AIM Higher Consultants

AIM seeks consultants to support the AIM Higher programme to include additional areas of expertise and reflect a wider diversity of lived experience.

Introduction to AIM

The Association of Independent Museums is a thriving UK museum membership organisation with over 1000 museum members. We represent a wide range of the UK’s museum and heritage organisations, from some of the largest attractions in the country to small, grassroots heritage organisations across a huge range of subject areas and localities. AIM helps heritage organisations prosper. We believe that museums must grow to fulfil their purpose and demonstrate the relevance of heritage to everyone. 

AIM Higher

A key focus for AIM support to members is good governance. We believe that this is key to a well-run, successful museum and yet being a trustee can often feel very daunting. Since 2018, funded by our Arts Council England NPO funding, AIM has been offering practical, hands-on support to museum boards and trustees. We have just relaunched our governance support programme as AIM Higher https://aim-museums.co.uk/for-aim-members/for-trustees/prospering-boards-governance-support-programme/

Participating boards receive two days of support from a specialist consultant who works with them to identify and address areas for development. In 2021 we supported museums with:

• Introduction to good governance and the role of the board
• Trustee roles and responsibilities
• Succession planning and trustee recruitment
• Diversifying boards
• Basic good governance review
• Constitutional review and conversion to CIO
• Policy review.

We have also supported boards with wider strategic planning and bespoke support that has included:

• Strategic and business planning
• Fundraising
• Engagement with audiences
• Managing relationships with key stakeholders.

In future we are keen to continue offering this wider developmental support and promote best practice as identified in the AIM Hallmarks of Prospering Museums https://aim-museums.co.uk/helping-organisations/aim-hallmarks/ For example, future consultancies could look at tackling inequality and working with diverse audiences, diversifying workforces, communications, income generation, and a range of other aspects of running a successful independent museum.

We also wish to continue to be responsive to our members’ needs and requests for emergency help.

AIM Higher consultants

A key feature of the AIM Higher programme is that we provide the opportunity for participants to work with consultants who are trusted specialists in their area of expertise. AIM already works with a pool of highly experienced and qualified consultants and we wish to expand this pool to include additional areas of expertise and reflect a wider diversity of lived experience.

In addition to delivering consultancies, we may occasionally commission consultants deliver to our online Hallmarks at Home workshops, contribute to publications and deliver other training or services to members.

We wish to recruit additional consultants and are looking for people who can show considerable and demonstrable expertise in the following areas:

• Specialist expertise and knowledge of a subject area that supports the AIM Higher programme.
• Supporting and mentoring a wide range of organisations. This must include the type of organisation that makes up the majority of AIM members who fall into our “small museums” membership category.
• Providing support in challenging circumstances and managing complex relationships.
• An understanding of the museums and heritage sector, in particular the type of organisations that make up AIM’s small museum category or experience supporting small organisations in a related sector.

Contract Management

There is a fee of £600 per day including VAT and travel. Most consultancies are delivered virtually.

The role is freelance and the contractor will need to be able to work from home and provide their own IT and office equipment.

AIM has a standard self-employed contractor agreement. Contractors will also be required to confirm that they have not:

• Been in receipt of enforcement/remedial orders in relation to the Health and Safety Executive (or equivalent body) in the last 3 years
• Had a complaint upheld following an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission or its predecessors (or a comparable body in any jurisdiction other than UK) on grounds of alleged unlawful discrimination in the last 3 years
• Had any finding of unlawful discrimination made and upheld by an Employment Tribunal, an Employment Appeal Tribunal or any other court (or comparable proceedings in any jurisdiction other than the UK) in the last 3 years
• Been convicted of breaching environmental legislation, or had any notice served in the last three years by any environmental regulator or authority (including local authority).

The contractors will report to the AIM Head of Programmes.

We cannot guarantee how much work we may commission in a year. 

How to apply for this role

Please tell us, in not more than 2 pages, about:

• What skills and experience you would bring to the role, specifically addressing the criteria listed above
• One case study – the case study can be in any format (written, film, audio, web link)
• Please provide 2 referees.

If you’d like to make your application in another format e.g. film, audio, web link, then please feel free to do so, covering the bullet points above.

Proposals should be sent to AIM Head of Programmes, Margaret Harrison Margaret@aim-museums.co.uk by 9am on Monday 22 August 2022.

The AIM Higher Programme

If you’re a museum in England and Wales looking for external support and think we could help, applications to the AIM Higher programme are now open. Click here to find out more about AIM Higher>>