Streamline business processes and systems to achieve organisational efficiency
OUR TARGETS
- Develop the Cultural and Corporate Shared Services Centre (CCSSC) initiative to create a collaborative partnership between participating agencies, to deliver corporate and business systems more effectively.
- Implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to optimise benefits of visitor information.
MEASURES
- Establishment phase complete and at least one new participating agency on board.
- Launch the new CRM.
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
- The Museum strengthened the CCSSC, bringing on board the National Portrait Gallery and AIATSIS as partner agencies.
- Initial data capture and configuration of the CRM has commenced, following a comprehensive scoping exercise to determine detailed business requirements.
Analysis
Shared services
As announced in the 2017 Budget, the Museum will receive $8.9 million over three years from the Australian Government’s Public Service Modernisation Fund to support the Museum’s expansion of the CCSSC. The CCSSC provides corporate support to partner agencies, primarily Australian Government cultural institutions and agencies of a similar size and scale to the Museum. In delivering these services, the CCSSC aims to improve responsiveness and service quality, reduce duplication and enable collaboration.
The CCSSC was established in July 2016 with the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) being the first partner agency to sign up for records management services, with information technology (IT) support services added later. In March 2018, the National Portrait Gallery successfully migrated to the CCSSC records management service and, in June 2018, AIATSIS signed an MoU to receive finance and payroll services from the CCSSC. Discussions are being held with other cultural institutions that have expressed an interest in receiving finance, records, payroll and/or IT services.
The governance structure of the CCSSC includes representatives from all partner agencies, with decision-making and change being open and transparent. A governance board comprising all heads of partner agencies is responsible for monitoring and guiding the strategic direction, supported by a steering committee, which oversees the successful delivery of transition and operational services.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) provide partner agencies with assurance about the minimum service levels. The CCSSC provides monthly and annual reports to agencies, measuring performance against the service levels. To date the CCSSC’s performance has been rated highly by its partner agencies. In the first year of service provided to MoAD (1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018), the CCSSC met all of its key performance indicators around responsiveness and systems management.
Engaging with customers
Following a detailed scoping exercise to determine business requirements and identify data to be transitioned, the Museum procured a new CRM system. This exercise took longer than expected due to the complexities of current systems, processes and integration points. Initial data capture and configuration have commenced, with the CRM due to be fully implemented in 2018–19. In scoping the requirements for the CRM an affinity program was also considered, which will help the Museum maintain long-term relationships with its visitors.
Establish evaluation, benchmarking and evidence-based decision-making to plan and manage performance
OUR TARGETS
- Embed business planning principles into all aspects of Museum management.
- Conduct audience research and evaluation activities.
MEASURES
- Progress against Museum business plans integrated into quarterly reporting process.
- Audience research and evaluation plans developed for key programs and projects prior to implementation
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
- A progress report against the Corporate Plan 2017–18 was presented to the Museum’s Council each quarter.
- The Museum conducted formative and summative evaluation for key programs and projects, including exhibitions and gallery redevelopment.
Analysis
During 2017–18, the Museum continued work on improving communication, shared decision-making and planning.
Business planning
The Corporate Management Group (CMG), which comprises line managers from all sections of the Museum and members of the executive management team, is critical to the communication and shared planning process. Progress reports against the Museum’s corporate plan targets are first submitted to CMG, before proceeding to the Executive Management Group (EMG) and the Museum’s Council as a key accountability measure. Quarterly progress reports against the corporate plan were presented to the Museum’s Council at four meetings held in August and November 2017, and March and May 2018.
Audience research
Understanding visitors and their motivations and experiences is a critical component in determining how the Museum develops, implements and evaluates its programs. The Museum conducted focused program and exhibition-related surveys, piloted a new general visitor survey to collect visitor feedback and benchmark its visitor profile, and obtained general feedback from visitor feedback forms, online channels and Museum hosts. This included seeking active feedback from special interest groups, such as Autism Spectrum Australia and Disabilities ACT.
The Museum continues to evaluate major exhibitions in order to improve visitor experience and to fulfil funding requirements.
Develop staff flexibility, agility and resilience to deal with future challenges
OUR TARGET
- Implement training and development programs.
MEASURES
- Improved levels of employee engagement and satisfaction with learning and development opportunities.
- Increased percentage of staff completing Learnhub online modules.
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
- The Museum continued to promote and deliver learning and development opportunities for staff, including participation in a cross-cultural mentoring program, cultural competency training and launch of a job observation program.
- 100% of staff were enrolled in key modules of the Learnhub online training system.
Analysis
Learning and development
In order to ensure all staff across the Museum have fair and equitable access to training and development, a centralised funding pool was established in 2016. Staff are able to identify and bid for funds to enable them to travel to and attend professional development courses and conferences. The Workplace Conversations framework continues to support targeted discussions between staff and their supervisors to identify training and development needs, including on-the-job training.
