Accreditation 2011
Checklist - Section 3: Users and their experiences
This checklist and the companion ones for Sections 1 and 2 have been developed by the South Western Federation of Museums &
Art Galleries with funding from Renaissance South West, based on the guidance published by Arts Council England.
Use it to audit your service to your users against the standards required for Accreditation. It details the policies and procedures that
you need and lets you see at a glance what you will have to update and what you already have in place. You can also check
how you are asked to submit evidence of compliance with your Accreditation return.
You will then be able to plan your workload towards the submission date. Why not get a copy of the wall mounted
ACCREDITATION CALENDAR to share the workload and keep everyone involved at the museum informed? Go to XXXX for more
details and download the template.
Further information about Accreditation can be found on the Arts Council England website wwww.artscouncil.org.uk
Further support materials and guidance can be found on www.swfed.org.uk and www.collectionslink.org.uk
March 2012
Section
3.1
Good quality
services and
development
Document/statement/arrangement
Understand who users are (3.1.1)
Understand who non-users are (3.1.1)
Is the document/arrangement/procedure/statement unchanged since a
return was last submitted?
Is the document still in date?
Do you have this document?
Submit
Have it
If NO
with
If YES
available
application
Set up and implement a strategy to
find out who your users are and to
consult them on their needs and
the services you provide (visitor
numbers, questionnaires, surveys,
visitor books, etc)

Set up and implement a strategy to
find out who your non- users are
and the barriers to their
participating (interviews, online
surveys, etc)
Evaluate and analyse the data
Evaluate and analyse information to assess gathered through consultation
users’ needs (3.1.2)
exercises with users and nonusers. Describe this process on
the Accreditation return.
Draw up a plan to broaden your
Broaden your range of users (3.1.3)
range of users, based on data
gathered. Include it in the Forward
Plan (1.4)

 attach an
example of
evaluation
and analysis
activity
Who?
Done?
Enter frequency and
details of methods
used on the
Accreditation
return.
Refer to
consultation
exercises in
Forward Plan (1.4)
Enter frequency and
details of methods
used on the
Accreditation
return.
Refer to
consultation
exercises in
Forward Plan (1.4)
Describe process on
Accreditation
return. Attach an
example
Describe plan on
Accreditation
return. Make
reference to
appropriate section
in Forward Plan.
Accreditation 2011: Section 3 audit checklist - page 2 of 6
Section
3.1
Good quality
services and
development
(cont)
Document/statement/arrangement
Broaden your range of users (3.1.3)
(cont)
A culture of customer care (3.1.4)
A culture of customer care (3.1.4)
(non VAQAS accredited museums)
Access assessment (3.1.5)
Access policy statement (3.1.5)
Widen access (3.1.5)
Is the document/arrangement/procedure/statement unchanged since a
return was last submitted?
Is the document still in date?
Do you have this document?
Submit
Have it
If NO
with
If YES
available
application
Who?
Done?
If you have an
Audience
Development Plan
submit with
Accreditation return
If your museum is VAQAS certified then you do not have to fill in this section (see
also 3.2)
Describe process on
Check workforce induction and
Describe
Accreditation
training materials and processes to process on
return.
ensure there is a clear
Accreditation
commitment to good service
return
provision and customer care.
Have it available in
Carry out an assessment if the
case requested or
previous one is more than 5 years
include it as an

old. This can be an audit, a
optional attachment
checklist or work with specialist
access groups
Draw up/review your access policy
Submit with return
statement which sets out a
commitment to give everyone

