Dear Colleagues I am following up on many formal and informal discussions over the course of our meetings in Vienna - many suggestions, new ways of looking at challenges, and very specific encouragement for ICOM to both sustain its traditions but to also look at new ways to work in our rapidly changing environment. Starting with the 2008 ICOM Budget, we want to involve and support actions across the network in a more tangible way. In order to do this, we need your help. This message is essentially about ICOM's Triennial Budget for 2008 - 2010 but rather than being simply about money, it is more about how the new Strategic Plan can be put into effect in ways that capture the real strengths of ICOM's network (a word that I will use throughout, as it is used in the Strategic Plan, to include all ICOM''s various parts: National Committees, International Committees, Regional Alliances, Affiliated Organizations etc). For those of you who were able to be present in Vienna, you will remember that the Strategic Plan has four Strategic Objectives (either refer to the tri-lingual publication Our Global Vision, widely available in Vienna or see http://icom.museum under Resources, and then at the bottom of Strategic Plan 2001-2007 you will find Our Global Vision: Strategic Plan 2008-2010 and the detailed Plan). The Triennial budget has been reconfigured to respond to each of these Objectives, in large part so that we will all know what the specific costs of each objective are. For some of you who are accustomed to working on a 'program budget' model, this is very similar. The four objectives are: 1: Strengthen ICOM's global impact 2. Provide leadership in advocating the value of heritage 3. Champion effectiveness and high standards in museums 4. Ensure the resources required to effectively implement the Strategic Plan. Within each of the objectives, there is a list of broadly described strategic actions to be undertaken across the network, plus a description of what we expect will have been accomplished in this area within the three year period. Between now and the middle of October, I will be meeting with the Secretariat to more firmly establish the Triennial Budget and more specifically the 2008 Budget, in time for its presentation to the Executive Council meeting in early December. During a short meeting on this topic in Vienna, I outlined how I hoped it would be possible for ICOM's network to have input into this work. True, there have been many quite focused suggestions about what the needs of the network are but now we need to be able to put these within the framework of the Strategic Plan. In order to prepare the budgets, we would welcome suggestions/ideas of areas where ICOM's programs and projects (new and/or existing) can be delivered by the network (see again the definition of the network at the end of the second paragraph above), or in partnership with the Secretariat. Are there ways to bring enable better cooperation between the two? At this point, we are only looking for ideas, NOT proposals - I hope that will come later and in a very open format. The goal is to have each part of the network see where and how it can be better supported in its work under one or more of the objectives. In addition, a suggestion came forward in Vienna that we provide a few examples of what type of activities one might expect to find under each of the objectives. A couple are listed below, but please feel totally free to expand beyond these. What is your committee currently doing - would like to do .... that is part of any or all of the following. 1: Strengthen ICOM's global impact Meetings of the network outside Paris .................... much improved electronic communications/we b sites for all .......... collaborative networks ................. evaluation and extension of the mentoring grants (what format and for whom?) ........... rethinking our partnerships both locally and globally .............. new forms of publications 2. Provide leadership in advocating the value of heritage increase the profile and visibility of the work of ICOM's network across the heritage sector ................. a research database available to all ............ major (local and global) symposia .....champion the Code of Ethics through .................. expand on International Museum Day by .............courses and workshops run in collaboration with national and international committees, or several together .... 3. Champion effectiveness and high standards in museums publications, in all and all formats .........case studies ............. special sessions at Advisory etc. on ........................ 4. Ensure the resources required to effectively implement the Strategic Plan. a fully operational interactive membership data base ........... a clear plan for a full information platform for the entire network .......................ensure that the Advisory Committee is effective and ....................... ensure that dotMuseum meets the needs of ICOM members and ICOM. Make sure that ICOM has the financial resources to do what the network wants it to do ..................... Please remember these are only examples; some may not fit your interests at all but others could be pertinent. feel free to change, alter or delete. What to do now? We hope that the development of the 2009 Budget can be started much earlier and can in fact be a working part of the June 2008 Advisory meeting, if the Advisory wishes. For now, please send any ideas, suggestions, priorities for your part of the network to both the Secretariat and to the Treasurer at the following addresses: Treasurer: [log in to unmask] Secretariat: [log in to unmask] Our first working session on the budget is on September 25th and the second on in mid-October. One important area that I believe must be resolved is a specific set of recommendations on the basis for the 'allocations' for the International Committees, and this in time for the 2008 budget. We recognize that this puts pressure on the Standing Committee for International Committees, perhaps on the Committees themselves, and also on the Executive but I am strongly in favour of moving forward in this area. We very much hope to hear from you. Nancy Hushion Treasurer, ICOM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html