This pro-forma advocacy strategy can be adapted as little or as much as your
require to suit the issues and objectives of your service
Insert the name of your museum or museum service
Advocacy Strategy
2011 - 2016
Executive Summary
This document sets out the Advocacy Strategy for Anywhere Museum. The aim of
the Advocacy Strategy is to ensure the museum’s Key Messages are heard across
our community and a wider community in the UK.
In common with all museums our Key Messages are:
1. This museum empowers people through education and inspiration
2. Collections in our museum help communities to regenerate and forge
their identity
3. This museum contributes to the economy
Through this strategy Anywhere Museum will work to persuade key stakeholders
and decision makers of the importance and value of the museum service to the
communities of Anywhere County.
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is typically undertaken by an individual, group or organisation in order to
promote either themselves, their ideals or individual projects. Though there are a
number of different definitions of advocacy, the one that best fits Anywhere
Museum’s objectives was developed by the Museum Association which defines
advocacy as follows:
“Advocacy is the process whereby an organisation seeks to influence others in order
to gain support for its mission, interests or course of action. In order to achieve this,
networks of support are developed and used to lend credibility, wield influence and
offer third party endorsement. (Museums Association)
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Background
In this section insert some background information and data about Anywhere
Museum, its future strategy, vision, aims plans. Use or cut and paste sections from
your strategic plan. You might already have done this for your strategic plan. This
section should be two or three paragraphs in length and no more than 300 words
Purpose of the Strategy
This strategy is a document that will guide the advocacy work Anywhere Museum
undertakes over the next five years. It will shape the development of our advocacy
as Anywhere Museum engages stakeholders and decision makers to get over the
key messages relating to the work we do and the importance of Anywhere Museum
to the communities it serves. This strategy will serve as a useful document for
museum staff and volunteers at all levels. Advocacy will be understood and
undertaken at all levels in Anywhere Museum. The customer care skills of our front
line staff will be used to promote the messages as they deal with visitors. All our staff
and volunteers will be ambassadors or advocates for our service. This strategy will
ensure that all staff are empowered to become advocates and are familiar with the
museum’s messages. This strategy will act as a reminder of the need for all to
embrace advocacy and help promote our key messages.
Context
The development of this Advocacy Strategy for Anywhere Museum is extremely
timely. The Accreditation Scheme for Museums in the UK underwent a major review
in 2010 and an updated revised scheme will be introduced in October 2011. The
Museum Strategy for Wales supports this and clearly states CyMAL's intent to use
Accreditation as the basis for policy making. Community consultation - as required
by Accreditation and encouraged by the Museum Strategy for Wales has direct
advocacy benefit for museums. Anywhere Museum is operating and working in a
tough economic climate and our resources are shrinking. All sectors are facing
uncertainty, which makes it important that Anywhere Museum has a structured
response to promote the contribution the service makes to the communities of
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Anywhere County. The service has to be sensitive to public priorities and show how
it contributes to a fair and worthwhile society.
We must be aware that a climate of austerity can frame choices between services
such as education and health and sectors such as heritage. We need to think
creatively about the delivery of our services. Museums are more than buildings and
we must work to demonstrate that museums contribute to those essential services
that the community values. Our Advocacy Strategy needs to raise awareness about
the breadth of work Anywhere Museum undertakes across Anywhere County. It
needs to show that the service fits into the learning, social and health agendas. It
should also highlight the contribution Anywhere Museum makes to the Anywhere
County’s economy, particularly through cultural tourism.
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Key Messages
This strategy recognises that Anywhere Museum is involved in many different
areas. We believe that the Key Messages it needs to convey are:
1. This museum empowers people through education and inspiration
2. Collections in our museum help communities to regenerate and forge their
identity
3. This museum contributes to the economy
These Key Messages are underpinned by a series of statements about what
museums actually do. This strategy will ensure that these are communicated as part
of promoting the Key Messages.
1. Museums empower people through education and inspiration
Statement 1 Museums collect and preserve the community’s heritage
Statement 2 Museums are significant centres of formal and informal learning
Statement 3 Museums provide services for children and young people
2. Collections in Museums help communities regenerate and forge their
identity
Statement 4 Museums make an important contribution to local identity, a sense
of place and belonging
Statement 5 Museums have accessible, well qualified and committed staff
Statement 6 Museums work in partnerships with numerous organisations
Statement 7 Museums provide services to diverse communities
Statement 8 Museums engage volunteers and many are managed by the third
sector
Statement 9 Museums contribute to the quality of life
Statement 10 Museums improve our physical and mental health
Statement 11 Museums encourage the use and growth of the Welsh Language
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
3
Museums contribute to the economy through tourism and regeneration
Statement 12 Museums support tourism and the economic regeneration
Statement 13 Museums offer real value for money
Statement 14 Museums meet high standards and offer a quality service
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Target Audiences and possible ways to reach them
It is important that these messages and statements are communicated to a wide
range of audiences by Anywhere Museum.
These audiences and the actions below are indicative of what can be included by
your museum or museum service. They can be added to or deleted as required.
Target Audiences
1. Museum Visitors
2. Education and
Training Providers
3. Local Supporters
(Friends, Local
History Groups)
4. Funders
5.Media
Ways of delivering Anywhere Museums’ three key
messages
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Website
Social Media
Leaflets
Press stories
Educational Material
Information from your annual report & Spotlight
Lectures
Notes
Web notes
Power point slides
Information from your annual report & Spotlight
Lectures
Participation in governance
Sponsorship
Letter writing
Participation in Social Networking
Sponsorship
Acknowledgements
One to One
Applications
Invitation to develop projects
Press Releases
Images
Quotes and Comments
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
6. Politicians,
Executive Officers,
Trustees.
7. General
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Good news stories
Information from your annual report & Spotlight
Evidence to support messages
Case studies
Role of Heritage in wider society
Modern Media
Briefing Note
One to One
Information from our annual report
Email Signature
Actions
1. Anywhere Museum will:
 Put the Key Messages on our website.
 Put positive museum statistics on our website.
 Tweet Key Messages
 Tweet positive museum statistics
 Include Key Messages and positive museum statistics on printed
media
 Include Key Messages and positive museum statistics as notes for
editors on press releases
 Include Key Messages and positive museum statistics in information
for schools.
2. Anywhere Museum will provide key museum information relating to
education to:
 Students
 Education providers
 Lecturers
3. Anywhere Museum will encourage local supporters to use the Key
Messages
4. Anywhere Museum will use Key Messages in grant applications.
5. Anywhere Museum will :
 Place key messages on every press release
 Build up a resource of good news/events/successes
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
6. Anywhere Museum will:
 Collect data to enforce Key Messages
 Make information about the museum easily available
 Collect visual evidence
 Meet with politicians (if possible)
7. Anywhere Museum will insert positive museum statistics and messages on
the end of email signatures from staff.
Activities/Outcomes
Anywhere Museum to indentify some key Activities/outcomes for the strategy, such
as a good news story with messages once a month, presentations at training events
for teachers and other user groups, development of web sites and the use of new
media, staff training, messages on e mail signatures, publication of key statistics etc.
You can add to or delete from this list to suit your requirements.
Evaluation and Monitoring
Anywhere Museum to identify some key outcomes for use in monitoring and
evaluating the success of the strategy. These could include;-
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Attendance of decision makers at events
Interest from decision makers
Evidence that the value of Anywhere Museum has been recognised within
relevant strategies, policies of governing organisation or funders.
This proforma was developed by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales