1.1 Establish an overall inventory plan for collections – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should develop an overall inventory plan for its Collections Department that includes the following details, at a minimum:
- The types of inventories to be conducted.
- How often inventories should occur.
- Performance goals for inventory counts.
- Separation of duties for conducting and evaluating inventories.
- Processes for approving and reporting inventory results.
- Time frames for reviewing and updating the overall inventory plan.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Dec. 31, 2024
1.2 Establish collections inventory policies and procedures – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should develop policies and procedures to inventory its collections. These policies and procedures should outline all aspects of the physical count process, including:
- Guidance for conducting the count.
- Units of measure for different types of collections items.
- Guidance for reviewing results and resolving discrepancies.
These policies and procedures may be tailored to each collections specialty’s specific needs but should align with the overall inventory plan for the Collections Department, as described in Recommendation 1.1.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Sept. 30, 2025
1.3 Develop an inventory training program – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should develop and implement an inventory training program to teach staff and volunteers about the inventory process and ensure counts are conducted consistently and accurately. The department should also determine and document how often such trainings should occur. Training records should be kept according to the museum’s records retention policy.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Dec. 31, 2025
1.4 Review and update the collections management policy – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should review and update the collections management policy to ensure it aligns with current practices. The museum should review the policy each year in accordance with the updated policy, and that process should be documented.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Jan. 31, 2025
1.5 Determine staffing needs in the Collections Department – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should conduct a formal staffing analysis for its Collections Department to determine how many employees or volunteers the department needs to meet its goals and objectives, including efforts to digitally catalog collections records and conduct inventories of collections items.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – July 31, 2025
1.6 Review and update registration policies and procedures – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should review and update its registration policies and procedures, including its registration handbook, to ensure these governing documents align with current registration activities and leading practices. The museum should also establish time frames to regularly review and update the policies, procedures, and handbook.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Feb. 28, 2025
1.7 Develop a process to audit registration documentation – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Registration Office should develop and implement a process to periodically audit its collections’ registration documentation to ensure the museum is consistently following the registration procedures documented in Recommendation 1.6. This process should include documenting detailed policies and procedures that, at a minimum, describe:
- A process to audit documentation required for registration activities such as accessions and deaccessions.
- How often such audits should occur.
- How museum managers and staff will evaluate the audit results and resolve any discrepancies.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – May 31, 2025
1.8 Develop a process to audit items on loan – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Registration Office should develop and implement a process to periodically audit items loaned to or from the museum to ensure the museum adheres to loan agreements and accounts for all items. This process should include documenting detailed policies and procedures that, at a minimum, describe:
- A process to audit items on loan.
- How often audits should occur.
- How museum managers and staff will evaluate the audit results and resolve any discrepancies.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – May 31, 2025
1.9 Determine staffing needs in the Registration Office – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should conduct a formal staffing analysis for its Registration Office to determine how many employees or volunteers the office needs to complete the periodic audits of registration documentation and loaned items, as called for in recommendations 1.7 and 1.8.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – July 31, 2025
1.10 Develop policies and procedures for collections data entry and monitoring – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should develop policies and procedures, or revise existing ones, to ensure consistent and accurate input and monitoring of its collections data. These policies and procedures should be documented and include, at a minimum:
- Which fields are required in the museum’s collections management databases.
- How staff and volunteers should enter data to ensure consistency and usability of data.
- How supervisors should review data entry to ensure accuracy.
- What activities — such as changes or deletions — require supervisory approval.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – July 31, 2025
1.11 Monitor collections data – In line with the policies and procedures developed for Recommendation 1.10, managers in the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should periodically monitor collections data to ensure accuracy. The department should document these periodic reviews and revise policies and procedures as necessary if they identify issues with data entry.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Sept. 30, 2025
1.12 Request and review data assurance reports – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Information Technology and Collections departments should work together to periodically request and review service-provider reports or similar data assurance reports from the third-party vendors that provide the museum’s collections management database systems. The departments should document this process in the museum’s collections management policy, a new museum policy, or in vendor contracts — including documenting which parties are responsible for the review and how often this review should occur.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Jan. 31, 2025
2.1 Develop badging policies and procedures – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s security, human resources, and volunteer managers should work together to develop and implement policies and procedures related to assigning and deactivating badges. Policies and procedures should be documented and include the following, at a minimum:
- Roles and responsibilities for assigning and deactivating badges as well as monitoring access.
