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September 2003

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES OF NORTHERN IRELAND

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Minutes of a meeting of the Board of Trustees held on Tuesday 2 September 2003 at 1000 hrs in the Evans Room at Cultra Manor at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Present:
Mrs M Elliott (Chairman)
Sir K Bloomfield
Mr T Shaw
Mrs W Osborne
Dame G Keegan
Professor E McLaughlin
Mr D Harvey
Mr B Montgomery
Mr M Adair
Dr A Walker
Ms L Beers
Ms P Flanagan

In attendance:
Mr T Cooke (Chief Executive)
Mr J Gilmour (Director of Development)
Mr M McKee (Director of Operations)
Mrs K O’Dowd (Director of Finance)
Mrs H Henning (Committee Secretary)

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received from Lt Col H Bicker and Mr S Neeson. The Chairman advised the meeting that Mr B Montgomery would be joining the meeting in due course.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 26 June 2003

The minutes of the meeting held on 26 June 2003, previously circulated to Board members, were agreed. Mr Tom Shaw proposed the minutes be adopted by the Board. This proposal was seconded by Sir Kenneth Bloomfield and the minutes were signed by the Chairman.

3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 26 June 2003

R e:source Registration

In response to a query by the Chairman about the progress of the revisions to the MAGNI Acquisitions and Disposal Policies required by re :source , the Director of Operations advised the meeting that the revised policies would be tabled for approval by the Board of Trustees during October/November 2003. Following the resubmission of these revised policies to re : source , the Director of Operations was confident that MAGNI would receive its full registration from re :source.

Matters Arising from the Marketing, Development and Fund-raising Committee held on 13 May 2003

The Chairman enquired if there had been any further developments regarding the discussion that Nomadic , formerly a tender for transporting passengers to the White Star Line’s Olympic, be explored as a possible iconic object for MAGNI at Titanic Quarter. The Director of Development said that he was still researching the proposal but suspected that the costs associated with relocating the vessel could be prohibitive.

The Director of Development also advised the meeting that discussions were ongoing with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) with regard to MAGNI’s application for funding from PEACE II. The announcement of successful applicants was not expected before December 2003, however the NITB remained optimistic that funding would be provided.

MAGNI Collections and Collecting Priorities

The Director of Development said that he had met with senior curators to discuss the proposed workshop and would endeavour to agree a date for the workshop before the next Board meeting.

4. TRUSTEES SUB-COMMITTEES

4.1 Audit Committee

4.1.1 Approval of minutes of meeting held on 27 June 2003

Sir Kenneth Bloomfield referred to the minutes of the Audit Committee meeting held on 27 June 2003, previously circulated to Board members, and advised the Board that KPMG had appointed Mr Arthur O’Brien to replace Mr Henry Saville following his retirement. Mr O’Brien gave the meeting an overview of KPMG’s final internal audit report for 2002/2003 which had been circulated to committee members prior to the meeting. Mr O’Brien advised the meeting that a number of the internal audit recommendations remained outstanding or partially completed as a result of restricted human and financial resources within MAGNI. KPMG had therefore issued a ‘limited assurance opinion’ rather than ‘a full assurance opinion’. Mr O’Brien had also emphasised the importance of the Chief Executive being fully briefed on these internal audit issues. Mr Cooke advised the Board that he was meeting the Director of Finance the following day to receive a briefing on any outstanding internal audit issues in both financial and non financial areas and any reprioritisation of work that needed to be undertaken to ensure that these issues were addressed.

The Director of Finance reported that the external audit of the 2000/2001 accounts was complete and that the final review of the 2001/2002 accounts would be complete within the next two to three weeks. This would hopefully permit closure of both sets of accounts fairly shortly. Mrs O’Dowd said that the NIAO had removed the income qualification in the 2000/2001 accounts but the completion of the Fixed Asset Register for the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park remained as a qualification in 2000/2001. The Board was further advised that the NIAO had indicated at the meeting that they expected to complete their audit of the 2002/2003 accounts before the end of March 2004. Sir Kenneth Bloomfield advised the Board that the audit issues that remained were issues about conforming to the very best practice. The Director of Finance was hopeful that the Fixed Asset Register inventory would be complete by the end of October and that the valuation exercise could then commence. The completion of this task by March 2004 would hopefully result in 2002/2003 being the last year of qualification.

The Board of Trustees formally approved the minutes of the Audit Committee meeting held on 27 June 2003.

