QIS FAQs
We already have Accreditation. Why do we need the QIS?
Why do we need to go through self-evaluation?
We are an independent museum. How can the QIS help us?
What support will be available to museums using the QIS?
Should we include our non-Accredited sites in the self-evaluation process?
We run an archive as part of our museum service. Should we include this in our self-evaluation?
Who will see our self-evaluation score?
What if we don't make the grade?
How will MGS know that museums across Scotland are evaluating themselves consistently?
The QIS
We already have Accreditation. Why do we need the QIS?
Accreditation is the recognised national minimum standard for the museum sector. The QIS is designed to provide a framework for continuous improvement. Accredited museums will find that the QIS enables them to: evaluate the quality of their provision, measure their impact on the community and implement improvements in their services. It is not a one-off event but a continuous process of evaluation, reflection and improvement.
We already know the strengths and weaknesses of our service. Why do we need to go through self-evaluation?
Self-evaluation offers a structured, evidence-based and comprehensive framework for evaluating all aspects of the service you provide. By gathering evidence from the perspective of users, stakeholders and partners you will gain a robust and multi-layered insight into how your service is performing that may well differ from your initial impressions. The self-evaluation framework involves staff from all parts of the organisation, ensuring that everyone’s input is valued. Most importantly, it results in an evidence-based improvement plan that will help you to prioritise and put in place improvements to your service. QIS will give the organisation a bank of evidence of where the strengths and weaknesses are, which the museum can then use to make the case for funding, staffing or recognition of their achievements.
We are an independent museum. How can the QIS help us?
The QIS can help all museums to demonstrate what they do well and identify where they need to improve. Specifically it can help you find out:
- What impact you are making in your community
- How your services contribute to national priorities
- What your users, partners and stakeholders think about your service
- Where your strengths and weaknesses lie
- What you can do better.
What support will be available to museums using the QIS?
Museums Galleries Scotland is currently piloting the QIS process to identify what support museums are likely to need when the national rollout begins. Alison Turnbull, Head of Research and Standards and Victoria Hawkins, Standards Manager are the main points of contact for the QIS.
A toolkit with a range of support resources is available on the MGS website. These include guidance on self-evaluation, sources of evidence and templates. We will be adding to these resources as the pilot progresses. We are also testing the use of peer support through an e-mail group and social networking site during the pilot.
HMIe have informed their Link Inspectors in each region about the pilots for ‘How Good is Our Culture and Sport?’ and the ‘Taking a closer look at our...’ sector specific models (eg. QIS). They will be willing to offer general advice on the process of self-evaluation.
Tim Dent and Emma King from the Sport and Leisure Consultancy, the consultants leading on the pilot, are available for advice and support to those museums involved in the pilot.
Self-Evaluation
Should we include our non-Accredited sites in the self-evaluation process?
When embarking on self-evaluation the first step is to agree the scope of your review. The QIS is intended to help you assess the quality of the your service across the board, not just the provision you offer at Accredited sites. Therefore if you provide a service to the public at sites not covered by the Accreditation Scheme you should include these sites in your self-evaluation. The QIS will help you evaluate the quality of the service you provide and identify areas of improvement.
We run an archive as part of our museum service. Should we include this in our self-evaluation?
If these activities form a core part of your service provision you should include them in the self-evaluation process.
Who will see our self-evaluation score?
Self-evaluation is an internal process. The outcome of the self-evaluation, including the action plan, should be communicated internally to staff at all levels, leaders and decision makers, and the action plan discussed. You may wish to also report your findings and areas for improvement to partners and other stakeholders particularly if they have been involved in the self-evaluation process. The results of the QIS will not be published in a “league table” nor made widely available.
What if we don't make the grade?
QIS is about continuous improvement, not “making the grade,” so if your self-evaluation identifies gaps or weaknesses in the service, these will then inform your future improvement plan. The aim is to develop an action plan for the service. The action plan to ‘get better’ is the most important part of the process.
If the process is entirely based on self-evaluation, how will MGS know that museums across Scotland are evaluating themselves consistently?
MGS are testing different verification methods as part of the QIS pilot. Following the pilot, we will be able to decide which methods to take forward in future. The methods that are being tested are:
•Review visit and observation - A team comprising of an MGS representative and the consultants will visit and observe the service during opening hours; review elements of the evidence submission, review the improvement plan, meet with partners and, depending on the Impact Measure being tested, interview staff to determine if the organisation’s vision, values and ethos have filtered down the organisation and are understood by all staff.
•Peer review – We hope to set up a pool of peer reviewers. This peer review team would consist of museum practitioners or those with hands on experience of quality frameworks. Any one interested in becoming a peer reviewer should inform Victoria Hawkins, Standards Manager at Museums Galleries Scotland
•Mystery visits – To help inform the review visit and observation team, we will test the use of mystery visits. This unannounced visit will enable an independent third party to experience the service through the eyes of a first time user, which can help determine if the service is accessible, welcoming and meets users needs. This verification method is already in use in libraries for the Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix (PLQIM).