Program Overview:
The Museum Assessment Program (MAP) is supported through a cooperative agreement between IMLS and the American Alliance of Museums. MAP offers museums an opportunity to strengthen operations and plan for the future through year-long process of self-assessment and consultative peer review.

A MAP assessment engages a team of museum staff and stakeholders in a series of institutional self-assessment activities and information gathering using a MAP Workbook. During this process a site visit is conducted by a Peer Reviewer who visits the museum and consults with staff, governing officials, volunteers, and other stakeholders. The Peer Reviewer works with the museum and MAP staff to produce an assessment report evaluating the museum's operations, making recommendations, and suggesting resources and strategies for implementation.

Four MAP assessment types are available: Organizational, Collections Stewardship, Education & Interpretation, and Community & Audience Engagement.

MAP also offers a Follow Up Visit Opportunity for museums who completed a MAP in the last five years. This is an opportunity to work again with a Peer Reviewer to help guide, support, and further the museum’s efforts to implement recommendations in the original assessment report.

Museums are selected through a competitive process that requires an application jointly submitted by the museum and the Peer Reviewer. The application should include a draft agenda with clear goals for the follow-up visit and the museum must demonstrate progress made since the initial visit.

Follow-Up Visit application deadline: June 28, 2024

MAP application deadline: February 15, 2025

This 11-minute recorded presentation, “The Insider’s Guide to MAP”, covers all the details about eligibility requirements, program cost, and the key components of the MAP process.

Program Contacts:
Contact MAP staff by email map@aam-us.org or by phone 202-289-9118 with any questions about the MAP program or application process.