The Ministry of Education and Culture has decided to evaluate the activities of the Finnish National Gallery (FNG) in 2010. The FNG is a civil service department administered by the Ministry of Education and Culture since 1990 and it is comprised of Ateneum Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Sinebrychoff Art Museum and the Central Art Archives. Support services are provided by the Department for Community Relations and Development, the Conservation Department, and the Administration and Services unit. This organisational structure has not changed significantly over the last 20 years. The annual allocation for the Finnish National Gallery from the state budget is approximately € 19 million and it has 222 person-years.

The Ministry of Education and Culture appointed Mr Sune Nordgren, Project Manager for Museum Vandalorum from Sweden to chair the evaluation panel and as members, Dr. Prof. Günther Schauerte, Deputy Director General of the State Museums in Berlin from Germany, Mrs Lene Floris, Director of research and exhibitions of National Museum of Denmark and Doctor of Law Timo Viherkenttä from Finland. The expert secretary to the panel was Senior Planning Officer Teijamari Jyrkkiö, Community Relations and Development, National Gallery.

The aim of the international expert group was to evaluate:

1. the functioning of the steering mechanism and funding base of the Finnish National Gallery and the appropriateness of its statutes, 2. the overall mission of the National Gallery in terms of operational efficiency, 3. the quality and impact of the operations and services of the National Gallery in terms of the strategic priorities.

According to the report the FNG has professional, skilled and dedicated personnel and its three museums’ have strong brands. The biggest challenges are related to the organisational and functional structures of the institution. All three museums are functioning well in general, however the day-to-day routines and activities are not supported and recognised enough on a strategic level. The panellists are of the opinion that the managerial and administrative level of the organisation is excessive in relation to its size and role as a state agency. Resources, both human and financial, could and should be spent in a more efficient way and internal communication should be improved.

The experts identify two directions to choose from when discussing the development of the FNG: 1) to broaden the role and tasks of the FNG to encompass a number of other museums, e.g. the Design Museum and the Museum of Finnish Photography; or 2) to reduce the top-heavy administration and return to the core purpose of the National Gallery organisation, which would be to have Ateneum at its centre and Kiasma as the moving satellite.

The group of experts does not want to make any proposal on this issue or comment on the proposals they made. A manifested will and ambition within the personnel and genuine collaboration towards common goals are the most important areas to be developed.