Open Forum

To follow up on John's important contribution, I believe an RFP may be the wrong device for generating the creative forward movement that interpretive planning should deliver. This moment presents an opportunity for institutions to rethink some fundamental questions about what we have come to call "the interpretive hexagon"-stakeholders; messages; collections/sites, or the sources of institutional authority; audiences; pedagogical approach; and interpretive media. "Best practices" may be applied to these six domains of concern, independently, but aligning or balancing them is extremely challenging. Further, broader cultural forces are transforming each one-"real" objects and specimens, for example, ain't what they used to be. We recommend embarking with coaches on a staff- and stakeholder-interactive exploration of these issues, piece by piece, rather than outsourcing the whole process in a single RFP. 

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Richard Rabinowitz
President
American History Workshop
Brooklyn NY
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I agree wholeheartedly. An RFP implies a clearly defined process that resulted in a specific product. In some cases, this is just what you need for an interpretive plan, say a new exhibit focused on a specific collection. In other cases, an exploratory approach is more appropriate. In this case, an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) followed up with in-dpeth interviews might be more in order. 

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Guy Hermann
Principal
Museum Insights
Mystic CT
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2015 11:45 AM
From: Richard Rabinowitz
Subject: Sample RFPs for interpretive design services?

To follow up on John's important contribution, I believe an RFP may be the wrong device for generating the creative forward movement that interpretive planning should deliver. This moment presents an opportunity for institutions to rethink some fundamental questions about what we have come to call "the interpretive hexagon"-stakeholders; messages; collections/sites, or the sources of institutional authority; audiences; pedagogical approach; and interpretive media. "Best practices" may be applied to these six domains of concern, independently, but aligning or balancing them is extremely challenging. Further, broader cultural forces are transforming each one-"real" objects and specimens, for example, ain't what they used to be. We recommend embarking with coaches on a staff- and stakeholder-interactive exploration of these issues, piece by piece, rather than outsourcing the whole process in a single RFP. 

-------------------------------------------
Richard Rabinowitz
President
American History Workshop
Brooklyn NY
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