The findings of the Our Museum programme emphasise the role of governance and leadership in organisational change. These include overseeing the changes required to embed participatory community engagement, to ensuring the business model meets the organisation’s ambitions.
Let’s start at the top with the governing bodies of a museum or gallery. How can you enable them to govern the embedding of participatory community engagement right across the organisation?

Trustee involvement

• Engaged throughout process including evaluating impact of trustee involvement
• Governance benefits listed

Tags

High level support, Everyone’s job, Governance.

How does participatory engagement work with the democratic systems of a local authority?

Participation in local authorities

• How does participation fit with local democracy?
• What kind of decision-making can be shared?
• What are the limits?

Tags

Business rationale, Decision-making, Be local, Trust, Governance.

More on governance here:
http://ourmuseum.org.uk/resources/governance-leadership/governance/#go
How can those in leadership roles make sure that it is part of everyone’s job and empower people within those roles?

Staff fears

• Who decides if your work is good?
• Clarity on what kind of work is valued
• Trust staff
• Allow staff to opt-in

Tags

Business as usual, Everyone’s job, Trust, Structures, Staff buy in.

Structures and job descriptions

• Restructure and job descriptions can embed participation
• Shift from subject knowledge and tasks to approach and responsibility
• Encourage ownership and leadership

Tags

Delegated leadership, Staff empowerment, Everyone’s job, Structures.

Do leaders recognise their own role in setting the direction, championing it and creating business models that work?

Leading participatory community engagement

• Leaders as champions
• Making it everyone’s job
• Financing community engagement

Tags

Financially viable, Leadership style, Everyone’s job, Change agents, Core values.

Income generation

• Financial options for participatory organisations
• Creative collaborations to pay for community services

Tags

Financially viable, Business rationale.

Finally, you have to lead the change:

What do staff need for change?

• Freedom to control own work
• Mastery: high standards
• Common purpose

Tags

Staff empowerment, Everyone’s job, Change process, Staff buy in.

More on leadership here http://ourmuseum.org.uk/resources/governance-leadership/#go