A stated goal of the overall reorganization at this point is to "make the organization chart more logical". At this point there is some uncertainty --- even on the part of the Director --- as to what this will/should mean.
I don't think logic has nearly as much to do with it as do the skills of the individuals involved and the IT priorities of the museum, at least at this point in the evolution of information technology in museums. In industry, if technology is strategic, the IT function reports directly to the CEO. IT is not seen as strategic in most museums, so it is still usually a subsidiary function. You will probably find that most museums still have IT reporting to the CFO, as finance is the place in the museum where computers first became important.
The difficulties museums have in resource allocation have more to do with the amount of resources available than the reporting structure. If there isn't enough to go around, some group is going to be shorted. The way around those hard feelings is to have a plan for allocation that everyone knows and understands (if they buy into it, even better....)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has an interesting model where IT is separate from what they call Information Resources. IT does hardware, software, and networks. IR does shared databases and other content related stuff. SFMOMA is also in the process of implementing a similar system. This is a good model, but implies a real financial commitment.
-- Guy Hermann Planner --------------------------------- Verner Johnson & Associates Museum Architects & Planners http://www.vernerjohnson.com voice: 617-437-6262 fax: 617-437-1272
