Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 8

22 January 2004

The Museums Service : Strategy Review

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Yinnon Ezra ext 5402

Stephen Locke 01962 826702

1. Summary

The following decision is sought:

i. That the conclusions of the Strategy Review of the museums service are adopted as a basis for implementation.

2. Reasons

2.1 To set a policy framework to ensure the museums service is `fit for purpose' and fully supports the County Council's corporate strategy.

2.2 Because this is a major strategic review, it aims to strengthen the performance of the museums service in support of all of the Corporate Aims.

2.3 The review also addresses the important implication of `Renaissance in the Regions', the government policy for strengthening support for museums in the English regions.

2.4 The role of the archives service is considered where functions can usefully be integrated within the overall Museums and Archives Service. The legal, evidential and records management responsibilities for which the archives service is responsible, lie outside this review.

3. Other options considered and rejected

3.1 Not applicable.

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted

4.1 None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 Not applicable.

6. Reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 Not applicable.

Approved by: (signature) Date: (date of decision)

................................. ..............................

Councillor J Waddington

Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 6

22 January 2004

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 8

22 January 2004

The Museums Service : Strategy Review

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Yinnon Ezra 01962 845402

Stephen Locke 01962 826702

1. Introduction

1.1 This review of the Museums Service is one of a sequence of reviews within the Recreation and Heritage Department aimed at ensuring the services which constitute the Department make the best possible contribution to the County Council's corporate aims.

1.2 The review of the Museums Service has been conducted over the past year. The review group was led by the Director of Recreation and Heritage, supported by the Head of Business Development, Head of Libraries and Information, Personnel and the Museums and Archives Management Team.

1.3 At an early stage in the review, the Chief Executive of the South East Museum, Library and Archive Council [Helen Jackson] convened a day seminar with the review group in the role of a `critical friend'. This provided a valuable external voice and made an important contribution to identifying the scope and issues of the review.

1.4 In common with many services provided through the Recreation and Heritage Department, many functions of the Museums Service are provided through partnerships (e.g. with district councils, independent museums and government agencies) and the County Council acts as a leader and facilitator as well as a direct operator.

1.5 The Museums Service embraces a wide range of activities and underlying values and a major issue in the review process has been to take a sufficiently comprehensive view while focussing on the key issues in a practical manner.

1.6 It is very important that the Museum Service is able to respond very flexibly to needs and opportunities. The core aims which underlie its activities must be well understood and clearly articulated as a firm guide for policy in changing circumstances.

1.7 The review identifies the key functions (`businesses') of the service within an horizon of 5 to 10 years. While not forgetting that all of these are linked, it assesses the key issues in each of them.

1.8 This approach allows the County Council (Members and staff) and stakeholders to recognise and work with identifiable and relevant elements of activity. Strategic unity is maintained, but core programmes, services and infrastructure can be considered and progressed flexibly.

2. Setting the scene

2.1 There are two key `drivers' to which the Museums Service must respond and which provide a progressive and consistent context for this review.

2.2 The first is Hampshire County Council's and the Recreation and Heritage Department's vision and aims. The Cultural Strategy encapsulates these:

_ Access

_ Inclusion

_ Stewardship

_ Sense of place

_ Learning opportunities

_ Increasing participation

_ Economic prosperity

2.3 The second is `Renaissance in the Regions' -which sets out to develop a national strategy for the sustained and coherent support for non-national museums in the regions, promoted under the aegis of Resource.

The Museums and Archives Service is Lead Partner of the South East Museum Hub which has been created to take a major role in driving forward the `Renaissance in the Regions' policy in the south east. The objectives of the South East Museum Hub business plan are:

_ Encouraging, improving and widening access to collections.

_ Improve stewardship of collections.

_ Harness regional complementarities.

_ Understanding the needs of our audiences.

_ Increase utilisation of museums.

_ Developing a comprehensive service to schools in the South East.

_ Contribute to the regional economy through cultural tourism in support of culture and creative industries and regeneration.

2.4 The complementarity of these is striking - they both address essentially the same issues in a common spirit, and are entirely consistent with the long-term values which Hampshire has espoused since the modern origins of the Museums Service in 1974.

3. Shaping the service - fitness for purpose

3.1 The review has analysed each core area of work. The archives service, delivered through Hampshire Record Office, is considered within this review only where service functions or delivery can usefully be integrated with the museums service. The Record Office's legal, evidential and records management functions lie outside this review.

