Each MAP assessment has a specially-designed workbook for a museum’s MAP Team to use as a self-assessment tool. Each MAP Team gathers institutional data, responds to discussion questions and participates in activities as they progress through their workbook. Each workbook contains four parts and each part is aligned to one of the four phases of the MAP cycle. There is also a glossary and additional resources.

Part One is submitted to the Peer Reviewer by the museum before the site visit. Part Two includes an activity for the museums to complete with the Peer Reviewer during the site visit.

Museums are required to complete all the workbook activities. However, museums are not required to answer every question. When a Peer Reviewer receives Part One of the MAP Workbook, they might notice some questions unanswered or perhaps answers showing that the museum misunderstood a question, issue or standard in the field. Because MAP is a learning process and focuses on helping museums improve, we don’t want to penalize museums that don’t have the knowledge to answer all the questions.

These gaps are signals to the Peer Reviewer about where the museum likely needs the most help. Peer Reviewers may ask the museum staff about why they passed over a certain question or why they answered it the way they did, either before the site visit or while onsite.

The Peer Reviewer Portal contains additional information about the MAP Workbooks that will be helpful when a Reviewer has agreed to do a museum site visit.