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MUSEUM ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK
Strategic Plan for
2010-2014
Approved by the Board of Directors:
October 18, 2009
Contents:
The Planning Process:
Establishing Key Priorities and Future Directions
The Museum Association of New York (MANY) remains
deeply committed to the positive impact our state’s museums make
on audiences and communities. MANY’s efforts to advance and
promote this impact are critical elements of our work. Our success
depends on the progress we can make together. We look forward to
continuing to work with our members, partners, colleagues, funders,
and friends in this important effort.
In preparation of this plan, MANY has gathered the
thoughts of more than 100 stakeholders through a member survey,
focus groups, and dialogue. The process for this plan’s
development also included two facilitated sessions for MANY board,
staff, and contractors, partially funded by the New York State
Council on the Arts’ Grants for Museum Advancement, and led by
consultant Laura Roberts in July 2008 and January 2009.
A contest was run in July encouraging members and
MANY followers to submit word pictures and poems about what inspires
them about museums. Some of the winning entries are quoted in this
plan.
Key Programmatic Priorities
During the planning process, the MANY board
developed the following priorities as its outcome from the January
2009 retreat. These priorities were consistently echoed by
stakeholders as needing attention in the coming years.
- Continue/expand data collection to help make
the individual and collective case for museums
- Expand focus from best practices to crisis
management by sharing strategies, concerns and problems
- Look for and publish patterns and trends
affecting museums in NYS
- Remain/expand MANY presence in public policy
debates/discussions
- Stay focused on advocacy
- Stay focused on succession issues
Our Audience and Program
MANY’s membership numbers nearly 300
institutional, individual and corporate members. Institutional
members reflect the great diversity of organizations found in New
York State and range from large, urban art museums to all-volunteer
historical societies serving rural communities. MANY broadens this
audience by collaborating programmatically with the state's regional
museums service organizations, state agencies, funders, and related
statewide organizations.
Recent programmatic efforts include standards
development, leadership training and succession, advocacy for museum
funding at the state and federal levels, and collaboration with
elected leaders on the passage of abandoned property legislation and
development of deaccessioning legislation.
[contents]
Challenges & Opportunities
for New York State’s Museums
New York State’s museums are a diverse group of
organizations integral to the social and economic well being of
communities throughout the state. They teach, they challenge, they
commemorate, they inspire. They are places of quiet reverie and
noisy exploration.
Through its most recent online survey and
discussion with focus groups, MANY identified a number of challenges
and opportunities for New York state museums and the associations
who serve them.
- The people of New York see museums and
historical organizations as part of the state’s huge menu of
cultural opportunities. The museum community needs to define
itself, communicating that definition to society at large as
well as within state government.
- Partnership and collaboration are important to
all organizations particularly in times of crisis. New York’s
museum community, MANY, and the regional service organizations
must work together to address, advise, and explain issues of
crisis management for institutions in need.
- Museums in New York state need data on an
on-going basis to persuade the people of the state of New York
that museums have an economic impact on the state’s
neighborhoods, cities, and regions.
- New York’s museums are frequently divided and
isolated by the state’s geography. Technology, whether through
email, online teaching, and other networking opportunities
overcomes distances, both geographical and intellectual.
- New York state museums and heritage
organizations provide classes, school programs, camps, and
after-school activities for six million students annually. The
state’s museum community must work collaboratively to support
foundational funding from the New York State Education
Department, while at the national level supporting the
Federal-State Partnerships Coalition.
- Museums in New York state require varied and
talented staff. The state’s museum community must continue to
encourage a broad spectrum of talent, diverse in gender, race,
and ethnicity, to become museum professionals. Particularly in
times of recession, organizations must be conscious of their
staffs as part of a larger community, governing for the future
by nurturing, mentoring, and planning for succession.
