Four Critical Issues Checklists outline the topics to be covered during each type of MAP visit. Use them to:

Analyze the self-study materials
Once you familiarize yourself with the museum's issues, concerns, strengths, and weaknesses, use the checklist to shape the agenda and identify questions you should ask and the additional information you'll need.

Set the agenda
Compare the assessment checklist to the museum's self-study materials; consider what you should review and whom you should interview to develop a good understanding of the institution.

Write the report
Use the checklist as an outline for the report; it will help create a smooth and effective writing process. Note: the headings are presented in order of importance to the assessment; you may need to rearrange the topics in the written report.

It may be tempting to write about more than the assessment is designed to cover or to focus on a few specific areas of the critical issues checklist. Please address all the checklist topics in sufficient detail and then feel free to add more information that you think will help the institution move forward. If you have any questions about how to write the report, please contact a MAP staff member for advice.

Make sure your report contains the following components:

• Executive Summary (one page or less): This is crucial if the report is more than 15 pages. Many constituents of the museum may not read a long report and will need a summary.
• Introduction: State when the visit took place, the names and job titles of people interviewed, and the museum's objectives for the assessment.
• Overview of the Museum: Give a brief description of the museum, its history, community, audiences, and major challenges. This overview enables the museum to use the assessment report as a briefing document for new staff or funders familiar with its operations. You may need to ask museum staff to provide narrative for you to use in this section.
• Concluding Summary: This helps the museum focus on the priorities of the report and complements the executive summary.
• Recommendations: Put recommendations at the end of each section. It is also helpful if they are summarized at the conclusion of the report and organized according to priority.
• Resources: Provide a bibliography, sample documents, or other resources that might help the museum implement the recommendations. 

Each checklist is composed of the following parts:

Headings indicate the areas to cover. Your review should include a general assessment of operations in each area and compare them to the:

• museum's mission
• museum's resources
• standards and best practices in the field

Note any particular successes or deficiencies in each areas and their impact on the museum's overall operations.

Questions are diagnostic queries, regarding key strategic issues. The answers to each should guide your review and be addressed in the report.

Related Documents are resources you can provide with additional information to help the museum implement recommendations.

Critical Issues Checklists:

Collections Management Assessment

Governance Assessment

Institutional Assessment

Public Dimension Assessment