Re:Collections evaluation brief – AIM

AIM is looking for a consultant (or team of consultants) to partner with us to undertake an evaluation of the Re:Collections programme in Wales, against the performance indicators and desired long-term impacts. 

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.

Re:Collection – Anti Racist Museums Wales

AIM has been awarded funding from the Welsh Government Anti-Racist Wales Culture, Heritage and Sport Fund to support museums in Wales to deliver the Culture, Heritage and Sport goals and actions from the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (ARWAP)  https://gov.wales/anti-racist-wales-action-plan and Programme for Government. Through the Re:Collection programme we will deliver bespoke consultancy, mentoring, workshops, grants and opportunities to share experience and learning.

We are working in partnership with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust https://www.racearchive.org.uk/. The Education Trust is a specialist library and archive, focusing on the history of race and ethnicity, migration and anti-racist activism. The Trust has considerable experience of anti-racist and community-led collecting and engagement work with Global Majority communities. The Trust also has a strategic advocacy role as a nationally recognised centre of excellence and uses its expertise to support museums and other collections-based organisations to work in more anti-racist, anti-discriminatory ways, and in particular to ensure Global Majority histories and experiences are documented and explored ethically.

The funding is to support museums in Wales to work in partnership with Global Majority communities in Wales to represent and reflect their history and culture. Museums will be supported – and challenged – through mentoring and will work together to share experiences and learning.

There is more information about the programme on our website https://aim-museums.co.uk/support-museums-wales/recollections/

Purpose of the funding

The project focuses on delivering the following goals as set out in the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan:

Celebrating diversity: support all parts of the society in Wales to embrace and celebrate its diverse cultural heritage while understanding, and recognising the right to, freedom of cultural expression.

• Supporting museums to develop and deliver co-design opportunities with grassroots Global Majority community-based organisations to celebrate and explore diverse but shared cultural heritage.
• Supporting museums to build ethical and respectful relationships with Global Majority communities.

The Historical Narrative: to work with public bodies to fully recognise their responsibility (individual and collectively) for setting the right historic narrative, promoting and delivering a balanced, authentic and decolonised account of the past – one that recognises both historical injustices and the positive impact of the Global Majority communities.

• Supporting projects that review and decolonise public spaces in museums and collections.

• Supporting projects that consistently tell stories through the lens of Global Majority people’s experiences through exhibitions, events and collections.
• Ensuring that the Global Majority perspectives and experiences are always centred and Eurocentric perspectives are challenged.
• Ensuring that projects are informed by lived experience and that any individuals and groups who give time and expertise are paid appropriately.

Learning about cultural diversity: identify and meet targets to deliver anti-racist education and learning: including interpretation marketing and educational materials that recognise and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural mix of our society, encourage widespread physical and intellectual engagement and so promote anti-racist practice and principles throughout

• Support museums to deliver education and learning projects and support the delivery of the new Curriculum for Wales through stories of Global Majority people.

Programme aims 

Programme performance indicators:

The programme also aims to deliver the following long-term impacts:

• Museum collections, activities and exhibitions present a greater diversity of Global Majority perspectives, histories and experiences
• That these perspectives and experiences are embedded in museum activities, collections and programming and offered to all, not just to minority audiences on specific occasions
• Through delivering projects, museums identify and make positive changes in the ways they work, not only in terms of engagement and programming, but in their organisational infrastructure. For example, in setting budgets, recruiting and nurturing staff.
• Stronger, sustained and ethical relationships with Global Majority communities
• Museum staff, volunteers and boards understand racism better and can confidently identify and make changes to their personal day-to-day as well as organisational practice.

The brief 

We are looking for a consultant (or team of consultants) to partner with us to undertake an evaluation of the programme against the performance indicators and desired long-term impacts above. The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:

• An Evaluation Framework that sets out the methodology for the evaluation and tools to enable the museums to collect data and information.

• A report at the end of phase of the project (April 2023, April 2024) to assess the project effectiveness and demonstrate how the outcomes have been delivered and the impact that the project has had on the organisations involved. This should also include an outline of lessons learnt and recommendations for future project delivery

• A final evaluation report at the end of three years to summarise the impact on the organisations who took part.

Skills and experience:

• Experience in developing and implementing monitoring, evaluation systems and framework
• Proven skills in measurement of programme outcomes using a range of evaluation techniques
• Experience of analysing monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment data to draw meaningful conclusions and reports
• Experience of training and supporting others, including volunteers, in getting the best of out of evaluation
• Experience in evaluating organisational culture change, preferably including EDI.
• Strong report writing, presentation writing and presentation delivery skills to engage a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

Management and reporting arrangements

The appointed consultant will be contracted by AIM and will report to the Head of Programmes.

Quote process

This is a competitive quote based on the submission of a project proposal that can be fully delivered within the allocated budget to include all expenses and materials. The schedule for payment will be agreed at the initiation meeting. Phased payments are anticipated.

The indicative budget available for this work is £15,000 as follows:

February – March 2023 £5,000

March 2023 – March 2024     £5,000

March – December 2024        £5,000

Submitted quotations should:

• Provide a project proposal outlining your approach, how you would develop the evaluation framework and what principles and values would underpin the evaluation.
• Provide a budget breakdown based on the needs outlined in this brief i.e. overall costs including a breakdown giving the daily rates of each team member’s expenses and if VAT is applicable.
• An overview of your relevant skills and experience.
• Provide contact details of two referees who can be contacted to confirm the consultants’ expertise, experience and track.
• The extent of professional insurance or indemnity cover.

Scoring criteria for initial submission:

• An exciting and creative project proposal that includes all elements of the brief and meets our aspirations for the evaluation process 35%
• Value for Money 25%
• Relevant experience 25%
• Feasibility of the proposal in relation to timescale and resources 10%
• Risk management 5%

Quote arrangements:

Quotes should be submitted as electronic copies to:

AIM Head of Programmes, Margaret Harrison via email on [email protected]

Timescale

Quotes should be submitted by 9am on Monday 6 February and we intend to make an appointment by Friday 17 February