Measuring what we treasure or treasuring what we measure? Investigating where community stakeholders locate the value in their museums

Abstract

Public museums must account for their performance, but do they report on those aspects of their performance that matter to their stakeholders? This article reports findings from a participatory case study undertaken in New Zealand that explored stakeholders’ perspectives on museum performance accountability.

Collected findings from various types of community stakeholders are contrasted with museum directors’ experiences and views of museum assessment practice gathered in an earlier survey by the author. At a time when stakeholder legitimacy is gaining recognition, especially in the public sector, this research suggests that museums might fruitfully revisit their accountability reporting to include aspects that appear to matter to a broader range of stakeholders. If evidence is now required of the public value of museums, these findings point to where that value may lie.

Keywords:

• museums
• performance assessment
• stakeholders
• accountability
• value

Acknowledgements

A ‘Bright Futures Top Achievers Doctoral Fellowship’ from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, and Local Government New Zealand's ‘Dame Catherine Tizard Scholarship’, funded this research. Special thanks are due to the Board members, staff and stakeholders of the Canterbury Museum for their willing participation, and especially to the Director, Anthony Wright. I also wish to acknowledge with gratitude the valuable guidance of Professor Kerr Inkson and Professor Mason Durie of Massey University. I am also grateful for the comments from the anonymous reviewers.

Notes

1. A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible evidence of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment. (International Council of Museums (ICOM), Article 3, Statutes as approved 27 August, 2007).