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Facing The Future 2

A Regional Museum Strategy for the East Midlands

2002 - 2007

Exposure Draft, April 2001

Chapters 1 & 2: Background & The Context
Chapter 3: The Policy Framework
Chapter 4: The Market
Chapter 5: Museums & Their Collections
Chapter 6: Resources
Chapter 7: Conclusions
Annexes

Annexes

ANNEX A

CONCORDANCE OF REGIONAL STRATEGIES

Note: The purpose of this table is to demonstrate Facing the Future's contribution to the region's common agenda, by its cross-reference to the objectives in the Regional Assembly's Integrated Regional Strategy and the regional economic and cultural strategies. In most cases an objective within a strategy shares common issues with other objectives within the same strategy, as well as with those of other strategies.

Integrated Regional Strategy	Economic Strategy	Cultural Strategy	*Facing the Future 2*
To ensure that the housing stock meets the housing needs of all parts of the community
To ensure that the delivery of a wide range of lifelong learning opportunities is provided for all parts of the community		· To promote the role of culture in lifelong learning	· To maximise the potential of museums in lifelong learning
To maximise the contribution of arts, culture, heritage, media and sport to the quality of life in the East Midlands		· To reinforce the case for culture · To campaign to raise the profile of culture regionally and locally	· To use local cultural strategies to identify needs and opportunities for museum provision · To create alliances and partnerships with organisations with common interests, and enable museums to play a part in the wider cultural scene
To ensure commitment and co-ordinated action to secure community safety and reduce crime			· To encourage museums to adopt and promote socially-inclusive values in all aspects of museum governance, management and operation
To support the development and growth of social capital across the communities of the region			· To support advice, training and other means of stimulating volunteer involvement, and to sustain the voluntary sector as effective museum providers
To protect improve and manage the rich diversity of the natural and built environmental and archaeological assets of the region		· To protect and improve cultural resources	· To reinvigorate the region's museums as a source of information
To enhance and conserve the environmental quality of the region including high standards of design and maximise the re-use of previously-used land and buildings			· To promote high standards in museum design and building, and developing conservation planning for museums in historic buildings
To manage the natural resources of the region including water air quality and minerals in a prudent manner and to seek to minimise waste and to encourage re-use and recycling of waste materials
To bring about excellence in our approach to Learning and skills - giving the region a competitive edge in how we acquire and exploit knowledge, by creating a `learning region' - with individuals and employers who value learning and a learning industry that is proactive and creative - leading, in time, to a workforce that is among the most adaptable, motivated and highly-skilled in Europe	· To bring about excellence in our approach to Learning and skills - giving the region a competitive edge in how we acquire and exploit knowledge, by creating a `learning region' - with individuals and employers who value learning and a learning industry that is proactive and creative - leading, in time, to a workforce that is among the most adaptable, motivated and highly-skilled in Europe.		· To enable all people who work in museums to be trained to perform their duties efficiently and effectively · To persuade local authorities of the benefit of appropriately-trained and remunerated staff
To develop a strong culture of enterprise and innovation, putting the region at the leading edge of Europe in our exploitation of research, recognised for our spirit of innovation - and creating a climate within which entrepeneurs and world-class businesses can prosper	· To develop a strong culture of enterprise and innovation, putting the region at the leading edge of Europe in our exploitation of research, recognised for our spirit of innovation - and creating a climate within which entrepeneurs and world-class businesses can prosper	· To support the cultural economy	· To respond to customer needs by understanding the nature and demands of museum audiences, and regularly renewing and refreshing facilities and programmes on the basis of customer demands · To restore subject-specialist knowledge to enable museum collections to be better exploited
To use the global information and communications technology revolution to create the capability for everyone in the region - individuals and businesses - to use information and knowledge to maximum benefit	· To use the global information and communications technology revolution to create the capability for everyone in the region - individuals and businesses - to use information and knowledge to maximum benefit		· To focus ICT development on regional collections, and developing comprehensive finding aids for public access
To create a climate for investment in which success breeds success - providing the right conditions in the region for a modern industrial structure based on a combination of indigenous growth and inward investment	· To create a climate for investment in which success breeds success - providing the right conditions in the region for a modern industrial structure based on a combination of indigenous growth and inward investment		· To encourage museum governing bodies to provide clear direction and leadership for their museums, and planning the deployment of resources to achieve high-quality outcomes in line with a published strategy
To empower communities to create solutions that meet their needs - ensuring that everyone in the region has the opportunity to benefit from, and contribute to, the region's economic competitiveness thereby supporting a socially inclusive region	· To develop sustainable communities, empowered to create solutions that meet their needs - ensuring that everyone in the region has the opportunity to benefit from, and contribute to, the region's economic competitiveness thereby supporting a socially inclusive region	· To help more people take part	· To challenge current levels of local authority museum provision, and the nature of that provision, through the Best Value Process · To maintain sufficient capacity to support volunteer-run museums, especially those in market towns and rural areas · To support initiatives to tackle social exclusion
To ensure that decisions about the distribution and location of activity are consistent with sustainable development principles		· To encourage sustainable regeneration	· To avoid additional flagship museums, concentrating investment on the existing infrastructure, especially the merger of institutions and the development of ICT
To enhance the region's infrastructure, including maximising transport choice and exploiting opportunities offered by information technology			· To bring together regional collections within new, adequately-resourced museum institutions, with links to affiliates, including libraries and archives
To recognise and respect the distinctive characteristics of different parts of the region and the need for regional policies and actions to take account of these		· To celebrate regional and cultural diversity	· To work towards a museum workforce more representative of the diversity of East Midlands people
To have full regard to the importance of linkages between different parts of the region and with adjacent regions			· To encourage museums to maintain links within the region through participation in the work of the East Midlands Museums Service, and without through the Midlands Federation of Museums and Art Galleries and its counterpart organisations

