drawn up and broken down to finer detail. The time that each activity will take must be estimated and then the interrelationships between jobs needs to be examined so you know how many jobs can be done concurrently. Finally, draw in the critical path, the line of consecutive activities which will make up the longest time period. It is less confusing to do than to describe. The most immediate advantage of this technique lies in the help given to timing the operation. The less obvious benefits are perhaps the more important ones. A critical path analysis requires looking at the totality of the job and considering all the implications. By showing the inter-relationships of activities in a graphic way it can act as a means of communication within the museum and create a

132 HARRY MACAUSLAN

greater sense of understanding and common purpose. Responsibilities for each activity are clearly allocated and the risk of an exhibition deadline pressurising you into skimping work at the later stages should be avoided. Sooner or later the curator has to take a deep breath and ask ‘Is it working?’ The most important principle for assessing the success or failure of any plan is the need to evaluate it against the particular objectives chosen for it. If the aim is to get more heads through the door it is not necessarily very valuable to judge the success of your efforts by the amount of money that the visitors are spending in the museum. The evaluation must be a continuous process and not an end in itself. The hypotheses that you developed were followed by experimentation, from which, in turn, there must be feedback. The feedback should influence the theories that you set out with and so the process goes on. Results must be useable, comprehensible and realistic rather than ‘interesting’ data that gather dust. Any assessment must be conducted in terms of the consumer, the visitor, and his or her responses to what you have done, rather than in terms of the input. It is not so much what you do to the museum that matters as the effect it has on the target group. The responses to your efforts will not be exclusively rational and so your assessment should consider attitudes as well as behaviour. The emotional beliefs and feelings should be examined as well as the logical responses. The specialist nature of a museum’s collection may be a rational benefit which will be unaffected by the repainting of the building. The emotional values on the other hand might be fundamentally altered if a once dark, dusty museum becomes bright and clean. Some visitors will miss the opportunity of snoozing in a darkened corner; others will feel comfortable in the more cheerful surroundings. Every museum will have different combinations of satisfactions for its target groups. The closer you can get to tailor-making these satisfactions for each target group, the more attractive they will find the museum. The process of monitoring and feedback will allow you to fine-tune the vast range of stimuli that people find appealing, relevant or desirable so that they are all compatible and do not produce conflicting responses to the museum. The contents, the display, the presentation, the experience, the tone of voice should not contradict the totality.

IMPLEMENTATION, ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING 133

Harry MacAuslan

134 HARRY MACAUSLAN

If the objectives that have been set are being achieved there is a further question which must also be asked: ‘Am I doing this as effectively and efficiently as possible?’ The resources at your disposal may be limited (I have yet to meet a museum curator who does not complain of this) but have they been put to the best possible use? It is conceivable that there is a more cost-effective way of doing the job. Once again, a new hypothesis may well have to be experimented with and the feedback assessed. The first line of evaluation is your own judgement. Your skills and experience will give you the most immediate indication of the responses to your work. This judgement can then be aided by research at varying levels of cost and sophistication. Selection of research methods and interpretation of results are never easy. The simplest method is to conduct visitor surveys which can provide some information about usage patterns. Constructive conversation and consultation with user groups, and non-users, can give indications about the success of the changes that have been made. Discussion groups of six to eight like-minded people will help elicit the non-functional, emotional attitudes and will bring out people’s own, natural language with which they discuss the subject. Much of what has been achieved will have been the result of intuition and decisions made in the face of uncertainties. It would be quite unrealistic to expect anything else. The way to improve the process is not to look for some miracle methods of eliminating bad risks or of choosing between alternatives, but to work out a coherent theory and apply it throughout the programme. Then learn from your mistakes and successes and try again.

25 Distribution and presentation Ian Taylor Director, North West Museums Service

This chapter concentrates on what to do with your report once you have it. Of course, distribution and presentation should have been considered right at the outset. To be effective both internally and externally your forward plan must be appropriate in style and presentation to the culture of your organisation. This means that your staff and others who already know something of your museum should recognise the institution and the objectives described in the plan, but also, through reading the plan, they should learn more of your activities and gain a greater understanding of your short-, medium- and long-term aims and of how you intend to achieve them. The forward plan should, therefore, reflect and harmonise with the house-style or corporate identity of the museum while clearly standing out as a major policy document. Presentation You will already have ensured that in order to achieve maximum impact the material contained in your plan is well structured and information and ideas are presented in an ordered sequence. You will have reduced complex information to manageable chunks and used plenty of headings and summaries to make the reader’s job as easy as possible. Always put yourself in the reader’s place and remember that your forward plan will have to compete with many other documents for attention. Brevity, clarity and readability will all count in your favour, so put non-vital information in the form of appendices together with detailed budgets, staffing charts and other

