Manual of Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations

Gail Dexter Lord is co-founder and co-president of Lord Cultural Resources. With Barry Lord, she is co-editor of The Manual of Museum Planning (1991, 1999, 2012), co-author of The Manual of Museum Management (1997 and 2009), and with Kate Markert co-author of the first edition of the Manual of Strategic Planning for Museums (2007). Gail’s most recent book is Cities, Museums and Soft Power (co-authored with Ngaire Blankenberg in 2015).Kate Markert is executive director of Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington, D.C., where, as the result of a strategic planning process, a special exhibition program and revitalized gardens have spurred a 50 percent increase in attendance over five years and has tripled the membership. She has been director of the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford Connecticut, associate director of the Walters Art Museum, and deputy director and acting director of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

• Chapter 1WHY Conduct a Strategic Plan?1.1Forces of Change1.2Understanding Your Cultural Organization1.3The Significance of Foundations StatementsCase Study 1.1: The Guggenheim Bilbao Strategic Vision 2020Case Study 1.2: Why do you Need Libraries Anyway? The County of Los Angeles Public Library Strategic Plan: A Case Study Case Study 1.3: Soft Power and The Gardiner Museum's Strategic PlanChapter 2WHEN to Conduct a Strategic Plan2.1Professional Standards2.2New Director2.3New Circumstances2.4New and Renewed Facilities and New Location2.5Readiness ChecklistCase Study 2.1: It’s Time for Strategic Planning at the Whitney Museum of American ArtCase Study 2.2: A New Strategic Direction for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureChapter 3WHO AND WHAT: The Structure of Strategic Planning3.1Leadership3.2Facilitation3.3The Ten Steps of Strategic PlanningCase Study 3.1: Tafelmusik’s Strategic Plan for Acoustical ExcellenceCase Study 3.2: Benefits of Strategic Planning in Science CentersChapter 4HOW: Methods of Engagement4.1Principles of Strategic Planning4.2Internal Assessment4.2.3Using Technology4.3External AssessmentCase Study 4.1: Why Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations Needs to Include the City Case Study 4.2: How Art League Houston Engaged CommunitiesChapter 5From Problems to Strategies5.1Thinking Strategically5.2Identifying Key Issues5.3Comparison and Benchmarking5.4Construction of ScenariosCase Study 5.1: The Role of Strategic Planning in Formalizing and Communicating the Changing Role of the Toronto ZooCase Study 5.2: A New Governance Strategy for the Tom Thomson Art GalleryChapter 6From Strategies to Goals: The Strategic Planning Retreat6.1Setting Realistic Objectives for the Retreat6.2The Retreat Agenda6.3Retreat ReportCase Study 6.1: Creativity is Center Stage in Strategic Planning for Roundabout Theatre CompanyChapter 7From Goals to Objectives and Tasks7.1Strategic Planning Workbook7.2Facilitating the Staff ProcessCase Study 7.1: Henry Ford Estate – Fair Lane: A 21st Century Blueprint for an Iconic Historic HomeChapter 8Implementing the Plan8.1Detailing the Plan8.2The Financials in the Plan8.3The Budget and the Plan8.4Alignment with the Organization’s Long-Range Plans8.5Alignment with Human Resources Strategy8.6Alignment of Staff and Board8.7The Public Dimension: Communicating the PlanCase Study 8.1: A Great Garden of the World -- Our Planning StoryChapter 9Evaluating the Strategic Plan9.1The Board’s Role in Evaluation9.2Involving All Board Committees9.3Staff Roles in Evaluating the Plan9.4The Bigger Question: Are These the Right Goals? Or, Is It Time for a New Plan?Case Study 9.1: Measuring What Matters in Strategic PlanningCase Study 9.2: Using Metrics to Further Alignment at HillwoodChapter 10Conclusion: What Can Go Wrong and How to Fix It

Strategic planning is at the heart of every successful business. Museums and cultural institutions are complex organizations. For them, strategic planning is even more vital to both survival and success. Gail Lord and Kate Markert have revised and expanded one of the essential volumes on planning for cultural organizations. From gardens and zoos to art museums and libraries, TheManual of Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations is a blueprint to be followed. Too often, planning is deferred, replaced with attention to more pressing and immediate needs—which can result in lackluster performance or even failure. With this volume, strategic planning is made accessible and understandable in a straightforward manner. This book is both a ‘how-to’ guide with great, concise case studies and an essential theoretical overview of the processes, philosophies, and practices that underpin any solid strategic planning effort. I hope it will serve as a guide and encouragement for many to invest in the most important task any cultural organization can make beyond a solid mission: its strategic plan to success.