- A formal process to issue and assign badges to new staff members or volunteers and temporary badges to researchers or visitors.
- A formal process to ensure volunteer and employee data is accurate and reliable.
- A formal process to request, authorize, and implement access changes, including which user accounts can be used to make changes.
- A formal process to periodically review badges and access, including how often this review should occur and how to handle access issues.
- A formal process to collect and deactivate all badges when individuals leave their positions with the museum, including which codes should be used for deactivation.
- Documentation requirements to record when badges and access are requested, reviewed, and authorized according to procedures.
- Documentation requirements to record when badges are collected and access is revoked according to procedures.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Nov. 30, 2024
2.2 Conduct badge and access reviews – Based on the process and frequency outlined in the policies and procedures established in Recommendation 2.1, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science should conduct regular reviews of badge access and document how any access issues were resolved.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – March 31, 2025
2.3 Develop policies and procedures for physical keys – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s security, human resources, and volunteer managers should work together to develop and implement policies and procedures related to assigning and collecting physical keys. Policies and procedures should be documented and include the following, at a minimum:
- Roles and responsibilities for issuing and collecting keys as well as monitoring key distribution.
- How physical keys will be assigned a unique identifier.
- A formal process to issue and assign a physical key.
- A formal process to periodically review physical keys, including how often this review should occur and how to handle access issues.
- A formal process to collect physical keys when staff leave the museum.
- Documentation requirements to record when physical keys are requested, reviewed, and authorized according to procedures.
- Documentation requirements to record when physical keys are collected according to procedures.
- A formal process for what to do when a staff member does not return a key (e.g., contacting the person, charging fees, changing museum locks).
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Oct. 31, 2024
2.4 Conduct reviews of physical keys – Based on the process and frequency outlined in the policies and procedures established in Recommendation 2.3, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science should conduct regular reviews of physical keys and document how any issues were resolved.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – March 31, 2025
3.1 Conduct a risk assessment – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should use leading practices to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify risks to the museum and its collections.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – March 31, 2025
3.2 Develop a formal prioritization list and evacuation and salvage procedures – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should document a list of which collections items should take priority during an evacuation, taking into consideration factors such as dollar value, rarity, if the item is on loan, and so forth. As part of this effort, the department should develop and document policies and procedures for how items should be evacuated and salvaged during or after an emergency.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Dec. 31, 2024
3.3 Update emergency preparedness and continuity-of-operations plans – Using the results of recommendations 3.1 and 3.2, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science should update its emergency preparedness and continuity-of-operations documents to create a comprehensive emergency response plan. This plan should be accessible to museum managers and staff in both digital and physical formats and include a compilation of all relevant documents, such as the collections prioritization list. It should be signed and dated to demonstrate documented approval from executive leaders and have sufficient levels of detail in line with leading practices — such as the following, at a minimum:
- Information on all likely emergencies as identified through the formal risk assessment, including what managers and staff should do during and after each type of emergency.
- Detailed floor plans for every level of the museum with locations of key safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, alarm panels, and shut-off switches and valves for power and water.
- Guidance to help guests, staff, and volunteers who may need support or help during an evacuation, including those with cognitive, sensory, physical, and invisible disabilities; those who may not speak English or who may have limited English proficiency; and school groups or children.
- Copies of any forms and checklists managers and staff should complete after an emergency and during disaster recovery.
- Information on where and how emergency planning documents — both digital and physical — will be stored; how information will be communicated to staff, volunteers, and first responders; and who will be responsible for maintaining and periodically reviewing the emergency response plan.
- Updated contact information for the employees responsible for emergency preparedness and continuity-of-operations duties.