136 IAN TAYLOR

supporting documents. Wherever possible use a word processor right from the start to help you organise and amend your material, and to ensure that the final print-out is clear, correct and well laid out. This will greatly assist the reader to grasp your ideas quickly and easily. You will have selected a binding system that allows the document to be handled, copied and updated with ease and convenience. An A4 format using a ring binder with n acetate protective cover should be adequate for the majority of forward plans. If, however, in due course a more prestigious format is called for, the document can be submitted for typesetting, printing and binding with the inclusion of illustrations. The decision whether or not to embark on such a potentially expensive exercise will, of course, be dictated in part by how you envisage distributing your plan and to whom. Distribution First and foremost you should bear in mind that your forward plan is an internal planning tool that sets out your aims for the future and your strategy for achieving them. Failure to communicate that strategy to those responsible for carrying it out will mean there is little chance of operational managers recognising the direction the museum is trying to move in and acting accordingly. Copies of the forward plan should, therefore, be distributed in good time for managers to read and absorb prior to a formal or informal presentation of the plan by the museum director to be followed by discussion. Similarly no wise director would spring the forward plan on his committee or trustees without previously preparing the ground, arranging a suitable distribution list and giving careful thought to the timetable for distribution. Almost certainly, however, you will also require the assistance and goodwill of people and organisations outside the museum to implement your plan. Once the document is approved internally, therefore, you must share the plan with these other agencies, ensuring that key organisations are kept informed of the plan’s production, the proposed format, structure and degree of detail to be included. Adequate time must be allowed between the submission of the plan and the dates of key decision-taking meetings to allow for possible consultation between agencies and for queries to be referred

DISTRIBUTION AND PRESENTATION 137

Ian Taylor

back to the museum. Ensure that your forward plan reaches

138 IAN TAYLOR

everyone it should and use it to back up applications to the many public and private bodies to whom you may be applying for grantaid, sponsorship or endorsement of any kind. The acid test Remember that not everyone will wish to receive, or have time to read, your forward plan. The fact that you have had the foresight to produce such a document and that you have clear aims for the future should nevertheless be communicated as widely as possible. Local MPs, councillors, businesses and interested groups may all appreciate a brief résumé of your plan and the opportunity to obtain the full document as and when necessary. Having gone through the somewhat arduous task of preparing a planning document, it may be painful to have to produce a much reduced version. On the whole, people tend to read far less than we expect them to, and while the whole of the plan is required for you, your staff and funding bodies, many of your intended readers will be much happier with a summary—which may itself be sufficient to persuade them to read or refer to the original document. Having gone through all the processes described in this book your decisionmaking faculties will be well-honed and well-supported, so a brief list of priorities should be easy!

V Samples and extracts from forward plans

National Museum of Science& Industry Synopsis of the corporate plan, 1990–1995, indicating its general form and structure

Introduction The National Museum of Science & Industry (NMSI) is the world’s preeminent museum devoted to the history of science, technology, industry and medicine. As well as the Science Museum, it incorporates the Science Museum Library and the Wellcome Museum of the History of Medicine at South Kensington, the National Railway Museum at York, the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television at Bradford, Wroughton Airfield, Concorde 002 and the associated exhibition at Yeovilton (which are now managed for the NMSI by the Fleet Air Arm Museum), and two storage sites in the Greater London area. The Science Museum had its origins in the South Kensington Museum set up soon after the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was run by the Department of Education & Science until 1984 when the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum was established under the terms of the National Heritage Act of 1983. Thereafter, the Museum ceased to operate as part of a Government department. The Museum now has the status of a Non-Departmental Public Body, operating within the Public Sector but at ‘arm’s length’ from its sponsor department, the Office of Arts and Libraries. The Museum has charitable status although it is not a registered charity; such status brings certain tax advantages. The Museum is accountable, through the Office of Arts and Libraries, for the expenditure of its Grant-in-Aid. It operates under a

