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About the TRACK program

The TRACK program provides training, resources, assessment, coaching, and knowledge-sharing for museums. It guides museums on updating their standards of operation and becoming stronger, more engaged organizations by identifying needs and opportunities for support.

Built on the Museum Evaluation Program’s (MEP) foundation, TRACK takes a comprehensive view at museum standards of practice, and contracts experts to provide training, coaching, and feedback for participating museums.

TRACK operates annually on a thematic basis, allowing museums to explore two areas of operation every year, and work and learn collaboratively with colleagues and experts.

Participation in TRACK is an eligibility requirement to receive CMAP funding. Museums do not need to be an ANSM member to participate in TRACK. We encourage you to read the letter of support from CCTH for more information.

What does TRACK offer museums?

TRAINING:

ANSM will offer an increase in training in various ways, including:

  • Webinars
  • Workshops
  • Updates to existing ANSM Training
  • Connecting with other sources

RESOURCES:

ANSM will develop resources which address topics identified in the assessments.

ASSESSMENT:

Museums will continue to be assessed on a 4-year cycle. The new assessment will remove numerical scoring, increase the focus on qualitative information, and infuse the program with EDI, accessibility, responding to climate change, and addressing community needs. Assessment will include three types of questions, all done through submission rather than site visits:

  • Standards Questions: These specific questions will focus on museum standards and be infused with the new perspectives.
  • Expert Peer Coaching: Museums will submit requested examples of work. A review team will provide feedback in the form of reports, which should be seen as a tool for capacity building by sites, and a needs assessment for ANSM training. If you are interested in being a peer coach, download the application form to learn more.
  • Needs Assessment: Reflect questions will include rubric and short answer formats and will not be rated. The goal of this section is museums will use the process to identify where they require training and ANSM will use this information to support training needs.

COACHING:

Museums will be offered one-on-one coaching sessions. This will include virtual visits with ANSM staff person and content experts.

KNOWLEDGE-SHARING:

Museums will be invited to learn from each other by sharing their successful programs and projects as case studies in blog posts and video interviews.

Advantage of TRACK for museums

Museums will continue to build on the success of the MEP with improved museum practices. Due to the reduced resources required to prepare for this new program, museums will have more resources and increased capacity to focus on issues such as EDI, accessibility, responding to climate change, and responding to community needs. Museums will also see an approach that is more responsive to their individual needs.

Museums will continue to be assessed on a 4-year cycle. Coming up…

2028 – Governance & Community

2029 – Interpretation & Communications

2030 – Financial Stability & Management