The national performance framework has moved away from service focused performance assessment, but service and sector standards still play an important role in supporting improvement. They allow museum, library and archive services to identify how they are performing against agreed minimum standards, which informs improvement planning.
There are three recognised standards schemes in place for museums, libraries and archives:
Museums Accreditation
The MLA's national standard for museums encourages all museums to meet agreed minimum standards of governance and museum management, user services, visitor facilities and collections management.
Library Benchmark
The Library Benchmark (PDF 89KB) is a set of voluntary indicators to enable library managers to measure their own performance over time and to benchmark themselves against other authorities and nationally. The benchmarks focus on the key areas of satisfaction, participation, access, resources, quality and efficiency. This is not a standard scheme in the sense of applying minimum standards, but it is the recognised improvement and performance management tool for public library services that focuses on key areas which have been agreed after extensive consultation with library professionals and other stakeholders.
Archives Standard for Repositories
Sets out best practice in the core areas of archival provision, supported by the Framework of Standards (The National Archives) which covers best practice in records storage, public access, cataloguing, conservation and preservation and records management. Local authority archive services are assessed on the extent to which they meet standards through Self Assessment