access to collections and
associated information and how
this is done.
If appropriate for your museum
If you have an
draw up an Access Plan.
 (optional
Access Plan submit
attachment)
with Accreditation
return
If appropriate for your museum,
 (optional
draw up an Audience Development
attachment)
plan
Accreditation 2011: Section 3 audit checklist - page 3 of 6
Section
3.1
Good quality
services and
development
(cont)
Document/statement/arrangement
Responding to tourism and local priorities Refer to partnerships with other
(3.1.6)
local providers including tourism
agencies that you work with in
your Forward Plan (1.4)
3.2
User focused
experience
3.2
User focused
experience
(non VAQAS
accredited
museums)
Is the document/arrangement/procedure/statement unchanged since a
return was last submitted?
Is the document still in date?
Do you have this document?
Submit
Have it
If NO
with
If YES
available
application
 (Forward
Plan)
Who?
Done?
Submit Forward
Plan with return
This section can be by bypassed if the museum has VAQAS certification – Submit a
copy of the award with your return.
Opening hours and restrictions (3.2.1)
Facilities for visitors (3.2.1)
Arrangements for maintenance and
cleaning (3.2.1)
Check opening hours,
arrangements for out of hours
opening, any restrictions to access
and why these apply and what you
do to mitigate them
Check you provide facilities
(toilets, parking, shop, etc
appropriate to the size of your
museum and if not on site you are
able to tell visitors where they can
access them
Check the maintenance and
cleaning provision – is it set out in
workforce manuals/covered during
induction? Plan improvements if
necessary and include in Forward
Plan (1.4)
Describe
provision on
Accreditation
return
Describe
provision on
Accreditation
return
Describe
provision and
planned
improvement
on Accred
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Accreditation 2011: Section 3 audit checklist - page 4 of 6
Section
3.2
User focused
experience
(non VAQAS
accredited
museums)
(cont)
Document/statement/arrangement
Appropriate signs outside the building
(3.2.2)
Appropriate signs inside the building
(3.2.2)
Marketing and promotional activities
(3.2.3)
Is the document/arrangement/procedure/statement unchanged since a
return was last submitted?
Is the document still in date?
Do you have this document?
Submit
Have it
If NO
with
If YES
available
application
Check signage. If you don’t have
signage outside the building or if it
is inadequate, plan to provide some
and include this as an action in
Forward Plan (1.4)
Check signage. If you don’t have
signage inside the building or if it is
inadequate, plan to provide some
and include this as an action in
Forward Plan (1.4)
Check provision. Plan
improvements if necessary and
include in Forward Plan (1.4).
Describe
provision and
planned
improvement
on Accred
return
Describe
provision and
planned
improvement
on Accred
return
Tick
provision on
Accred
return
Marketing materials
 (optional
attachment)
If appropriate to your museum
draw up a marketing plan
3.3 Effective
and engaging
learning
experiences
Exhibit collections using a variety of
interpretative methods (3.3.1)
Check provision. Plan
improvements if necessary and
include in Forward Plan (1.4).
 (optional
attachment)
Describe
provision on
Accreditation
return
Who?
Done?
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Tick provision on
Accreditation
return.
Submit a range of
your marketing
materials as optional
attachments with
your return
If you have a
marketing plan,
submit it with the
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Accreditation 2011: Section 3 audit checklist - page 5 of 6
Section
3.3 Effective
and engaging
learning
experiences
(cont)
Document/statement/arrangement
Is the document/arrangement/procedure/statement unchanged since a
return was last submitted?
Is the document still in date?
Do you have this document?
Submit
Have it
If NO
with
If YES
available
application
Describe
provision on
Accreditation
return
Varied interpretation (3.3.1)
Establish a mechanism for user
consultation (3.1) and feed this
information into your
interpretation planning
If appropriate to your museum
draw up an Interpretation Plan
Access to collections and information for
research and engagement (3.3.2)
Check provision. Plan
improvements if necessary and
include in Forward Plan (1.4).
Describe
provision on
Accreditation
return
Describe
provision on
Accreditation
return
Interpretation is informed through
consultation with users (3.3.1)
Effective and stimulating learning and
discovery experiences focused on the
collections (3.3.3)
Learning Plan (3.3.5)
Check provision. Plan
improvements if necessary and
include in Forward Plan (1.4).
If appropriate for your museum
draw up a Learning Plan
(optional
attachment)
(optional
attachment)
Who?
Done?
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
If you have an
Interpretation Plan,
submit it with the
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
Describe provision
on Accreditation
return
If you have a
Learning Plan,
submit it with the
return
Accreditation 2011: Section 3 audit checklist - page 6 of 6