MANAGEMENT PRACTICES I

Course Outline

Course Number: 1250063

Winter Semester, 1999 ir Sandford Fleming College

Collections Conservation Management, Semester 2

Community Development & Health

Course Format: On-site delivery

Faculty: Mike Puffer
Office 371D
e-mail address: mpuff@flemingc.on.ca

Course Description:

This introductory course is designed to provide a basic framework in the understanding of planning and project management, including: feasibility studies; master plans; needs assessments; fundraising, grantsmanship and proposal writing; policy development and writing; budgeting and costing; management of meetings; understanding institutional politics; human resource management; and, leadership and management skills. Practical skills are developed in these areas, which are key to the survival and development of conservation practice.

Pre-requisites: No pre-requisite. However, writing skills are critical for its successful completion. In instances where this skills is deficient, faculty may recommend upgrading.

Vocational Outcomes:

This curriculum has been developed in accordance with ICOM and complies with ethical museum and educational theory and practice.

Generic Skills Outcomes:

As per Ministry of Education and Training Program Standards:

Communications

1. Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfils the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.

2. Reframe information, ideas and concepts using the narrative, visual, numerical and symbolic representations which demonstrate understanding.

3. Represent his or her skills, knowledge and experiences realistically for personal and employment purposes.

Computer Literacy

4. Use a variety of computer hardware and software and other technological tools appropriate and necessary for the performance of tasks.

Interpersonal Skills

5. Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals.

6. Manage use of time and other resources to attain personal and/or project-related goals.

7. Take responsibility for his or her own actions and decisions.

Analytical Skills

8. Evaluate his or her own thinking throughout the steps and processes used in problem solving and decision making.

9. Collect, analyze and organize relevant and necessary information from a variety of sources.

10. Evaluate the validity of arguments based on qualitative and quantitative information in order to accept or challenge the findings of others.

11. Create innovative strategies and/or products that meet identified needs.

12. Adapt to new situations and demands by applying and/or updating his or her knowledge and skills.

General Education Goal Area:

N/A

Aim:

To enable students to understand and apply basic management principles to institutional and other settings.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

a) know the Canadian cultural context and relevant federal and provincial policies

b) understand the organization and structure of not-for-profit and public sector museum/heritage sites

c) be able to develop ethical approaches to fee-for-service and revenue generation

d) be able to complete grant applications and write proposals for funding

e) understand the basic principles of financial management in the not-for-profit and public sectors

f) understand the apply principles of planning (long/short term, strategic, etc.)

g) be able to manage projects, including costing and budgeting

h) understand the legal context of human resource management and plan for human resource needs and development

i) be able to manage volunteers, contract and seasonal workers and staff

j) be able to develop a management style and provide leadership

k) understand the principles of policy development and write policy and procedures

l) manage meetings (agendas, chairing, record keeping, facilitation, etc.)

m) promote conservation

Learning Sequence:

Learning Resources:

There is no text for this course. Readings will be distributed in class where appropriate.

Assessment Plan:

Project 1 - Time Management Project (Individual)

Time management skills are vital for anyone in the workforce. Multi-tasking and prioritizing are both highly marketable skills.

This project has three parts. Utilizing concepts learned in class:

1. Draft a time management plan (using a calendar, daytimer, monthly planner, etc.) that will facilitate completion of all of your assignments for this term.

2. As the semester progresses, chart your progress on your timeline (ie. Project 1, Management Practices I, due Jan. 5, target completion date Dec. 30, completed Jan. 1). Be reasonable when drafting your plan and remember to allow for contingency plans.

3. Before submitting your final timeline, record your observations of this project, single page please, point form is recommended, noting what worked for you, what didn't, what you might change another time to make the project more effective for you, if you found the plan worked for you, if you found this exercise helped you meet your deadlines, etc.

For assessment, please submit one copy of your draft timeline by Week 4, and your final timeline, with the page of observations, by Week 10.

Each assignment will be assessed on:

• draft timeline (15 %)
• final timeline (5 %)
• page of observations (5 %)

Project 2 - Fundraising Proposal (Groups and Individual)

After undergoing an internal assessment, Museum X, located in Ptbo, has identified the need to raise $5,000 in order to purchase archival quality materials (acid free tissue, archival boxes, etc.), to properly store a costume collection.

Museum X currently mails out a newsletter to 10,000 people in the surrounding community. The results of a recent feasibility study indicate that Museum X is in a position to successfully fundraise by direct mail campaign.

This project has two parts. To complete the first part, working in groups, students will prepare a formal proposal, addressed to the Manager of Museum X, recommending the launch of a fundraising campaign in keeping with the project parameters, as stated above.

