Abstract

Performance measurement in public agencies has been greatly influenced by New Public Management (NPM) philosophy. NPM has had a major impact on the museum sector; many national museums have been forced to introduce performance measurement systems and key performance indicators. This paper aims to examine NPM-led management reforms and their influence on the museum sectors in the US, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Taiwan. It identifies two models for evaluating the performance of national museums at macro and micro level. Micro indicators are designed to measure the performance of individual museums, and need to reflect every aspect of museum management if they are to provide adequate information for managers. Micro indicators are widely used for planning and control purposes. On the other hand, macro indicators refer to the entire museum sector. This kind of information allows professionals to see trends across the sector and to compare individual museums.