- A schedule to ensure the emergency planning documents are regularly reviewed and updated.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – March 31, 2025
3.4 Finalize the emergency response plan for the Collections Department – Given the unique needs of museum collections, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should finalize its emergency plan in alignment with any revisions to the museum’s emergency response plan as part of Recommendation 3.3. The department should assume the same review-and-update schedule as the museum for future revisions to its emergency plan.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Dec. 31, 2024
3.5 Document the tracking requirements for emergency preparedness training – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should revise its training policies and procedures to identify an employee responsible for tracking what emergency preparedness training staff complete and to require all training be tracked. This should include department-level emergency training.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – March 31, 2025
3.6 Develop the emergency training plan for the Collections Department – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s Collections Department should develop and implement a collections-specific training plan that considers unique training needs and scenarios for protecting, evacuating, and salvaging collections items. This training plan should be documented and include requirements to track staff attendance.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Sept. 30, 2025
3.7 Create a schedule for emergency response trainings – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should develop and document an emergency response training schedule. The schedule should contain specific dates or time frames for when trainings and drills should happen and how often trainings and drills should occur.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Sept. 30, 2024
3.8 Request and review drill results – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science should request and review the results of all evacuation drills and identify an employee who can track data related to evacuation times and compliance and identify areas for improvement.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Sept. 30, 2024
4.1 Review, strengthen, and update the agreements between the museum and city – Denver Parks and Recreation and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, with the assistance of the City Attorney’s Office, should clarify their relationship through updated and more detailed agreements, including the cooperative agreement and memorandums of understanding, to ensure all rights and city oversight responsibilities are properly documented. The revisions should include, at a minimum, responsibilities for regular reporting by the museum and periodic review of city-owned assets at the museum.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Sept. 30, 2025
4.2 Document determination of financial support – Supplementing Recommendation 4.1, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science — in collaboration with Denver Parks and Recreation — should work with the city’s Department of Finance, and the City Attorney’s Office to identify how the city should financially support the museum (e.g., utilities, maintenance, development) and what would be a sufficient amount of annual funding for the city to pay the museum for these identified purposes.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Jan. 31, 2025
4.3 Report nonmonetary gifts to the museum in compliance with Denver Charter – Denver Parks and Recreation should require the Denver Museum of Nature & Science to annually report any and all nonmonetary gifts made to the museum to ensure compliance with the Denver Charter.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Feb. 28, 2025
4.4 Develop and document a formal board of trustees attendance policy – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees should develop and document an attendance policy that aligns with leading practices for nonprofit governance and clearly outlines attendance requirements, a process to track attendance, and consequences for trustees who violate the policy. The policy should also assign responsibility for tracking attendance and ensuring compliance.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Jan. 31, 2025
4.5 Update the conflict-of-interest policy and trustee guidelines – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees should review and update its conflict-of-interest policy to include a deadline for when trustees must submit their disclosure forms each year and a process to ensure compliance, including consequences for trustees who violate the policy or fail to submit the required disclosures in a timely manner.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – Jan. 31, 2025
4.6 Develop and document a board of trustees diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility plan – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees should develop and document a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility plan to increase representation among trustees. At a minimum, the plan should consider trustees’ race and ethnicity, gender, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – June 30, 2025
4.7 Document and communicate the board of trustees recruitment process – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees should document and communicate its plans for trustee recruitment to increase transparency around the process. The plan should include how trustees will review the board’s current composition for expertise, skills, and experience to identify gaps as well as how those gaps will be filled. The board should consider recruiting trustees with museum operations expertise.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – June 30, 2025
4.8 Require annual board evaluations and trustee self-assessments – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees should revise its governing documents to require annual board evaluations and trustee self-assessments in line with leading practices for nonprofit governance.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – June 30, 2025
4.9 Add city representation to the board of trustees – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees should add city representation to the museum’s board. The board’s bylaws should be amended to include this as a requirement.
Agency Response: Agree, Implementation Date – June 30, 2025