Museum & Gallery Services Queensland

2010 Standards Program — Workshop, September

2010Dr Sharron Dickman, Pathfinder Marketing

Principle A2: The museum is effectively managed, sustainable and publicly accountable.

Standard A2.1 The museum has a written Statement of Purpose.

This can include:

• Writing a Mission Statement (Statement of Purpose)

• Writing a Vision Statement, and values/goals and objectives

• Writing a Business Plan

Points to consider:

• 1. Writing a Mission StatementA Mission Statement describes the overall purpose of the organisation.

• The goal is to state the ideal with regard to the mission.

• A nonprofit Mission Statement will likely talk about service or actions, community responsibility, education, presentation and preservation of place in the community

A Mission Statement describes where you want to go

A Vision Statement says what it will look like when you get there.

Values represent the core priorities in an organisation’s culture.

Goals are the long term things you'd like to achieve

Objectives are the practical things you do to achieve your goals

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• Do not try to write any of these statements (mission, vision, values, branding) within a group or at a group meeting.

• Appoint one or two people to draft the required statements based on general group discussion

• bring it back to the group, and revise it until you have something that your members can agree on

Writing a business plan:

• assessing the current situation• forecasting future activities• establishing objectives and priorities• establishing budgets• developing policies and procedures

required to implement the plan• developing performance indicators

or success evaluators

Or, a better way to look at it:

• Where are we now?

• Where do we want to go?

• How do we get there from here?

• 3-4 pages is fine…degree of detail is up to you

Strategic planning requires:

• Understanding your external environment• Understanding your organisation's strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities and threats• Reviewing and revising your mission, vision,

values and branding statements• Setting goals to accomplish in a specific time

frame• Identifying how to reach those goals• Communicating goals and activities to your

constituents• Creating support and ownership of the plan

Strategic planning impacts on:

• Your programs, products and/or services you provide

• How your programs and services will be designed and delivered…..who does what, and when

• Your performance goals (KPIs)• Your budgets, financial and fundraising

requirements needed for success• Your contingency plans put in place in

case of problems

Putting it in writing helps you….

• organise your thoughts • focus on a very important — but not

always "core" — part of your activities• ensure everyone is on the same

wavelength• stay focused • provide valuable information to 'outsiders'

— funding bodies, sponsors, potential audiences, members, volunteers, etc.

What’s in the business plan

1. Situation Analysis (where are we now?)

2. Statement of corporate objectives (Where do we want to go?)

3. Strategy and action plan (How do we get there from here?)

4. Evaluation and contingency (How will we know if we did it?)

Standard A3.1 The museum defines its key roles and tasks, and recruits and appoints suitable people for

specific roles.

This may include:• Understanding why people volunteer and

where they go• Developing volunteer/staff recruitment

policies• Developing induction and training

programs• Undertaking succession planning reviews

Why do people volunteer?

• Values• Understanding/knowledge• Personal enhancement• Career• Social• Protective• Parents

How do they choose where they will

volunteer? They choose places/organisations that • offer a good match for their interests and skills• offer a good match with the time they can

realistically make available• provide opportunities where they can be useful

fairly quickly (no long, complicated, detailed training programs)

• provide interesting training that will enable them to learn and develop

• are clearly in need of, and seeking, volunteer support

• offer a variety of positions to choose from

How do we recruit volunteers

• Direct recruitment -- approach people directly

• Indirect recruitment -- eg., articles in community newspapers, brochures, posters or the Internet.

• Delegated recruitment -- asking other groups or individuals to assist you (Volunteering organisations, Centrelink)

Volunteers don't manage themselves

• Who manages the volunteers? Is it a separate role? Is it a paid staff member or another volunteer? Is it a team effort?

• What skills, training and experience do they have in managing people?

• What resources does the organisation make available? (Budgets, space, equipment, etc.)

• Volunteer co-ordinator will have to handle a LOT of issues.

When you need someone with specialist skills

THIS MAY INVOLVE either paid consultants or specialist volunteers

• When you need someone with specific expertise• When you need someone with an "outside perspective"• When you need to show you have received "expert

advice"• When you don't have time to do it yourself• When you are temporarily "overloaded" or have a

special project• Also a good way to find new potential volunteers (to fill

skills gaps)

Skills audits

Decide who will do them -- get input frompeople who know what needs to be done.• Management Skills: people and work• Administration• IT• Communications • Funding and finance• Human resources• Specialist skills unique to our collection

Standard A3.2 The museum defines and communicates the duties, rights and responsibilities

of the museum and its workers.