3.2 The core functional `businesses' of the Museums Service are defined as:

_ Access, learning and audience development

_ Museums and sites - bringing people and collections together

_ Collections management - supporting access and public services

_ Winchester based resources - Chilcomb/HRO : role and relationships

_ Renaissance in the Regions - the SE Museum Hub, regional and sub-regional role

3.3 To support these, certain key resources and relationships need to be harmonized and modernized:

_ Staffing roles, training and development

_ Financial resources - the sustainability and value of current investment should be clearly identified and a realistic strategy for external funding and income generation adopted : which together allow the service to meet requirements upon it in a sustainable way.

_ Constitution and partnership - relationships with district councils, JMA's, Hub constitution and leadership, role of/relationship with Hampshire Museums Trust.

3.4 Bringing all these issues together, we need to re-shape the service so that its roles and ways of working are clearly identifiable and modernized to achieve:

_ a clear approach to local studies and enhancing a sense of place which stimulates and meets public expectations and needs, and focuses all our resources (collections, premises, technology and expertise) on delivering this.

_ a clear, balanced and realistic strategy to develop learning and access.

_ methods of providing and managing functions which are cost effective, targeted, flexible, responsive, creative and with the capacity to innovate.

_ developing and sustaining expertise and capacity in areas where the County Council is best placed to provide these, and which very clearly support the outcomes required.

_ equips the service to provide sub regional and regional leadership within 'Renaissance in the Regions'.

_ develops the attributes of staff who will deliver a modern service.

_ establish sustainable core funding.

_ develop further capacity to attract external funding and earn income on the basis of valued services provided to users.

_ placing the needs of users, and increasing the number and diversity of users, at the heart of the service.

4. Core issues

4.1 In the context of this 'broad-brush' description of the key drivers for change and the future operating context of the museums and archives service, we must now identify what the service must do to make the best possible contribution to well understood aims.

4.2 The core contributions which the museums and archives service will make to the County Council's corporate aims are:

_ fostering a sense of place by increasing access and good stewardship of the collections

_ supporting formal learning

_ supporting informal and personal learning and development

_ promoting cultural tourism and associated economic benefits

_ utilizing the benefits of IT

4.3 More specifically, narrowing the focus to issues which have practical policy, organizational, planning, and resource implications:

_ 'local studies' is a key focus of activity

_ the management of 'local studies' collections, information and expertise in museums, archives and libraries should be fully integrated

_ access and diversity of access must be increased by making the best use of available resources - buildings and sites, IT and www, staff expertise, outreach and partnerships

_ the capacity to target specific groups of people without detriment to the existing users must be increased

_ museums must provide regional leadership through its role as Lead Partner in the South East Museum Hub

_ the core budget and core services must be aligned

_ a better understanding of barriers to the use of the service is needed

5. Access, learning and audience development

5.1 The fundamental outcome of all that the Museums Service does, in common with the other Recreation and Heritage Services, is that more people should use the service for the full range of benefits that can be provided. It should be clear from this review and existing information, what these benefits are.

5.2 The Museums Service works with a very comprehensive understanding of access, which includes, in addition to physical access, intellectual, emotional, social and community access, the cost of access, and barriers to access.

5.3 Despite this good grounding, and embracing the importance of marketing early on, there are important gaps in the Service's knowledge about its users, and more especially, non-users.

5.4 There has actually been a reduction in the resources available for direct marketing of museums, and although corporate communications have make a contribution, and the support through the new Recreation and Heritage team is increasing, the paucity of marketing within the Museums Service is a serious problem. This will be addressed in the Review.

5.5 Learning is a core value and purpose of all museum services. We sometimes prefer the term `learning' as a generic term because it fits well with `lifelong learning' and `Inspiring Learning' which are important concepts and programmes which provide a focus for the Museum Service.

5.6 The term `education' is also widely used, and is often synonymous with `learning', but can easily communicate a rather more restricted concept centred on LEA's, schools, formal education and programmes which are perceived as `worthy' and possibly involving `work'!

5.7 Having said that, the importance and value of education is absolutely clear and in many circumstances it is better to use the term education.

5.8 `Inspiring Learning for All' is a new national learning and access framework, promoted by Resource, for Museums Archives and Libraries .

This framework will help museums, archives and libraries to become more accessible and inclusive in the provision of learning opportunities for users and visitors.

5.9 Achieving accessibility to services is key to achieving the provision of inclusive learning opportunities.

5.10 The learning opportunities that Museum and Archive Service creates are achieved through the presentation and interpretation of museum and archive collections.

5.11 Tangible outcomes of this work are the provision of public and formal learning programmes, the production of learning resources and the development of exhibitions and displays.

