1. How much does it cost to participate?
2. When is the next application deadline?
3. We don't have a facility (staff, budget, etc.), but we have collections. Can your program still work for us?
4. We are a very small museum. Do you help museums like us?
5. How long does the program take?
6. Can we repeat a MAP we have done before?
7. Can we do more than one MAP at a time?
8. What is the difference between MAP and Accreditation?
9. Do we have to do MAP before we can apply for Accreditation?
10. Why be accredited?
11. Is the self-study the same for MAP and Accreditation?
12. Are CAP and MAP the same?
13. We want to do a CAP and a MAP at the same time. Can we coordinate timelines so things will occur around the same time?
14. Is IMLS part of AAM?
15. How do you/we choose Surveyors?
16. Can we get a Surveyor from our town/region/state?
17. Can we suggest a Surveyor?
18. How do we drop from the program?
Answers
1. How much does it cost to participate?
Costs vary according to whether you are participating through the annual deadline (November 30) or through flexible participation (apply anytime). For the annual deadline, participation is free for museums with annual operating expenses of $125,000 or less; $350 for museums with annual operating expenses between $125,001 and $400,000; $550 for museums with annual operating expenses between $400,001 and $1.75M; and $750 for museums with annual operating expenses greater than $1.75M.
For museums participating through flexible participation, the cost is $3,000 plus Surveyor travel expenses and honoraria. Surveyor travel expenses are generally between $700 and $850 per surveyor (estimate). A $300 honorarium is also paid to each Surveyor. The museum can chose to have one or two surveyors conduct the site visit.
2. When is the next application deadline?
Applications are currently available and will be accepted on a rolling basis through November 30 2009. The sooner you apply, the sooner you can get started.
3. We don't have a facility (staff, budget, etc.), but we have collections. Can your program still work for us?
For MAP to be the most productive we recommend that you are open for at least one year before participating in the program. If you do not have a facility, and do not plan to have one, MAP may not be for you. MAP is designed to assist museums who are open to the public and even the Collections Management Assessment is a process of improving how your collection can best be used to meet your mission.
4. We are a very small museum. Do you help museums like us?
One of the most frequently asked questions that the MAP Staff receives is "We're a small museum. Can MAP help us?" In fact, on average, over 49% of museums participating in the Museum Assessment Program have budgets under $250,000. The Self-Study Workbook is designed to apply to museums of all sizes, allowing flexibility for the institution to approach each question with its own mission and resources in mind. Eligible museums with annual operating expenses of less than $125,000 can participate in the program for free.
5. How long does the program take?
The program has been redesigned to be completed in less than one year. The process is driven by the amount of time and energy you can afford to put into it at any given time.
| top |
6. Can we repeat a MAP we have done before?
Museums previously awarded IMLS funding for MAP may be eligible to participate in the same assessment if 7 years have passed since the original award was received. Applicants will be required to report on changes in operations that were made based on the earlier assessment.
You can apply to participate in any of the other assessments at any time.
7. Can we do more than one MAP at a time?
Due to the amount of time, effort, staff and governing authority resources required to complete an assessment, we do not recommend that a museum take on more than one assessment at a time. Many museums choose to conduct the assessments one right after the other to address the many issues they may be facing. By doing the assessments consecutively, the museum can focus on one assessment at a time and the issues that assessment may bring to light.
8. What is the difference between MAP and Accreditation?
MAP is a confidential, consultative process designed to help the museum improve operations, understand its strengths and weaknesses, understand how it compares to standards and best practices in the field, understand how other similar institutions deal with similar challenges, and get suggestions for improvements. MAP Surveyors write their report to provide assistance to the museum in achieving their goals.
Accreditation provides a certification of excellence. Applicants are either granted accreditation, tabled pending action to address concerns of the Accreditation Commission, or denied accreditation. It is not primarily designed to give a museum feedback or advice on how it is operating — though museums learn a lot from the accreditation process. Accreditation Visiting Committee members prepare their report to help the Accreditation Commission make their decision. The report is not consultative and does not give the museum advice. For more information about the similarities and differences between the programs, click here: Similarities & Differences: Programs 
| top |
9. Do we have to do MAP before we can apply for Accreditation?
You are not required to go through MAP before pursuing accreditation. However, many museums find that it is useful to do MAP as a way of preparing for accreditation. Because the programs are developed in consultation with each other, and are based on the same understanding of standards and best practices, a MAP assessment is very likely to identify and address any issues that might interfere with a successful accreditation application. This can give the museum a chance to deal with these issues in a confidential, low-stress way prior to applying for accreditation, rather than discovering a problem in the course of an accreditation review, and getting tabled or denied.
10. Why be accredited?
Accreditation is an optional process that was developed by the museum field as a way of recognizing excellence. Accredited museums report that their accredited status helps them leverage support, attract and retain high-quality staff, negotiate loans of collections, and enter into partnerships with other institutions. The process of becoming and remaining accredited is an educational process that ensures that staff and governing authority members are "on the same page," kept abreast of evolving standards and best practices, and are focused on attaining excellence. While it is certainly possible to be an excellent museum without being accredited, it is a way to quickly educate others (foundations, partners, the public) about the standards you adhere to. Many potential supporters want to know that you are operating in ways they will feel proud to be associated with, but they do not want to have to assess your operations in depth for themselves. Accredited status is a nationally recognized indicator of your responsibility and accountability.
