Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

In relation to heritage organisations/agencies, museums and art galleries, the aims of the 'Management' module are to provide an introduction:

To the legal frameworks within which they work both globally and in relation to specific countries;

To organisational structures and governance, with an opportunity to consider these more specifically in relation to a particular country;

To strategic planning and the use of strategic planning tools;

To project management processes and tools;

To financial management, including funding structures and sources, budgeting, financial controls and auditing, and entrepreneurial activities;

To managing human resources;

To marketing and advertising;

To advocacy and lobbying;

To customer care;

To the management of estate and assets;

To the management of heritage resources; and,

To an opportunity to gain the basic knowledge required to work in the heritage, museums and galleries sector in relation to heritage management and tourism on graduation.

Outline Of Syllabus

In relation to heritage management and tourism, the 'Management' module provides an introduction to the managerial framework within which organisations, agencies and institutions within the heritage, museum and art gallery sector function. It addresses fundamental issues related to the key resources of finance and people that need to be carefully managed to achieve stated missions, aims and objectives. In addition the module will examine how problems related to specific places – heritage sites, museums, art galleries – require different managerial approaches.

Topics to be covered in the module include: 1) definitions of management, organisational contexts and management policies and styles; 2) strategic management principles and strategic management tools, like SWOT and PEST analyses and the development of mission statements and organisational aims and objectives in relation to target audiences; 3) project management principles and tools; 4) funding sources and financial management procedures including budgeting, financial controls and uaditing; 5) management of human resources; 6) marketing, advertising and working with the media; 7) the management of other key aspects including advocacy and lobbying, customer care, estates management and health and safety; and, 8) an introduction to the management of the different heritage resources, both tangible and intangible.

The module will introduce you to a range of theories and practices through the online material and activities. You will also be provided with a case study that should help you to contextualise and think about the use of the theories and practices within an actual context. The module topics, learning material, activities and case studies should provide you with enough information to explore examples from your own country. You will be expected to visit heritage sites, museums and galleries near you and critically examine and evaluate them against what you have learnt in the module.

This module can be taken as a stand-alone credit-bearing module, or it can be used as a 'building block', via the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) regulations at Newcastle University, towards building a postgraduate qualification in Heritage Management and Tourism.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of this module a typical student will have:

Become familiar with the legal frameworks that apply to heritage, museum and art gallery organisations;

Become familiar with the concept of organisational cultures as applied to cultural and heritage organisations;

Gained an awareness of the organisational structures that are used for governance and policy making;

Acquired a working understanding of the concept of strategic planning, and able to write mission statements and corporate plans;

Acquired a working understanding of project management theory and tools and be able to produce models for managing projects;

Gained an ability to understand financial statements and balance sheets, and be aware of the major budget heads used in heritage organisations, museums and galleries;

Developed an awareness of the roles of people employed in the heritage sector;

Become familiar with techniques of human resources management, staff recruitment and selection;

Become aware of the importance of developing policies, procedures and good practice in the management of people, including communications, involvement and motivation;

Become aware of the advantages and problems of working in teams;

Gained a familiarity with legislation and good practice regarding equal opportunities in the workplace;

Gained a familiarity with the issues relating to the employment of volunteers in the heritage sector;

Gained an awareness of the importance of training and staff development, including training needs analysis and CPD;

Developed an understanding of marketing and income-generating activities in the heritage sector;

Become aware of the relationships between stakeholders and advocacy in the heritage sector; and,

Become aware of the requirements of health and safety legislation in the public and private areas of the heritage, museum and art gallery sector.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of this module a typical student will have:

Developed the cognitive skills to reflectively engage with different sources of information and literature in heritage, museum, art gallery and tourism studies in relation to 'Management' issues in a questioning and well-informed manner;

Developed the cognitive skills to critically examine and evaluate theories and practices in relation to actual examples and case studies in different geographical, economic, social, cultural and political contexts;

Developed the cognitive and practical skills of analysis and appraisal by relating the information acquired through the module to specific problem-solving tasks in their own country; and,

Gained relevant subject-specific theoretical and practical skills, i.e., developed the ability to apply the professional knowledge gained above in a real-life work context.

Further enhanced the key skills, as indicated in the Graduate Skills Framework below.

In addition, by the end of this module a typical student will have:

Developed the cognitive and practical skills needed to use strategic planning tools like SWOT and PEST analyses and to be able to develop mission statements and organisational aims and objectives;

Gained an understanding of, and how to use, the practical skills to use management project tools like work breakdown structures, critical path analyses (Programme Evaluation and Review Techniques), and Gantt charts;

Developed the basic skills for drawing up budgets;

Developed the practical skills of running effective meetings;

Gained an understanding of the skills needed to short-list and interview applicants for a job position; and,

Gained an understanding of the skills needed and tools available to engage different stakeholder groups.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module will be divided into 8 Units, with 5 learning sessions in each (40 sessions in total). Each session will average out at three hours of expected work and should be able to be completed in one sitting on a single day. As the module will be delivered through an e-learning platform, students will learn through guided independant study.

The module will include:
• Reflective Learning Activities - based on online resources and activities to deliver the module aims and content and to facilitate the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills so that students can achieve the learning outcomes by ensuring that they engage with information, case studies and local examples;
• Skills Practice - based on online directed personal site and study visits, students will be expected to consider what they are learning against practical real-life contexts;
• Independent study - based on their own experiences, students will be expected to compare what they are learning in theory and practice with their understandings of the situations in their home country;
• Student-led Group Activity - based on the use of online discussion boards, students will be expected to engage with each other and share their learning experiences in relation to the learning outcomes, thereby enhancing group learning, critical debate, negotiation skills, and a certain amount of team work and the development of interpersonal skills;
• Assessment Preparation and Completion - based on four different online assignment activities to test what students are learning in theory and practice in relation to the learning outcomes along the way; and,
• Assessment Preparation and Completion - based on students completing and submitting one professional report where they will be required to show that they have achieved a combination of the learning outcomes. In particular, through the report, students will have an opportunity to show that they have developed an understanding of the module input and how it relates to work in practice.

All the teaching methods will require a high level of self-motivation, discipline, critical engagement and time management.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

This module is designed to introduce students to the need for effective management in a range of different areas in the heritage, museums and art gallery sector, and to provide them with some basic tools to use in 'real life' situations. The two formative online computer assessment activities (total of 20% of the module mark), will help us and each student to monitor his/her understanding and progress as he/she works through the module. The final assignment (80% of the module mark), written in the form of a report, will test the knowledge and skills gained by setting scenarios that heritage, museum and art gallery managers face on a daily basis. The report will allow students to build up specialist knowledge relevant to heritage management and tourism.

General Notes

N/A