5.12 In the past, "education" in the museum context has often been identified only with school based curriculum support. Though this is no longer exclusively the case "Renaissance in the Regions" reflects the high government priority in stating that the need for continued curriculum support is fully reflected in policy.

This will be achieved through the creation of an Education Programme Delivery Plan (EPDP) currently under development by all Museum Hubs to identify how "a comprehensive service to schools" might be delivered in the long term.

5.13 Based on extensive research with the education community early indications are that the strategy will address:

_ the delivery of outreach services to schools

_ the delivery of "short term" intensive learning programmes as defined by LEA strategic priorities

_ the opportunities for creating on line learning resources for use in schools

_ the contribution museum education can make to training of teachers across the profession

_ the means of creating access to collections of a more unique nature through touring exhibitions, public programmes and with the use of new technology.

_ support for visits to museum that provide engaging and structured learning opportunities

_ the promotion of museum learning services

5.14 The EPDP will be delivered to Resource in February 2004 for implementation from April 2004.

5.15 Hampshire Museums and Archives Service already provide nationally recognised examples of good practice in providing for schools.

_ SEARCH is Hampshire's hands-on centre for history and natural history. It was used by 9,855 school children and 2,105 informal learners in the past year.

_ Milestones - Hampshire's Living History Museum offers a purpose designed acoustiguide tour for primary age children - the only one of its type in the country. Milestones was used by 9,947 school children in the past year.

_ Hampshire Record Office provides an archive education service for schools, teachers and post-16 groups and provided a service to 578 learners in the past year.

5.16 Museum and Archive education work also contributes significantly to developing accessible and inclusive learning opportunities across the Service which are summarized below.

5.17 Exhibition , Display and Learning Resources

_ Understanding and applying modern interpretation and evaluation techniques that addresses needs, interests and learning styles of users.

5.18 Audience Development

_ Working with a range of audiences, both actual and potential to offer creative and purposeful learning programmes such as The Big Draw for families.

_ Working with a range of audiences as part of an outreach service, to achieve access to museum and archive collections to people who otherwise would be unable to benefit from the Service.

_ Working with audiences to understand needs, through the application of both qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

_ Much of this work is achieved in partnership with other learning providers.

_ The Museum and Archive Service was selected by Resource to participate in the national pilot for Inspiring Learning and the Learning Impact Research project.

5.19 Training

_ The education team offer experience in the training of staff employed in working with audiences in an interactive capacity.

_ The "Going Interactive" training manual which has been produced and published by SEARCH for this purpose, is used to support this process. The manual has now been sold to museums nationwide.

5.20 The goals for the learning and access in the Service can be summarized as:

_ To lead the implementation of the Inspiring Learning for All framework, within the context of contributing to Corporate, Recreation and Heritage and Museums and Archives Service strategic priorities.

_ To contribute to the implementation of the Renaissance in the Regions vision.

_ To provide leadership for and support the implementation of the Renaissance in the Regions Education Programme Delivery plan.

6. Museums and sites : bringing people and collections together

6.1 The museums and archive service is responsible for 20 buildings and sites - 18 Registered museums, the museums Headquarters at Chilcomb House (itself registered as a museum) and Hampshire Record Office (with which we include the archives storage in Southgate Street).

6.2 The traditional focus of the development of the museums, in Hampshire as everywhere else, is to a large extent 'institutional'. This approach is still enshrined in museum Registration for example, with its strong emphasis on the 'constitution' of a 'governing body' which is responsible for a clearly defined 'collection' within a permanent 'museum'.

6.3 This way of thinking about museums has great benefits:

_ it is visible evidence of a community's historic status and sense of place

_ it provides a range of related services conveniently managed together

_ it is well defined and distinctive

_ it very often provides a good use for a historic building which must be preserved

But increasingly, this model of a museum is not adequate in every case to meet the developing needs of users and, particularly, to attract non-users.

6.4 The problems include:

_ lack of flexibility, especially related to 'permanent displays' which are costly to provide and costly to regenerate as they become 'tired' increasingly quickly

_ difficulties in integrating and incorporating related kindred services (e.g. the full range of local studies and natural sciences)

_ responding to increased demand for services (e.g. longer or more flexible opening hours)

_ they carry high fixed costs and overheads - they are particularly vulnerable to budget reductions

_ increasing pressures on site management (health and safety, higher levels of public expectations and risk avoidance) which however necessary, have diminished the time which staff can devote to the creative development of services and the core requirement to engage new audiences

_ a poor, invisible or detrimental image in the perception of some non-users

6.5 We need to distinguish the core functions of museums and archives in the light of our current operating and future context, and propose an approach to planning sites and buildings which meets modern user needs.

