About Project Planning Checklist: Roles & Responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities – project development checklist

The project management role is to:

• Manage the overall project and keep it within timescale and budget
• Draft the risk assessment and ensure it is shared with all stakeholders
• Work with the curator to identify the nature of each commission
• Liaise with curator and artist(s) to ensure that work meets original specification
• Co-ordinate all transport of works
• Oversee installation – liaise with grounds staff / site manager / property manager
• Be responsible for all planning issues / operational plan
• Manage external contractors
• Be responsible for project documentation/technical specification
• Ensure deadlines / key milestones are met
• Work with site for interpretation / visitor flow / project plan.

The curatorial role is to:

• Research and develop project idea in partnership with commissioner / host
• Research / identify artists who could be approached and contact them / galleries / agents
• Assist in drafting the artist’s brief
• Steer artists responding to the brief, including being present at site visits
• Manage the artists’ proposal stage
• Provide ongoing liaison with artists’ galleries and commissioner
• Act as liaison between commissioner / host and project manager
• Advise on visual identity of project / brand and assist in drafting interpretative text.

Artist costs – if commissioning new work:

• Site visits – including accommodation / travel
• Proposal fee
• Fee for design and realisation of work
• Installation costs [if not accounted for elsewhere in the budget]
• Fee for overseeing the installation / press interviews / talks.

Artist costs – if hiring / borrowing work:

• Hire fees for existing works – depends on ownership of work
• Fee for overseeing the installation / press interviews / talks.

Installation / technical:

• Technical specialist expertise if needed for installation
• Transportation costs – to site and back
• Maintenance of commission / digital implications
• Preparation of grounds / site preparation and staffing time
• De-installation and making good of site
• Health and safety.

Marketing:

• Consider employing a specialist press / PR agency
• Brand development
• Online presence – website / social networking via Facebook / Twitter
• E-flyers – use every available mailing list and focus on different parts of the project
• Leaflets / catalogue
• Signage on site
• Posters / banners
• Postcards of work for sale at venue
• Launch – VIPs / members / staff and volunteers
• Invite press for a preview – develop press packs.

Documentation:

• Photography of works in-situ
• Short film of the project / interviews with artists and visitors for future fundraising / profile raising / evaluation
• Permission forms.

Launch – [VIPs and members / artists and contacts / staff and volunteers]:

• Associated costs – it is useful to have the artists and curator present
• Invitations – are these to be sent by email or post?
• Refreshments
• Extra staff / invigilation required, especially if outside normal opening hours.

Education/outreach:

• Offer free travel for groups
• Education project / co-ordinator / artists fees for special project
• Curatorial / artist fees for talks.

Evaluation:

• Visitor surveys – online and at site
• Contract in specialist agency for visitor profiling / collating data.