2. Transparent and accountable

Museums should be open and transparent in all their activities, and those who work in or for them should act honestly, with integrity, and take responsibility for their decisions and actions.

Museums and those who work in and with them should:

• ensure that decision making is open and delivers public benefit
• build open and constructive relationships with communities, workforce, partner organisations, funders and stakeholders
• responsibly manage and care for collections
• support freedom of speech, expression and debate.

How to uphold the principle

Museums and those who work in and with them should:

Empowering audiences and communities

2.1 Be publicly accountable to audiences, communities and stakeholders, and be open to scrutiny.

2.2 Support freedom of speech, expression and debate, as consistent with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Respect the right of all to express different views within the museum unless illegal to do so or inconsistent with the purpose of the museum as an anti-discriminatory organisation and an inclusive public space.

2.3 Consider creating a policy on freedom of expression and managing potential controversy in line with your organisational values to prevent potential harms to staff and audience members.

2.4 Support audiences to embrace and understand the complexity of information and knowledge by presenting multiple perspectives that have been evidenced and researched.

Managing people, money and organisations

2.5 Ensure that decision making is based on best professional practice, is open and transparent, and delivers public benefit.

2.6 Build open and constructive relationships with partner organisations, funders and other stakeholders. Share information on partnerships with staff, volunteers and community groups to build trust and encourage collaboration.

2.7 Ensure organisational integrity by resisting attempts from corporations, funders and governments to unduly influence practice and strategic decision making to fulfil their own private or political interests.

2.8 Embed decolonisation principles in your work, taking time to understand how colonialism is relevant to your organisation. Use the MA decolonisation guidance to support your journey.

2.9 Recognise and address inequitable power structures that are linked to legacies of colonialism and empire.

2.10 Avoid all private activities that could be construed as trading or dealing in cultural property.

2.11 When recruiting for paid roles, include information about pay and benefits in role descriptions.

2.12 Be responsible in the use of AI and be transparent with the public about its use in the work of the museum.

2.13 Thoroughly and proactively assess the risks and benefits of emerging technologies with input from the whole organisation.

2.14 Ensure appropriate data stewardship with transparent, secure and accountable data management.

2.15 Facilitate responsible digital access while safeguarding the rights, dignity and agency of individuals and communities.

Empowering collections

2.16 Manage, care for, and develop collections with regularly reviewed procedures and policies designed to ensure accountability.

2.17 Make information about the museum collection and collections development policies publicly available. Be open about processes and procedures related to managing collections.

2.18 Publicly acknowledge that the museum and its collections and activities are shaped by contributions from multiple individuals and groups.

2.19 Verify the ownership of any item prior to acquisition or loan and confirm that the current holder is legitimately able to transfer title or to lend. Apply the same strict criteria to gifts and bequests. Treat all transfers of title and responsibility equally.

2.20 Discuss expectations and clarify in writing the precise terms on which all parties are accepting transfer of title. Be considerate of and sensitive to donors when accepting or declining gifts and bequests.

2.21 Balance providing public access to collections with providing a duty of care in line with the wishes of communities. The principle of providing access to the collections should not outweigh a duty to prevent harm to people.

2.22 Be clear and open about why the museum holds human remains.

2.23 Take an open, proactive and positive approach to repatriation and restitution. Deal sensitively and promptly with requests whether from the UK or from abroad.