Museum Planning

Image from 'A behind-the scenes look at our Roe Calcarenite fossil collection'.

Planning is essential for good museum management. Decisions need to be made on where a museum is going, and how it will get there. A mission statement sets out what the museum does. Policies provide the guidelines or frameworks for decision making. Goals and objectives are determined and then strategies formulated to achieve these goals.

Museum planning process

Long-term planning provides a ‘road map’ for the museum. Often called a Strategic Plan, it identifies what the museum will do, how it will do it and what resources are required. Consider using a facilitator to guide the museum in developing a Strategic Plan. As part of the process the museum’s mission statement, goals/objectives and the strategies to achieve these will be defined.

Mission Statement

A mission statement, also known as a statement of purpose, sets out the broad aims of the museum. Formulating a mission statement can take quite some time as the process involves considering what the museum’s most important functions are.

Uses of a mission statement:

• Provides parameters within which a museum operates
• Gives direction to activities
• Provides a limit to the responsibilities of the museum

Elements of a good mission statement:

• Should be relatively short: a sentence or two
• Easily understood
• Inspiring, clear and engaging

Examples

To involve the people of the Shire of Mundaring in the preservation, documentation, acquisition and interpretation of the history and culture of the eastern hills, thus acting as a catalyst for community action and inspiration.

The Geraldton Regional Art Gallery offers its visitors unique cultural experiences through its exhibitions, public programs and outreach activities in a relaxed, dynamic and creative atmosphere with the direction of informed, happy staff.

Policies

Policies are sets of guidelines that keep a museum on track.  They stem directly from the Mission Statement. Policies clarify the museum’s views on issues and are referred to when decisions on those issues need to be made. They give the museum authority. They help ensure consistency of decision-making, and smoother operation of the museum.  For smaller museums, the three most important policies to develop are: Interpretation Policy; Collections Policy; Conservation Policy. (See separate information sheets)

Goals and objectives

With the mission statement and policy framework in place, the museum needs to formulate a set of achievable goals and objectives which are then ordered according to priority. The planning process for setting goals and objectives takes a number of steps:

• Exploring visions
• Doing a SWOT analysis: what are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to the museum. This means considering the environment within which that museum operates. An outside facilitator can be useful for this process.
• Reviewing the result of the SWOT analysis against the mission statement
• Setting priorities
• Defining objectives

Strategies

In order to achieve each goal or objective, a set of strategies will need to be formulated. Strategies are the actions that will lead to goals and objectives being achieved. For each goal or objective consider: How? By whom? When? What is needed?

Evaluation

Set timeframes for evaluating the museum’s progress. This enables an assessment of whether the museum is achieving what it has set out to do. It also allows for adjustments and modifications. Strategic planning is an evolving process, as circumstances are always changing.

References and further reading:

Museums Australia Inc (NSW). Museum Methods: a practical manual for managing small museums. Section 1.3 Museum Planning

Heritage Collections Council, reCollections: Caring for Collections Across Australia, Managing Collections

Directory of Heritage Consultants

MA Consultants and Suppliers Register

AICCM, Finding Conservators