The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) will only award full accreditation to the Powell-Cotton Museum (formerly the Quex Museum) in Kent on condition it changes its governance practice.
Provisional accreditation was awarded to the museum in April to recognise that it is aspiring to good practice, but the conditions it must meet for full accreditation are:
approval of a revised constitution by the Charity Commission
take-up of a senior museum professional post
the completion of induction training for board members.
The conditions fall short of the recommendations of a Renaissance-funded review of the museum's governance drafted in March 2008.
The review, which Museums Journal has seen, states: "During recent years the governors have failed to discharge their obligation as charity trustees. They need to reassert their pre-eminent role in the management of the museum… Unless action is taken now the museum is likely to move into a spiral of decline that will threaten the wellbeing of the collections."
The governors at the time of the review included representatives from the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. Neither was available for comment.
Malcolm Harman, the museum's curator, said: "It was a professional report and we have taken on some of its recommendations. Some of them are fair comment."
But Joanna Low, the museum development officer for Renaissance South East, said the £2,000 of Renaissance funding for the review has yet to be released, and Museums Journal understands that the review was never formally accepted by the museum.
Alan Poole, a governor at the time of the review, said of the museum's governance: "It is now changing, slower than we would like, but starting to move in the right direction."
A Charity Commission spokeswoman confirmed that it had met with the trustees of the museum to discuss its governance and would continue to work with them on it.
The provisional accreditation has come following a turbulent time
for the museum. Four governors resigned over the dismissal of Julia Walton, the former director, last year, and the museum settled with Walton this year over a claim of unfair dismissal.
A spokeswoman for the trade union Prospect said: "We did achieve a settlement for the member, but under the terms of the agreement we can't discuss the case."
The museum has not made another appointment to the post of director, but has introduced a new post of assistant curator, which
was filled earlier this year.
Provisional accreditation was awarded to the museum in April to recognise that it is aspiring to good practice, but the conditions it must meet for full accreditation are:
approval of a revised constitution by the Charity Commission
take-up of a senior museum professional post
the completion of induction training for board members.
The conditions fall short of the recommendations of a Renaissance-funded review of the museum's governance drafted in March 2008.
The review, which Museums Journal has seen, states: "During recent years the governors have failed to discharge their obligation as charity trustees. They need to reassert their pre-eminent role in the management of the museum… Unless action is taken now the museum is likely to move into a spiral of decline that will threaten the wellbeing of the collections."
The governors at the time of the review included representatives from the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. Neither was available for comment.
Malcolm Harman, the museum's curator, said: "It was a professional report and we have taken on some of its recommendations. Some of them are fair comment."
But Joanna Low, the museum development officer for Renaissance South East, said the £2,000 of Renaissance funding for the review has yet to be released, and Museums Journal understands that the review was never formally accepted by the museum.
Alan Poole, a governor at the time of the review, said of the museum's governance: "It is now changing, slower than we would like, but starting to move in the right direction."
A Charity Commission spokeswoman confirmed that it had met with the trustees of the museum to discuss its governance and would continue to work with them on it.
The provisional accreditation has come following a turbulent time
for the museum. Four governors resigned over the dismissal of Julia Walton, the former director, last year, and the museum settled with Walton this year over a claim of unfair dismissal.
A spokeswoman for the trade union Prospect said: "We did achieve a settlement for the member, but under the terms of the agreement we can't discuss the case."
The museum has not made another appointment to the post of director, but has introduced a new post of assistant curator, which
was filled earlier this year.