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 141

Financial Memorandum and is subject to audit by the National Audit Office and to any recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee. The Director is Accounting Officer for the Grant-inAid. The third Corporate Plan of the National Museum of Science & Industry (NMSI) was prepared to meet three needs: 1. for the Museum to set out clearly its corporate objectives and priorities and to understand the resource implications of fulfilling them; 2. to provide the Minister for the Arts with a statement of the Museum’s objectives and strategic plan and their financial implications; 3. to provide the Office of Arts and Libraries with sufficient financial and planning information to evaluate the Museum’s Grant-in-Aid bid for the next three-year period. Mission and objectives of the NMSI The National Museum of Science & Industry has three core objectives: 1. to care for and add to the national collections of science, technology and medicine; 2. to display and interpret those collections; 3. to be a national centre for the promotion of the public understanding of science, technology and medicine. In pursuit of these core objectives, the Museum seeks: (i) to preserve its uniquely rich collections; (ii) to acquire the finest and most significant physical evidence of contemporary science and technology worldwide; (iii) to pursue research and scholarship in relation to the collections, as a contribution to knowledge of the development of science, technology and medicine; (iv) to display and interpret to the public objects from the collections, as illustrative of the nature of the history and contemporary practice of science, technology and medicine;

142 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

(v) to provide attractive and authoritative galleries, exhibitions and information services, with a view to informing the public about the influence of science, technology and medicine in the wider culture— past, present and future; (vi ) to contribute knowledge and expertise to public debate about the proper place of science, technology and medicine in the life of the nation. Review The collections of the National Museum of Science & Industry are the largest, the most comprehensive and the most significant in their field anywhere in the world. The core of these collections transcends in importance the purely national context; it marks the emergence of the first industrial nation and of modern scientific and industrial man. The aim of the Museum is to promote an understanding of the history and contemporary practice of science, technology, industry and medicine. It achieves this by building and maintaining the national collections in these fields, by understanding those collections—through research and publication—and by making them available to the public—in galleries and through study facilities. The Museum is widely recognised as a centre of scholarship and expertise and its collections are consulted by people and institutions throughout the world. In addressing the issues of contemporary science it is essential that we keep our collections and public galleries up to date. The National Museum of Science & Industry is dedicated to scholarship, education and enlightenment. It exists so that the public at large may better understand the science, technology, industry and medicine of the past and the present. We have a particular commitment to young people and their understanding of science and industry. We see no conflict in being both a centre of scholarly knowledge, based on our great collections, and a popular visitor attraction. On the contrary, we believe that high-grade scholarship is essential if we are to interpret our collections and the themes related to them in a manner that our public understands and enjoys. We see a rôle for scholarship in its own right, to illuminate the collections in our care. But we must also develop new means of revealing the truths of our

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 143

collections to our public. This is one of the greatest challenges facing a modern science museum. We are mainly funded by Grant-in-Aid from Government. We expect to see this commitment reinforced so that the nation’s collections, and the core activities associated with them, will continue to be substantially supported from the public purse. Recapitalisation of the Museum will depend primarily on this source of funding. But we also recognise the need for a plurality of income and will demonstrate our capacity for self-help, where necessary and practicable, by charging and through appropriate sponsorships. We wish to modify our relationship with Government in order to give us greater flexibility and freedom and we need assurance that our approach to plural funding will not rebound through reductions in Grant-in-Aid. We believe new methods of funding will be essential including, where appropriate, the opportunity to borrow. We have taken a lead in promoting the public understanding of science. Our collaboration with Imperial College and the launching of the first Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science have set the scene for what will be a major collaborative exercise over the next decade. During the 1990s the way in which the British public perceives science and technology, responds to its demands and challenges, and sets it in the context of their daily lives will be crucial. It is essential that the nation has a strategy to inform that public and a capacity to achieve those goals. The National Museum of Science & Industry, its collections, its public displays, and the expertise of its staff, are dedicated to that purpose. The objectives 1990±1995 Many of the Museum’s objectives—e.g. for gallery renewal and building improvements—have timescales for planning and financing that extend over much or all of the five year period. On an annual basis, successful planning is measured by income targets and expenditure budgets. Various statistical measures of quantitative change can be assessed. Qualitative change is as important as quantitative change, however. Later in the Corporate Plan the Museum states how it intends to introduce performance indicators to induce, monitor and measure improvement in the services provided.

144 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

The National Museum of Science & Industry consists of five divisions based at the Science Museum and Library in South Kensington, together with two northern divisions: the National Railway Museum in York and the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television in Bradford. The southern storage sites at Wroughton, Hayes and Blythe House are managed by the Collections Management Division from the Science Museum. The main objectives of the NMSI over the next five years are set out by division with appropriate cross-referencing to reflect inter-divisional projects and goals. COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT DIVISION RESEARCH DIVISION

AND

INFORMATION

SERVICES

PUBLIC SERVICES DIVISION MARKETING DIVISION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIVISION NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM & TELEVISION The Corporate Plan then goes on to describe the principal strategic and long term plans for development under the following headings: 1. A GALLERY PLAN FOR THE SCIENCE MUSEUM 2. STORAGE 3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE NMSI ESTATE: (i) The Science Museum—West End Site (ii) The Science Museum Library (iii) National Railway Museum (iv) National Museum of Photography, Film & Television

