MANDATE
INTERCOM focuses on ideas, issues and practices relating to the management of museums, within
an international context. The principle actions in management are to plan, resource, implement,
evaluate and adjust, based on an identified vision.
INTERCOM's interests include, but are not limited to: governance; management practice in a
theoretical framework; international law as it relates to museums; human and financial resource
management; and the financing of museums.
INTERCOM provides four main vehicles for the exploration and exchange of ideas and practice:
its semi-annual Newsletter; a yearly meeting for its members; and a web site (currently under
construction). The fourth vehicle, while more informal, is the development of a network of
professionals who are actively involved in the management of museums and related institutions
in order to exchange and compare information informally.
Back to Top of Page
INTERCOM BOARD 2001 - 2004
Nancy Hushion Museum Consultant, Canada
President
Arnout Weeda Director, Zuiderzeemuseum, The Netherlands
Vice-President
John McAvity Executive Director, Canadian Museums Association
Secretary
Stephen Weil Smithsonian Institute, USA
David Fleming Director, Tyne and Wear Museums, UK
Steve Gower Director, Australian War Museum
Arantza Odiaga Counsel, Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain
Tickey T. Pule Director, Botswana National Museum
Jane Ryder Executive Director, Scottish Museums Council
Aidan Walsh Museum Consultant, Ireland
Back to Top of Page
INTERCOM'S PROGRAM FOR 1998 - 2001
This Plan identifies the main actions for the three year period, but also look to the next
triennium as the Committee must increase its profile, effectiveness and credibility. The Plan
also works to meet the needs of all 3 categories of members, as follows:
a) the semi-annual Newsletter will over time carry material which addresses the interests
of all three groups. Further research will be doe on identifying one or two representatives
from each of the categories to attract specific material. be a 'special correspondent'. In some
cases, the Chair of the various Regional Groups could be very helpful. Their role would be to
identify activities in their region/category which could fit into the Newsletter.
b) the INTERCOM Conference for the Triennial Year (to coincide with the General Conference)
will be an ambitious, thought-provoking series of sessions of international calibre, with
speakers from both inside and outside the museum world. It will respond principally to the
Category A members, but hopefully to everyone. Identifying the Conference year for the most
ambitious program is due to many, mostly practical reasons such as funding, availability of
speakers and the chance to reach a broader audience.
c) the Annual Meetings on off-Conference years will be targeted toward Groups B and C - and
practically oriented.
d) for Group B, there may also be the possibility of working directly with ICOM in
developing and presenting seminars and workshops on management practice and theory for various
regions.
e) the web site (under construction) will be a source for information about INTERCOM and
its plans, as well as a reference and networking point for members.
Back to Top of Page
AN ANALYSIS OF INTERCOM'S MEMBERS
A central premise for INTERCOM's members is that they are museum professionals with sound
experience in other facets of museum work.
Further analysis of the membership through the findings of a 1996 questionnaire and discussions
indicates that the level of interest/need for INTERCOM in any one country is to some degree
determined by the level of public funding which museums receive - and the current threats this
funding is facing.
At the risk of over-simplifying, INTERCOM has identified three main 'categories' of members
(current and potential) and a review of the membership list indicates there are a sizable
number in each group.
Category A:
These members and/or their institutions are well versed in management theory and practice and
are looking for new ideas and solutions to the issues they are facing. Typically, such
institutions are not heavily supported by public funds (grants, subventions, direct funding
from a Ministry) or, if they were, have seen their public funding severely cut back in the past
decade or so. Again, typically, they have Boards of Trustees whose members are often drawn
from the corporate community (all the better for fund raising). Well versed in business
practices, the Trustees expect to see similar practices in museums (but are nonetheless mindful
of the not-for-profit context).
Many Directors and senior staff in such institutions have formal training in management. They
have access to the most recent information through various publications and journals - not to
mention articles in the media, such as the New York Times coverage on museum directors and the
problems they are facing in the US.
Typically, because of their funding/financing practices and the active involvement of Trustees,
such members tend to be found in countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Australia
and Canada. The national museum associations of several of these countries also have committees
which are specifically devoted to management issues as they pertain to their immediate
jurisdictions.
Category B
Members in this group are principally from countries/institutions where museums are undergoing
substantial change and there is an expressed need to know more about how things work, and how
they could work better. At times, this is because the Museum was previously an integral part
of the formal government structure - an actual government department or division - but now
have autonomous status. However, the country (and its museums) often lacks access to applied
management practices and principles; professional development opportunities are very few.
In recent discussions with Valerie Chièze of the ICOM Secretariat to determine if INTERCOM could
play a role in the development of ICOM/INTERCOM programs, , several African and Arab countries
regions/countries where involvement and expertise from INTERCOM would be helpful were identified.
Further conversations with the Chair of ICOM ASPAC also indicated further possibilities.
In the past, other ICOM committees such as ICTOP (Training) have participated in various
seminars and workshops and INTERCOM's support and advice could be utilized in a similar manner.
Category C
This group of members are, again typically, primarily from European institutions where the
traditional approach to museum management and training is still very actively in place. Many
of these institutions and therefore their "managers" are civil servants. The vast majority of
these institutions are heavily, if not totally, state or city-funded, and functions such as
financial management etc. are handled by the appropriate civil servants.
However, there is already a fairly profound shift happening in many of the European museums,
for example the recent 'privatization' of the Dutch National Museums, and there is every
indication that this trend will become an accepted reality in many countries in the near
future.
To summarize, INTERCOM has three groups of membership interests:
A) advanced knowledge and interest in the most recent developments
B) initial needs are for introductory material/conceptual frameworks and consultative
development
C) while not convinced of the need for management practice and theory, this group's needs
will be on a mid- to advanced level of information.
Contact:
Nancy Hushion: hushion@istar.ca
Llewellyn Gill: gilll@candw.lc
|