Writing position descriptions: • Job title • Position in organisational structure —

reports to….• Purpose and scope — a description of the

job's primary purpose• Duties performed…what is done, how it's

done, why it's done• Conditions — where work is done, hours,

etc

Keeping your volunteers happy

• Meet and greet them • Provide a physical orientation and formal

orientation • Provide an initial work assignment• Introducing the volunteer• “Check" on them• Farewell them at the end of the day• Match volunteers with appropriate tasks• Reward your volunteers • Say THANK YOU

How to lose your volunteers

• Making your volunteers feel like "outsiders"• Cliques, “issues”, rivalries, infighting,

camps, loyalties, “history” • Mixed messages, poor communication,

conflicting instructions, lack of processes and procedures

• Micro-managing• Using volunteers and/or hiring paid

staff….be careful – it’s a potential minefield!

Induction Manuals

• There’s so much to take in on the first few days that information in writing can be very useful and helpful.

• An induction “kit” can be a few pages, or a whole manual

• Make sure you check if they have questions after they’ve been through it

Standard A3.3 The museum acknowledges that museum work involves special skills, and gives

workers opportunities to acquire and enhance these skills.

• Access to book, journals, websites.• Attendance at conferences,

seminars, workshops, training courses.

• Memberships in professional associations.

• Accredited training programs, subsidy for ongoing formal education, scholarships.

Principle A1— The museum has a sound legal and management framework that follows recognised

museum ethics and protocols.

• (1) be sure you understand your tax situation

• Being a non-profit organisation does not automatically make you tax-exempt.

• Being non-profit or tax exempt does not necessarily mean gifts to your organisation can be tax-deductible [you need to have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status].

Principle A1— The museum has a sound legal and management framework that follows recognised

museum ethics and protocols.

(2) understand your management structure • Who is in charge? Is your organisation private?

Is it a Committee of Management under the direction of a local government authority? This may impact on your ability to apply for grants, especially from philanthropic trusts.

(3) the importance of "wind-up" clauses • Pay particular attention to the "wind-up"

clauses of your constitution.• There are legal, ethical and tax implications.

Principle A1— The museum has a sound legal and management framework that follows recognised

museum ethics and protocols.

4) know your constitution

1. What constitutes a quorum for meetings (for committee members, for an AGM 2. Who has a say in the administration of the organisation (who are the office bearers, how many, criteria for

election)3. How and when elections are held (notices required, methodology etc.)4. Office bearers and committee member numbers (less is

better, usually)5. Conflict resolution 6. Membership — who, how, when, fees, etc. 7. Finances and winding-up

Standard A1.2 The museum has a governing or managing body that takes overall responsibility for

the museum.

Board Recruitment1. Recruit for today and tomorrow:• What skills do you need to achieve your

goals in the next 1 to 3 years? • What skills and knowledge are you

lacking? • What skills does this person bring to the

board? Are they needed? • Is this person likely to contribute to a

positive board culture?

Board Recruitment

• People already associated with your group (members, volunteers, donors, etc.)

• People with interests that correspond with your group's aims

• Local community, local government or business people with skills (and/or contacts) you need

• Professionals with skills you require • People serving on other boards/committees • The 3 "Gs" of board membership: give, get or

get off

Board recruitment – issues

1. Meetings can be what causes people to leave or decide not to join an organisation. • insufficient time to review materials before the meeting,• insufficient member participation• domination of the meeting by one or more individuals• Conflict• poor time management

2. Meeting that report on what HAS happened rather than planning sessions for what needs to happen.

3. Minutes are public documents4. Finances are important

Delegation • Clearly articulate the desired outcome..

  • Clearly identify constraints and boundaries.

• Wait to be told what to do? • Ask what to do? • Recommend what should be done, and then act? • Act, and then report results immediately? • Initiate action, and then report periodically?

  • Empower your team to decide what tasks are to be delegated to them and when.

  • Match the amount of responsibility with the amount of authority.   • Delegate to the lowest possible organizational level.

  • Provide adequate support and resources,

  • Focus on results, rather than detailing how the work should be done:

  • Avoid “upward delegation”

  • Build motivation and commitment. Provide recognition where deserved.

  • Establish and maintain control.

• Discuss timelines and deadlines. • Agree on a schedule of checkpoints at which you’ll review project progress. • Make adjustments as necessary. • Take time to review all submitted work.