ABSTRACT
A forward plan is a product of the planning process. While the completed plan will help the museum to improve its effectiveness in a number of different ways, the planning process itself will help provide solutions to the problems which the museum faces. The plan will give the museum a framework within which to work and measure success. How can forward planning help you and your museum to be successful? A forward plan can help you to:
(a) identify those areas of your museum’s operation which require improved management or increased resources;
(b) assess the strengths and weaknesses of the museum in an objective way;
(c) provide a mechanism which allows staff and others to see what direction(s) the museum is moving in;
(d) induce management to develop a future strategy for the museum; (e) improve the quality of decision-making by means of
performance indicators and the museum’s management information systems;
(f) pinpoint areas of development and innovation which require new resources or expertise;
(g) demonstrate to funding bodies and patrons of all types the professionalism of the museum and its management.