ANNEX B

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

1. The following table suggests a series of objectives to which the region's museums might aspire during the five-year period of this Plan. They are ambitious, but all reflect the needs evidenced in the main body of the Strategy. Their implementation also assumes that there will exist, at a regional level, sufficient capacity to promote, develop and evaluate implementation of the Plan, and take forward those elements that require co-ordination across the region.

2. The prospective partners described in the Table are

EMCC	East Midlands Cultural Consortium
EMGfL	East Midlands Grid for Learning
Emda	East Midlands Development Agency
EMRAC	East Midlands Regional Archives Council
EMRLGA	East Midlands Local Government Association
EMRA	East Midlands Regional Assembly
EMRLS	East Midlands Regional Library System
GO.EM	Government Office for the East Midlands
HETB	Heart of England Tourist Board
HLF	Heritage Lottery Fund
Resource	Resource: The Council for Museums, Libraries and Archives


Objective	Priority	Targets - by 2005	Prospective Partners
*Responding to customer needs*
Understanding the nature and demands of museum audiences	· Regular and reliable market/audience research and trends analysis	· Regional Museum Survey in 2005 on same basis as 1995 and 2000) · Regional research on museum use and perceptions by over-60s and ethnic groups · Audience research on 80% of museums · Public satisfaction surveys for all local authority museum services	Individual museum Local authorities
Regularly renewing and refreshing facilities and programmes on the basis of customer demands	·Development strategies · Project funding for improvement	· All museums to have strategy by 2005 ·Completion of regional priority projects list · Approvals for £8 million spend on eight projects	Individual museums HLF Resource
Reinvigorating the museum as a source of information	Marketing campaign for museums as centres of information Formal links between museums, libraries and archives Regional documentation initiative Availability of facilities and expert staff	Evidence of growing use Regional agreement Five local operating agreements 50% of museum collections documented to baseline standard All museums to have access to specialists in disciplines with substantial representation in their collections	Individual museums EMRLS EMRAC Individual museums HLF Individual museums
Maximising the potential of museums in lifelong learning	· Extension of freelance education workers network	· 75% of all museums using network	Individual museums Interact
*Rationalising the system of museums in the East Midlands*
Bringing together the regional collections for costume and textiles (including footwear), science and technology (excluding industry and transport), agriculture, and natural sciences within new adequately-resourced museum institutions for each of those subjects, with links to affiliate institutions, including libraries and archives	· Options Appraisal, followed by · Business and Implementation Plans	· Endorsement of Options Appraisal, Business and Implementation	Individual Museums HLF EMRLGA EMRA EMCC EMRAC EMRLS
Focusing ICT development on those collections, and developing comprehensive finding aids for public access	· Web Portal for regional collections	· Developed, commissioned and tested	EMRAC EMRLS Participating museums, libraries and archives
Using local cultural strategies as a means of identifying needs and opportunities for museum provision	· Assessment of strategies	· All strategies reviewed and all local authorities advised of opportunities for museum provision	Local authorities EMCC Regional cultural agencies
Sharing conservation and storage facilities, especially in the area of archaeology, by consortia of museum governing bodies	· Assessment of present situation and future needs · Options appraisals, followed by Business and Implementation Plans	· Assessment completed/ strategy endorsed · Assessment completed/ stragegy endorsed	HLF Archaeological Contractors Local authorities Individual museums
Challenging current levels of local authority provision, and the nature of that provision, through the Best Value process	· Best Value review Plans	· All local authority supported museums reviewed	Local authorities