- A disregard for professional standards
continues to plague the field. Some of these standards are
peculiar to non-profits in general; some are specific to museums
and historical organizations. Some are New York state laws; some
are part of an international code of ethics for the field. It is
important for all the stakeholders—boards of Trustees, members
of New York State government, the Governor’s office, the
Attorney General’s office, and the Board of Regents—to
understand the genesis of these standards and where New York
State law and museum ethics meet and overlap.
[contents]
Challenges & Opportunities
for MANY
- MANY will continue to develop its role as the
link between the wider museum community and the Governor’s
office, the New York state legislature, the New York State
Education Department/Office of Cultural Education, and the
Department of Economic Development/Division of Tourism.
- MANY will continue to enhance and build its web
site, on-line networking and programs, publications, and surveys
to make it the go-to site for New York state’s 12,000 museum
employees as well as for museum professionals elsewhere.
- Through both the Internet and a network of
regional discussion groups, MANY will distill data about the
impact of museums and heritage organizations on their
communities, underscoring their impact as employers, builders,
engines of cultural and heritage tourism so that the public—particularly
the New York State legislature—understands their role.
- MANY needs to use its annual conference to
build a new community of museum professionals, diverse in
gender, race and ethnicity as well as supporting
professionalization, through continuing education, networking
and upholding salary standards.
[contents]
The Vision of the Museum
Association of New York
Current: The Museum Association of New York is the
key strategic resource for the New York state museum community.
[contents]
The Mission of the Museum
Association of New York
Current: The Museum Association of New York provides an
information, advocacy and professional standards network that serves
and strengthens New York State’s diverse museum community and
enables its museums to fulfill their missions.
[contents]
Overarching Programmatic and
Organizational Goals & Strategies for 2010-2014
The 2010-2014 plan rests on five overarching goals
that support the association’s vision and mission, and address the
challenges, opportunities and priorities MANY has articulated.
Additionally, MANY will measure each two-to-five year strategy
against six key values of stakeholder participation including brand
value (BV), knowledge value (KV), meaning (MEV), monetary value (MOV),
network value (NV), and social value (SV)i.
Leadership
To champion the values and needs of museums in New York State.
Success for New York State’s museums depends, at least in part,
upon broad support and favorable opinion of the public, including
individuals, educational institutions, foundations, corporations and
the media.
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KEY PROGRAMMATIC PRIORITIES |
STRATEGIES 2010 – 2014 |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES |
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Continue/expand data collection to help make
the individual and collective case for museums
Stay focused on succession issues
Remain/expand MANY presence in public policy
debates/discussions
Stay focused on advocacy
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- Engage in ongoing communication with the
field using a variety of media to determine and distill
the importance of museums and their needs. Ongoing
- Regularly contribute to state and
national discussions of issues facing the field based on
original research and routinely comment to public
stakeholders about these issues. Ongoing
- Collaborate on regional, state and
national levels to raise awareness of museums and their
importance to New York State. Ongoing
- Provide the field with resource materials
that can be adapted to specific institutions, communities
and regions. Short-term and
ongoing
- Provide opportunities for the field to
connect with one another and offer MANY advice and
guidance. Short-term
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Conduct minimum of two member polls/surveys
per year examining museum issues. (KV)
Collaborate with OCE agencies, NYSCA, NYCH
and others on projects addressing museum issues. (KV, NV)
Complete IMLS-funded partnership with
Cooperstown Graduate Program to develop and pilot a mid-career
leadership training program. (KV, MEV, NV)
Sponsor annual Museums in Conversation
conference. (BV, KV, MEV, MOV, NV, SV)
Develop, produce and widely distribute New
York State’s Museums: Building Community fact sheet.
(BV, KV)
Conduct annual series of regional meetings
to gather information and facilitate networking.
(BV, KV, MEV, NV, SV) |
[contents]
Information Access
To facilitate a lively community of practice built on credible
research, timely response, open communication, the creative use of
technology, and committed to advancing knowledge that informs
decision making. MANY will continue to promote the creative and
timely exchange of information among the state's museums using
various media.