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 145

The principal appendices There are a number of appendices of which the principal one is the Income & Expenditure Estimates. This is a summary version of the detailed five year estimates that underpin the Corporate Plan and are submitted with it to the Minister. They show how we will meet our objectives within the likely financial resources available. In a covering letter we make a case for increased funding to support what we believe to be a responsible level of activity. In addition further appendices set out the Business Plan for the Museum’s Trading Company and list the main projects on which the Museum is engaged during 1990/91 (e.g. major exhibitions, permanent gallery proposals and new curatorial accommodation). The remaining appendices list the Museum’s travelling exhibitions— with a policy for their future—set out the Museum’s educational visits policy (in the light of the Educational Reform Act) and list notable objects added to the collections in 1989.

The Royal Scots RegimentalMuseum, Edinburgh Castle Development plan 1989

Introduction (1) Over the past twenty years, the rapid growth of new technologies, affecting many patterns of economic and social life, have had particular relevance to museums. Museums have become much more professional, with greater emphasis on needs for conservation and management of collections. If we are not to be left behind in museum development, we must progress. For this reason a Museum Development Plan has been prepared, to examine where we have got to and where we should be going in the future. (2) This plan covers ten years from 1984 to 1994. It looks back five years to 1984, because even though a Development Plan, as such, was not produced, much has been done to effect improvements and it is important to see how these improvements have progressed, within the overall plan for the next five years. Layout (3) After a brief history of the development of the museum and its legal status, the aim of the museum is clearly defined. The plan then examines each of the Museum Programme areas, covering the following fields: (a) Collection (b) Documentation (c) Conservation including Building Fabric

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 147

(d) Security (e) Interpretation including research and education (f) Staffing (g) Finance Historical background (4) Before the Second World War, little thought was given to the establishment of Regimental Museums. Such ‘museum pieces’ as were owned by The Royal Scots, were displayed in the various battalion and depot messes. Some items, including a major private collection in the possession of H.M.McCance, were bequeathed in the absence of a Regimental Museum to what is now the Scottish United Services Museum. So the Scottish United Services Museum in Edinburgh Castle possesses and displays numerous interesting and historical items. (5) After the Second World War, a museum for The Royal Scots was established at the Regimental Depot at Glencorse Barracks, near Penicuik in Midlothian. Then in 1960, owing to a major reorganisation of military establishments, the museum, together with the Regimental Headquarters, moved to its present site in Edinburgh Castle. It is indeed our good fortune to be located inside Edinburgh Castle. Not only is this the centre of our regimental recruiting area, but it is one of the major tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, and the museum thereby attracts some 500,000 visitors each year. (6) The Regimental Museum is housed in what used to be, before the 1939–45 War, the gymnasium and subsequently a ‘model room’ and quartermaster’s store. The building is situated immediately below Foog’s Gate, inside Edinburgh Castle. (7) The layout of the museum is simple, consisting of two large rooms, namely the Entrance Hall and the Main Hall. A store room, 3 offices and cellar space complete the complex. Legal status (8)Museum. In 1959 a Museum Deed of Trust was drawn up and registered on the books of Council & Session on The Registers of Scotland.1 This was amended by a Supplementary Deed of Trust in 1982.2 In 1986 it became apparent that the Trust Deed wording was

148 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

not fully acceptable to The Army Museums Ogilby Trust and The Scottish Museums Council regarding disposal of property and so a second Supplementary Deed of Trust was completed.3 (9) This was approved by Colonel P.S.Newton MBE, then Secretary of The Army Museums Ogilby Trust, who wrote, ‘This entirely overcomes our earlier objections and achieves what is needed in a most felicitous manner.’4 (10) The museum is registered as a charity, with charity Reference CR 38685. (11)Shop. The Royal Scots Regimental Shop, in the museum, is a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital. It is registered under The Companies Act 1948 and separate Articles of Association have been prepared. The shop is now registered for Value Added Tax. VAT Registration 415–9612–49. (12) Like most Regiments, we lack the space to display all the items we should like to show to members and friends of the Regiment and to the public, for we aim to display not only the rare and valuable items, but also items which serve to underline the long and glorious history of the Regiment, and the honours it has won over 350 years of loyal service to Monarch and Country. Aim (13) The aim of The Royal Scots Regimental Museum is to collect, document, preserve, exhibit and interpret material evidence and associated information on the Regiment for the public benefit. The museum sets out to display, in a form attractive both to the expert and to the general public, the Story of the Regiment and the many honours and distinctions it has won. Programme areas Collection development (14) Since 1946, many artefacts appertaining to The Royal Scots have been collected. Early on the Regiment publicised its desire to give an honourable last resting place to any medal awarded to a member of the Regiment, and so an impressive display of campaign

