Tender Documentation

Contract No.

IWM/PPS/1065

Research study for the development of new learning spaces at IWM London

Tender Submission Return Date:

14.00 on22 September 2014

Schedule 1 – Contract Conditions

1.0 Introduction

1.1 IWM (Imperial War Museums) is operated by the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum, a charitable corporation established by statute.

Founded in 1917 to record the story of the Great War and the contributions to it made by the peoples of the Empire, IWMis now the world’s leading authority on conflict and its impact, telling the story of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth from the First World War to the present day.

Our unique Collections, made up of the everyday and the exceptional, reveal stories of people, places, ideas and events across our five museums. We challenge people to look at conflict from different perspectives, enriching their understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war and its impact on people’s lives.

IWM’s five branches are:

  • IWM London;
  • Churchill War Rooms;
  • HMS Belfast moored in the Pool of London;
  • IWM Duxford, Cambridge;
  • IWM North, Trafford, Manchester.

Each Branch provides a comprehensive range of permanent and temporary exhibitions consisting of exhibits from the permanent collections integrated with audiovisual interactive displays.

IWM is, in addition to its conventional museum role, a major national art gallery, a major national archive of written and audio-visual records, and a research centre. Ouractivities include display, education, publishing, research, trading, conferences, as well as the acquisition, documentation, study and conservation of collections.

1.2IWM is a non–departmental public body (NDPB) overseen by a Board of Trustees and its Chairman. Its sponsor department is the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

1.3Further information about IWM and all of ourbranches can be obtained from our website on

1.4IWM is an exempt charity under the terms of the Charities Act 1993 Schedule 2 (u) and (w) and as such we do not have a Charity Registration No.

2.0Contract Requirements

2.1This Contractcovers the appointment of a cultural learning consultant or consortium to carry out desk and in situ research for IWM London.

3.0Contract Period

3.1The Contract is to run for a fixed period from Monday 20 October 2014 to Friday 20 March2015.

5.0Payment & invoicing

5.1Invoices, quoting the IWM Purchase Order to cover charges for all services undertaken by the Contractor, are to be raised in three instalmentsto the following payment schedule:

  • On award of contract
  • On presentation of the draft report
  • Final payment on presentation of the final report

5.2All invoices must be forwarded for prompt payment to:

Finance Department

IWM London

Lambeth Road

London

SE1 6HZ

5.3IWM agrees to pay all invoices within 30 days of their receipt. However, should there be a dispute over charges or the work completed in relation to the contracted agreement, then the payment will be delayed until resolution has been agreed, and the 30 days payment period will commence from the date of resolution.

Schedule 2 - Specification

Brief

IWM (Imperial War Museums) is seeking a cultural learning consultant or consortium to carry out desk and in situ research for IWM. IWM comprises five public branches: IWM London (Lambeth Road), HMS Belfast, Churchill War Rooms, IWM North (Salford Quays), and IWM Duxford (Cambridgeshire), as well as vibrant and growing social media and digital spaces, and world class collections and archives.

On 19 July 2014 IWM London reopened to the public after a first phase of redevelopment which has seen the launch of brand new atrium displays and a First World War gallery as part of IWM’s centenary programme. Future phases of redevelopment will include the introduction of new learning spaces; the Clore Duffield Foundation is funding research and development to define the scope and shape of these areas. IWM would like to appoint a consultant/consortium to carry out this work during 2014, with the aim of submitting a final report by the end of March 2015.

The new learning spaces at IWM London need to reflect current best practice, be true to the particular nature of IWM and include future aspirations. IWM has recently developed a new Learning and Engagement Strategy (published February 2014), an Audience Strategy (published December 2013) and a new Community Engagement Strategy (to be published September 2014) and it is important that any new learning spaces help IWM to deliver the aims outlined in these documents. These spaces also need to be flexible and agile and work within the broader redevelopment plan for IWM London. The initial scoping for this is being considered in the context of an overall masterplan for IWM London which was drawn up by Foster + Partners. Alongside new learning spaces will be plans for additional galleries and a new entrance to the museum. The findings that come out of this report should not only directly inform next steps for planning at IWM London, but should also be of wider use within IWM and the broader museum and cultural sector. To note, IWM North is currently reviewing its forward strategy. An options appraisal is underway which may conclude that capital investment (and indeed, wholesale physical change to both exhibition and learning spaces) is required. This research work will therefore feed directly into the planning of this.

Background Information

IWM is the world’s leading authority on conflict and its impact, focusing on Britain, its former Empire and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present. IWM is unique in its coverage of conflicts, particularly those involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day. We seek to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and 'wartime experience'.

