Follow-up review - State Museum of Agriculture (Agrirama) [June 2009]

Follow-Up Review 09-08

June 2009

Why we did this review
This follow-up review was conducted to determine the extent to which the Georgia State Museum of Agriculture (Agrirama) has addressed the recommendations presented in our November 2006 Performance Audit.
The Museum opened to the public on July 1, 1976. The Museum is a 95acre complex that consists of approximately 35 donated structures that were restored to look as they appeared at the turn of the century. The Museum is regarded as a "living history" museum, with many of the buildings staffed with interpreters who explain to visitors what life was like during the turn of the 20th century. The complex consists of four areas: a traditional farm of the 1870's, a progressive farm of the 1890's, an industrial sites complex, and a rural town.
Who we are
The Performance Audit Operations Division was established in 1971 to conduct in-depth reviews of state programs. The purpose of these reviews is to determine if programs are meeting their goals and objectives; provide measurements of program results and effectiveness; identify other means of meeting goals; evaluate the efficiency of resource allocation; and assess compliance with laws and regulations.
Website: www.audits.state.ga.us Phone: 404-657-5220 Fax: 404-656-7535

Follow-Up Review State Museum of Agriculture (Agrirama)
The Museum has taken steps to better accomplish its mission of preserving the state's rural history for present and future generations.
What we found
The State Museum of Agriculture, also known as the Agrirama, has made progress in addressing the recommendations in our November 2006 performance audit. Our 2006 audit found that the Museum had not been operated, managed, or administered in a manner that effectively achieved its overall purpose of preserving and presenting the state's rural history.
In order to make improvements in the operation, management, and administration of the Museum, a consulting firm was hired to develop a Master Plan for the Museum in fiscal year 2008. Completed in March 2009, the Master Plan includes both shortand long-term goals, a collections plan, a plan for the physical facilities, a marketing plan with visitation goals, financial objectives for the revenue-generating activities, and long-term goals for increased self-sufficiency. According to Museum staff, the Master Plan will serve as the Museum's long-term plan; however, it will not be able to be fully implemented under the current budget constraints.
Since 2006, the Museum has improved its stewardship of its collection of artifacts. The Museum has made improvements in the way some of the artifacts in its collection are stored. A storage facility, which had left some artifacts heavily exposed to natural elements, has been rebuilt and now provides better protection. Other artifact storage areas have been cleared and organized. However, there is still no written plan for artifact

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restoration. Museum staff stated that they were waiting for the completion of the Museum's Master Plan, which would provide recommendations on exhibits for the Museum.

The 2006 audit found that the Museum was not adhering to its procedures in its Collections Policy for acquiring, preserving, and de-accessioning the artifacts in its collection. The review found that the Museum was not selective in the artifacts it would accept as donations and was not removing artifacts that were no longer needed from the collection. Museum staff reported that since 2006, they have deaccessioned 21 artifacts that were no longer needed from the Museum's collection. They have reestablished the Staff and Board Collections Committees which are tasked with developing lists of artifacts to add to or remove from the collection. Also, the Curator must provide the Board Collections Committee with justification as to why an artifact is needed and how it will be used before the committee will authorize its accession into the collection.

Museum staff are taking steps to improve the Museum's inventory of artifacts. Our 2006 report stated that the Museum did not have an accurate inventory of all of the artifacts in the collection and had not conducted a physical inventory of its artifacts since 1978. Museum staff stated that they have conducted a physical inventory of the displayed artifacts in eight of the buildings and are in the process of completing the inventory process for the remaining buildings. They indicated that they have inventoried the stored artifacts in one location and will soon conduct an inventory of all stored artifacts. Because the Museum still does not have an accurate inventory of all of its artifacts with current appraisals for each, the Museum is still unable to ensure that all of its artifacts are properly insured against loss.

