2. Leadership Capacity—the ability of staff and board leaders to inspire, prioritize, make decisions, provide direction and innovate 3. Management Capacity—the ability to ensure the effective and efficient use of organizational resources 4. Technical Capacity—the ability to implement all of the key organizational functions and deliver programs and services These capacities will undergo transformations as the organization progresses through its life cycle. When an organization achieves the mature stage, it has established credible programs and developed efficient operating systems. It has diversified its revenue streams, conducted an ongoing strategic planning process and adapted quickly to external changes in its environment. In other words, the organization has achieved the full potential of all four capacities. “Any group that aims to deliver successfully on its mission must attain the mature stage—and sustain itself there.” (Connolly, p. 3) It is important to remember that the capacities of an organization are influenced by the organization’s culture (the unique history, values, beliefs, traditions, etc), resources (people, funds, equipment/capital) and external environment (economy, government, social trends, community needs and expectations, etc). Use the following questions to help your group discuss whether your museum is a mature organization, working to effectively use all of your capacities to achieve your mandate. Adaptive Capacity 1. Does your museum forge strategic alliances with other non-profits to provide services and programs? 2. Does the museum develop sustainable resources for long-term program and service delivery through diversity of revenue sources? 3. Does the museum engage with community-level decision-making bodies that make and/or influence policies affecting program and service resource allocation? 4. Do strategic planning decisions about programs and services incorporate assessments of audience/community needs and program evaluations? 5. Are there evaluation processes/practices in place to assess and monitor inputs, program quantity, program quality and outcomes? 6. Do all program decisions include a discussion of evaluation findings?
The Learning Coalition: Building Responsive Museums
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