MODEL 1: Participatory Resource Pooling Model

The Participatory Resource Pooling Model is a collaborative approach enabling CHOs to overcome limitations of isolated operation by strategically pooling and sharing resources, infrastructures, knowledge, and audiences. It strengthens institutional capacities, extends outreach, enhances cultural offers, and improves financial sustainability by integrating diverse stakeholders into shared ecosystems. This model encourages CHOs to act as both contributors and beneficiaries of shared resource networks.

CHOs traditionally focus on autonomous operations, limited bilateral collaborations, or project-specific partnerships. The Participatory Resource Pooling Model pushes towards strategic, long-term, open-ended partnerships based on open-innovation principles, fostering a culture of co-creation and mutual resource management. It breaks down institutional silos, enabling CHOs to unlock external resources, expertise, and audiences that would be inaccessible through conventional models.

The model is built on the principle of mutual benefit through collaborative pooling of resources, including tangible (finances, spaces, collections, technology) and intangible (expertise, networks, data) assets. Partnerships can range from bilateral to multi-sided collaborations, involving CHOs, private businesses, universities, NGOs, and the general public through crowdsourcing.

Resource pooling can occur at the project level (short-term) with temporary sharing arrangements for specific exhibitions, research projects, or events; or at the strategic level (long-term) with ongoing sharing agreements (e.g., joint digitisation platforms, co-managed labs or other infrastructure).

Engagement

• Institutional partnerships: Collaboration between CHOs

• Cross-sector partnerships: CHOs partnering with businesses, universities, or other sectors

• Community participation: Engaging the public for crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, or volunteering
  

Platforms

• Asset sharing: Facilities, collections, technologies

• Knowledge pooling: Expertise, data, research findings

• Financial pooling: Financial resources, sponsors, investments.

• Shared platforms/services: Joint digital platforms, travelling exhibitions

• Crowdsourced contributions: Public engagement in digitisation, translation, data enrichment, etc.

Benefits

• Increased efficiency and cost savings (e.g., shared facilities, joint services)

• Expanded outreach and audience diversification

• Enhanced open innovation capacity through cross-sector knowledge exchange

• Financial sustainability via diversified revenue streams and cost-sharing

• Building resilient networks that strengthen the sector’s capacity to adapt to challenges

Collaboration Structures

• Bilateral collaboration

• Multilateral networks

• Consortium-based models

• Platform-based resource ecosystems (see Model 2)

Barriers

• Institutional resistance and fear of losing control over assets

• Legal and governance complexities (e.g., IP rights, management agreements)

• Coordination and trust-building challenges among diverse stakeholders (competition vs cooperation models).

• Misalignment of objectives between CHOs and commercial or academic partners.

• Technical interoperability issues when pooling digital resources

Revenue Earning Models

• Service Model: CHOs offer their pooled resources (labs, expertise, digitisation services) to partners or clients for a fee

• Licensing Model: Licensing jointly created exhibitions, content, or research to third parties

• Crowdfunding Model: Engaging the public to co-fund collaborative projects or resource acquisitions

• Sponsorship Model: Attracting sponsors for co-developed exhibitions or research

• Public Funding Model: Applying for grants that support collaborative and participatory initiatives