Regarding the facilities and grounds, the Museum has made some improvements to the historical site by adding directional signage and a lined, gravel pathway. The Museum has also added new roofs to several of the historical structures, has repainted the Tift House, and has constructed a new gazebo. In our 2006 audit we noted that the displays in the new Museum of Agriculture Center's main exhibit room were incomplete and that most of the eleven outer display rooms were empty and not open to visitors. Since 2006, the Museum staff has established exhibits in most of the outer display rooms and has enhanced the displays in the main exhibit room. While not all of these new exhibits are complete, they are functional and are open to the public. The Master Plan does note that additional changes to the existing physical facilities are required to maximize the Museum's programmatic offerings.

In our 2006 audit we recommended that the Museum take action to improve its overall financial management. The Museum had overspent its budget by $62,031 in fiscal year 2005 and by $216,304 in fiscal year 2006. We found that the Museum needed to improve its budgeting process, develop profit and loss statements for its revenue-generating activities, and develop a long-term strategic plan. Since 2006, the Museum has developed profit and loss statements for each of its revenue-generating activities. However, the Museum has not made improvements to its budgeting process. At the time of the follow-up review, the amounts budgeted under certain object classes still did not reflect the previous year's expenditures in those object classes. In response to the follow-up, Museum staff indicated that they had worked with the Office of Planning and Budget to establish more realistic budgets that could help the Museum better manage its expenses and keep them in line with its revenues.

Despite improvements made since 2006, the Museum has not realized a significant increase in the number of visitors it attracts each year. In fiscal year 2006, the Museum had 29,797 visitors (including educational workshops and special events), with 31,268 in fiscal year 2007, and 30,001 in fiscal year 2008.

The following table summarizes the findings and recommendations in our 2006 report and actions taken by the Museum to address them. A copy of the 2006 performance audit report may be accessed at http://www.audits.state.ga.us/internet/pao/rpt_main.html.

State Museum of Agriculture (Agrirama)

State Museum of Agriculture Follow-Up Review, June 2009

Original Findings and Recommendations (November 2006)

Current Status

Consideration should be given to developing the State Museum of Agriculture as a first-class museum that effectively achieves its overall purpose of preserving and presenting the state's rural history.

Partially Implemented - The Museum hired a consulting firm in fiscal year 2008 to develop a Master Plan for the Museum. The Master Plan was completed in March 2009, and according to Museum staff, will serve as their long-term plan. The Master Plan includes both short- and long-term goals, a collections plan, a plan for the physical facilities, a marketing plan with visitation goals, financial objectives for the revenue-generating activities, and long-term goals for increased self-sufficiency.

The Museum has failed to provide an adequate level of stewardship for its collection of artifacts.

Partially Implemented - The Museum has improved stewardship of its collection of artifacts. One storage facility has been completely rebuilt and the artifacts stored at that location have been inventoried and are no longer heavily exposed to natural elements. In addition, the Museum staff has cleared an outdoor storage area and has better organized the artifacts kept at that location. The Museum has also requested funding for the construction of a new, climate-controlled artifact storage building that would free up display space that is currently being used to store artifacts. However, a significant number of the remaining artifacts are not yet restored and are not being adequately protected in climate-controlled storage facilities.

The Museum should adhere to its written policies for acquiring additional artifacts; identify and restore those artifacts that are in poor condition but would enhance the Museum's collection; and remove those items that are no longer needed.

Partially Implemented - The Museum is adhering to its Collections Policy by utilizing its Staff Collections Committee to periodically develop lists of proposed items to accept as donations and artifacts to de-accession and have these lists approved by the Board Collections Committee. The Museum staff has reported that they have become more selective in accepting artifacts as donations and are disposing of the artifacts that they de-accession from the Museum collection. Museum staff stated they would develop a written plan for the restoration of artifacts after the completion of the Master Plan, which would provide recommendations on exhibits for the museum.

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For additional information or for copies of this report call 404-657-5220 or see our website: http://www.audits.state.ga.us/internet/pao/rpt_main.html