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  • CULTURAL STEWARDSHIP SUCCESSION PLANNING INITIATIVE

  • You are invited to provide input for the Cultural Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative. This two-year project of the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA), in partnership with Lyrasis,  addresses the need for leadership development and knowledge transfer in the cultural heritage workforce. With funding through a National Leadership Grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and supported in part by the work of the Performing Arts Readiness project, we are gathering data and building professional development resources to support succession planning for staff and volunteers responsible for collections stewardship and arts administration.  

    Thank you in advance for your participation —your input is critical to understanding the needs of museums, libraries, archives, and other collecting institutions and arts organizations. 

    This survey is intended for Collections Management staff at libraries, archives, museums, and other collecting institutions and Arts Administrators and Operations Managers within the arts field. For the purposes of this survey, Cultural Stewardship is defined as the practices involved in preserving the value of cultural works, objects, and/or events, and for providing the means by which people may benefit from that value in the future.

    Please discuss with colleagues any special needs or concerns related to the topic of succession planning at your institution before completing the survey, as we hope to have one survey representing a single institution, and not multiple surveys from a single site. To help inform these discussions, a PDF preview of the survey questions is available for download here.

     

    Confidentiality: Your responses are being collected and analyzed by CCAHA and Lyrasis, both independent, nonprofit organizations. Your input will be kept confidential and will not be attributed to you or your organization. Only aggregate data will be reported.

     

    We estimate the survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. Please be sure to click the “Submit” button at the end of the survey in order to have your answers registered.

    Please submit the survey by Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET. If you have any questions, please contact Alanna Shaffer at ashaffer@ccaha.org.  

    Thank you for your support of this important project; we look forward to sharing what we discover with the cultural heritage community. 

  • GENERAL RESPONDENT INFORMATION

  • Please select the category that best describes your institution:*
  • What is the estimated size of your institution’s annual operating budget? *

  • CURRENT STATUS OF SUCCESSION PLANNING AT YOUR ORGANIZATION

  • Definitions for three terms used throughout this survey: 
     
    Succession Plan: For the purposes of this survey, a Succession Plan is defined as a written document or set of documents that describe a specific position and its place within the organizational structure, as well as an action plan for ensuring the smooth transition of position responsibilities, including recruitment, hiring, and training. 
     
    Collections Stewardship: For the purposes of this survey, Collections Stewardship is defined as the staff or volunteer responsibilities for maintaining intellectual control, safety and security, treatment and housing, housekeeping, and environmental stability appropriate for the collection items. 
     
    Knowledge Transfer Process: A systematic method for the documentation of critical job-specific information regarding organizational history, business functions, protocols, and tasks, particularly as needed to ensure accurate information sharing during periods of staff or volunteer transition. 

  • Does your organization currently have any type of Succession Planning process or policy in place? *
  • Does the Succession Planning at your organization address different processes for emergency (sudden need) vs. standard succession?
  • At your organization, does a Succession Plan exist for any top administrative positions?
  • At your organization, do Succession Plans exist for any positions with primary Collections Stewardship responsibilities?
  • Has your organization established any systems to support a “knowledge transfer process” to ensure the smooth transfer of information critical for maintaining continuity of projects and practices?
  • Does your organization do oral histories for any of these reasons? (Check all that apply.)
  • In addition to succession plans, does your organization have any of these plans or policies? (Check all that apply.)
  • Does your organization have language to ensure that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues are part of their process for succession planning?
  • What would be the effect if YOU abruptly left your organization? (Check all that apply.)
  • Have you worked at an organization or in a department that experienced problems arising from a lack of succession planning?
  • What problems have you experienced or witnessed that arose from a lack of succession planning?
  • Did any of the following issues exacerbate staffing and succession planning issues within your organization in the past three years? (Check all that apply.)
  • Do you feel that your organization has presented you with a clear career/advancement path?
  • Do your concerns about Succession Planning and Knowledge Transfer extend to your organization’s part-time and volunteer staff?

  • PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE 

  • Do you consider Succession Planning a high or low priority at your organization, in comparison to financial, facilities, collection stewardship, and programmatic issues?
  • What barriers do you see to an increased commitment to Succession Planning at your organization. (Check all that apply.)
  • If you have participated in a Succession Planning process, please note if you used any outside resources during the process. (Check all that apply.)
  • What would be the best delivery method for information related to Succession Planning? (Check all that apply.)
  • Would you be interested in joining a discussion group on this issue with colleagues in your region or professional association?
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