Improvement planning support for libraries & museums in LAAs

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)


CFE and Brian King were commissioned by MLA to offer direct support for improvement planning to local authorities who have chosen NI 9 and 10 as designated indicators within their Local Area Agreements (LAAs). There was no obligation for these local authorities to accept this offer, though the package of support available included:
  • Desk research: helping authorities and their partners understand Active People Data and what it means for their communities and services;
  • Support for improvement planning: with facilitated use of the Culture and Sport Improvement Toolkit in a workshop setting, to help identify improvement priorities; and
  • A short written report: summarising agreed improvement priorities, and guidance on sources of support, tailored to the needs of the authority, and where possible facilitated introductions to other authorities demonstrating best practice.

The support was available between February and the end of March 2009 and MLA worked closely with each authority before, during and after this improvement planning support. MLA’s new regional team was also part of the improvement planning process, working with CFE, and supporting authorities under the duty to co-operate over the life of the LAA.

As an associate consultant, Brian King has worked extensively across the cultural sector, having recently left the Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA) where, as Principal Consultant, he was part of the Cultural Sector Improvement Project. Brian was involved in drafting ‘A Passion for Excellence’ - the improvement strategy for the cultural sector, and was responsible for overseeing the development and piloting of the Culture & Sport Improvement Toolkit (CSIT) with partners from MLA, Sport England, Arts Council and local government.

For more information about this work please contact Abigail Diamond on
0116 229 3300.