This study has used a qualitative methodology to collect and analyse data consisting of both policy documents and in-depth semi-structured interviews with museum staff (from a diverse sample of museums), policy makers and advisers. The policy documents are analysed to highlight the ways in which the museum professions are constructed, the types of changes required and how these changes are framed and justified at three levels of governance – government, professional organisations and museum management. Interviews are conducted with a) museum staff acting in a cross-section of roles to examine the professional culture or cultures that are emerging in response to policy-driven changes; and with b) museum senior managers and policy officers from professional organisations and local authorities to explore how this cultural change to the museum professions is being conceived, driven and supported at the three levels of governance The findings indicate that these policy-driven changes are having very different impacts on small local authority museums than on large museums funded directly by central government. Museums now face challenging and potentially competing demands: to change their organisational/professional cultures to become more socially inclusive, entrepreneurial and economically efficient. This research set out to explore how the new museum policy framework is reshaping publicly-funded museums and the professional/organisational cultures emerging in response to two main policy planks: first, the regimes of performance management and accountability which measure and regulate museum work, and second, the increased expectation that museums should broaden their roles and, in particular, seek to meet what are in effect social policy objectives (as opposed to narrow cultural objectives).

The dataset contains transcripts of 35 interviews conducted with people who work in museums (drawn from 9 museums in England) and people who work in professional organizations relevant to the museum sector and museum work (drawn from 5 organisations). The accounts and experiences of all interviewees were distributed according to the nature of their work and roles, (Central MLA – Museums, Libraries and Archives Council; London MLA; The Museums Association; Campaign for Learning through Museums/Galleries (CLMG); Greater London Authority (the Arts and Culture Department).