"One National Museum's Work to Develop A New Model of National Service" - Joanne DiCosimo

In this chapter, DiCosimo wrote that the purpose of the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN) is to be a part of a community of people and institutions across Canada that share their purposes, interests, and values. (60) To achieve this goal, the CMN created a strategic plan for 1998-2003 to address three fundamental questions: 1.)Where can the national museum of natural sciences make its greatest contribution? 2.) What is uniquely ours to do? 3.) Where can we be of greatest assistance in furthering CMN's and colleagues' mutual objectives? These three broad questions allowed the CMN to define itself, its mission, and locate possible opportunities for involvement in the community. One of my questions when reading this chapter had to do with the fact that the entire popultion of Canada is the CMN's target audience and the community it seeks to include. I wonder how the museum can appeal to such a varied population while including them in a mission of social responsiblity.

I thought DiCosimo did an excellent job of outline the key points of the CMN's strategic plan and their long-term goals. She made it clear what they were trying to achieve and how each point related to the three major questions. However, when she wrote this article the museum had not yet progressed out of the planning stage. While it was frustrating to not follow these excellent ideas to fruition, it also was a great learning tool to read how a museum creates a strategic plan with a specific goal, in this case community involvement, in mind. I look forward to someday learning of the success of the CMN's strategic plan.