Publication Schedule

The Publication Scheme is operated by The Royal Naval Museum, HM Naval Base PP66, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 3NH.

Introduction
Purpose
Scope
Omissions
Costs
Copyright
Responsibility

Introduction
The Freedom of Information Act 2000, which is intended to increase access to government information, requires all public authorities to make information available proactively by virtue of the Publication Scheme provisions set out in Section 19 of the Act. The Royal Naval Museum’s scheme below gives details of the classes of information that the Museum will make available proactively, how they are accessible, and whether or not a charge will be made to make it available in hard-copy.

Purpose
The purpose of the scheme is to provide a tool for openness, to increase transparency and accountability, and to improve decision-making. The driver for the scheme is public interest.

Scope
The scope of information in intended to cover:
• Status, mission, objectives and functions of Royal Naval Museum
• Organisation of Royal Naval Museum, including information about who is responsible
for which function and how to contact that person
• The services provided, what targets are set, what standards of service are expected and
the results achieved
• How the Museum’s services are run, how much they cost, who is in charge, and what
complaints and redress procedures are available
• Minutes of Board Meetings
• Sources of income, and how effectively money is raised and spent they are accessible,
and whether or not a charge will be made to make it available in hard-copy.

Omissions
Information that is subject to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act is not published, nor is financial information that is speculative and subject to change (eg budgets and predictions). Information concerning material held in Archives is necessarily of a broad outline only, however the procedures involved in obtaining fuller information is explained in the relevant sections.

Costs
We indicate for each class of information in the Publication Scheme which of the following categories could apply to information you intend to use for your private research/study (the number in brackets indicates the attachment reference on the website and in the hard-copy Publication Scheme available in the Museum):
(a) free of charge on the website (i.e. there is no charge by us, although the user would of course have to meet any charges raised by their internet service provider, personal printing costs etc.). For those without Internet access, the papers quoted can be viewed free of charge in the Museum Library. Requests for hard copy attract a charge for the cost of retrieval, photocopy, and postage (c). We would let you know the amount at the time of your request, and the charge would be payable in advance.
(b) leaflets on the services we offer to the public (e.g. advertising brochures) are free of charge.
(c) copyright charges for use of the material in this Publication Scheme are available from the Administrator.

Copyright
Information contained in the Publication Scheme is the copyright of Royal Naval Museum and is not to be published elsewhere, in whole or in part without the permission of the Museum.

Responsibility
The person holding ultimate responsibility for the Publication Scheme is the Museum’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr Graham Dobbin. Requests for information concerning, or suggestions for improvement to, the scheme, should be addressed to the Internal Resources Officer, Mrs Julie Gray.

Governance Information
Management Information
Financial Information
Forward Planning
Staff Matters
Health and Safety
Access
Collections Management
Redress of Complaints
Marketing
Education
Information Technology

Description of Information, How available (figures in brackets indicate attachment number) For how long/cost

Governance Information (Contact Julie Gray, Internal Resources Officer)
The Royal Naval Museum is one of the six principal military museums funded by the Ministry of Defence. It is an Executive Non-departmental Public Body sponsored by the Second Sea Lord. It is an educational Charitable Trust. Its Trustees are appointed under OCPA guidelines, and conform to the seven principles of Trusteeship. It is a Registered Museum with the MLA, with whom it has achieved Phase II registration status.

Status Defence Council Instruction 85/98 (1) (c)
Governance Financial Memorandum (2) (c)
Board of Trustees Trustee Minutes 3 per year (c) per meeting
Annual Accounts/Report (4) (c)
Biographies (5) (a)
Back to top of this section

Management Information (Mr Graham Dobbin, Chief Operating Officer)
Responsibility for the day-to-day operational management of the Museum is vested in the Chief Operating Officer and the staff. Trustees and the Sponsor Department approve the Corporate Management Plan, which defines the Museum’s year-on-year activities, levels of service and targets to be achieved.

Advisors/Auditors/Bankers Annual Accounts/Report (4) (c) for complete accounts
(a) for Foreword and abbreviated accounts
Corporate Planning Corporate Management Plan
(7) 1 year (c)
History of the Museum As above (c)
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities As above (c)
Standards of Service As above (c)
Results achieved As above (c)
Performance Indicators Annual Accounts/Report (4) and Corporate Plan (7) (c)

Financial Information (Contact Mr Graham Dobbin, Chief Operating Officer and Accounting Officer)
As an NDPB the Museum receives Grant-in-Aid from its Sponsor Department. Grant in Aid funds finance approximately 70% of Royal Naval Museum’s running costs, staff costs and its acquisition budget. The remaining 30% is recovered through gate receipts, grants, Gift Aid from its associated Trading Company, Revenue Generation such as the use of Museum facilities for private functions and donations.

An Audit and Finance Committee is appointed by Trustees to oversee the financial management of the Museum and approve budgets and spending profiles developed by the Chief Operating Officer.

The Museum’s accounts are audited by the National Audit Office and Compass Accountants. The Chief Operating Officer is the Government Accounting Officer. The Museum operates a Gift Shop, the Board of Directors for which is currently (2005) chaired by a nominee of the Museum; membership of the Board includes an officer from the Society for Nautical Research, the Museum's Chief Operating Officer and two independent members.

