Official Statistics

Technical report: DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries annual performance indicators 2020/21

Updated 11 August 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dcms-sponsored-museums-and-galleries-annual-performance-indicators-202021/technical-report-dcms-sponsored-museums-and-galleries-annual-performance-indicators-202021

1. Technical report: DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries annual performance indicators 2020/21

DCMS has agreed performance indicators to be reported on by sponsored museums each year in annual reports. The DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries annual performance indicators statistical publication brings together the data from individual institutions and provides aggregate analysis.

The DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries are:

  • British Museum
  • Museum of the Home
  • Horniman Museum
  • Imperial War Museums
  • National Gallery
  • National Museums Liverpool
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • Natural History Museum
  • Royal Armouries
  • Royal Museums Greenwich
  • Science Museum Group
  • Sir John Soane’s Museum
  • Tate Gallery Group
  • Victoria and Albert Museum
  • The Wallace Collection

1.2 Performance indicators

The performance indicators are:

1 Access

  • Number of visits to the museum/gallery
  • Number of unique website visitors

2 Audience profile

  • Number of visits by children under 16
  • Number of overseas visits

3 Learning and outreach

  • Number of facilitated and self-directed visits to the museum/gallery by visitors under 18 in formal education
  • Number of instances of visitors under 18 participating in on-site organised activities

4 Visitor satisfaction

  • % of visitors who would recommend a visit

5 Regional engagement

  • Number of UK loan venues

6 Self-generated income

  • Self-generated income - admissions
  • Self-generated income - trading income
  • Self-generated income - Charitable giving (fundraising/contributed income)

More detailed definitions of the indicators can be found in the performance indicators guidance.

1.3 Data collection

Data collection methods vary between institutions and performance indicators. DCMS does not provide a prescribed way to collect the data. This allows museums and galleries flexibility to adopt a cost efficient data collection technique.

  • Annual visitor figures are based on actual counts collected via manual and electronic devices.
  • Educational visits are collected via the museums’ school booking systems.
  • Data on overseas visitors and visitor satisfaction are collected via sample surveys which are weighted against the footfall to each museum in each quarter.
  • Number of unique website visits is collected via Google analytics.

1.4 Quality Assurance

The data, tables and statistical release undergo QA checks before publication. The statistician producing the release sense checks the data against prior years and monthly visitor totals held by DCMS, and queries any discrepancies with the relevant institution.

Final QA checks are carried out by someone other than the statistician producing the release and include:

  • Checking data for publication against supplied data
  • Checking numbers quoted in the release and charts
  • Checking calculations
  • Checking footnotes and other information included with data tables

QA checks and outcomes are recorded within a QA log to provide an audit trail.

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