Governance

Consciously practice good governance by following the Charity Commission and AIM guides

An introduction to governance

Good governance is fundamental to becoming a successful museum. It ensures your organisation is meeting the necessary legal and regulatory requirements and that your trustees are equipped with the right skills and abilities to act in the best interests of the museum and move it forward. Museums should consider carefully the recruitment of trustees with relevant skills and expertise but also ensure the trustee team has a good range of views, voices and lived experiences and is representative of the community the museum is looking to reach.

Trustees focus on strategic and significant issues, providing a clear framework and business plan for the development and success of the museum. They direct and ensure resources are available and are proactive and powerful advocates for the museum providing leadership for staff and volunteer teams. Click here for resources to support good governance on the AIM website>>

A governance model

Agreeing a suitable Constitutional Framework for your museum is an essential first step. If you are planning on becoming an Accredited Museum, you need to choose a governance model that is acceptable to the Scheme. You can check this in the Accreditation Guidance materials on Museum Constitutional and Governance Arrangements here>>

Advice on models of governance that may be appropriate to your museum and further information can be found in the AIM Success Guide on Successful Governance for Museums – Successful Governance For Museums – Successful Governance For Museums Welsh.

The Charity Governance code provides a practical best practice toolkit for trustees and supports good governance throughout charities. Click here for the Charity Governance Code>>

AIM is a founding member of the Cultural Governance Alliance which is an excellent source of support and provides a practical resource for good governance across the sector. Click here for the Cultural Governance Alliance website>>

Your workforce

Who is going to carry out all the things you are hoping to do at your new museum – from cleaning the toilets to creating exhibits? Start by looking at the skills you will need on your team and then by writing down outlines of the roles (either for paid staff or volunteers) that you will need to fill. If your governance structure means that you will have trustees, getting the right mix of skills and experience on your trustee board is one of the most important things you can do, so start here if you can.

If you are going to involve volunteers in your organisation, there is a lot of help available on how to go about this successfully. It is easy to underestimate how much time and resource a good volunteer programme needs to run successfully.

As well as the AIM Success Guides, a good starting point for advice is your local volunteer centre if you have one.

A museum building

If you are planning a physical presence for your museum you need to think about where it will be located. Do you have a building available? Can you obtain secure occupancy of premises for your museum? Do you need extra premises to store your collections or for other activities?

Ensuring that you have a secure basis for occupying your premises, either through ownership or a long lease or similar, is vital for the museum to be able to plan effectively and to convince potential partners and funders that you are a sustainable and resilient organisation. In securing the right building, you will need to consider issues such as running costs, is it easily accessible, can you control the environment (e.g. light, temperature) so it is suitable for your collections, maintenance, security, health and safety and, of course, space for exhibitions, displays and your visitors. It is also worth remembering that the location of your museum will have an impact on the number of visitors you will attract and how easy it is for staff and volunteers to get to you.

Self-assessment questions to help you focus on Governance:

How effectively do trustees advocate for the organisation?
To what extent do trustees focus on strategic issues?
To what extent is there clarity about the different roles of trustees, staff, and/or volunteers?
How well do trustees and staff/volunteers work together?

Click here for the next section on Leadership and Culture>>

Click here to go back to the introduction and contents page>>