BACKGROUND

Against the background of recent events at the QVMAG it is now clear that LCC’s governance of the institution has failed in many ways – some that are painfully obvious. This needs to be acknowledged as does the fact that the time for inaction has past.

It is no longer tenable to continue to postpone action on the issue of the QVMAG’s governance as that would signal that Council is intent upon repeating its past failures and prolonging past weaknesses. A great deal of damage has been done to the institution’s status in the museum community – national and international – as well as the wellbeing of the staff and their ability to deliver the quality and quantity of work they are capable of.

Beyond providing for the QVMAG in its annual budget LCC has played a miniscule role in policy determination and development for the institution. The fundamental role of an institution’s governing body is to determine the institution’s purpose/mission and consequently the policies that guide its operation. In respect to the QVMAG Council has fallen short of the mark in regard to this and there have been negative consequences.

‘World’s best practice’ is something that the QVMAG should be able to claim to be an adherent of and to be working towards – in several areas of its operation in the past it has. Sadly that is a claim that the QVMAG cannot make for its governance at the moment and neither can it make that claim for a large part of its operation as a consequence of that.

Strategic planning for a museum is as important as it is for any other organisation, business or enterprise of any kind. Many fail due to the lack of strategic planning. Arguably, the QVMAG’s failures and weaknesses can be attributed to a lack of strategic planning and the flow on consequences.

Accountability is a basic issue that a museum must address – and with some urgency now in the QVMAG’s case. The QVMAG has not been functionally unaccountable to its Community of Ownership and Interest (COI) for quite some time. The consequences of this are unmeasured and immeasurable. LCC as governors, despite a great many important achievements, has by and large failed the QVMAG’s COI and this situation cannot go unaddressed if the QVMAG is to deliver the social and cultural dividends it has potential to do.

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Foreword
Background
Policy Making QVMAG
Proposed Membership: Interim Board of Governors
Proposed Tasks: Interim Board of Governors
APPENDIX #1: Notes on Special Purpose Commissioner
APPENDIX #2: Notes on Community of Ownership & Interest
LINK: Submission to Tas State Govt. CLICK HERE
LINK: Open Letter QVMAG Governance CLICK HERE