Preliminary information - Museums Association

Aspirational approach

This updated version of the Code of Ethics represents an aspirational approach to ethics in order to encourage and support reflective and responsible ethical best practice in museums.

Mandatory ethics are minimum standards, such as legal obligations and Accreditation Standards, that are explicit, clear-cut and should be precisely enacted now and into the future. The code asks those who work in and with museums to meet and exceed these minimum standards of practice and aspire towards ethical best practice.

The MA recognises that it will take time, ongoing investment, and relationship building to achieve some elements of aspirational best practice and that everyone will be at different stages in the journey towards achieving ethical best practice. The MA will encourage and support museums and those who work in them with case studies, training, advice and guidance to achieve best practice.

Everyone who works with museums should strive towards ethical best practice to the best of their ability. Regardless of role or seniority, anyone who works in and with museums can embed best ethical practice in their work. The MA recognises that there will be personal and institutional limits to being able to achieve some areas of best practice.

Museums and those who work in them should take a proportional approach, balancing working towards best practice with what is attainable and reasonable with the available time and resources. Museums should take responsibility for the wellbeing of those who work in and with them to ensure that they have the capacity to work ethically.

Museums may choose to create their own internal ethics committees to promote critical thinking and robust conversations on contemporary ethical issues and to support ethical decision making. As a membership body the MA expects all members to uphold and promote the code.

Unethical sale of collections

The MA is unequivocal that unethical sales from museum collections and targeting collections as a source of income are unacceptable. Unethical sale from collections could result in being barred from membership of the MA, including ineligibility to apply for funding from the MA for the duration of the loss of membership.

Please read the Joint statement on Unethical Sales from Collections for more information.

Museums considering disposal by sale for the purposes of generating income should seek confidential advice from the MA at an early stage in order that we can discuss the motivation for sale and help you understand how your proposal complies with the requirements of the Code of Ethics.

The MA evaluates proposed financially motivated disposals carefully and it is likely to take several months to provide a definitive opinion, particularly as it is usually necessary to hold a meeting of the Ethics Committee to discuss the proposal. On occasion, sale from collections can be an ethically acceptable means of disposal, provided that it follows the full process set out in the Off the Shelf toolkit.

Structure

The Code of Ethics comprises guiding principles, which are further articulated through practice.

Principles – the fundamental guiding values of ethical museum practice.
Practice – how to uphold the principles and what ethical best practice looks like in the museum sector.

Case studies

Forthcoming Everyday Ethics case studies and scenarios will provide examples of ethical situations that museums have encountered and explain how the principles and practice in the Code of Ethics can help guide decision making and support ethical best practice.

Additional guidance

The MA has produced ethical guidance on specific areas of practice in the Code of Ethics including:

The MA is committed to producing further ethical guidance to support the sector.

External guidance

The MA recognises that other organisations have produced ethical guidance which can support the sector with ethical decision making. We have compiled a list of external guidance you may find useful to consult.

Application of the code

We expect all MA members to follow the guidelines in the Code of Ethics.

The Museums Association’s professional development programmes support application of the code and the MA Competency Framework can support individual development in ethical practice.

Under each of the three principles, we have outlined ethical statements that support best practice. These statements have been grouped under the relevant competency from the MA Competency Framework.

To achieve Associateship of the Museums Association (AMA) members must demonstrate awareness of the code and how it is used. To achieve Fellowship of the Museums Association (FMA) members must show that they promote the wider application of the code within the sector.

The Ethics Committee provides confidential advice and support to the museum sector; for all ethical queries, please contact our policy and ethics lead, India Divers, via india@museumsassociation.org.

Next: Ethical principles