TRACK – Training, Resources, Assessment, Coaching and Knowledge-Sharing
The TRACK program provides comprehensive 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 expands beyond museum standards to include EDI, accessibility, responding to climate change, and engaging in community-led services. ANSM contracts additional professionals to provide content specific training and advice 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.
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 Review: 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.
- Self-Reflection: 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 a visit to their museum by an ANSM staff person and a content expert (consultant in EDI, climate change, etc.).
KNOWLEDGE-SHARING:
Museums will be invited to learn from each other by sharing their successful programs and projects via webinars, social media, the Beacon e-newsletter, networking events, and as case studies in workshops and courses.
Advantage of new TRACK program 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.