I agree with both Mike and Holly. Senior management should give guidance and vision (and budget!); it's up to the people working the process to deliver results.
Barbara Stokes, Senior Curator Archives, Collections, and Programs Museum of South Texas History 200 N. Closner Boulevard Edinburg, TX 78541 bstokes at mosthistory.org 956/383-6911 -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Ellis Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 11:24 AM To: Museum Computer Network Listserv Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Organizational Question My suggestion would be to send it out to a range of vendors. Increasing pressure on an existing vendor will make them work better, cheaper and with more thought. You'll also get experience of and exposure to other ideas and approaches during the pitch process. I'd also recommend getting vendors to come and present rather than just submitting ideas via email. You get a much better idea of the energy and enthusiasm. In terms of how to do this and who: depends really on whether you've got an experienced web team working at the museum. If you do, then they should have a certain degree of autonomy but work alongside the content people to make sure that the main goals are content and not technology. [In terms of organisation: In my 7 years as Head of Web at the Science Museum in London, I was part of publishing, then marketing and communications, then new media, and finally an "information group"....Tbh, it doesn't make any difference where the web team sits as long as they have enough budget, autonomy and clout to make things happen. The subtle (but all important point) in Barbara's email below: museum leadership should make the decision on **who** manages the website. They shouldn't (unless you want much, much pain) actually make any decisions about the day-to-day *management* of the website. That way lies darkness :-) ] Cheers Mike Mike Ellis Professional Services Group Eduserv mike.ellis at eduserv.org.uk tel: 01225 470522 mob: 07017 031522 fax: 01225 474301 www.eduserv.org.uk -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara Stokes Sent: 01 July 2008 03:59 To: 'Museum Computer Network Listserv' Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Organizational Question Your museum leadership should make the decision on who manages the website. In our museum, website management is part of marketing and development. As for your proposal to submit specs to several website vendors rather than stay with the current vendor in revamping the site, it depends on how reliable and service-oriented your current vendor is and what their capabilities are. Not a definitive answer, I know, but there are a lot of factors to be considered. Barbara Stokes, Senior Curator Archives, Collections, and Programs Museum of South Texas History 200 N. Closner Boulevard Edinburg, TX 78541 bstokes at mosthistory.org 956/383-6911 -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu] On Behalf Of william jahsman Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 9:47 AM To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: [MCN-L] Organizational Question Hi, list members. I'm a recent subscriber. I work at a museum-in-progress, The Leonardo, in Salt Lake City. As with all startups, there are a million things to do. My short list is programming for Body Worlds and beyond, procurement of a membership system, new website development, and infrastructure. The exhibits director is proposing we sole source our website development to our current vendor. Our current website (www.theleonardo.org) is beautiful but not very functional. I'm proposing we submit our requirements to several vendors and choose the best one. Is it customary for an exhibits manager to specify website development? How is it handled in your organization? TIA, Bill Jahsman The Leonardo 801-531-9800 _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l Unless otherwise agreed expressly in writing by a senior manager of Eduserv, this communication is to be treated as confidential and the information in it may not be used or disclosed except for the purpose for which it has been sent. 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