good practice

guidelines

 

The following list is intended for guidance only. It is intended to prompt your thinking from the very start of your project not to dictate or intimidate.

 

Does my project address one or more of Arts Council England’s priority themes?

1) Inclusion work with hard to reach groups
2) Inclusion work with young people, possibly with community safety benefits
3) Urban/ rural linking: promoting mutual understanding by urban/rural communities; bringing high quality art into rural areas through rural touring or temporary installations; use of trails and public art linking town and country.
4) Economic benefits of artists to rural areas.
5) Local distinctiveness and the arts.

 

The Brief

 

Does the Brief for the project include?

• a coherent statement of the background and context of the project
• a clear set of aims and objectives matched to
• a number of required outputs to meet them
• a realistic timetable, deadlines and milestones
• identification of any constraints that need to be taken into account, including local planning restrictions and by-laws and the need to gain landowners permissions
• the need to produce a project management plan, including a project risk assessment and measures to safeguard quality control
• an outline of how the project will be managed together with a named individual as first point of contact
• the project budget
• clear guidelines on the tendering process and procurement arrangements
• clear adherence to equal opportunity guidelines and current legislation governing areas such as health & safety; disabled access and child protection

and has it been agreed by all parties, stakeholders, project partners and artists before exchange of contracts?

 

Project Aims

 

Do my project aims address the following things?

• Shared aspirations – e.g: increasing access to the countryside and participation in the arts
• Specified target groups – e.g: young people at risk of social exclusion; disabled people; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds
• Issues of ownership and identity – e.g: through the active involvement of and consultation with the local community
• Learning opportunities – e.g: generation of new skills in the local community; training/mentoring opportunities for emerging artists; work in local schools and colleges
• Awareness - how others will get to know about the projects, its benefits and outcomes
• Sustainability – e.g: continued impact/activity/plans beyond the life of the current project

and do they lead to measurable objectives that will contribute to the growing body of evidence for the economic, social* and environmental value of such projects?

*including health, learning and cultural benefits

 

The Contract

 

Does the contract include these things?

• aims and objectives of the project
• required outputs
• timetable, deadlines and milestones
• payment schedule
• budget
• definitions
• reporting procedures
• clear details of ownership and intellectual copyright
• any insurances required to be in place (public liability/professional indemnity)
• procedures in the event of a dispute

and is it fit for purpose – ie: not a standard format but one designed or adapted to meet the specific aims of the project and the project brief?

 

The Budget

 

Does my budget take into account these key elements?

• time for design and development
• time for community participation/consultation via workshops/open days etc
• time to oversee construction/instalment of public art works
• time to set up or attend celebrations or launches as required
• inclusion of a an ongoing programme of maintenance over a 5-10 year period
• a realistic materials budget (agreed with the artist/s)
• expenses (travel, accommodation and reasonable subsistence payments)
• the minimum daily payment for artists (as recommended by Arts Council England)

and does it balance (ie: does income, including any grants applied for, amount to the same as expenditure)?

 

Evaluation

 

Will my evaluation include both quantitative and qualitative data that answers the following questions?

• did the project meet its aims and objectives?
• who and how many did the project benefit?
• what lessons have we learnt?
• how can these be used to improve future projects? and
• where do we go from here (ie: sustainability)?

and does it take into account the views of all the project stakeholders, ie:

• partners and funders
• participants/target audiences
• communities
• artists

in assessing these issues?

• quality of experience
• quality of outputs
• good project management
• meeting the project’s aims
• added value (ie: unexpected outcomes/additional benefits)

 

Final Report and Dissemination

 

Will my project evaluation be integrated into a final report that will include these items?

• an executive summary
• a comprehensive record of the project’s progress and outcomes (with contributions from the project manager, artists, partners and participants)
• a stock of high-resolution photographic/digital images produced to a professional standard

Do I have a dissemination plan to ensure the final report informs the following groups?

• targeted groups and agencies (in line with target groups outlined in the project’s aims)
• existing stakeholders in the project
• potential stakeholders in this or future projects
• identified specialist or interested media
• appropriate decision-makers/movers & shakers at local, regional and national level (e.g: local authority; South West Regional Development Agency; DCMS)
• appropriate potential investors

and have I taken the necessary steps to ensure it is posted, in full or summary as appropriate, on appropriate web sites of partners/stakeholders?

 

Making others aware

 

Have I considered the value and impact of marketing and PR?

• a good project should have a degree of marketing activity to raise a general awareness of the benefits and outcomes
• this would not be the detailed outcome reports, which are written for those with a deeper level of interest, but higher level activities that create an interest or give a
  general flavour
• this activity should show how similar work or benefits could be achieved elsewhere and it should be used as an opportunity to celebrate what made the project possible e.g. funding, support groups and participants
• a variety of methods should be considered to support this activity, from general media to local networks
• awareness should extend from project start through to completion