6.6 There are many options for the provision of local studies and the integration of the assets of museums archives and libraries. Traditional local museums are not the only, or necessarily the best way of providing this function.

6.7 Discovery Centres, local studies centres, outreach and IT are all effective modes of delivering this service.

6.8 The local studies function, currently part of (but not the only part) of local museums should be developed in whatever fashion local circumstances dictate or facilitate, the only criteria being better access by users, more use by non users, and good stewardship of collections. There is a substantial body of evidence which demonstrates a huge interest and growth of activity in this area.

6.9 Opportunities should be identified to focus important and popular museum collection themes (e.g. archaeology and decorative art) in a focussed number of museums with sufficient scope to provide a comprehensive, attractive and compelling experience for visitors.

6.10 Chilcomb House and Hampshire Record Office should continue to be developed as the focus for physical care and management of the collections (storage, conservation, setting and monitoring standards across the whole service) together with public access to study and reference material.

6.11 All sites should support innovative outreach of services and be part of a linked IT strategy which maximises 'virtual' access and access to information.

6.12 Proposals for re-orientating existing and new site-based provision should be developed, based on this strategy and related to the needs and opportunities arising from the integrated development of Museums and Archives, and Recreation and Heritage services generally.

7. Collections management - supporting access and public services

7.1 Stewardship of collections is the only truly unique function of museums and archives - all the other processes such as education, access and integration, however important, and specific in detail to museums and archives are shared to some extent with many other recreational heritage and educational and cultural organizations and services.

7.2 The way we develop our collections is fundamentally important : it is in effect how we define Hampshire to ourselves and our successors and it is a major investment decision.

7.3 Hampshire is particularly well placed in this respect. Its collections are thoroughly 'rational' and closely related to the purposes of the service. There has been a long history of rigorous review of the collecting policy and collections have been acquired (and, where justified, disposed of) in support of a clear policy.

7.4 There are very pressing practical problems related to specific issues, chiefly concerning storage capacity and quality, our ability to respond to obligations to store certain classes of records and collections, and the provision of even basic access to some very important collections: but the collections themselves are largely fit for purpose.

7.5 The focus of collections management is to promote:

_ local studies and a `sense of place'.

_ reference and study material to record and monitor biodiversity and the health and status of Hampshire's `natural' environment, wildlife and flora.

_ Collections which stimulate learning, curiosity and creativity, and reflect and add value to Hampshire's cultural and artistic life.

7.6 The functional priorities are:

_ To create greater access to collections which are not on permanent display.

_ Continue to develop documentation and I.T systems which promote both direct and virtual access to collections.

_ Support innovative and non-traditional presentation of collections through outreach, vigorous marketing and Discovery Centres.

8. Winchester based resources - role and relationships

8.1 The roles of these two central resources are:

_ The centres for physical stewardship of the collections (storage, conservation, documentation).

_ The base for setting, monitoring and supporting stewardship and collections management standards across the County (archivists, collections managers, subject specialist, conservation audits, advice and services).

_ Strategic resources for improved access (documentation, learning development, special exhibitions).

_ Targeted direct access to specialized collections and expertise (HRO, study spaces in stores, open storage, direct access to specialist staff).

8.2 In effect, these sites are the `pump' which drives the access and use of collections across the County.

8.3 There is a well-defined potential for developing Chilcomb to make more effective use of museum and modern records storage, a range of appropriate Recreation and Heritage central functions (a number of which have already been re-located to Chilcomb) and as a base for specialist regional service under the aegis of `Renaissance in the Regions'.

8.4 Hampshire Record Office will be an essential element of any integrated approach to providing a `Winchester cultural centre'.

8.5 Highly important local studies and historical material is held by the Museums and Archives Service, the Library and Information Service, and Winchester City Museums. From the public's point of view, there is every reason to integrate access to these complementary collections, and this is being actively discussed.

8.6 Whatever the shape of provision in Winchester, the need to be fully `joined-up' in the public interest is paramount. Hampshire Record Office is the major location of stewardship and access to primary historical documentary sources and is the natural focus for developing a true `Hampshire History Centre' which provides broad, inclusive and innovative access to a broadening range of users.

8.7 `Renaissance in the Regions' provides a clear incentive and mechanism for further developing strategic partnerships which facilitate cost effective collections management through the provision of shared resources. Active discussions with Winchester City Museums are taking place in this context.

9. Renaissance in the Regions and the South East Museum Hub

9.1 Hampshire County Council identifies itself as something more than a shire county. The scale of its population and economy, (both before and after 1997), the scope of its investment and services and its relationship to Europe, are of great strategic importance in Southern England. It aims to be a national leader in what it does, and a European region in its own right.