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 149

medals and decorations is held. It was however, apparent that no collection policy, as such, existed. (15)Policy Document. So in 1987, a Collection Management Policy5 was drafted and this was approved by the Museum Trustees at their meeting on 1 July 1987. (16)War Diaries. The museum held War Diaries for World War I but not World War II. In 1984 and 1985 strenuous efforts were made to obtain copies from the Ministry of Defence. In 1986 and 1987, one diary at a time was obtained from the Ministry of Defence (Historical Branch (Army), and photocopied by The Regimental Secretary on a photocopier specially hired for this purpose. All diaries were subsequently bound and then indexed by Col. B.A.Fargus OBE DL, so that by the end of 1988 we held all war diaries indexed for World War II. These are: 1 RS Dunkirk, 1 RS Burma 1944 & 45, 2 RS Hong Kong 1941, 2 RS Italy & Palestine 1944/45, 7/9 RS & 8 RS NW Europe 1944/45. (17)Future targets Diaries (a) 1989/90. To obtain copies of 1 RS Historical Records since May 1987. 1992/93 (b) To put indexed information on computer to make retrieval more efficient. Artefacts (c) To concentrate on collection of items not held, to fill gaps in the Regimental story. (d) To collect uniform and equipment of present day soldiers to make an up-to-date display. Documentation (18) Up till 1985, the only records of items held were the accession register and a Lyon & Turnbull inventory for an insurance policy

150 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

listing most of the artefacts on display. There was a separate medal register. Proper museum documentation was clearly a requirement. (19) Starting in May 1986 and continuing for two years, a Manpower Services Commission Team of one supervisor, ten cataloguers and two typists, fully documented the whole collection. This was based on the Museum Documentation Association system, modified for our circumstances. The work was completed in May 1988 and we now have: (a) A documentation manual for The Royal Scots6 (b) Fully up-to-date Accession Registers (four) (c) Catalogue card for each item (d) Index cards for cross reference (e) Up-to-date medal register (20) Approval was given by the Museum Committee in 1988 for the MSC Team supervisor to be retained on a part-time basis, one morning per week, to keep the records of new items up to date. Future targets (21)Documentation. To complete existing documentation system for loan items. To employ one part-time supervisor one day per week at a cost of £600 a year in 1989. Complete museum registration as soon as allowed. (22) 1992/93. To update insurance registers, consequent upon any museum reorganisation. (23) 1992/93. To update location index, consequent upon any museum reorganisation. (24) In due course to put existing records on computer, as soon as finance, staff and time allow. Conservation/preservation (25) Up till 1984 certain steps had been taken. These included the blacking out of windows in the museum, and fitting ultra-violet protection to all lighting. (26)Conservation surveys. A number of detailed surveys were arranged in conjunction with the Scottish Museums Council:

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 151

(a) Survey report and conservation proposals for Regimental Colours7 (b) RS Museum Textiles in 19848 (c) RS Museum Conservation Report 19879 (27) As many of the recommendations as possible have been actioned, within the constraints of funds available. These have included: (a) Purchase of and installation of environmental monitoring equipment for display and storage areas. (b) Repair work to glass ceilings. (c) Completion of proper environmental storage area. (See para 30 below.) (d) Full conservation treatment and framing of two Colours. (e) Fitting of UV filters on all fluorescent lights and some reduction of light level by removing tubes. Future Targets (28)1989. To complete the conservation of 2 RS Regimental Colours 1942 at cost of £3,000 plus £600 materials=£3,600, less 50 per cent grant in aid—therefore cost £1,800. (29) 1990/91 (a) Better entrance door to museum, to act as control on temperature and humidity as well as dust and pollution control. (b) Textiles to be in show cases and glazed frames and not on open display. (New show cases with some environmental control needed.) (c) Improve environmental conditions, particularly in show cases. (d) Reduce further existing light levels. Ceiling strip lights are still too bright. (e) Conservation work required on old uniforms and remaining Colours.

