Museums Australia Inc NSW Branch
Strategic Plan 2006-2008
Executive Summary  

Driving forces & kindred spirits

Museums and galleries are driven by social, cultural and economic forces within national and regional jurisdictions. Their future is tied to government and community responses to these forces.

Information technology has changed the way governments, industry bodies and other organisations develop museums. It has led to increasing convergence of library, archive, museum and gallery services, but is leaving some volunteer initiated museums behind. New types of government agencies have been established to implement government policy and deliver services to these cultural institutions.

Information technology has also had an impact on the work of associations.  Information, one of the main carrots of associations, has become accessible from a range of alternative sources.  The technology has contributed to an explosion of informal, free-wheeling, electronically-linked specialist communities.  As the author Mark Lyons has pointed out, associations face challenges in providing leadership, balancing business and democratic needs, managing capacity, acting in a concerted fashion, encouraging growth and finding the right mix of local and global action.

Australian museums and galleries are major attractions. They are important educational and tourism mechanisms that add significant social capital to their communities.  Some are heavily subsidised.  They employ a significant voluntary workforce.  A number of kindred organisations and channels for collaboration exist for furthering their interests.  Major players include the Cultural Ministers’ Council, Collections Council of Australia, Collections Australian Network, and nationally-funded public museums and galleries.

The principal bodies for developing museums in NSW are Arts NSW, local councils and the government-funded agency, Museums and Galleries NSW (MGNSW).  Other players include Museums Australia, Regional Arts NSW, Department of State and Regional Development, Regional Galleries Association of NSW, Royal Australian Historical Society, and the major state-funded public museums and galleries.

Museums Australia & NSW Branch action 

The NSW Branch has to address the decline in the number of members (from 607 in 1997 to 432 in 2006).  

Museums Australia is a professional association that derives much of its meaning from the voluntary contributions of its members. At the same time, it must provide services of value if it is to retain members and attract new members. The success of the NSW branch will depend on the direction and programs of the national body, but the NSW branch must play its part in retaining and attracting members. 

Opportunities loom in two principal areas.

The first is the network, the life-blood of the association. Analysis of the current structure and regional dynamics indicates that a new framework is desirable. Better data is needed for more informed decisions. Knowledge management, an approach that gives weight to free-range ecological, social and technological forces rather than structural necessities, may provide the basis for enhancing the network’s knowledge sharing capability and value.  The NSW committee needs to engage more effectively with its constituency.

The second area is information. As part of improved communication between the national, state and regional bodies, Museum Matters needs to be revitalised as a source of information differentiated from the paper and electronic publications of other organisations.

On behalf of its members, the NSW Branch will pursue the following goals and strategies 2006-2008. 

Increase membership	Increase membership to 480 (10%) by 2010 through the following action: alignment with national marketing activities, a superior Museum Matters, and a more connected network.
Improve the efficiency & effectiveness of the branch office	Review strategic plan annually. Develop and implement proposals on financial management, the executive officer, an office manual and records management.
Develop the network and its knowledge sharing capability	Review and implement changes to branch executive and committee roles.  Improve understanding of the chapters and members. Develop a new network framework. Engage more effectively with the network. Organise the annual forum. Develop relationships with other organisations. Develop the association’s website. Upgrade the quality and impact of Museum Matters. Create NSW awards.
Facilitate other activities that add value to the network	Represent the interests of chapters and members to Museums Australia and other bodies. Provide assistance in addressing IT concerns and other issues. Stimulate regional conferences and metropolitan events. Review Museum Methods and other publications. Develop a proposal for a collaborative exhibition showcasing regional collections.

Click here to download a copy of the full Strategic Plan (pdf 273K)