9.2 The Museums and Archives service is recognized as one of the best developed local authority services, a status due to a combination of the importance of the collections (themselves representing the historic and environmental significance of Hampshire in the country as a whole) and sustained and intelligent investment in the services.

9.3 The service has particular expertise especially in the fields of collections and conservation management, the provision of local museums, museum education, special exhibitions, collections-based IT services and creating stable but flexible partnerships to deliver services.

9.4 The museums service has been selected as the Lead Partner in the Museum Hub for the South East, the other partners being Oxford University Museums, Brighton and Hove and Chatham Historic Dockyard.

9.5 This selection is not based on Hampshire spending more than other services in the region, or having more important collections, or managing more museums, or more staff. Rather it is a recognition that it is best placed to provide strategic professional leadership.

9.6 This is a recognition of the expertise, track record and regional perceptions of Hampshire's policies, but probably the most important factor is the recognition of Hampshire's comprehensive sustained and progressive investment in the heritage.

9.7 The key issue for the review is, will 'Renaissance in the Regions' last; will it make a difference; will the phase 2 Hubs be better funded after 2006?

9.8 There is clear evidence that the answers are yes. `Renaissance in the Regions' is Resource's flagship policy. It has already achieved the largest increase in government funding to non-national museums ever seen. Phase 2 Hubs will see useful sums of truly new money even in this first spending round (in 2004-06) The museums community nationally is committed to the policy. It is expected that the prospects for `Renaissance in the Regions' will be known with more certainty by mid 2004.

9.9 Hampshire County Council's strategic role as a vital innovative leader will be crucial to the Hub's success and its ability to make a real difference `on the ground'.

10. Staffing roles, training and development

10.1 A number of key attributes of museum staff are required in a balanced and proportionate way to deliver the re-shaped service.

Avoiding the use of traditional (and misleading) job titles for the time being, we need the following expertise.

10.2 People who understand and directly manage collections:

_ who understand their intellectual, historic, scientific etc significance.

_ who understand the materials they are made of and how to preserve them from deterioration.

_ who can describe collections at all levels from the rigorously disciplined, unambiguous records required for computerised documentation, to descriptions tailored to the needs of a variety of users.

_ who are in sufficiently close day-to-day contact with collections to be able to discharge those responsibilities.

10.3 People who interpret and promote access to the collections:

_ who stimulate interest in the collections and interpret them to a wide range of users.

_ who understand, or find out, how people want or can use the collections, and bring the two together.

10.4 People who manage places where the public interact with collections:

_ who understand and deliver generic standards of customer care, and public health and safety.

_ who understand and maintain the 'primary care' needs of collections in their premises.

_ who understand and support the aims and purposes of their site or building in the context of Recreation and Heritage policies.

10.5 Leaders:

_ who see major areas of museums and archive activity 'in the round'.

_ who have a thorough understanding of, and make a major contribution to, policy.

_ who are exposed to, and contribute to, debate and creative thought at national level.

_ who innovate better ways of doing things, realistically grounded in practise.

_ have sufficient control of resources and authority to implement change effectively.

10.6 Any attempt to categorise expertise in this way immediately prompts other ways of describing what is needed and of course these attributes are shared to some extent across all staff and creativity and innovation can and should come from all sections of the organisation; but this description is a practical approach which encourages an open-minded assessment of staffing requirements.

10.7 To aid the process of linking needs with the existing workforce, the following broad equivalencies can be identified.

People who understand and directly manage collections include:

_ Keepers

_ Conservators

_ Registrar (documentation officer)

_ Curators

_ SEARCH staff

People who interpret and promote access to the collections include:

_ Education officers

_ Milestones interpreters

_ Exhibition officers

_ Curators

_ Keepers

_ Designers

_ Marketing officers (and any assistants to these staff)

People who manage places etc. include:

_ Curators

_ SEARCH manager

_ Milestones manager

_ Milestones Public Services Manager

_ Senior Museums Assistants

(and front of house staff at Milestones and Museum Assistants in support of these staff)

_ Caretakers

Leaders include:

_ Head of Museums and Archives

_ Principal Museum Officers (Collections and Operations)

_ Head of Museum Education

_ Principal Museum Officer (Operations)

10.8 There are some important, relatively recent, substantial changes in role for a number of these post-holders:

_ The Head of Museums and Archives is convenor of the SE Museum Hub.

_ The PMO (Collections) is the second representative of Hampshire on the SE Hub management team.