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KEY PROGRAMMATIC PRIORITIES |
STRATEGIES 2010 – 2014 |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
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Continue/expand data collection to help make
the individual and collective case for museums
Expand focus from best practices to crisis
management by sharing strategies, concerns and problems
Look for and publish patterns and trends
affecting museums in NYS
Stay focused on succession issues
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- Continue collection and interpretation of
trend data affecting museums in NYS to help make the
individual and collective case for museums. Ongoing
- Offer communication vehicles and ways to
share case studies and questions, such as targeted blogs,
listservs, podcasts, electronic newsletters and the MANY
website. Short-term and ongoing
- Actively use social media, listservs,
online classrooms, and other Web-based networking
opportunities to exchange information--legal, legislative,
economic, employment and other data-- quickly and
efficiently. Short-term
- Support and advocate for technology-based
funding initiatives through NYSCA and other state funders.
Mid-term
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Conduct minimum of two member polls/surveys
per year examining museum issues. Use this information to
create press releases, white papers, news/web articles. (BV,
KV, MEV)
Conduct annual series of regional meetings
to gather information and facilitate networking.
(BV, KV, MEV, NV, SV)
Post a minimum of twice per month on the
MANY blog. Cross-promote with website, email, listservs, and
Facebook. (BV, KV, MEV, NV, SV)
Post to listservs twice weekly to encourage
listserv use. (BV, KV, NV)
Post to Facebook daily (M-F) to encourage
interactions with fans. Use Facebook to drive fans to
participate in NYS museums, to inform the public about museum
issues, and to support MANY’s work. (BV, NV, SV) |
[contents]
Proactive Advocacy
To advance the needs of the state’s museum community to
stakeholders and the public and to help position it to attract new
resources. From Arts Day to old loan legislation, MANY has a long
history advocating for the state’s museums and historical
organizations.
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KEY PROGRAMMATIC PRIORITIES |
STRATEGIES 2010 – 2014 |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES |
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Remain/expand MANY presence in public policy
debates/discussions
Stay focused on advocacy
Continue/expand data collection to help make
the individual and collective case for museums
Look for and publish patterns and trends
affecting museums in NYS
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- Pursue the current legislative agenda
focusing on preservation of the state funding
infrastructure and planning for its future growth,
foundational funding from the State Education Department,
and advocacy for administrative efficiencies within SED/OCE.
Ongoing
- Continue collaborative efforts to secure
increases to the Office of Museum Services within the
Institute of Museum & Library Services, and to other
federal agencies with funding programs for museums. Ongoing
- Advocate for and uphold principles of
freedom of expression and transparency in public
policymaking processes. Ongoing
- Advocate for individual institutions when
particular issues or causes have broad implications for
the field as a whole. Ongoing
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Revise/update advocacy agenda each year and
distribute widely to members and stakeholders. (BV, KV)
Develop calendar of advocacy activities to
support the agenda and engage membership in participation.
(KV, MEV, NV)
Refine advocacy agenda and tools based on
input from annual regional meetings and on polling. (KV, MEV,
NV)
Develop, produce and widely distribute New
York State’s Museums: Building Community fact sheet.
(BV, KV)
Continue participation in AAM’s Government
Relations Working Group to advocate for a
broad range of funding initiatives from federal agencies. (BV,
KV, NV)
Communicate this message in all printed
materials, testimony and correspondence with stakeholders.
(BV, KV, MEV)
Develop and use a procedure for bringing
individual institution issues to the MANY board. (KV, NV) |
[contents]
Professional Standards &
Practice
To promote and encourage institutional professional development and
adherence to professional standards and practices through
educational collaborations, programs and publications, and other
services to members. New York’s museums exist to protect, preserve
and interpret art, history, and science collections both actual and
intellectual. MANY’s goal supports excellence, ensuring that
museums and historical agencies have the skills and resources
necessary to meet professional standards and practice.
