[[alternative]]A Benefits Study of Public Museum Contract Outsourcing in Taiwan

[[abstract]]This research explores, through the review of available material, questionnaires and interviews with experts, the effect and problems of the management outsourcing currently being undertaken by the National Museums in Taiwan. The conclusions will be of use to any other National Museums facing the same issues with respect to its management. The goal of this research is under four research indexes: I) To consider the purpose, function and mission of establishing a museum, II) Ensure the social obligation and public welfare of the museum, III) To strengthen the government department decisions and ability to execute, IV) To enhance corporate will to join public service and ability to run them profitably. The researcher have designed and undertaken a questionnaire for the employees within the National Taiwan Science Education Center, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, the National Center for Traditional Arts, and the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Taipei. In addition, this research interviewed the policy makers of public and private sectors within the National Taiwan Science Education Center, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, the National Center for Traditional Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Taipei, and the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum. There are 9 key discoveries from the questionnaire, and another 15 discoveries resulting from the interviewed research. This research provides 10 pieces of advise to public museums considering outsourcing: i) Define the scope of the outsourcing with a clear mission, ii) Avoid wholesale transplantation of management from another public service, iii) Carefully design the outsourcing model, iv) Employ tactics to build the partner relationship with private sector, v) Keep certain resources to maintain oversight, vi) Maintain a back up plan if the outsourcing fails, vii) The government shouldn’t meddle with the new administration, viii) Provide a strategy and direction for the private sectors, ix) Build a professional internal capability to manage all aspects of the outsourcing process, x) Internalize the experience on contract outsourcing through knowledge management. There are 10 recommendations to the management of public museums: I) Emphasize the academic aspects to develop the general public’s cultural capacity, II) Employees should be trained to lift their professional standards, III) The government should encourage and regulate private sectors to offer outsourcing services, IV) Government must encourage the sharing of resources, V) Regulations of the outsourcing should be handled by specialized government departments, VI) Use the social resources to improve management abilities, VII) Loosen the budget and financial management to creative cultural properties, VIII) Government must be nimble and agile with their human resources to create a diversified set of professional skills, IX) Develop digital museums, X) Use information technologies to improve the efficiency of the public services. Review the outsourcing management and administration and cooperation policy. The government should avoid corrupt bureaucratic involvement and use flexible manpower. The cost system needs to be loosened. Customer service needs to be emphasized and museums need to be managed more akin to businesses – less bureaucratic and more professional with more self-governance to develop creative management. Outsourcing and privatization are not only solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of museum services. The researcher expects the government could take the opinion of “open administration.” As a result, they can authorize every museum to put its function of education into practice, increase the quality of service and make the best benefits for the public. Just like the attractors of “Bell Curve” theory’s, the government should authorize to those curators being in charge of museums between the biggest spaces. Let those curators can decide how to operate museums by themselves and the government only needs to supervise their achievements but not to over step in their administration.