_ The Head of Museum Education also manages the special exhibition service and is leading the regional education plan for the SE Museum Hub.

_ The PMO (Operations) is substantially devoted to managing the Discovery Centre programme.

10.9 The next phase of the review should identify:

_ Modernized core roles of key types of staff with updated job descriptions.

- collections based (including achieving the benefits of increasing integration between museums and archives and relevant library collections)

- the provision of local and community based services (integrated with kindred Recreation and Heritage functions, e.g. via discovery centres)

- access, education, marketing and audience development

_ a balanced distribution of expertise related to functional priorities and financial resources

_ the optimum structure to:

- co-ordinate and manage core teams

- maximises capacity to quickly, flexibly and economically deliver the succession of small/medium sized projects which deliver results `on the ground'

11. Head of Museums and Archives

11.1 The current Head of Museums and Archives retires in July 2004 and steps have been taken to appoint a successor.

11.2 The existing top level structure for Recreation and Heritage has been successfully developed from the original constitution of the Department and provides a balance between heads of service for the `natural' and publicly recognised services; support services and project management.

11.3 There is a need to provide clear leadership at a particularly critical time in order to follow up this review, and direct Hampshire's role as Lead Partner in the South East Museum Hub.

11.4 The review timetable provides a basis for recruiting a new Head of Museums and Archives in the context of a clear strategy for the development of the service, while providing and expecting strategic leadership to both develop and implement this strategy.

11.5 Key attributes of a Head of Museums and Archives are therefore:

_ a thorough understanding of the key issues so as to be able to exercise credible and effective leadership immediately.

_ a capacity to generate and manage change in the context of a rapidly evolving corporate and collegiate organization.

_ sufficient experience, status and authority to take up leadership of the South East Museum Hub seamlessly.

11.6 Good succession planning is critical : recruitment should be initiated early in the new year.

11.7 A job description/person specification is attached as appendix A.

11.8 Resource and SEMLAC have been consulted about the recruitment in view of the potential for substantial investment by Resource in the South East Museum Hub and the need for open partnership with SEMLAC. Both will also be able to provide useful support to the recruitment process.

12. Financial resources

12.1 The museums base budget has become increasingly and seriously mis-aligned with the expectations upon it. The most recent pressure is the need to fund Milestones. The overall provision of subsidy is being clarified and stabilized, but there is a £50,000 shortfall in the museums service base budget as a result of the otherwise beneficial re-structuring of the arrangements to provide curatorial services to Milestones.

12.2 The majority of the 'real terms' reductions in expenditure on museums since 1997 have been achieved by reducing senior management costs (HM graded posts reduced from 4 to 2 since 1997 excluding Milestones) and devolved (operational and functional) budgets and on the positive side increased income, fund-raising and grant-earning. Administration costs have traditionally been low.

12.3 The overall picture of museums expenditure needs to include the funding provided, and frequently changed, from outside the Recreation and Heritage budget. This includes for example, substantial revenue and capital support to the defence heritage, independent museums and voluntary heritage organizations provided by the Policy and Resources budget in the past.

12.4 The core funding of the museum service's own managed functions has decreased in real terms, a situation largely ameliorated by the results of consistent and well targeted investment (e.g. economics of scale, increases in efficiency as the benefits of prior investment accumulate) and a very successful track record of attracting external support at a local, regional and national level.

12.5 The position is not sustainable however, and the service faces its severest financial challenge this year.

12.6 Additionally, most importantly of all, it needs the capacity to fund change and re-invest. It must contribute to the overall re-alignment of Recreation and Heritage funding which involves both giving and receiving and a consequent flexibility in the budget.

12.7 Given that direct County Council funding for museums and archives functions will be sustained (not increased) at best, it clearly follows that:

_ the review must provide a basis for redirecting expenditure without damaging the ability to contribute to supporting corporate priorities.

_ income generation and external funding (in the widest sense), and hence business development, must be increased.

_ the opportunities of Renaissance in the Regions must be maximized to maintain and build capacity in a way which is recognized as mutually beneficial by both the County Council and the region.

_ We need a thorough analysis to distinguish what is core public service provision and should be funded from general and local taxation and what are `value added' services that should be paid for directly by users.

13. Conclusions

13.1 The core contributions which the museums and archives service make to the County Council's corporate aims are:

_ fostering a sense of place by increasing access and good stewardship of the collections.

_ supporting formal learning.

_ supporting informal and personal learning and development.

_ promoting cultural tourism and associated economic benefits.

_ utilizing the benefits of IT.

13.2 The core functional `businesses' of the Museums Service are:

_ Access, learning and audience development.

