Phases of the Renaissance Review
Sara Selwood

Introduction

MLA’s terms of reference for the Review are to
 
• Track the development and achievements of the Renaissance programme, up to the end of 2007/8, and assess these against its initial intentions as articulated in the 2001 Report;
• Relate past and current Renaissance priorities and working practices to current and future museum sector priorities; and
• Make recommendations for the priorities, management and delivery of the Renaissance programme, 09/10 to 10/11, for which funding is guaranteed under the CSR2007, and beyond.

The work will be undertaken in three phases.
 
Phase 1: Interim findings and recommendations to inform the 2009-11 business plans

The output of Phase 1 will comprise a report which:

• Informs Renaissance’s future priorities by reference to the social, economic and political context within which it will be operating, and the challenges facing it;
• Provides an overview of the achievements/transformations of the various strands of the programme, their sustainability and the effectiveness of the programme’s management;
• Recommends adjustments to the programme in the short term based on a revised, and clearly articulated vision. Plans for 2009-11 should reflect negotiations as to what should be achieved by individual hubs and strands; how the programme should be managed and implemented nationally and regionally; its performance managed and communicated.
• Suggest how the hubs can be helped to transform their structures, resources, competences etc to meet the programme’s expectations and museums’ sustainability.

The work involved in Phase 1, to be undertaken from June, will comprise

• Horizon scanning and its application to Renaissance;
• A review of the existing evidence pertaining to the performance of hubs and other strands. This will include existing documentation (planning guidelines, reports commissioned by hubs, etc) and data collected (analysis and contextualisation of time series produced though Renaissance’s regular data collections and exit surveys);
• A review of the programme’s impact on non-hub museums including the work on the museum development fund/officers;
• The collection of new evidence based on the knowledge of MLA officers; hubs and other programme providers; select local authority CEOs and university VCs; regional HLF, ACE and RDAs; and sectoral organisations (MA, AIM, University Museums Group)
• An IT strategy for Renaissance which in line with that being devised for MLA, which will contribute to improved communications;
• Other contributions to the consultation gathered via MLA’s website.

Phase 2: fuller report and findings to inform the CSR2011 campaign

Building on the findings of Phase 1, Phase 2 will report on

• A critical overview of how the programme has been managed, its financial arrangements and cost effectiveness;
• More nuanced priorities;
• A review of what is know about the programme’s impact on users;
• Recommendations for future efficiencies;
• What it should be delivering to the public;
• MLA’s role in relation to the programme;
• Gaps in what is known about Renaissance.

The work involved in Phase 2, to be undertaken from October, will comprise

• An audit of guidelines and decision–making processes – what decisions were made about the content and management of the programme and why; and the use of the data collected;
• An audit of finances - what Renaissance funding has been spent on; where was it distributed and why; funding partners’ contributions;
• Extended consultation with other government departments (eg, DCLG etc);
• A review of what is known about Renaissance users’ qualitative experience and what he programme should be delivering to the public (based on existing data and the recent visitor studies literature on best practice).

Phase 3: preparing for CSR2011 and reporting on the case for government funding

The output of Phase 3 will include a report which makes

• Recommendations about the future direction of the Renaissance, its planning, delivery, management & leadership post-2011.

The work for Phase 3, undertaken from February onwards, will comprise

• The commissioning of research to fill the gaps identified in Phase 2.
• The pulling together of findings from the previous phases of the Review.

Sara Selwood, Chair of Renaissance Review.  June 2008