4.2 Marketing Development and Fund-raising Committee

4.2.1 Approval of minutes of meeting held on 13 May 2003

In the absence of the Chairman of the Marketing, Development and Fund-raising Committee, Mrs Osborne advised the Board that the main topic of discussion at the meeting was the acquisition of the Titanic Quarter site by Harcourt Developments which was unlikely to be finalised before the end of the year. A brief discussion ensued about the effects that this process was likely to have on the MAGNI at Titanic Quarter project. The Director of Development said that work was ongoing with the project consultants, Drivers Jonas and other relevant bodies, to prepare MAGNI’s bid for submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund however the date for the submission of the bid remained uncertain. The Chairman suggested that this issue be discussed by the Client Panel so that a recommendation could be put before the Board of Trustees and asked the Director of Development to organise a meeting. The meeting briefly discussed the merits of the Titanic exhibition currently on show at the Science Museum in London and whether it was feasible to bring the exhibition to Northern Ireland. The Director of Development said he would be visiting the exhibition later that week and would be meeting the President of RMS Titanic Inc to discuss the current position with regard to ownership of the artefacts. The Director of Development agreed to report on his visit to the exhibition at the September Marketing, Development and Fund-raising Committee.

The Committee also discussed the whole aspect of marketing within the organisation and the various types of fund-raising currently being undertaken. Dr Phil Mowat, Head of the Curatorial Division at the UAFP, gave an excellent presentation of his proposals for the National Museum of Emigration and the Committee agreed that he should be asked to make a similar presentation to the Board.

The Director of Development advised the Board that MAGNI’s application to the Victim’s Fund to support the Conflict exhibition had been successful.

The Board of Trustees formally approved the minutes of the Marketing, Development and Fund-raising Committee meeting held on 13 May 2003.

5. Whowhatwherewhenwhy (W5)

5.1 Minutes of Board meeting held on 5 June 2003 (attached)

The Board of Trustees noted the minutes of the W5 Board meeting held on 5 June 2003.

5.2 Minutes of Board meeting held on 2 July 2003 (attached)

The Board of Trustees noted the minutes of the W5 Board meeting held on 2 July 2003.

5.3 Verbal report of the Board meeting held on 26 August 2003

This item was reported under Reserved Business as it was deemed to be commercially sensitive.

Mr Bill Montgomery joined the meeting at 1100 hrs.

6. BUSINESS OF CHAIRMAN

Leaseback in respect of the Centre for Migration, 12 Mellon Road, Castletown, Omagh

The Chairman advised the Board that she had received a request from Carson & McDowell Solicitors for the Leaseback and two counterparts (dated 1 October 1998) in respect of the Centre for Migration, 12 Mellon Road, Castletown to be witnessed and sealed by the Board of Trustees of National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland. The documents were duly witnessed by the Chairman, Margaret Elliott and Mr Bill Montgomery, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, and sealed prior to their return to Carson & McDowell Solicitors.

Capita Review

This item was discussed under "Reserved Business" as the review, commissioned by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, had yet to be finalised.

7. BUSINESS OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The Chief Executive said that he was very pleased to have joined MAGNI and during the incoming week he would be visiting the various MAGNI sites and hopefully meeting a wide range of staff. He was also in the process of sending a letter of introduction to every member of staff.

The Chief Executive outlined the main challenges facing the organisation and said that he looked forward to developing close working relationships with staff and the Board through its various committees and was impressed with the commitment of both senior staff and Board members.

Mr Adair gave the Chairman his apologies and left the meeting at 1220 hrs.

7.1 Executive Summary

7.1.1 Financial Position

The Chairman referred to the Executive Summary and the list of bids submitted to DCAL and asked why a capital bid for the repair of the Atrium Roof at the Ulster Museum had not been included. The Director of Finance advised the Board that the bids detailed within the Executive Summary had been agreed with DCAL however the Department had suggested that the submission of the major capital bids be deferred until the Capita review had been circulated to DFP.

7.1.2 Recruitment

The Chief Executive reported that a number of applicants had been interviewed for the post of Director of Human Resources at the end of June. Unfortunately, none of the candidates interviewed were suitable to meet the challenges of the post. Furthermore the interview panel felt that the existing grade and salary of the post had failed to attract candidates with the necessary skills and expertise required to undertake the duties and responsibilities of the post. The options were therefore to explore whether the existing grade and salary of the post could be redefined in the hope of attracting candidates of the required calibre and whether the existing duties and responsibilities could be broadened to incorporate areas such as organisational development and perhaps internal communications. Following a brief discussion about how long the post may remain vacant, the Director of Operations advised the Board that it was likely to be six months at least before it was filled depending upon whether the post was upgraded. The Chief Executive said he was mindful that the recruitment of a Director of Human Resources for MAGNI was a priority but emphasised the importance of appointing the appropriate candidate.

