About the Museum Accreditation Scheme

The information below is also available in the leaflet The Museum Accreditation Scheme (PDF 218KB)

Setting the standard

The Museum Registration Scheme was established in 1988. Since then it has helped over 1,800 museums across the UK to focus on standards and to identify areas for further work and development. In 2004, the Scheme was renamed Accreditation to better reflect its purpose and the achievements of those museums which meet the standards it sets out. The Scheme is regarded as one of the most innovative and effective developments in the museum sector. It has led the way in raising museum standards in the UK, and has been used as a model and source of inspiration for museums overseas. MLA administers the Scheme in collaboration with the regional agencies for museums, libraries and archives in England, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Northern Ireland Museum Council and CyMAL in Wales.

Innovation and improvement

People expect more of museums today. Accreditation has been developed by MLA and the museum community to keep pace with these expectations. It now gives greater emphasis to the needs and interests of those who use museums – or who might be encouraged to do so in the future.

Accredited museums must adhere to published minimum standards in how they care for and document their collections, how they are governed and managed, and on the information and services they offer to their users. The Scheme encourages innovation and improvement through the use of other materials and resources produced by MLA and its partners relating to the care of collections, access, learning, inclusion and diversity. These materials provide support and guidance in meeting and exceeding the current standards.

Preserving the past for the future

Accreditation recognises the importance of collections and effective collections management as the foundation for everything that museums strive to do. Without adequate collections care and documentation, the potential of museums to extend access to new audiences, encourage learning and inspire people’s creativity would, eventually, be lost.

Accreditation also addresses the needs of museum visitors. It requires that all museums provide:

• opportunities to use, enjoy and learn from collections
• an assurance that collections, including donated items, are held in trust for society
• information about the museum, its collections and its services
• a commitment to consultation with users, to ensure that future developments and changes take account of their needs and interests
• appropriate visitor facilities or details about facilities nearby.

In this way, Accreditation helps museums to meet the needs of today’s visitors, while at the same time safeguarding their collections for future generations.

The benefits of the Scheme

Accreditation enables museums and governing bodies to assess their current performance, and it supports them in planning and developing their services. The Scheme:

• encourages museums to reach minimum levels in museum management, user services, visitor facilities and collections care
• offers a shared ethical basis for all bodies that meet the definition of a museum
• fosters public confidence in museums as institutions which hold collections in trust for society and which manage public resources responsibly, for both present and future generations
• provides a benchmark for grant-making bodies, sponsors and donors wishing to support museums.

Applying for Accredited status

The Accreditation Scheme is administered by MLA on behalf of the museum community. Museums are invited to make written applications which demonstrate how far the requirements set out in the Accreditation Standard have been met. Each application is assessed by the relevant Regional Agency for museums, libraries and archives in England, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Northern Ireland Museum Council or CyMAL: Museums, Libraries, Archives Wales. Following assessment, final decisions on Accreditation are made by an independent panel of senior museum professionals.

Museums currently in the Scheme will be invited to apply for Accreditation by MLA working in conjunction with the assessing organisations. Museums considering applying for the first time should contact their assessing organisation for initial guidance, advice on eligibility, and details of the requirements set out in the Accreditation Standard (PDF 163KB) . Assessing organisations can also suggest further sources of help and support.

The assessing organisations

MLA itself is the assessing organisation for all government-funded national museums.

For all other museums in their countries, the assessing organisations are:

Northern Ireland Museums Council
CyMAL: Museums, Archives, Libraries Wales
Museums Galleries Scotland

For all other museums in England, the assessing organisations are the English MLA regional agencies. A link to each of these agencies is available on the right hand side of the MLA homepage.