During 2017–18, the Museum continued to participate in a cross-cultural mentoring program in partnership with the National Library of Australia and National Portrait Gallery, and provided cultural competency training for front-of-house staff. The Museum also launched a job observation program to provide staff with the opportunity to learn about other front- and back-of-house activity.
Learnhub
In early 2016, the Museum introduced the Learnhub online training system, which allows staff to access a diverse range of training courses for their career and skills development. Throughout 2017–18, more than 24 Learnhub modules were completed by staff, including: ‘Induction’, ‘Australian Public Service values and principles’, ‘Cultural awareness’, ‘Managing mental health risks at work’, ‘Keep the knowledge’, ‘Fraud’, ‘Workplace health and safety’, and ‘Cultural competency’. Staff also had access to a wide range of other Learnhub offerings to cater for their individual development needs.
Increase own-source revenue and manage our financial resources sustainably
OUR TARGET
- By 2020–21, revenue from sources other than appropriation trending no less than 15% of all gross operating revenues.
MEASURE
- Revenue from sources other than appropriation to reach 14% of all gross operating revenues.
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
- In 2017–18, own-source revenue represented 17.38% of all gross operating revenues.
Analysis
The Museum continues to strengthen its financial base, with own-source revenue accounting for 18.63 per cent of total gross operating revenues, not including the value of objects donated to the Museum. The actual figure achieved for 2017–18 was $9.904 million, which represents an increase of more than 100 per cent on 2013–14 figures.
The Museum Shop
The Museum Shop posted strong sales in 2017–18. While this represented a nine per cent decrease on the previous year (inflated because of the record visitation to A History of the World in 100 Objects), it exceeded the five-year trend with sales of $2.833 million. The ‘Arts hub’ exhibition shop located in the Songlines exhibition was a unique opportunity to promote and sell original works of art, created by Indigenous artists from the regions represented in the exhibition. A licensing program of Indigenous merchandise was also established, with promising early results.
Catering and venue hire
Catering and venue hire performed very well during the year, with demand for the Museum’s commercial venues at a record high. Catering revenue grew by four per cent on the previous year. Events and venue hire visitation increased by two per cent on the previous year despite extended closures
of one of the Museum’s main venue spaces.
Donations
Donations and philanthropy delivered $1,184,515 to the Museum during the reporting period, and the donation of objects valued at $225,715 (see Supporters of the National Museum of Australia).
This year saw the Museum receive its largest single donation of $1.5 million (with $1 million received during 2017–18) from Gandel Philanthropy, established by prominent philanthropists John Gandel AC and Pauline Gandel. The funding will be used to support the delivery of the Defining Moments Digital Classroom, an innovative digital history program that will be made available in schools across Australia. The Gandels’ support has been recognised in the renaming of the Museum’s Main Hall to the Gandel Atrium (see Part four: Audited financial statements).
Create a safe, open and collaborative environment that is a pleasure to work in
OUR TARGET
- Maintain Workplace Consultative Committee, Workplace Health and Safety Committee and Diversity Committee and encourage staff participation and involvement.
MEASURE
- Required number of meetings held during the reporting period, with satisfactory level of staff representation on all committees.
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
- During 2017–18, the Museum’s Workplace Consultative Committee, the Workplace Health and Safety Committee, and the Diversity Committee met throughout the year, with satisfactory level of staff representation on each.
Analysis
During 2017–18, the Museum continued to hold regular consultative forums and meetings to encourage staff participation and involvement.
Workplace Consultative Committee
In accordance with the Museum’s Enterprise Agreement 2017–2020, the Museum established a single consultative committee in 2017. The Workplace Consultative Committee acts as a forum for consultation on major change and any other issues raised by staff. During 2017–18, the committee met five times to consider workplace issues, including Museum forward planning and the Museum’s organisational restructure.
Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Committee
The Museum recognises that the health, safety and welfare of its employees, visitors and contractors is of primary importance. The WHS Committee monitors the Museum’s compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. During 2017–18, the WHS Committee met once. WHS is a standing agenda item for the fortnightly CMG and EMG meetings.
Diversity Committee
The Museum seeks to foster, recruit and retain a workforce that reflects and makes the best use of the diversity of the Australian community. It strives to achieve this through the development and implementation of specific strategies and, wherever possible, by participating in whole of Australian Public Service (APS) recruitment programs. In 2014, the Museum launched its Diversity Action Plan 2014–2018, and a Diversity Committee, formerly Diversity Working Group, was constituted to monitor the delivery of the plan. During 2017–18 the Diversity Committee met three times.