Question 17:
Are you as Aldermen completely satisfied that QVMAG operation is adequately resourced to succeed as a vital cultural institution with 'social license' to deliver the social, cultural and 'trickle down' fiscal dividends it has the potential to do?
Response: The Council provides a very significant financial resource from the City of Launceston ratepayers to the ongoing operation of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. Improving on the 'value for money' aspect is an objective for the Museum as it is for all Council activities.
MY RESPONSE : Again, the question was addressed to the Aldermen individually and collectively and not management. Yet again, the response here is reflective of 'corporate management's' world-view in regard to the QVMAG as an institution. Concerningly, management's, and by reflection the aldermen/trustees', apparent acceptance of the 'status quo' Ibdoes nor bode well for there to be a 21st Century assessment/reassessment of the QVMAG operation.
Indeed, the QVMAG's lack of meaningful KPIs. and Council's apparent disconnects with the institution become a real concern when one starts to look at and assess 'performance outcomes'. There is a great deal to be said about all this but they are discussions for another time.
What is apparent here is that the Council's operational wing is self-absorbed in bureaucratic 'position protection' that it looses sight of, and connections with, the issues that give an institution like the QVMAG its social license. However, it must be said that this primarily applies to to that part of Council's operational wing that not directly involved in the QVMAG operation.
Consequently, it appears that the QVMAG's Community of Ownership and Interest is pooly served Launceston City Council's stewardship of all that is invested in, and has been invested in, the QVMAG's collections etc. over 125 years now. Sadly it appears that issues such as the institutions role in cultural tourism, for whatever reason, is regarded as being peripheral by the aldermen/trustees and Council's senior management.
It is unproductive to consider that all this might be an an indication of the 'plot being lost' but Kristen Tracy – author of young people's books and the book – "Lost It", tells us about “parents [who] had basically abdicated their roles as guardians and [the child] was building a bomb. In order to kill a poodle.” , somehow all this resonates with Kristen's words.
Indeed, the QVMAG's lack of meaningful KPIs. and Council's apparent disconnects with the institution become a real concern when one starts to look at and assess 'performance outcomes'. There is a great deal to be said about all this but they are discussions for another time.
What is apparent here is that the Council's operational wing is self-absorbed in bureaucratic 'position protection' that it looses sight of, and connections with, the issues that give an institution like the QVMAG its social license. However, it must be said that this primarily applies to to that part of Council's operational wing that not directly involved in the QVMAG operation.
Consequently, it appears that the QVMAG's Community of Ownership and Interest is pooly served Launceston City Council's stewardship of all that is invested in, and has been invested in, the QVMAG's collections etc. over 125 years now. Sadly it appears that issues such as the institutions role in cultural tourism, for whatever reason, is regarded as being peripheral by the aldermen/trustees and Council's senior management.
It is unproductive to consider that all this might be an an indication of the 'plot being lost' but Kristen Tracy – author of young people's books and the book – "Lost It", tells us about “parents [who] had basically abdicated their roles as guardians and [the child] was building a bomb. In order to kill a poodle.” , somehow all this resonates with Kristen's words.
No comments:
Post a Comment