QVMAG Collections and Accountability

Good morning Martin George,

Thank you for your response to my request for information. The information you provide is very much appreciated and I acknowledge the valuable perspective that you bring to amassing the information that you have provided.

I imagine that there would be general agreement that the primary set of policies that are fundamental to the governance and management of operations such as museums and art galleries are their collection policies – and by extension acquistion/accession policies and deaccession/disposal policies. This is true in respect to both asset management and research and more so in respect to the ways they interface.

Property should no longer be seen as being passive or even the inert product/bi-product of an operations and it ‘doing’ all the various ‘things’ that reflect these policies. ‘Property’ is the  measurable component of an operation and its planning outcomes.

Arguably, ‘property’ needs to be seen this way in order to effectively manage resources in order that planned and desired outcomes can actually be achieved and delivered. Delivered to whom? Typically, the owners of the operation. For publicly funded institutions that is ‘the public’. Public collections are a ‘public chattel’ and owned collectively.

There can be no argument that accountability is fundamentally important to a public operation of the QVMAG’s order. When accountability comes into play so too do the legal process of governance. That is in addition to the benefits of ‘owning’ and/or ‘occupying’ an asset/s. For public museums and art galleries their primary asset is their collection and ‘the public’ holds ownership in them – not the institution/operation. Nonetheless, ownership being carried out under the stewardship of a representative body – government, council, board, trustees, whatever.

Therefore its governance needs to be transparent and likewise the management of an ‘operation’s’ assets needs to be fully accountable in order to sustain the necessary social licence that enables its existence. By extension there needs to be appropriate processes to ensure credible accountability to the collections’ ownership/s.

For such accountability to be realisable, the full spectrum of the operation’s ‘governing policies’ – acquisition, accession, deaccession, dispersal, research, etc. – needs to be not only publicly available but also reflective of public aspirations and commensurate with the public investment/s in the operation and the social license it operates under. Functionally, at the QVMAG this situation does not currently appear to exist.

Looking through your responses to do with the deaccessioning/disposal of ‘objects’ with various values attached to them it does not seem as if there are the protocols and processes relevant to the ‘asset management’ of a public asset. This raises some questions given that Launceston Aldermen are the QVMAG’s governing body ... its Trustees if you like .... and they are as follows:

1. What direct part does the institution’s governors/trustees play in devising, determining and reviewing QVMAG collection policies?
2. What are the default processes and protocols determined outside the institution that apply Council wide relevant to the disposal or sale of assets?
3. What are the protocols and processes and where can the public gain the relevant information about them?
4. Where are the disposals of assets documented documented – QVMAG assets in particular?
5. Who is charged with the ultimate authorization for the acquisition of and consequently the disposal/deaccession of an asset  – collection item or other?
6. Assuming that there are some, would they be the ’default’ protocols and processes applying to the QVMAG across the board and are they always applied?
7. Have these protocols and processes, if they exist, been reported on anywhere by the Auditor General relevant to the QVMAG?
8. Have these protocols and processes, if they exist, been scrutinised and/or reported on by Council’s Audit Committee?
9. Furthermore, has Council enacted any new development recently to ensure that appropriate asset management protocols and processes apply and are documented, publicly available and are now in place?
   

And, there’d be several questions emanating from the answers to these questions.

In order to assist with my ongoing research in regard to these issues I would appreciate any further information that you’re able (authorised?) to provide that would assist in putting this matter in perspective from a constituency and operational point of view.

I look forward to your response with interest.

Regards,

Ray

Ray Norman <zingHOUSEunlimited> PH: 03-6334 2176 EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com 40 Delamere Crescent Trevallyn TAS. 7250
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” 
Thomas Paine

CLICK HERE: http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/lcc/index.php?c=69

Message
From: Ray Norman 7250 <raynorman7250@bigpond.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 09:23:54 +1100
To: Martin George <Martin.George@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Cc: Richard Mulvaney <Richard.Mulvaney@launceston.tas.gov.au>,
 Robert Dobrzynski <Robert.Dobrzynski@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Subject: Re: Your collections query

Good morning Martin George,

Thank you for your response to my request. You will and noted I’m sure that have written to the General Manager and that I’ve acknowledged receipt.

Regards,

Ray

Ray Norman <zingHOUSEunlimited> PH: 03-6334 2176 EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com 40 Delamere Crescent Trevallyn TAS. 7250
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” 
Thomas Paine

On 19/01/2016 6:48 pm, "Martin George" <Martin.George@launceston.tas.gov.au> wrote:

> Dear Mr Norman,
>
> Please find attached a letter in reply to your recent query about disposing of
> items by QVMAG.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Martin George | Collections and Research Manager |  Queen Victoria Museum and
> Art Gallery
> T 03 63233714 |  M(Cell) 0437 688824 | F 03 63233776 | www.qvmag.tas.gov.au
>
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