Te Papa CE regrets not restructuring 'quicker' after worst staff satisfaction survey results in its history

Monday, 24 June 2019

Staff morale at Te Papa is at an all-time low.

Te Papa's Chief Executive says he regrets not restructuring the organisation 'quicker' after receiving an all-time low staff satisfaction score.

The survey results come after a widely-criticised string of redundancies that included proposals to replace international experts in the collections area with less qualified staff, a move one academic said represented a 'dark day' for science in New Zealand.

Staff satisfaction results were the worst in Te Papa's history.

CE Geraint Martin put the survey results down to a wide range of factors including a 'challenging' organisation-wide restructure.

'Although we had to do it [the restructure], and there are good reasons why, that's been actually quite challenging and I would have thought about perhaps probably doing it a bit quicker than we ended up doing.'

Visitors react to Te Papa's Terracotta Warriors exhibition.

* Another 20 international fish experts sign petition against Te Papa restructure

* World-leading science experts made redundant in Te Papa restructure**

Martin acknowledged it had been a 'hard year' for staff and that 'change can be tough'.

He pointed to the workload associated with a full drawcard of exhibitions - including the Terracotta Warriors and Te Taiao Nature exhibitions - as also contributing to low staff morale.

A giant squid researcher asked for all references to him to be removed from a Te Papa exhibition after it restructured world-leading molluscs expert Bruce Marshall (pictured).

Te Papa has conducted staff surveys every year since 2015 - when it scored its lowest score ever of 3.43.

This year it scored 3.14.

Martin pledged he would meet on on one with every one of Te Papa's 389 staff over the next few weeks to discuss how things could be improved.

'We know our team have been working hard, and we need to address their concerns, and ensure that they feel valued. As the Chief Executive I take personal responsibility for leading that change.'

There has been a strong reaction to Te Papa's restructure within the wider scientific community.

One of those set to be restructured, molluscs expert Bruce Marshall, was given a six-month reprieve in March to allow him to mentor new talent.

But giant squid researcher Steve O'Shea was so appalled by the plan to remove Marshall he asked Te Papa to remove any reference to him in the museum's colossal squid display.

'Bruce is not broken, but the system into which he has been assimilated clearly is,' he wrote. 'Making such intellectual genius redundant makes no sense, and identifies a problem with museum strategy.'

Following public pressure, and a mass signing of a public petition, another scientist set to be made redundant, fish expert Andrew Stewart, was understood to have been selected for a different position.

Martin said the restructure was essential to make sure the organisation made the best use of its resources.

He said the government also gave Te Papa a 'strong vote of confidence' by allocating the organisation an extra $12 million this year.

'We have to make sure that we are living within our means.'

TE PAPA'S STAFF SATISFACTION RESULTS

2015 3.43

2016 3.67

2017 3.81 (March)

2017 3.66 (November)

2018 3.47 (five questions only)

2019 3.14