• What is Institutional Planning and Why Do It?
• Who Will Be Involved in the Planning Process?
• How You Can Have Input
• 2006-2011 Institutional Plan in Progress
  • IPC Meeting Minutes
  • Special Input Meeting Minutes
  • Pre-Retreat and Post-Retreat Draft Reports (Requires free Adobe Acrobat Viewer)
  • Major Institutional Goals
  • Draft Institutional Plan 2006-2011
  • Institutional Plan 2006-2011 (approved 8/5/06) (Requires free Adobe Acrobat Viewer)

What is institutional planning and why do it?
An institutional plan, sometimes called a strategic plan, acts as a road map for a museum’s future. Based on its mission, and centered on the unique needs and promises that the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) can fulfill, this important document provides goals and action-steps that will guide: the Development of Exhibits, Acquisition of Collections, Plans for Fundraising, Prioritization of Research Projects, Establishment of Partnerships, and much more.

The last formal institutional planning at MNA was in 2001 and culminated in a multi-part report created by the LORD Cultural Resources Planning and Management, Inc. This report is available on reserve (non-circulating) in the Museum of Northern Arizona library for you to read. Please call the MNA library (telephone (928) 774-5211 x256) for days and hours when it is open.
As of 2005 the Lord Report is outdated. The Museum of Northern Arizona needs a current institutional plan. Also, in September 2005 the Museum began its accreditation process with the American Association of Museums (AAM). The AAM assists museums to understand and follow the latest and best museum practices, and requires that an institution either be following a current plan or developing a new one in order to receive accreditation. One of their documents is particularly helpful in understanding their expectations: “The Accreditation Commissions’ Expectations Regarding Institutional Planning”.

Thus, MNA will develop a new Institutional Plan over a period of one year, 2005-2006, and implement it over a period of five years, 2006-2011. The Plan will not be placed on a dusty shelf until the next planning phase in 2011. The document is flexible and constantly evolving. The Museum will review and revise its Institutional Plan annually.

Who Will Be Involved in the Planning Process?
The Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) touches many people and its mission covers the geographical region of the Colorado Plateau. MNA’s Institutional Planning Process must be inclusive and open to remain on target with its audience and mission. MNA’s Institutional Planning Process follows:

1. Form an internal Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) to lead the Planning Process. The Committee is composed of individuals from the MNA Board of Trustees and MNA Staff (list of members). Beginning September 2005, the IPC meets twice a month to assess the process, organize retreats and public meetings, and consider other issues. Minutes from all IPC meetings are posted on this webpage.

2. Identify key issues that are important to the future of MNA. At the October 13, 2005 IPC meeting 10 key issues were identified as fundamental to the Museum’s future (not listed in order of importance).

3. Form Key Issue Committees for each of the above issues. Each Committee is composed of Board, Staff, and Museum Volunteers and leads the development of a preliminary list of goals and objectives for their Key Issue.

4. Compile all goals and objectives into a Pre-Retreat Draft Report and assess the report at a MNA Board and Staff Retreat in January 2006.

5. Incorporate the results of the Retreat into an updated Post-Retreat Draft Report.

6. Refine 34-page report into 9 Major Institutional Goals and objectives, an outline for MNA’s emerging Institutional Plan.

7. Present the Major Institutional Goals at Special Input Meetings for membership and staff.

8. Obtain MNA Board approval of Major Institutional Goals at April 1, 2006 Meeting of the Board of Trustees.

9. Seek feedback about the Major Institutional Goals from external stakeholders and the general public (see below, How Can You Have Input).

10. Expand Goals into a Draft Institutional Plan 2006-2011 by assigning each Goal to a Key Issue Committee who will identify appropriate strategies, action-steps, timelines, staff assignments, and estimated costs. The Draft Plan is posted on this webpage, periodically updated as it changes.

11. Revise Draft in response to Institutional Planning Committee, Key Issue Committee, Staff, Member, Stakeholder, and Public input.

12. Obtain MNA Board approval of Official Institutional Plan 2006-2011 at August 5, 2006 Meeting of the Board of Trustees. This Official Plan will be posted on this webpage, updated annually each September as the Museum reviews and revises its Planning.

How can you have input
Watch this website for announcements about public meetings and other issues related to the MNA’s institutional planning.  You may send comments about MNA's instituional plan by using our online survey.  MNA values your ideas and opinions.