Auditing Consolidated Annual Accounts (4) (c)
Business Planning / Finance Monthly cash-flows and Long Term Costings – due to financial cycle this may not always
be totally up to date (8) (c)
Investments Investment Policy (c)

Forward Planning (Contact Julian Thomas, Development Manager)

The future capital development of the Museum is determined by the Development Committee made up of members of the Trustee Board, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Development Manager.

Development Planning The Development Plan (c)

Staff Matters (Contact Julie Gray, Internal Resources Officer)
The aim of the Museum is to maintain a staffing level of appropriate quantity and quality to care for a mixed and comprehensive collection of artefacts, archives, photographs and personal memorabilia, and to perform the other tasks now expected of Museums.

Whilst resources have been directed towards improving professional curatorial expertise, the adoption of modern technology combined with the professionalism of its staff has meant that the administrative base has not been enhanced as staff levels in general have risen.

Refurbished galleries on completion of Phase I of the Museum’s Development Plan have also led to the employment of extra Museum Support Grades (Gallery Assistants) who are also now becoming increasingly involved in the Museum’s educational activities.

All employees are employed on terms and conditions which, broadly speaking, are analogous with the Civil Service model. The Museum follows the Civil Service code on equal opportunities (the employee profile is 53% female, 47% male).

Grant in Aid staffing Scheme of Complement (11) (c)
Staff structure Matrix (12) (c)
Contracts Standard contract (13) (c)
Terms of Reference ToRs (14) (c)

Health and Safety (Contact Bryn Jenkins, Technical Manager)
The Museum carries full insurance for public and employee liability. For Health & Safety matters it is overseen by the Portsmouth Naval Base Health & Safety Group. The Chief Operating Officer is the Health and Safety Officer for the Museum, and he is assisted by the Technical Manager.

The Technical manager has attended courses in Risk Assessment and Basic Health and Safety. Six members of staff hold Health & Safety at Work First Aid Certificates.

A close liaison, including site acquaint visits, is maintained with the Hampshire County Fire Service.

Policy and organisation Health and Safety Policy (15) (c)
Risk Assessment Risk Management Plan (16) (c)

Access ( Julian Thomas, Development Manager )
The Museum believes in the full participation of all its people in its work. Therefore it aims to develop a deepening level of inclusion and representation in relation to physical, cultural, intellectual and sensory access to the services it offers.

Access Access Policy (17) (c)

Collections Management (Contact Matthew Sheldon,
Head of Research Collections)
The collection management policy is not an end in itself, but a means of improving the management and care of the collections that are the heart of the Royal Naval Museum. The plan identifies the principles, policy and procedures of collection management within the Museum, and details a number of objectives aimed at continuous improvement. The collection management policy will help the Museum’s staff to achieve these objectives and communicate to outside bodies that the Museum is committed to pursuing “best practice” in every area discussed in the plan.

Archives Collection Contents and Catalogue (21) (c)
Photographic Collection Contents (22) (c)
Artefact Collection Contents (23) (c)
Library Collection Contents (24) (c)
Oral History Collection Contents and Catalogue (25) (c)

Redress of Complaints (Contact Julie Gray, Internal Resources Officer)

Handling of Complaints Redress of Complaints Policy (26) (c)

Marketing (Contact Flagship Portsmouth)

Planned Marketing is undertaken with the other attractions which go to make Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Learning (Deborah Hodson, Learning Manager)
A principal strategic objective of the Trustees has been to see the establishment of the Royal Naval Museum as a centre for public learning, in which exhibits, programmes, reference collections and other educational resources and facilities for self-directed learning are developed and deployed to provide maximum opportunities - for teachers and school children; for scholars of naval history and colleges and institutions of higher learning; for the Navy, education in its history and traditions; and to encourage visitor education at every stage of life through methods of informal learning as well as by more formal means, for families, groups, communities and new entrants to the learning environment, of all ages and levels of interest and achievement.

The key points of Royal Naval Museum learning policy are as follows, and are based on good practice within the sector:

Education is recognised throughout the Museum as a core function

The learning policy is based on access for all

The learning policy is endorsed by the governing body of the Trust and its key objectives are incorporated in the Corporate Plan and revised annually

Management responsibility is held by a senior member of staff

Resources permitting, the Museum is committed to the establishment of a comprehensive strategic plan for the further development and expansion of education fully reflective of current Government policy for the museum sector founded on the principles of expanding access and greater social inclusion.

Policy and strategy Learning Policy (18) (c)

Information Technology ( Contact Julie Gray, Internal Resources Officer)

The Royal Naval Museum recognizes the importance of Information Communication Technology to further both corporate and individual departmental objectives. The Royal Naval Museum acknowledges that Information Communication Technology is an essential tool for the operation of the museum, its collections management, its effective administration and governance, the advancement of its educational objectives, its provision of access to information and its marketing.

Policy and strategy Information Communication Technology Policy (19)
and Collections Management Policy - Sections 8
and 9 (20) (c)