_ Museums and sites - bringing people and collections together.

_ Collections management - supporting access and public services.

_ Winchester based resources - Chilcomb/HRO : role and relationships.

_ Renaissance in the Regions - leading the SE Museum Hub, regional and sub-regional role.

13.3 To support these, certain key resources and relationships need to be harmonized and modernized:

_ Staffing roles, training and development.

_ Financial resources - the sustainability and value of current investment should be clearly identified and a realistic strategy for external funding and income generation adopted : which together allow the service to meet requirements upon it in a sustainable way.

_ Constitution and partnership - relationships with district councils, JMA's, Hub constitution and leadership, role of/relationship with Hampshire Museums Trust.

13.4 The service should be re-shaped so that its roles and ways of working are clearly identifiable and modernized to achieve:

_ a clear approach to local studies and enhancing a sense of place which stimulates and meets public expectations and needs, and focuses resources (collections, premises, technology and expertise) on delivering this.

_ a clear, balanced and realistic strategy to develop learning and access.

_ methods of providing and managing functions which are cost effective, targeted, flexible, responsive, creative and with the capacity to innovate.

_ developing and sustaining expertise and capacity in areas where the County Council is best placed to provide these, and which very clearly support the outcomes required.

_ equips the service to provide sub regional and regional leadership within 'Renaissance in the Regions'.

_ develops the attributes of staff who will deliver a modern service.

_ establish appropriate, balanced core funding.

_ develop further capacity to attract external funding and earn income on the basis of valued services provided to users.

_ placing the needs of users, and increasing the number and diversity of users, at the heart of the service.

13.5 Priorities for access, learning and audience development are:

_ Working with a range of audiences, both actual and potential to offer creative and purposeful learning programmes.

_ Working with a range of audiences as part of an outreach service, to achieve access to collections by people who otherwise would be unable to benefit from the Service.

_ To lead the implementation of the Inspiring Learning for All framework, within the context of contributing to Hampshire County Council corporate arms, and Recreation and Heritage and Museums and Archives Service strategic priorities.

_ Provide leadership for and support the implementation of the Renaissance in the Regions Education Programme Delivery plan.

13.6 Priorities for Museums and sites : bringing people and collections together

_ Distinguish the core functions of museums in the light of the current and future operating and future context, and adopt an approach to planning sites and buildings which meets modern user needs.

_ The local studies function, currently part of (but not the only part) of local museums should be developed in whatever fashion local circumstances dictate or facilitate, to achieve better access by users, more use by non users, and good stewardship of collections.

_ Opportunities should be identified to focus important and popular museum collection themes (e.g. archaeology and decorative art) in a restricted number of museums with sufficient scope to provide a comprehensive, attractive and compelling experience for visitors.

_ Chilcomb House and Hampshire Record Office should continue to be developed as the focus for physical stewardship of the collections (storage, conservation, setting and monitoring standards across the whole service) together with public access to study and reference material.

_ All sites should support innovative outreach of services and be part of a linked IT strategy which maximises 'virtual' access and access to information.

13.7 Priorities for collections management - supporting access and public services

The focus of collections management is to promote:

_ local studies and a `sense of place'.

_ reference and study material to record and monitor biodiversity and the health and status of Hampshire's `natural' environment, wildlife and flora.

_ Collections which stimulate learning, curiosity and creativity, and reflect and add value to Hampshire's cultural and artistic life.

The functional priorities are:

_ To create greater access to collections which are not on permanent display.

_ Continue to develop documentation and I.T systems which promote both direct and virtual access to collections.

_ Support innovative and non-traditional presentation of collections through outreach and Discovery Centres.

13.8 The role and relationships of the Winchester based resources

The roles of these two central resources are:

_ The centres for physical stewardship of the collections (storage, conservation, documentation).

_ The base for setting, monitoring and supporting stewardship and collections management standards across the County (archivists, collections managers, subject specialists, conservation audits, advice and services).

_ Strategic resources for improved access (documentation, learning development, special exhibitions).

_ Targeted direct access to specialized collections and expertise (HRO, study spaces in stores, open storage, direct access to specialist staff).

In effect, these sites are the `pump' which drives the access and use of collections across the County.

There is a well-defined potential for developing Chilcomb to make more effective use of museum and modern records storage, a range of appropriate Recreation and Heritage central functions (a number of which have already been re-located to Chilcomb) and as a base for specialist regional service under the aegis of `Renaissance in the Regions'.

Hampshire Record Office will be an essential element of any integrated approach to providing a `Winchester cultural centre'.

