Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) has responded to concerns raised in the Scottish sector about its transition into a national development body to deliver Scotland’s national museum strategy.
The new strategy, Going Further, was greeted with support when it was published last month, but concern has been raised ahead of the organisation’s AGM next week about MGS’ proposed model of delivery.
MGS is to move from a membership body to a subscription body, with subscriptions discounted by 10% during the first year of transition.
Tamsin Russell, president of the Scottish Museums Federation, welcomed the strategy but said: “How can a country expect to implement a national strategy successfully when you have to subscribe and pay an annual fee?
“Surely the national development body and the support it offers should be open to all museums and other stakeholders, like federations - it’s not really a national strategy otherwise.”
MGS spokeswoman Fiona Brown said: “There has been a slight misapprehension over this. Yes there will be a range of services and resources offered on a subscription basis but we will be working with all stakeholders, not just those who subscribe – far from it.”
One of the key objectives of the strategy was to work more widely with new partners, added Brown.
Concern has also been raised about a perceived lack of transparency and accountability in the new governance model for MGS, which will consist of a board of directors appointed by a nomination panel.
Neil Curtis, convenor of University Museums in Scotland, said: “I am very concerned with accountability because the board will elect itself rather than being elected by member museums.
“Unlike the previous MGS model, neither museums nor the government will be able to direct it – we will instead be relying on trust. We’ve seen bad governance before in the banks and other sectors and it matters that we have transparency and accountability.”
Brown said: “There will be a full and open application process. Board appointments will be made by a nomination panel with help from expert consultants.”
She said it was too early to say who would sit on the nomination panel, but that decisions would be made transparently.
Curtis said he also had concerns about the expertise expected of the board. “The majority of board members are going to be people from the ‘museum and cultural sector’,” he said.
“This definition is very broad and makes it wide open to people with no specific museum expertise, particularly as MGS itself has lost many of its most experienced and respected staff in the recent restructuring.”
In response, Brown said: “The criteria for board members has not been finalised but we will be looking very carefully at the skills matrix required in consultation with external advisers, and vetting will take place according to this criteria.”
The strategy will be discussed in more detail at the organisation’s AGM on 27 April and members will be invited to put forward expressions of interest for a place on the board.
The new strategy, Going Further, was greeted with support when it was published last month, but concern has been raised ahead of the organisation’s AGM next week about MGS’ proposed model of delivery.
MGS is to move from a membership body to a subscription body, with subscriptions discounted by 10% during the first year of transition.
Tamsin Russell, president of the Scottish Museums Federation, welcomed the strategy but said: “How can a country expect to implement a national strategy successfully when you have to subscribe and pay an annual fee?
“Surely the national development body and the support it offers should be open to all museums and other stakeholders, like federations - it’s not really a national strategy otherwise.”
MGS spokeswoman Fiona Brown said: “There has been a slight misapprehension over this. Yes there will be a range of services and resources offered on a subscription basis but we will be working with all stakeholders, not just those who subscribe – far from it.”
One of the key objectives of the strategy was to work more widely with new partners, added Brown.
Concern has also been raised about a perceived lack of transparency and accountability in the new governance model for MGS, which will consist of a board of directors appointed by a nomination panel.
Neil Curtis, convenor of University Museums in Scotland, said: “I am very concerned with accountability because the board will elect itself rather than being elected by member museums.
“Unlike the previous MGS model, neither museums nor the government will be able to direct it – we will instead be relying on trust. We’ve seen bad governance before in the banks and other sectors and it matters that we have transparency and accountability.”
Brown said: “There will be a full and open application process. Board appointments will be made by a nomination panel with help from expert consultants.”
She said it was too early to say who would sit on the nomination panel, but that decisions would be made transparently.
Curtis said he also had concerns about the expertise expected of the board. “The majority of board members are going to be people from the ‘museum and cultural sector’,” he said.
“This definition is very broad and makes it wide open to people with no specific museum expertise, particularly as MGS itself has lost many of its most experienced and respected staff in the recent restructuring.”
In response, Brown said: “The criteria for board members has not been finalised but we will be looking very carefully at the skills matrix required in consultation with external advisers, and vetting will take place according to this criteria.”
The strategy will be discussed in more detail at the organisation’s AGM on 27 April and members will be invited to put forward expressions of interest for a place on the board.