11. Is the self-study the same for MAP and Accreditation?
No, but it is based on the same outline of critical issues and both are based on the Characteristics of Excellence . Many questions are similar, and if you complete the MAP self-study first, you may be able to adapt and reuse some of the answers when you engage in the accreditation self-study, especially those that outline basic information on the way the museum operates.
| top |
12. Are CAP and MAP the same?
The Conservation Assessment Program and Collections Management Assessment are similar but focus on different aspects of collections and their care. Collections Management Assessment addresses the museum's basic stewardship responsibilities. It focuses on collections policies, planning, access, documentation, and collections care within the context of the museum's total operations. It complements Heritage Preservation's Conservation Assessment Program, which looks at collections conditions and preservation. There is some overlap (both look at collections storage conditions, for example). However, MAP's Collections Management Assessment focuses on the larger context of collections care: the governing authority's understanding of their stewardship responsibilities; how collections are integrated into the museum's budget and planning; how the museum ensures the collections benefit the public. CAP Assessors often recommend that museums undertake Collections Management Assessment first, to ensure that all the appropriate policies are in place and up-to-date.
13. We want to do a CAP and a MAP at the same time. Can we coordinate timelines so things will occur around the same time?
It is good that you are thinking in terms of coordinating different assessments and projects. However, it is important to keep in mind that MAP and CAP assessments take a lot of time and energy and you do not want to take on more than what you and your staff can handle at one time. You may want to think about coordinating projects so that as you complete one assessment you are ready to move on to another. Usually when you are in the final stages of a MAP assessment, it is a good time to be applying for the next project.
14. Is IMLS part of AAM?
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the federal agency that has formed a Cooperative Agreement with AAM to support the Museum Assessment Program. The MAP staff at AAM are the administrators of the Museum Assessment Program, and to whom all reports and forms are sent. Please visit the IMLS web site for more information.
| top |
15. How do you/we choose Surveyors?
We choose Surveyors based upon information from your application, including your main objectives, greatest concerns, governance type, budget type, and requested areas of expertise in your Surveyors. We also keep your region of the country in mind, but we do not make that a limiting factor in the search. When it comes time for you to choose your Surveyor(s) from the list that we provide, review their experience from the bio that we provide. Keep in mind that we have already carefully selected individuals who should meet your needs. Most importantly you should choose a Surveyor who you do not have a current relationship with. This provides you with the "outside perspective" that most MAP participants find so useful.
16. Can we get a Surveyor from our town/region/state?
We try to keep your region of the country in mind when compiling your Surveyor selection forms, but our main area of concern is the Surveyors' expertise and their ability to address the concerns you cited in your application. It has been our experience, furthermore, that Surveyors from different regions of the country often bring new and interesting insights into their reports, and can be more objective than a Surveyor from the same town, state or region as the MAP client museum.
If travel expenses are your concern, keep in mind that it is sometimes actually cheaper to fly in from across the country than to take a train from a few hundred miles away! We suggest that you look into travel expenses before deciding to eliminate a peer reviewer from your roster based on distance.
17. Can we suggest a Surveyor?
Please feel free to suggest a Surveyor. However we will check our Surveyor roster and determine whether she/he is currently an active Surveyor for the program. If not, we will do our best to find a roster of Surveyors for you who have the expertise in the areas that are of the most concern to your institution.
| top |
18. How do we drop from the program?
The following policies and procedures apply in order to drop from the program. (Note: Museums participating through flexible participation - not through the traditional annual deadline - should contact MAP staff for the appropriate drop policy and procedure.)
MAP Drop Policy: Museums may withdraw from the Museum Assessment Program at any point during their assessment. AAM also has the right to drop a museum from the Program if the assessment is inactive (defined as non-responsive to phone calls, letters, and e-mails) for more than one year or does not meet deadlines.
MAP Reimbursement Policy: Museums withdrawing from the Museum Assessment Program within three months from their date of acceptance into the program will receive a full reimbursement. After three months, all fees are considered non-refundable.
Future Eligibility: Museums applying for the same or a different assessment are fully eligible for a MAP assessment beginning with the next annual application cycle.
Drop Procedure: If a Museum elects to drop from MAP they should first contact MAP staff to discuss alternatives to dropping from the Program. If no alternative is available, follow these steps: Notify MAP in writing of the museum’s intent to drop from the Program; Put the letter on letterhead and include the reason for dropping; Make sure the letter is signed by the Director or Head of the Governing Authority; MAP staff will begin the reimbursement process according to the Reimbursement Policy outlined above; and as appropriate MAP will mail official acknowledgement of the museum’s withdrawal from the Program with a reimbursement check. If MAP elects to drop a Museum, MAP staff will contact the museum via a certified letter, stating that the museum is being dropped from the program. Please contact MAP staff with any questions about the process.