Professor McLaughlin reminded Trustees that the continued absence of a Human Resource Director would have a significant impact on the division and said that the Board would have to rethink its expectations with regard to this aspect of the organisation. The Staffing Committee would endeavour to support the HR Division but could not replace an expert in this field.

7.1.3 Conflict Exhibition

Trustees noted that the Conflict Exhibition was scheduled to open in November 2003.

7.2 Learning & Access Review – Policy and Action Plans

The Director of Operations advised the Board that over recent years there had been an increasing emphasis on making museums and their collections more accessible to provide greater opportunities for users to learn through engagement with museum collections exhibitions and programmes. This agenda was partly set by government through its programme of social inclusion and equality. There was also a recognition on the part of museums that they must develop their audiences and widen the use of their collections by people who traditionally had not visited museums and by the socially disadvantaged. Many museums, including MAGNI, therefore had to re-examine the way in which they engaged their audiences and how they provided learning opportunities within the museum or gallery environment to make their collections relevant to a greater number and diversity of people. With this in mind MAGNI set about developing a new Learning and Access policy for the institution. Jocelyn Dodds, a senior lecturer in the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries at Leicester University and Anne Murch, a human resources development consultant, with experience in the museums sector, were commissioned to carry out an evaluation of MAGNI current provision and to benchmark it against good practice in other museums nationwide. The consultants made a series of recommendations that they believed would enable MAGNI to embrace the learning and access agenda, the most important of which were highlighted by the Director of Operations. In summary, they proposed the development of MAGNI’s education programmes to address the increasing expectations and demands of museum users and non-users, to widen audience participation and to provide life-long learning opportunities through greater engagement with the museum’s exhibitions, collections and programmes. The consultant’s report was presented to the Board in December 2002 and a steering group, comprising four Trustees and key members of staff, was formed to advise on the way forward. Five working groups, involving over 50 members of staff, were set up with the brief of establishing current baselines and identifying potential in the areas of widening participation/audience development, service delivery and staff development, volunteering/training and employability (key TSN objectives), E Learning and building alliances and resources to deliver the programmes. Following a meeting of the key staff involved in the working groups and discussions with the Trustee Steering Group a number of recommendations were put to the Board. This short to medium term strategy for the development of the Learning and Access Policy was based on what the group felt could be achieved over a twelve to eighteen month period. It was recognised that further refinement of the policy and the development if its medium to longer-term strategy would be dependent on the outcome of MAGNI’s consultations with users and non-users and the restructuring of the organisation, yet to be completed. The Director of Operations said that the recommendations had the broad support of staff from a range of disciplines and most notably the Museum’s own education staff who would be at the forefront of the process. Having outlined the main recommendations contained within the Learning and Access review, the Director of Operations sought the Board’s endorsement of the report, with the proviso that the proposed amendments to the staffing structure would be addressed as part of the overall review of the organisation’s structure. He further suggested that those members of staff involved in delivering these services be given the opportunity, as part of MAGNI’s training and development plan, to examine the approach of other organisations, throughout Northern Ireland and Great Britain, to learning and access. Those Trustees involved in the Learning and Access Steering Group strongly supported the report and following some discussion by Board members the report and the recommendations contained therein were subsequently endorsed by the Board of Trustees.

7.3 MAGNI at Titanic Quarter – Approval of Consultants’ Fees

The Director of Development sought Board approval for the payment of fees (£88,303) to Drivers Jonas in respect of the MAGNI at Titanic Quarter project.

The Board formally approved the payment of these fees.

7.4 Renewal of Bank Facilities

The Director of Finance sought Board approval for the renewal of MAGNI’s existing overdraft facility arrangements with the Northern Bank Limited.

The Board formally approved the renewal of the existing facility arrangements with the Northern Bank Limited.

7.5 Bank Mandate

The Director of Finance sought Board approval to amend the bank mandate to include Tim Cooke following his appointment as Chief Executive of MAGNI with effect from 1 September 2003.

The Board formally approved the amendment to the bank mandate.

7.6 Approval of Loans

The Chairman sought the approval of the Board of Trustees for a number of loans to and from the Ulster Museum.

Decision

The Board of Trustees formally approved the loans (archive copy attached to minutes).

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Arts Council of Northern Ireland

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Chairman congratulated Mr Bill Montgomery on his appointment to the Board of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

9. DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING

The date and time of the next meeting was set for 1100 hrs on Friday 31 October 2003 at W5. Board members were asked to note that the Annual General of W5 and W5 Online was scheduled for 1030 hrs at the same venue.

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