We are partially government-funded but rely on commercial activity, fundraising and sponsorship to sustain our ambitious programmes.

IWM has a long term change programme to make it Fit for the Future (FFF). It is premised on five guiding principles:

  • Audience-centred – we put users (both current and potential) at the centre of all that we do
  • Relevant – our messages have a long-term impact on audiences and we remain relevant in the world’s eyes
  • Continuously evolving – we strive to deliver excellence, bringing audiences and stakeholders with us
  • High impact – we continue to build our brand worldwide
  • Effective and efficient – we focus on high impact activity, to maximise every resource we have

IWM Vision and Brand

Our vision is:

To enrich people’s understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war.

Our big idea:

At the heart of everything that we do is one big theme/idea – the ‘force of war’ – which inspires all our programming. War is a complex force that changes us – and the world in which we live. The 'Force of War' can be interpreted in many different ways, both negative and positive. It divides and unites, destroys and creates, brings out the worst and the best. We make war and war changes us. War forces us to:

  • Make difficult decisions
  • Destroy and create
  • Be at our worst and our best
  • Forget and remember

Our values:

  • Four values form the heart of our brand. They help to define how we feel and act.
  • They are to be:
  • Courageous: we’re confident and have the courage to challenge the established wisdom, championing debate and innovative approaches
  • Authoritative: our deep and dynamic knowledge of our rich collections make us the first port of call on the history of modern conflict, and sets standards of excellence in everything we do
  • Relevant: we strive to make everything we do relevant to contemporary society, while maintaining a balanced and impartial point of view
  • Empathetic: we’re sensitive to people’s emotions, respecting different points of view and the deep significance of our collections

Learning at IWM

Learning and public programmes at IWM provide opportunities for a wide range of people and communities to engage with the museum’s collections and for staff to provide for, and encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and 'wartime experience.' Each branch delivers learning programmes that respond to their particular audiences and remit. These audiences range from family and community groups, schools, teachers and educators, to adult learners, veterans and Holocaust survivors and their families.

There are three Learning teams – one covering the London branches (IWM London, HMS Belfast and the Churchill War Rooms) and the other two at IWM North and IWM Duxford. The role of these teams is to create and deliver learning activities through the formal (schools) and informal (non-school) programmes.

A number of other departments including Events, Collections Access, National and International Programmes and Projects, Volunteer Programmes and Research also contribute to the learning and public programme and interact and work with public through a range of talks, events, lectures, workshops, volunteer opportunities and placements.

Our current learning spaces at IWM London are broadly used as follows:

  • 4 teaching rooms: Used by school groups for booked learning sessions during the week in term times. These sessions involve pupils engaging in discussions and activities around our subject matter and are followed or preceded by a visit to our galleries. During weekends and holidays these spaces are sometimes used by youth and community groups as well as families engaging in our informal programme.
  • 1 on-gallery space: This is adjacent to our Family in Wartime exhibition and is used for school learning sessions linked to the Second World War home front during term time and as a hub for informal activity during holidays
  • Explore History: This is a walk-in space off the main galleries, open every day without appointment. The public can access the IWM database of collections, across art, books, documents, exhibits, film, photographs and sound. In-depth research can be conducted in an adjoining Research Room. Access is also provided in Explore History to e-resources, including subscription sites. Books and current periodicals are available on open shelves, and knowledgeable staff on-hand to help. A new display in Explore History will open in July 2014 focusing on how visitors can engage with IWM’s major new digital project, ‘Lives of the First World War’.
  • Cinema: Used during the daytime and evening throughout the year for corporate hire, as well as for larger public programme talks, screenings and events including the forthcoming FWW lecture series, War Story talks and Short Film Festival
  • Conference Room: Used during the daytime and evening throughout the year for corporate hire, sixth form conferences and CPD events, as well as for smaller public programme talks and events
  • In addition, we deliver public talks and tours in all our gallery spaces and from July 2014 have introduced three new learning trollies supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation. These trollies will be in use in our new atrium space every Sunday and during school holidays as a hub for family activities and a means to encourage visitors to engage with our collections and subject matter
  • IWM is also developing digital learning resources and materials about war and conflicts since c.1900 for those who cannot physically access our branches. We have done this by creating a Digital Learning Group to create a consistent cross branch approach to digital learning.

A research study for the development of new learning spaces at IWM London

I.Aim of this work

The aim of this work is to develop a realistic, practical, yet aspirational proposal for the development of learning spaces, initially at IWM London. The report needs to build on current good practice whilst taking into account the broader changes in museum learning and IWM London’s future plans for redevelopment. It needs to set out a clear direction of travel, yet enable flexibility. It also needs to reflect IWM’s ambition to be positioned as a pioneer of new ways of delivering learning.

