Peer review of DCMS sponsored museums - pilot reports published 7 Apr 2009

DCMS has published the results of a pilot programme to introduce a new system of self-assessment and peer review of sponsored museums.  The pilots were carried out at the National Portrait Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tyne & Wear Museums.  Each peer review was conducted by a panel of three individuals over three days.  The panel reports include a critique of the museum’s 10 page self-assessment document, an appraisal of excellence across the museums’ functions and a set of recommendations for each museum to consider.  Each museum provided a management response to the peer review, which in some cases included suggestions as to how the peer review process could be improved following this pilot.  The self assessment document, peer review report and management response from each museum have all been published.

The peer review pilot takes forward a recommendation made by Sir Brian McMaster in his report Supporting Excellence in the Arts: From Measurement to Judgement, which called for a renewed focus on excellence in the cultural sector.  DCMS is now evaluating the success of the pilot and considering the roll out of the system to all sponsored museums with Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) status. Read the peer review documents on the DCMS website.