Corporate Plan 2009-2014 - National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum
Corporate Plan 2009 –2014
Stimulating curiosity

Overview
The period of this Corporate Plan will see one of the most significant
developments of the Museum since its opening in 1937. With the Sammy Ofer
Wing and its associated activities, we will be able to make clear the physical and
intellectual relationship between the ROG, the Royal Park, the maritime galleries
and the Queen’s House. This will give the visitor a much more unified experience
of the World Heritage Site and a deeper understanding of the relationship of our
unique conjunction of subjects – the sea, ships, time and the stars.
The custom-designed exhibition spaces and highly accessible archives of the
Sammy Ofer Wing will provide a step-change in the way the Museum traces the
history and accomplishments of people across the globe. We will be able to
reach out and engage a wider audience, present an exciting new exhibitions
programme, provide much improved access to and preservation of the research
collections, and encourage participation – relaxing the boundaries between
leisure and learning.
The Corporate Plan gives shape to the Museum’s aspirations (its primary aims)
and describes the methods (strategies) of achieving these aims. It also responds
to and supports the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s strategic aims.
Above all, we want to ensure that the Museum with the most important collections
on the relationship of the British Isles and the seas of the world stimulates,
challenges and guides the expectations of its many visitors and supporters.
Kevin Fewster, AM
Director

Introduction
Our first priority is to use the Museum’s collection to stimulate people’s curiosity.
By providing a truly excellent product and experience we want to inspire people
to explore and understand Britain’s national story – so well expressed in our
relationship with the sea.
The Sammy Ofer Wing will be a major catalyst to facilitate this vision. It will greatly
enhance the Museum’s capacity to seek out, develop and engage with a new
generation of audiences, both digitally and on-site, enabling the Museum to take
a significant leap forward in illustrating how the sea has fundamentally shaped
histories, cultures, economies, and identities across the world.
The new Wing will need to be built to time, on budget and to a high standard.
In addition, much internal planning is being undertaken on the integration of the
Wing’s new facilities, spaces and programmes into the overall operation of the
Museum. While all this complex work is going on, we also need to maintain our
focus and high standards in our core offer to the public. I recognize that achieving
this is reliant on the hard work and dedication of all those closely involved with the
Museum. The Trustees and I are very grateful to all these individuals whose
support will ensure an exciting and sustainable future for the Museum.
This corporate plan encompasses an important year in the life of the organization.
2012 will see the re-opening of the revitalized National Maritime Museum, as well
as the hosting of the equestrian events of the London 2012 Games. Looking
beyond that, and building on our strong foundations, we will continue to grow our
world-wide reputation for the pursuit of excellence.
Lord Sterling of Plaistow
Chairman

National Maritime Museum Corporate Plan 2009 –2014
Overview at strategy level
Overall objective
That the NMM will be recognized as a place and organization of excellence – ‘the best in class’
Primary aims
1. Stimulate curiosity in all our
users – the trigger for discovery
and learning
2. Provide stakeholders with a sense
of ownership – ‘Our Museum’
3. Ensure inspired stewardship of
our collection, our buildings and
our expertise
4. Build an organization that responds
to the challenges ahead and makes
the most of its opportunities
Primary outcomes
For people to have a greater
understanding of British economic,
cultural, social, political, imperial and
maritime history and its consequences
in the world today
To raise the Museum’s reputation with its
stakeholders and develop a confident,
well-defined, outward-looking Museum
with a world-wide reputation for quality,
accessibility, originality and relevance
So that people are engaged and have
greater respect for, and excitement
about, our assets; the collection,
the buildings and our expertise
To develop a Museum that is financially,
structurally and culturally able to realize
its potential
Strategies
1. Realize the potential of the Sammy
Ofer Wing to open up NMM’s
archival collections to researchers
of all kinds and provide bespoke
facilities for special exhibitions
2. Work towards excellence through
inter-disciplinary research that
advances knowledge of our
collections and subjects
3. Place people’s stories at the heart
of our interpretation and link these
to contemporary issues
1. Develop mechanisms that enable
the Museum to increase the
dialogue with stakeholders to
stimulate improvements
2. Promote the NMM as
‘your local museum’
3. Create environments that invite the
public to participate in a dialogue
about our subjects and collections
4. Create a new brand and brand
perception
1. Use our expertise to make the full
diversity of our collections more
visible and accessible
2. Demonstrate leadership in
developing and implementing
standards and good practice in
security, conservation and
collections management
3. Maximize people’s sense of the value
of the estate by promoting appreciation
of its architecture and history
4. Advance the strategy for the estate,
ensuring organizational efficiency,
security and preservation of the
collections
5. Pursue modern ways of capturing
and managing information and
knowledge about the Museum and
its collection
1. Increase revenue resources
2. Implement the strategic plan and
sub strategies (eg/ HR Strategy,
sustainability and process efficiencies)
3. Imbue entrepreneurship across
the Museum
4. Maintain a culture high on trust,
devolvement, development and
communication
5. Extend and increase staff expertise
throughout the organization –
particularly financial, project and
management skills

For further copies of this summary, contact the NMM Communications Department on 020 8312 6545 or email pwong@nmm.ac.uk
National Maritime Museum Greenwich London SE10 9NF T: 020 8858 4422 F: 020 8312 6572