152 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

Building fabric (30)Store. Early conservation reports highlighted the total inadequacy of the museum store. Shelving was non-existent, containers were old cardboard boxes of unsuitable material, and library books fell out of a broken down cupboard. The store was very damp, so in 1985/86, based on detailed plans by Gordon Lyall Associates, a completely redesigned store was built at a cost of £8, 000, with dehumidifier and purpose built racking. (31)Museum. In 1985 the museum roof was giving much trouble. There were many leaks, the glass panels and extractor vents were the cause of letting much dirt and dust into the museum. Thanks to the excellent co-operation from The Department of Ancient Monuments, the museum was completely re-roofed in 1986 and the roof no longer leaks or lets in dust and dirt. (32)Drawbacks to existing museum. The Regimental Museum is in an ideal location, but the building, from a museum point of view, has a number of drawbacks. (a) The lighting is still too bright and all existing plug fittings are on the outside walls. (b) There are considerable fluctuations of temperature and humidity in the entrance and main hall. The place gets very hot and stuffy in summer and damp in winter. (c) The central heating system (boilers renewed in 1987) works well, but the pipes and radiators are old, large and corroding. (d) There is a damp patch on the main hall east wall, abutting onto the Castle wall, through which water seeps in foul weather. This has been partly resolved by the building of a false internal wall, but the water still comes through. (33)Light. Light can cause irreparable damage to museum objects. Light can fade colours and cause deterioration to material. Any light whether strong or weak will cause damage, it is only a matter of degree. A strong light will produce approximately the same amount of damage in one year as a weak light one tenth the strength will produce in ten years. Light intensity is measured in lux units using a lightmeter. Recommended maximum illumination values for sensitive materials such as uniforms, watercolours, prints, drawings

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 153

and manuscripts is 50 lux. 200 lux maximum should not be exceeded for oil paintings and other items. A guide to illumination of 500 lux is a 60 watt Tungsten incandescent bulb lighting the surface of an object at 2 metres distance. The RS Museum has levels of 500 lux, which clearly needs to be reduced. (34)Future targets. In period 1990/92, in concert with Museum redevelopment plans, the following improvements are required: (a) Reduce lux levels to 50 lux where possible and install better electrical fittings. (b) Upgrade existing central heating. (c) Provide some means of environmental control within show cases. (d) Remove source of damp inside museum wall. Security (35)Alarm system. Up till 1984, the museum was protected by a Shorrocks Security System, installed ten years previously. This was causing much trouble with false alarms. Also technology was out of date. In 1987, a new system by Lander Alarms was installed at a cost of £2,000. (36)Insurance. In 1987 all insurances were fully examined. Five separate policies, all with the same firm, Sun Alliance, were combined in one policy, resulting in a saving of £55 on annual premium, despite increasing overall cover. (37) Also in 1987, the medal insurance register was updated, a full check and revaluation from Spinks Catalogue completed, and new accession numbers put against each medal group. Insurance values 1989 are:

Museum Shop

Value

Premium

£389,019 £26,311

£1,651.42 £378.56

(38)Future targets (a) Alarm system. In 1991/92 to improve existing alarm system in line with museum redevelopment plans.

154 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

(b) Insurance. In 1992/93 to make up new insurance registers for museum and medal collection in light of any museum redevelopment/ reorganisation. Interpretation (39)Boys Jarvis study. In January 1985 the Secretary of State for Scotland commissioned the Boys Jarvis Partnership to undertake a feasibility study on Edinburgh Castle. The report,10 published in 1986, proposed amongst other things ‘The removal of The Royal Scots Regimental Museum to the Barrack Block, to free that accommodation for use as a children’s creche’. This proposal was strongly resisted, and a decision taken that no unnecessary expenditure should be embarked upon until such time as the future of the museum was known. It was not until 30 December 198811 that we received final assurance that no further accommodation changes were planned within the castle and we could go ahead with plans. (40) Over the next five years, Historic Buildings &; Monuments Directorate have planned improvements to Edinburgh Castle costing £7 million to £8 million, none of which directly involves The Royal Scots Museum. Yet The Royal Scots Museum is one of the visitor attractions in the Castle, and certainly should reflect the improvements planned and in train for the Castle. (41) The Regiment is anxious, therefore, to move the museum into the next decade, with a more attractive, logical and informative display, in keeping with other Castle improvements, and at the same time tackle the problems of environmental conditions, conservation and the growth of the existing collection. (42) In 1988, the Museum Trustees tasked a sub committee, under Colonel M.B.H. Ashmore CBE, to formulate the concept for the Regimental Museum. This sub committee, which included expert advice from W.G.F. Boag Esq, former Deputy Keeper of The Scottish United Services Museum, prepared an outline brief,12 which was submitted to MLM Exhibition Consultants to carry out a feasibility study at a cost of £5,000. (43)Future targets. This Feasibility Study is due for completion at end of July 1989 when further actions will be assessed. This will then be put to Museum Trustees for approval.