The proposal should be clearly and concisely articulated (What are you proposing? Justification for proposal? How do you propose to reach the $5,000 goal? Aside from financial, are there other benefits that might result from a fundraising campaign?) Point form is suggested. Projects longer than 3 pages in length will not be assessed. Each proposal should be preceded by a covering letter.

For the second component of the project, students will work independently to prepare a fundraising "ask" letter, in keeping with your group proposal, that Musuem X could use as its direct mail piece. Note that copies of your project will be circulated to your classmates.

For assessment, please submit one copy of the proposal with covering letter per group, attach individual "ask" letters to the end of the proposal (identify yourself as the author of the "ask" letter on the upper right hand corner of the letter).

Each assignment will be assessed on:

• cover letter addressed to Manager of Museum X (5 %) group
• content of proposal (presentation, persuasiveness, feasibility, error-free copy) (10 %) group
• individual ask letter (presentation, persuasiveness, feasibility, error-free copy) (10 %) individual

Value: 25 % Due Date: Week 8

Project 3 - Policy Development Project (Groups of 3)

Working in a group, develop a comprehensive policy for a local heritage institution. Choose from one of the following options: personnel policy, finance policy, volunteer committee policy, building and grounds policy, loans policy.

In the introduction to your policy, be certain to include the mission statement and goals of your selected heritage site. You should also justify why such a policy is needed.

Each group will present its policy to the class during Week 10. Be prepared to circulate copies of your policy to the class.

Each assignment will be assessed on:

• presentation to class (10 %)
• policy (content, order, justification) (15 %)

Value: 25 % Due Date: Week 10

Project 4 - Oral Exam - Mock Board Meeting (Individual)

Students are encouraged to attend a Board Meeting at a local site (the Museum, Library, Town Council Meeting) at some point over the semester.

In class, each student will assume the role of an active Board Member who is participating in a one-hour (mock) Board meeting. An agenda for the meeting will be provided, and role assignments given out during the Week 10 class.

Through active participation in the meeting, students must demonstrate an understanding of concepts and principles, and utilize in an effective manner, the techniques and skills relevant to management practices.

Value: 25 % Due Date: Week 14

PLA options and contact for this course:

Contact Mike Puffer or Gayle McIntyre

Academic Responsibilities:

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Students must attempt all components of the course in order to achieve a passing grade.

Course Policies:

1. Presentation

Written projects must be:

• typed or word-processed
• double-spaced
• proofed for spelling and grammatical errors
• enclosed with a single cover sheet which includes student name, title of assignment and date of submission
• stapled in top left corner (unbound)
• and
• include a biography (where appropriate)
• use a recognized method of citation eg. MLA or Chicago)

2. Re-Writes

Faculty may request a re-write of a submission if the criteria for assessment have not been met. Late penalties will apply if the assignment is not re-submitted the following class.

3. Penalties for late submissions

The fundraising profession relies on keeping deadlines. Only in extreme situations will submission dates be negotiable.

Completion of Term Work

All assignments must be completed in order for students to achieve a passing grade.

Late Assignments

Late assignments receive the following penalty:

• marks will be deducted at the rate of 10 % per day for three days, after which assignments are marked at zero.
• faculty are not obliged to provide feedback on assignments marked at zero.

Oral Presentations

• oral presentations must be delivered on the day scheduled. A "no show" will be graded at zero, unless adequate explanation is provided.

4. Academic Integrity

• Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic integrity and the college has a strict policy on this issue (see Academic Regulations).
• It is a student's responsibility to ensure that all written submissions include an appropriate method of in-text citation as well as an accompanying bibliography.
• Seminar and oral presentations should be supported by a bibliography and sources should be referred to during the presentation.

5. Make-Up Tests

In valid circumstances (ill-health, personal crisis), a student may be given a make-up test to compensate for one missed in class time. Students must contact the instructor within 7 days of the original test in order to request a make-up.

6. Extensions and GDFs

• An extension may be granted to an individual student based on need and circumstance. Medical grounds should be substantiated.
• The revised due date will be recorded and signed by both parties.
• The entire class may be given an extension, at the discretion of faculty.
• Incomplete and Grade Deferred marks at the end of the semester must be negotiated between student and faculty (see Academic Regulations). Note: these are a privilege to be granted under special circumstances, not used in order to compensate for poor planning.

7. Site Work

Students must agree to work within the parameters of the Guidelines established for site work. Failure to comply, may result in the termination of the project and suspension of the privilege of access.