Regional Museum Accreditation Advice

Quotations are invited for the provision of technical Accreditation advice to museums on behalf of Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) from April 2015 to March 2018. MDEM is hosted by Leicestershire County Council.

Technical advice is defined by Arts Council as expert advice based on a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Accreditation standard and its underpinning processes and its applicability to museums of different sizes and scales. To end of March 2015 the function has been delivered by externally contracted consultants procured and managed centrally by Arts Council.

That function is, from 1 April 2015, the responsibility of Arts Council-funded Museum Development providers across England. The East Midlands region is defined as Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.

There are currently 116 Accredited and working towards museums in the region (c. March 2015). The activities that the Regional Accreditation Adviser should undertake: • To work in partnership with other bodies delivering Accreditation specific training and/or awareness workshops (e.g. through co-led and delivered workshops and other activities) • Provision of guidance in their area of activity, based on the content of the Accreditation guidance documents, including signposting to relevant guidance and support materials to: o organisations wishing to complete an eligibility questionnaire; o new applicants and returning participants; o provisionally Accredited museums; o museums which may require a significant change review. • Advising museums regarding interpretation of the Standard to their size and scale (see Accreditation scalability). • Maintaining a watching brief on Accredited museums and those working towards Accreditation, highlighting to the central Accreditation team and MDEM team any circumstances of significant change. • Promotion, advocacy and signposting of opportunities to undertake the Museum Mentor role to relevant museum professionals and to facilitate conversations between potential Mentors and Museums in seeking a Mentor.