The Museum Accreditation scheme is operated by the Museums Libraries and Archives Council and administered in Scotland by SMC. The MLA are responsible for ensuring the scheme is applied equally throughout the UK and offer support to Assessing organisations like SMC to ensure this. MLA also convenes the Accreditation panels that hear and decide the award given to museums following submission of Assessors� reports.
This Assessment process also applies to Phase 2 of the Registration scheme and any museums requiring upgrade or downgrade in this phase.
The process of Assessment and Award:
Step 1 SMC is the Assessing Organisation for Scotland
The English Regional Agencies perform this role in England, Northern Ireland Museums Council in and for Northern Ireland and CyMAL in Wales.
Step 2 SMC�s Accreditation Assessor assesses the application
The Accreditation Assessor at SMC will check the information submitted on your application and your supporting evidence. This is done by checking the information against the published Accreditation Standard and an Assessors manual.
Step 3 The results of Assessment are presented to MLA
MLA receives the completed assessments from the UK and co-ordinates the hearing of cases by the Accreditation panel. MLA also ensure the standard is being applied similarly across the UK by checking Assessor recommendations and carrying out Quality Assurance for the scheme.
Step 4 The Assessor presents the case to the Accreditation panel
This panel is made up of 4 museum professionals from throughout the UK and is advised by a Moderator from MLA. This panel agree the award presented by the Assessor or asks for amendments in any case where the criteria are not being met accordingly or if a formal decision by the panel is required.
Step 5 The Assessing organisation inform the museum of the award
Step 6 MLA forward a certificate awarding Accredited status to the museum
Step 7 Where a museum receives Provisional Accreditation
In this situation the museum will be given specific action points to complete within a maximum 12-month period. As soon as the museum completes the action points the evidence of this should be submitted to the Assessing organisation to prepare an update to the Accreditation panel.
If you are in this situation and are ready to submit evidence towards an upgrade please contact the Accreditation Manager.
Step 8 Where a museum receives Full Accreditation
In this situation the museum will then be expected to continue to update the Assessing organisation and MLA of their progress in continuing to meet the Accreditation criteria through the Monitoring process.
If you have any enquiries about the information on these pages or require more detailed information on the Museum Accreditation Scheme, please contact the SMC Standards Manager.
