ACTIONS
- Protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage
- Learning and educational opportunities
- Cultural participation/social inclusion
- Sustainable tourism
- Support research
- Employment (recruiting, training, safety)
- Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions
- Waste management and reduction
- Transport (forms of, energy use)
- Commercial activities including copyright and IP
- Governance and management
- Security, disaster preparedness, risk reduction
- External partnerships and collaborations
- Toolkit/framework/roadmap
- Case studies
Newly Forming Ecomuseums: Development Framework

Intended Audience
Community members interested in establishing an ecomuseum
- The Saskatchewan Ecomuseums Initiative (SEI) Steering Committee, Heritage Saskatchewan and Museums Association of Saskatchewan
“It is intended to assist communities in developing an organizational structure to complement the work that they are doing as a part of their ecomuseum initiative.
The Museums Association of Saskatchewan and Heritage Saskatchewan strongly support unique community driven ecomuseum models that demonstrate Living Heritage. In adopting more holistic approaches to planning, communities can address issues of revitalization and sustainability for the present and future.
The toolkit complements our first co-publication, Ecomuseum Concept: A Saskatchewan Perspective on “Museums Without Walls.” It has been designed to provide those interested in establishing an ecomuseum with the information you need to begin the process. Recognizing that each ecomuseum is different, the material provided is meant to serve as a guide that can be adapted to address the community’s specific situation – and we encourage you to consider and adapt the recommendations to suit your needs.
In addition, the toolkit also contains other helpful resources/references as you work through the organizational structure needed to support and sustain your ecomuseum” (p.3).
Avaiable in
- English
SDGs LINKAGES
This resource particularly supports to creation of sustainable institutions, and is linked most strongly to SDG targets around community-based institutions such as 16.6 (effective, accountable and transparent institutions), 16.7 (responsive, inclusive and participatory decision making) and 17.17 (which includes public, public-private and civil society partnerships).
Ecomuseums can support sustainable communities, linking to 1.4 (access to heritage), 8.9 (sustainable tourism), 10.2 (social inclusion), 11.3 (inclusive settlement planning and management), and 11.7 and 11.A (inclusive and welcoming green and public places).
Supporting education on community heritage and practices can support 4.7 (education for sustainable development) and 12.8 (lifestyles in harmony with nature).
Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers and proportions of people from particular groups using collections in comparison with demographics in broader society.
- Numbers of people accessing collections.
- Number of targeted programmes that aim to enhance access to collections by disadvantaged groups.
- Sustainable tourism that enhances local communities’ access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property (including cultural and natural heritage), as well as to technology and markets.
- Involvement of people from disadvantaged groups in decision-making activities and processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
- Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
- Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
- Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of jobs created or supported that relate to sustainable tourism drawing on local products (e.g. craft producers).
- Develop and implement plans to reduce and remove negative impacts of tourism.
- Numbers of activities and/or products drawing on local culture.
- Value to artisans and source communities of activities and products drawing on local culture.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development to ensure that collections effectively meet the needs of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Number and proportion of educational and participatory programmes that promote participation irrespective of social or other status.
- Numbers and proportions of people making use of collections in relation to the demographic of the local population.
- Numbers and proportions of people involved in focused programmes aimed at promoting social, economic and political inclusion.
- Numbers and proportions of people from different demographic groups involved in decision-making processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
- Number and types of partnerships that build relationships with marginalized groups, individuals and communities.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically.
- Plans in place for collections-based institutions to facilitate the incorporation of communities’ views into local planning and town management processes in a regular way.
- Plans in place for collections-based institutions to facilitate the incorporation of minorities’ views into local planning and town management processes in a regular way.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups, notably women, children, older people and persons with disabilities.
- Increases in numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups.
- Measures taken to remove barriers to access green and public spaces.
- Extent of green space provided by collections institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Considerations of regional economic, social and environmental trends and risks incorporated into collecting institutions’ planning.
- Participation in local and regional planning, to foster access to services, cultural participation, prevent exclusion, and support equitable urbanisation.
- Ensure data collection and metrics can be useful for planning in conjunction with other sectors and between urban and rural areas.
- Number of outreach and other activities that promote awareness and accessibility of collecting institutions in urban and rural areas, and that promote awareness of regional development plans and risks, with opportunities for people and communities to input into such plans.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
- Extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in formal, informal and non-formal education programmes and activities drawing on and related to collections.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
- Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
- Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
- Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
- Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities and population groups) in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) compared to national distributions.
- Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population group.
- Decision-making addresses societal, environmental and economic challenges related to the community, considering short-term and long-term risks and opportunities.
- Decision-making draws on diverse backgrounds, viewpoints and interests, reflecting a broad base of stakeholders, and working to promote inclusion and provide effective services for all of society.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of local, national and regional multi-stakeholder (public, public-private and civil society) partnerships that address the SDGs drawing on collections, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.