Whatever the shape of provision in Winchester, the need to be fully `joined-up' in the public interest is paramount. Hampshire Record Office is the major location of stewardship and access to primary historical documentary sources and is the natural focus for developing a true `Hampshire History Centre' which provides broad, inclusive and innovative access to a broadening range of users.

13.9 Renaissance in the Regions and the South East Museum Hub

_ The museums service has been selected as the Lead Partner in the Museum Hub for the South East, the other partners being Oxford University Museums, Brighton and Hove and Chatham Historic Dockyard.

_ There is clear evidence that the development of the SE Museum Hub will be an important strategic issue for the next decade. `Renaissance in the Regions' is Resource's flagship policy. It has already achieved the largest increase in government funding to non-national museums ever seen. Phase 2 Hubs will see useful sums of truly new money even in this first spending round (in 2004-06) The museums community nationally is committed to the policy. It is expected that the prospects for `Renaissance in the Regions' will be known with more certainty by mid 2004.

13.10 Staffing roles, training and development

The next phase of the review should identify:

_ Modernized core roles of key types of staff with updated job descriptions:

- collections based (including achieving the benefits of increasing integration between museums and archives and relevant library collections)

- the provision of local and community based services (integrated with kindred Recreation and Heritage functions, e.g. via discovery centres)

- access, education and audience development

_ a balanced distribution of expertise related to functional priorities and financial resources.

_ the optimum structure to:

- co-ordinate and manage core teams

- maximise capacity to quickly, flexibly and economically deliver the succession of small/medium sized projects which deliver results `on the ground'

13.11 Leadership of the Service

_ The review has identified a number of critical issues where strategic senior management will be particularly important:

- business development and marketing

- operational management of site-based services in the context of re-focusing the role of local sites, Discovery centres and increased integration of services

- promoting 'Inspiring Learning'

- progressive collections management linking the care of collections to the needs of users and non-users

_ The senior management structure should be developed to provide this strategic leadership.

_ The current Head of Museums and Archives retires in July 2004. The review timetable provides a basis for recruiting a new Head of Museums and Archives in the context of a clear strategy for the development of the service, while providing and expecting strategic leadership to both develop and implement this strategy. Recruitment of a successor has been initiated.

13.12 Financial resources

_ The museums and archives base budget has become increasingly and seriously mis-aligned with the expectations upon it.

_ Given that direct County Council funding for museums and archives functions will be sustained but not increased, it clearly follows that:

_ the review must provide a basis for redirecting expenditure without damaging the ability to contribute to supporting corporate priorities.

_ income generation and external funding (in the widest sense), and hence business development, must be increased.

_ the opportunities of Renaissance in the Regions must be maximized to maintain and build capacity in a way which is recognized as mutually beneficial by both the County Council and the region.

_ An analysis is required to distinguish what is core public service provision and should be funded from general and local taxation and what are `value added' services that should be paid for directly by users.

14. Action and timescale

14.1 The level of partnership and funding links with other agencies will strongly influence the implementation of the review. There are a number of strategic functions where the County Council must agree its approach with key partners and stakeholders. Chief among these is the role of the Museums Service from a district, countywide and regional perspective. Consultees include district councils, the South East Museum Hub, SEMLAC and Resource.

14.2 Consultation with users and potential users (which should also address issues relating to non-users) is equally important. This is particularly relevant to the `sense of place' issues, including the detailed re-shaping of local services.

14.3 The County Council will clearly maintain its leadership role, and it is in this area that the first steps should be taken and have been initiated by the strategy review itself.

14.4 Action from now on can be indicated as follows:

January - March

_ Recruitment of successor of Head of Museums and Archives

_ The strategy review is an important tool supporting the recruitment

February onwards:

_ Initial consultation with key partners (especially district councils, South East Museum Hub and SEMLAC

_ Use conclusions of strategy review to inform planning for service delivery with partners and within overall Recreation and Heritage planning

April

_ Modernized senior management structure agreed

_ Strategic options identified for providing a sustainable budget which properly aligns resources and expectations

May onwards:

_ Increase direct consultation and research with users and potential users, especially aimed to increase use of integrated local services, identify and reduce barriers to use and identify opportunities for innovation

July

_ Successor Head of Museums and Archives in post

_ The overall context for strategic action has been established (strategic review conclusions, senior management roles, budget strategy)

_ The Head of Museums and Archives provides strategic leadership to develop, implement and refresh the strategy

Recommendation

That the conclusions of the Strategy Review of the Museums Service be adopted as a basis for implementaion, including wider consultation with users and partners.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

Published works.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

NONE.