*Investing in people*
Enabling all people working in museums to be trained and developed to perform their duties efficiently and effectively	· Investors in People recognition	· 25% of museums recognised	Individual museums Business Links
Restoring subject-specialist knowledge to museums, to enable their collections to be fully exploited	· Recruitment of specialist, rather than general purpose, staff	· 20% of all professional vacancies to specify disciplinary specialism related to museum collections	Individual museums
Encouraging governing bodies to provide clear direction and leadership for their museums, and planning the deployment of resources to achieve high-quality outcomes in line with a published strategy	· Briefing of Governing Bodies and senior management ·Benchmarking and review advice	· Training events for governing bodies and senior management held in each year · Trends assessment and regional benchmarking study published each year	Individual museums Individual museums
Persuading local authorities of the benefit of appropriately-trained and remunerated staff	· Job appraisal of museum workers	· Earnings per employee no less than average regional earnings	Museum employers
Supporting advice, training and support to stimulate volunteer involvement in museums, and to sustain the museum sector as effective museum providers, especially in market towns and rural areas	· Museum Registration participation · Training in core museum skills	· 90% of eligible museums · 90% of eligible museums participate in training events	Local authorities Local authorities
*Creating alliances and partnerships with*
Bodies and individuals that share common heritage interests with museums, both government and non- government organisations that enable museums to play their part in the wider cultural scene; and that add value by providing economies of scale	· Implementation of regional cultural strategy · Participation in Regional Broadband Consortium · Collaboration with libraries and archives		EMCC Regional cultural agencies Individual Museums EMGfL EMRLS EMRAC
Implementing sustainable developments
Avoiding additional 'flagship' museums, and concentrating on investment in the current infrastructure, especially the creation of new merged institutions and developing the application of ICT	· No new major museum/learning destination in region without compensating reduction in current capacity	· Level of provision similar in 2007 to 2002.	HLF GO.EM *emda* HETB Local authorities
Maintaining sufficient capacity to support volunteer-run museums	· Access to management, curatorial and development advice	· 100% of volunteer-run museums in Registration scheme take advantage of service	Local authorities
Promoting high standards in design and building, and developing conservation planning for museums in historic buildings	· Grade 1 and 2* buildings to have Conservation Plans · Grade 2 buildings to have Conservation statements · Architectural competitions for new buildings	·60% of buildings · 30% of buildings · All new buildings over £3 million	English Heritage Individual museums Individual museums
Promoting social cohesion and working towards a museum workforce more representative of the diversity of East Midlands people.	· Workforce representative of regional demography · Workforce representative of local demography	· 50 male/50% female · 5% ethnic groups other than white · 30% of museums with workforce representative of district demography	Individual museums
Supporting, where practicable, initiatives to tackle social exclusion;	· Baseline provision for people with mobility, sight and hearing difficulties	· Baseline provision in 50% of museum sites	HLF Individual museums
Adopting and promoting socially-inclusive values in all aspects of museum governance, management and operation.	· More volunteers participating in local authority museums	· 15% increase by 2003	Local authority museums

Chapters 1 & 2: Background & The Context
Chapter 3: The Policy Framework
Chapter 4: The Market
Chapter 5: Museums & Their Collections
Chapter 6: Resources
Chapter 7: Conclusions
Annexes

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