Mission, Models, Money: the action plan

Exemplar projects
Working in partnership with others, MMM has commissioned seven exemplar projects with small- and medium-sized organisations in the sector. The objective is to invest support and funding in order to enable them to make radical changes to their business practice, and in the process demonstrate best and emerging new practice. These projects will be evaluated over a 14- month period and the results will generate case studies which will be shared via the MMM website.

Road shows
Two road shows are being delivered, one on governance and one on developing financial capacity. These are taking place in different locations around the UK.

Events
Two symposia are being developed. One will focus on new and alternative financial instruments and their potential for the arts and cultural sector; the other on intelligent funding of arts organisations, which will target public and private funders and investors, with the aim of encouraging them to consider how changing their investment and funding practices will enable better sustainability of the sector. A final conference, with possibly other associated events around the country, will be held in the late spring of 2007. Here, the findings of the whole initiative will be shared and debated and a national action plan for the future will be launched.

Case studies
Four different levels are being developed, ranging from short advocacy case studies of existing best practice, through to deeper case studies of the exemplar projects and other congruent initiatives being undertaken elsewhere. These will be shared via the MMM website and used in the content of the road shows, the symposia and the closing plenary conference.

Provocation papers
Further provocation papers are being commissioned on topics linked to the activity programme and of relevance to promoting the MMM agenda.

Advocacy
A range of advocacy for change work will underpin this activity.

Website
The website will be developed as the principal tool whereby the results of the programme are shared.

What does the sector say&?

” There are huge challenges around the changing external environment  is our current response adequate? Are we, for example rising to the challenge of the on demand age?
” Many of the barriers to adaptation to this changing external environment lie at the top end of the food chain at Chief Executive Officer or Trustee level. Leadership is trapped in old ways of thinking fixing not transforming  rooted in the past, not the future.
” Governance behaviours have not changed and are not changing to reflect new operating contexts.
” There is a necessity to actively encourage the development of reserves by arts and cultural organisations, and for public and private sector funders to reward development of reserves, not penalise them for doing so.
” New skills are needed, not least because new professions are emerging, particularly around education/marketing/audience development/fundraising.
” Too many organisations rely on a single creative leader  indeed on a single leader per se. With an absence of career paths and the resources to support middle management positions, there evolves a missing middle and an over-stretched and under-resourced top level.
” Succession planning is almost non-existent and nearly impossible.
” There is a desire for the development of different organisational and business models that would better address the changing environment. The dominant paradigm of charity limited by guarantee is being seen as more and more of a hindrance to developing adaptive flexible behaviours, often because of mind-set issues at governance level.
” Both public and private funders need to examine their behaviours and understand better how these behaviours are impacting negatively, as well as positively, on organsational and financial sustainability