Carol Scott, former ICOM UK Chair and current Chair of the Academic and Programming Board ICOM-IMREC, has written this short report for ICOM UK members on the newly published ICOM Strategic Plan 2022-28. The ICOM UK board of trustees/committee, Executive Director and Membership Manager will convene at an away day in November to develop a strategic plan for ICOM UK that will integrate and respond to ICOM’s Strategic Pan 2022-28. We will report back to members on progress following the away day.
ICOM Strategic Plan 2022-28
Carol Scott, Executive Board representative on the Strategic Planning Committee 2017-22
Prague, 24th August 2022. Over 94% of the voting members attending ICOM’s General Assembly vote to adopt a new Strategic Plan which will set the direction for the Association over the next six years.
Working from feedback acquired through two surveys and a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data, the Plan is set to build ICOM’s international profile, continue the internal reform agenda and address the changes being faced by the global museum community.
Looking outwards, the museum sector faces the necessity of developing new business models and sustainable solutions for funding, and addressing the crises presented by climate change for museums and for the communities they serve. It needs to be proactive in applying the principle of social inclusion to both audiences and the employment of staff and to seize the opportunities presented by digital technology. And it must embrace the challenges presented by decolonisation and recognise the importance of developing leaders to guide our sector through the 21st century.
Looking inwards, ICOM has weathered internal challenges over the last three years which have put its governance in the spotlight. The Plan endorses the recommendations of a recent External Review to implement governance reform and to build on improvements introduced over the last two years that will strengthen the organisation going forward.
Finally, ICOM will build on its position as the international voice of museums through its branding, by consolidating its leadership role in preserving cultural heritage at risk in zones of conflict and by exploring opportunities for partnerships with other like-minded organisations. These three key directions will be achieved through the following strategies:
| ICOM is the global voice for the museum community | ICOM implements best practice in governance and management | ICOM supports a global museum network dealing with change |
| Strategy: build ICOM’s global positioning | Strategy: improve governance | Strategy: aim for sustainable funding |
| Strategy: build strong financial principles | Strategy: address climate change | |
| Strategy: enhance communication | Strategy: explore digital futures | |
| Strategy: embrace diversity | Strategy: support leadership | |
| Strategy: engage with decolonisation |
As the Plan enters the next stage, National and International Committees and Regional Alliances will be invited to select those areas of the Plan for implementation which resonate with their work. For example, it may be that a Committee feels that communication with its members could benefit from increased attention and decide to focus on that area. A National Committee might decide to lobby government for sustainable museum funding or develop a toolkit for climate change to be used by museums in that country.
But this Plan also offers the opportunity to work across ICOM in the spirit of one of ICOM’s three core values- collaboration. Are there opportunities for National and International Committees to work together to achieve some of these goals? Could Committees work with the Secretariat and the Executive Board to implement some of the strategic objectives?
Over the next three months, the ICOM Strategic Planning Committee will be contacting Committees and Regional Alliances to discuss implementation. Download a copy of the Plan from the ICOM website and get ready!
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