A museum building has to do two things at once that don't always agree: stay open, accessible and comfortable for visitors today, and protect a collection — sometimes a building itself — that has to survive for generations. Get the balance wrong either way, and something irreplaceable is at risk.

The Arab British Fellowship Training Academy designed the Museum, Heritage and Cultural Facilities Management Training Course around that balance, giving professionals responsible for museums, heritage sites and cultural facilities the operational, preservation, risk and visitor-experience skills that Museum Facilities Management under the Management category actually requires.

• Understand the principles and scope of Museum Facilities Management and the roles behind it.
• Manage heritage buildings and cultural assets while balancing preservation with operational needs.
• Plan preventive and corrective maintenance that suits historic and modern building systems alike.
• Control the environmental conditions — temperature, humidity, lighting, air quality — that collections and heritage assets depend on.
• Improve visitor services, accessibility and space management without compromising preservation.
• Manage security, emergency preparedness, business continuity and sustainability across the site.
• Apply technology, budgeting and performance measurement to keep improving facilities and visitor experience together.

Target Audience

• Museum, Heritage and Cultural Facility Managers and Administrators.
• Facilities Management Professionals working in cultural environments.
• Museum Operations Managers/Supervisors and Visitor Services Managers.
• Heritage Conservation, Maintenance, Engineering, Property and Risk/Security Professionals.

Module 1: What Museum Facilities Management Actually Covers

• Principles of facilities management in cultural environments, and roles and responsibilities of museum facility managers.
• Operational requirements of museums and heritage facilities.
• Facilities management policies and strategic planning.

Module 2: Managing Heritage Buildings and Cultural Assets

• Characteristics of historic and heritage buildings.
• Managing buildings with cultural and architectural significance, and asset registers and condition assessments.
• Balancing operational needs with preservation requirements.

Module 3: Maintenance and Environmental Control

• Preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance, and maintenance scheduling and work order management.
• Building systems, infrastructure, and contractor and service provider management.
• Environmental conditions for collections, temperature/humidity/lighting/air quality management, and preventing deterioration and damage.

Module 4: Designing for Visitors Without Compromising Preservation

• Facilities planning around visitor needs and accessibility.
• Visitor flow and space management.
• Signage, wayfinding, public areas, and improving visitor satisfaction and service quality.

Module 5: Safety, Security and Risk Across the Site

• Risk identification and assessment, and fire protection and emergency preparedness.
• Security systems and access control.
• Crowd management and public safety, and business continuity and incident response.

Module 6: Sustainability and Smart Facilities Technology

• Energy and resource efficiency, and sustainable building operations.
• Waste management, environmental responsibility and green maintenance practices.
• Building Management Systems, Computerised Maintenance Management Systems, sensors and digital asset records.

Module 7: Space, Projects and Resource Management

• Effective space utilisation in museums, and exhibition and event-related facilities requirements.
• Minor works and facilities projects.
• Budgeting, cost control, procurement and contractor performance.

Module 8: Measuring Performance and Improving Continuously

• Facilities management KPIs, service quality and operational audits.
• Measuring visitor and facility performance.
• Benchmarking, performance reporting and developing continuous improvement plans.