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KEY PROGRAMMATIC PRIORITIES |
STRATEGIES 2010 – 2014 |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES |
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Continue/expand data collection to help make
the individual and collective case for museums
Expand focus from best practices to crisis
management by sharing strategies, concerns and problems
Look for and publish patterns and trends
affecting museums in NYS
Stay focused on succession issues
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- Continue collaboration with state
regulators, and regional and national museum service
organizations to develop, promulgate, and interpret
evolving standards and best practices. Ongoing
- Build and enable a statewide constituency
of museum professionals who are committed to working
toward and promoting professional standards by providing
research, information, and mentoring opportunities to
advance knowledge and understanding of standards and best
practices Ongoing
- Expand focus from best practices to
crisis management by sharing strategies, concerns and
problems. Short-term
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Confer formally a minimum of twice a year
with state regulators on issues of standards and standards
education. (BV, KV, NV)
Publish material on starting and sustaining
a museum in NYS. (BV, KV, MEV)
Conduct annual series of regional meetings
to gather information, promote standards, and facilitate
networking. (BV, KV, MEV, NV, SV)
Gather materials for website. (KV, MEV)
Publish material on sustaining a museum in
NYS. (BV, KV, MEV, MOV)
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[contents]
MANY Sustainability
To meet the changing needs of the state’s museum community by
being an effective, responsive and sustainable institution.
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KEY PRIORITIES |
STRATEGIES 2010 – 2014 |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES |
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Conduct the operations of MANY in an
entrepreneurial and focused approach that is the result of an
inventive, resourceful, and motivated staff, contractors and
volunteers; a balanced budget; and environmentally sound and
innovative business practices.
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- Cultivate strong and engaged board
leadership that provides guidance on advancing the
organization and its mission and represents the diversity
of the communities we serve. Ongoing
- Regularly evaluate the plan’s
strategies against the six value propositions: Brand,
Knowledge, Meaning, Monetary, Network, and Social. Ongoing
- Develop tools to assess MANY’s basic
organizational health. Short-term
- Annually review the strategic plan and
update as needed. Ongoing
- Increase the membership to grow an
informed, mobilized, and influential constituent base. Short-term
- Develop strategies for generating earned
income in concert with the needs of our stakeholders and
the resources available to them. Short-term
- Increase the public-sector funding base. Short-term/mid-term
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Nominating Committee active all year. (BV,
NV)
Develop self-nomination process. (NV)
Refine what these values mean to MANY and
develop procedures and dashboard for measurement. (BV, KV, MEV,
MOV, NV, SV)
New task force to identify assessment tools
and put them into practice.
Annually appoint task force to evaluate
strategy achievement and overall plan. (KV)
Launch a campaign to grow membership to 400
(BV, MOV)
New task force to identify a suite of
products and services for MANY to develop and sell. (BV, KV,
MOV)
Create and implement a plan to pursue
legislative funding. (MOV) |
[contents]
iMANY’s
six key values are adapted from the April 29, 2009 Fast Company
blog post, Creating a Post-Crisis Economy: Learning to Measure
Participation, by IDEO president Tim Brown (www.fastcompany.com/blog/tim-brown/design-thinking/creating-post-crisis-economy-learning-measure-participation).
Brown’s description of the values:
Network value would
describe the access that an individual or organization has to new
ideas and opportunities (measured in the quantity of connections).
Brand value would describe reputation (measured in
ratings/rankings). Social value would measure influence (by
tracking conversations, i.e., the number of hits in a Google
search). Knowledge would be measured through the number and
quality of ideas and, finally, meaning measured through
engagement (and the stickiness of experiences). I suspect that we
may have a hard time letting go of the measuring of cash, so I
assume monetary value remains one of the dimensions of a
participation economy.
For MANY, these values may also
mean:
Network value: how many times
members and others contact MANY for information/referrals
Monetary value: diversification
of revenue
These values may be best measured
according to Impact v. Effort.
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