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 155

Research (44) Now that the collection has been fully catalogued, and a separate catalogue card prepared for each item, considerable scope exists to record and document detail on artefacts as and when information comes to hand. (45)Future targets (a) 1989–94. As and when information is unearthed, it is essential at the time to record detail on catalogue cards. (b) 1991–2. Enter biographical details from Thistle index onto catalogue cards, in preparation for computer work. (c) 1991–2. Record information on cards from present Museum Curator on artefacts of which he has acquired background knowledge. Education (46) A small booklet is held on the account of The Royal Scots Regimental Museum in Edinburgh Castle, and a brief History of the Regiment.13 (47) A further short guide was produced by The Manpower Services Commission Team in 1987,14 assisted by sponsorship from Messrs Marks & Spencer, with separate answer sheet. (48)Future targets (a) 1992–3. After redevelopment and reorganisation of the museum a new museum guide will be required. Staffing/training (49) The establishment for The Royal Scots Museum allows for one curator (Retired Officer 2 or 3), one storeman, industrial and contract cleaners. (50) The staffing level is woefully inadequate and lacks any form of museum expertise. The Miles Report15 recommended, amongst other matters: (a) Upgrading the post of museum storeman. (b) Appointment of curatorial assistant, perhaps part-time.

156 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

This was not accepted by the Ministry of Defence. Likewise a proposal by Scottish Division to joint fund a Curatorial Assistant was rejected by the Ministry of Defence. (51) While there is no shortage of advice from SMC, SUSM and others, professional staff are needed to carry out detailed tasks. (52) The Scottish Museums Council run useful basic training courses on museum matters and full use is made of these for the existing curator and storeman. (53)Future targets (a) To continue to employ the former SMC supervisor part-time in maintaining documentation system. (b) In 1990/91 to try to obtain additional staff, either from secondment, from volunteers or grant aided. Finance (54)Admission charges. It was one of the conditions when we moved into the Castle, that The Royal Scots Museum was not to raise admission charges, and so must rely on voluntary donations which bring in under £2,000 per year. In 1960, there were no admission charges to the Castle, only tickets to visit the Crown room apartments. Now admission costs £2 per person. A good case exists, therefore, for us to request a grant from the present Castle entry takings to help defray the costs of improvements. (55)Shop. As previously stated the Museum Shop is run separately as a Limited Company. 80 per cent of profits are covenanted to the Regiment each year, to assist in defraying Museum and other expenses. In 1984, an independent report on the shop stated, ‘it defies all the basic rules of retailing in terms of attractiveness, good open presentation and encouragement to customers to buy’. A major redevelopment was completed in 1984, at a cost of £6,000, resulting in a doubling of turnover in subsequent years. (56)Future targets (a) To separate the shop physically from the museum, and make it more accessible to the public.

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 157

(57)Museum accounts. Over the past five years the income and expenditure for the museum has been as follows:

(58) The museum has been making special efforts over the past three years to build up sufficient funds to put towards redevelopment. We now have some £20,000 put aside towards this target. Fund raising (59) An estimate of the funds needed to redevelop The Royal Scots Museum, based on the feasibility study,16 is estimated at £300,000 but will be confirmed in detail later. (60) The meeting of the fundraising committee, held on Tuesday 30 May proposed the strategy to carry out this task.17 Conclusion (61) Much has been achieved in The Royal Scots Museum in the past five years. The achievements are summarised below: (a) Collection (1) In 1987 a Collection Policy for the museum was drafted and approved by trustees (para 15). (2) From 1986–88, the War Diaries for World War II were loaned from the Ministry of Defence, photocopied, bound and indexed (para 16). (b) Documentation

158 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

(1) In 1986 a second Supplementary Deed of Trust was drawn up, approved by Trustees and totally accepted by The Army Museums Ogilby Trust and Scottish Museums Council (para 8). (2) From 1986–88 a Manpower Services Commission Team completed documentation on the entire collection (para 19). (3) In 1987 the Museum Insurance Policies were reorganised and updated (para 36). (c) Conservation (1) In 1984 a detailed survey on four Colours was carried out. This was followed by a more detailed survey report on Museum Textiles by M.Lynn Grant (para 26). (2) In 1985 the museum reserve store was completely redesigned, modernised and fitted with environmental monitoring equipment (para 30). (3) In 1986 the museum was completely re-roofed (para 31). (d) Security (1) In 1984 the museum shop was completely gutted, improved storage and show case provided, thereby increasing turnover and profits (para 55). (2) In 1987 the old Shorrocks Alarms were replaced by a new Lander Alarm System (para 35). (62) The problems of documentation and collection policy have been tackled. Now that the future plans for Edinburgh Castle are clear, and The Royal Scots Museum has been assured that no move is planned in the foreseeable future, the next step is to produce a more attractive, logical and informative display. At the same time we must deal with the environmental conditions and conservation. The feasibility study seeks to show what is required. The target objectives are set out in a table at Annex A to this paper.

SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS 159

Notes 1 Register of Scotland 7,815 dated 13 July 1959 and registered 20 July 1959. 2 Register of Scotland 13,980 dated 2 August 1982 and registered 25 August 1982. 3 Register of Scotland 15,089 dated 12 May 1986 and registered 22 May 1986. 4 Letter, Dawson & Co., Solicitors, 2 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London WC2A 3RZ, dated 25 March 1986. 5 RHQ/RS/190 of 7 July 1987, Annex A, Collection Management PolicyThe Royal Scots Regimental Museum. 6 RS Regimental Museum Documentation, Manual 1987 (original held by Regimental Secretary). 7 Scottish Museums Council, ‘Conservation Report on Four Military Colours’, unpublished, August 1984. 8 Scottish Museums Council, ‘Conservation Report on the Museum’s Textile Collections’, unpublished, October 1984. 9 Scottish Museums Council, ‘Conservation Survey Report’, unpublished, August 1987. 10 Edinburgh Castle Visitor Reception Study (the Boys Jarvis Report) [RS Museum Library Ref P40]. 11 Letter from Mr David Connolly, Historic Buildings and Monuments, 30 December 1988. 12 Reorganisation of The Regimental Museum of The Royal ScotsOutline Brief for Project Feasibility Study 13 March 1989. 13 The Royal Scots—designed and produced by Pilgrim Press Ltd, 1987. 14 A Young Person’s Guide to The Museum of The Royal Scots, printed by Polton House Press Ltd, Lasswade, Midlothian EH18 1BW. 15 Report on Local Museums in Scotland, Chapter 5, ‘Regimental Museums’, by Professor Hamish Miles. 16 To follow end of July 1989. 17 RHQ/RS/199/3 of 2 June 1989.

Summary of target objectives—RS Regimental Museum

Annex A 160 SAMPLES AND EXTRACTS FROM FORWARD PLANS

VI Checklist of tasks

The following checklist provides a quick means of reference to the points raised in the Handbook. It is structured in four sections: (1) Assessment; (2) Discussion and drafting; (3) Agreement and implementation; and (4) Evaluation and updating. 1 Assessment An analysis of the current position of the museum (a) Policy review—a review of the museum’s current policies (b) Review of current purpose and mission (c) Review of current objectives (d) Market review—users/non-users (e) Demographics (f) Collections management review Acquisitions and disposals policy Documentation Storage Preventive conservation measures Remedial conservation services Research programmes Databases Collections security (g) User services review Displays

162

Education services Outreach/extension services Temporary exhibitions Retail services—catering and shops/sales points Publications Events and activities programmes Marketing Customer facilities—lavatories, cloakrooms, etc. (h) Management review Staffing structure Friends/volunteers Training programmes Security Communications systems Public relations Buildings—space allocation Buildings—conditions Buildings—maintenance programme Finances—capital Finances—revenue Fundraising Income generation approaches Performance indicators Performance measurement Standards 2 Discussion and drafting The process of assembling the forward plan (a) Mission statement (b) Functional objectives (c) Historical perspective (d) Market context (e) Collections management (see section 1 for subheadings) (f) User services (see section 1 for subheadings) (g) Museum management (see section 1 for subheadings) (h) Financial implications

163

(i) Fundraising/income generation (j) Time-scales and targets 3 Agreement and implementation Reaching agreement and implementing the plan (a) Staff discussions (b) Draft presentations (c) Finalisation (d) Format and presentation (e) Circulation (f) Résumé (g) Monitoring (h) Staff/team target-setting (i) Flexibility and change 4 Evaluation and updating Checking progress and rolling forward the plan (a) Regular reviews of progress (b) Performance assessment (c) Reporting back to committee (d) Annual report and relationship to plan (e) Schedules for rolling forward (f) Redrafting programme

Equal opportunities:select bibliography

Gawlinski, George and Goeffle, Lois, Planning Together, National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Bedford Square Press. The IBM Equal Opportunities Code,Institute of Personnel Management, 1990. Towards Cultural Diversity, monitoring report of the Arts Council’s ethnic minority arts action plan, Arts Council, 1989. Waters, Irene, Entertainment, Arts and Cultural Services, Longman, 1989. Women, Heritage and Museums, Resources List,available from Marie Turner, 75 Cambridge Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8DW. Getting Closer to the Public and Learning From the Public, LGMB, are both available from the Publications Department, Local Government Management Board, Arndale House, Arndale Centre, Luton LU1 2TS.