II.Stakeholders and End Users

We anticipate that wide-ranging research will be required to understand what makes physical spaces excellent for learning. Consultation with the following key stakeholders will be essential:

Internal Stakeholders

  • Director of Public Programmes
  • Assistant Director of Public Programmes
  • Head of Learning and her teams at IWM London
  • Heads of Learning at IWM North and IWM Duxford
  • The Digital Learning Group (a cross IWM group of learning officers)
  • Head of National and International Programmes & Projects and her team
  • Head of Strategy and Planning and Section Head of Projects, Planning and Strategy
  • Head of Collections Access
  • Head of Digital Media
  • Programme Director, Regeneration
  • Assistant Director, Commercial
  • Head of Events and her team
  • Volunteers Manager
  • Head of Trusts and Foundations

The study will feed and influence other IWM departments that develop and support public engagement and learning programmes, including Research & Information, Exhibitions, Events, Research, Development, Digital Media, the Volunteer Coordinators, Visitor Services, Collections, Marketing, and Collections Access. We will also use some of the findings for advocacy and in future fundraising applications.

External Stakeholders

  • Foster + Partners
  • Clore Duffield Foundation

End Users

  • Schools
  • Colleges and universities
  • Adult learners
  • Families
  • Young people visiting outside of formal education
  • Serving military personnel
  • Veterans
  • Community groups
  • Visitors to Explore History
  • Corporate clients and end users

III.Purpose

The report will be designed to:

  • Review the use and suitability of our current learning spaces and define the best approach for developing new spaces which can work with a range of learning audiences from schools and families, to community groups and adults
  • Consider the potential of designing flexible spaces which can be successful in delivering excellent, innovative and effective learning for these audiences, as well as for corporate events and hire
  • Reflect likely developments in museum learning in response to external factors including National Curriculum changes and the growth in online/digital learning
  • Make the most of IWM digital projects including Lives of the First World War
  • Enable IWM to make a strategic shift towards integrating digital learning practice and activity into our programming. Our learning spaces should enable better digital learning through relevant engagement with our collections. This should seamlessly tie into our digital approach for learning on gallery, so that the learning spaces work together with wider museum spaces and have closer proximity to our displays and exhibitions
  • Develop alongside broader plans to continue the structural redevelopment (‘Regeneration’) of IWM London including exploring ways in which learning spaces can have greater visibility within the museum
  • Help IWM deliver its aims as outlined in its new Learning and Engagement, Audience Development and Community Engagement Strategies
  • Build on existing good practices across our branches and platforms as well as stretching and expanding our horizons and activity
  • Reflect and flex in response to current and future resources
  • Reflect and implement our brand values
  • Reflect IWM aspirations (Fit for the Future)
  • Highlight lessons learnt from other learning spaces at museums and cultural organisations within the UK and abroad
  • Explore approaches beyond the sector (for example new build schools and colleges) and highlight best practice in the development of effective learning spaces that can be applied to museum learning

This piece of work will not:

  • Create a set of learning programmes
  • Cover the use of IWM London’s Research Room
  • Include requirements for office space for the Learning and Booking teams, as this will be covered under another scope of work
  • Exclusively create the blueprint of the new spaces
  • Estimate income from the use and hire of spaces

Schedule 3 - Tender Information

Tenderers are requested to include all of the above information within their tender submission and to complete and supply the information requested in the Questionnaire attached as Schedule 4. Failure to submit any information may result in your tender being rejected.

1.0 Deliverables and Outputs

Deliverables

  • Involve internal and external stakeholders in examining the potential of new learning spaces in relation to our visitors, the existing masterplan for IWM London and our public programme for all learners
  • Evaluate our current learning spaces including their uses and limitations. This evaluation should cover the teaching rooms, school facilities (including picnic and bag rooms) and the delivery of learning sessions delivered ’on-gallery’, as well as the Conference Room, Cinema and Explore History to provide a holistic view of all spaces used for learning at IWM London
  • Lead consultation sessions with potential audiences and users of these spaces including teachers, tutors and youth leaders
  • Lead consultation sessions with internal stakeholders, external advisers and experts (including advisors on the impact of technology on learning activity) to understand and agree current practices as well as future aspirations and needs
  • Arrange visits and look at lessons learned from current Learning Centres in museums and cultural organisations (many of them already funded by Clore) around the country
  • Arrange visits to newly built schools, colleges and other venues where appropriate to discuss innovations in design and uses of technology as an educational tool
  • Carry out desk research and interviews and involve leading experts and ‘future-thinkers’ from the learning, culture and technology sectors, perhaps through the formation of an expert adviser panel.

Outputs