Contact: Caroline Dudley ext: 6704 e-mail: [email protected]

1. Introduction

1.1 Hampshire County Council Museums and Archives Service (HCCMAS) is the lead museum service in the SE Hub. Its partners are the Oxford University Museums, Chatham Historic Dockyard and the Royal Pavilion, Art Gallery and Museums in Brighton & Hove.

1.2 The Hub museums were selected in 2002 by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to receive additional direct funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to deliver against specific targets and priorities around increasing visitor numbers, education for school-age children, widening participation and inclusion of hard-to-reach groups. Hubs generally work to a two-year Business Plan, except for the current year, 08-09.

2. Recommendation

2.1 That the Hub Business Plan for 2008-2009 be approved.

2.2 That approval be given to the process described in the report to identify the costs and secure the funding for the transfer of the Museum Development Service to the SE Hub, and if successful, to implement the transfer, including the transfer of the MDS Manager and assistant to the HCC payroll on 1^st January 2009.

3. Background

3.1 HCCMAS's role as the lead museum service in the SE Hub is as follows:

Takes responsibility for preparation & delivery of Business Plan

_ Leads Hub Management Team

_ Hosts Hub Managers and Museum Development Officers

_ Holds & is accountable for the budget for all 4 museum services

_ Initiates planning processes

_ Represents SE Hub nationally

The service receives additional funding to carry out this role, and HCC currently reaps the benefit of holding these funds before they are drawn down by the other services.

3.2 For reasons relating to the timing of last year's Comprehensive Spending

Review, and pending the outcome of a general review of the Hub programme, in 08-09 all Hub regions were required to produce a Business Plan for one year only, representing a holding exercise in which current activities would be carried forward for another year with minimal funding for new activities.

3.3 This plan, which is a joint one between all four SE Hub museum services and

MLA SE, has now been approved by MLA Central (April 2008), and HCCMAS's allocation has been agreed at £948,405. A summary of activities proposed in Hampshire is attached.

3.4 However, since the Business Plan was drawn up and approved by MLA

a new requirement on the Hubs has arisen. Following a cut of 25% in the funding for MLA itself, the decision has been taken to wind up MLA's regional agencies, including the one in this region (MLA SE) by the end of December 2008.

3.5 Amongst other functions, MLA SE manages the regional Museum Development Service, which consists of 10.5 FTE Museum Development Officers across the SE and an MDS Manager and admin assistant. The MDOs are hosted and employed by a variety of local authorities across the SE, who are reimbursed for their costs by MLA SE. For example, two MDOs are already hosted by HCCMAS at Chilcomb and paid through HCC payroll, with funding from MLA.

3.6 MLA wants this service to continue, and has asked the Hubs to take it over in each region. In principle the SE Hub is willing to take over the running of the Museum Development Service, provided that the appropriate funding is made available to them by MLA. That funding will have to include not only the actual salaries of the staff concerned, but must cover the costs of the infrastructure needed to house, direct and manage the service - a function presently provided by MLA SE core staff, who are being disbanded.

3.7 In order to establish what those costs will be, the Hub Management Team requested the County Treasurer to assist them in calculating the additional costs which will be incurred by HCC in the management of the service the Hub is being asked to take over. HR are advising on the transfer of employment to HCC of the staff currently employed and housed by MLA SE via TUPE and the necessary actions to collect information, establish new role profiles etc. are in progress.

3.8 The Hub Management Team is now satisfied that it understands the extent of the role it is being asked to assume in relation to the management of the MDS and the costs involved. MLA has asked HMT to provide a Transition Plan for the MDS (attached to these papers with a proposed management structure plan and a delivery plan) and this will be submitted to MLA in the next few days, together with a request for assurance that the funding for the transfer of the MDS to the SE Hub will be forthcoming after 2009.

3.8 Provided that negotiations with MLA to cover these costs are successful, the intention is that the MDS would be transferred to SE Hub management from1st January 2009.

Links to Corporate Strategy

YES NO

Hampshire safer and more secure for all

Maximising well-being

Enhancing our quality of place _

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.

N.B. the list excludes:

1. Published works.

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

TITLE LOCATION

MDS Transition Plan Attached

MDS Service Delivery Plan 08-09 Attached

MDS Proposed Central Management Structure Attached