Huella M as an architecture for sustainable museum management

Sustainability has become a central theme in contemporary debates on museum management; however, it is often addressed through piecemeal and incomplete approaches. In this context, this study aims to analyse museum sustainability from a systemic perspective and to promote the Huella M model as an analytical framework for the sustainable management of exhibition institutions. The research employs a conceptual and analytical methodology, grounded on a critical review of the literature on heritage management and cultural policies, as well as the systematization of dimensions and indicators that structure the Huella M model. The results demonstrate that the coordinated articulation of the environmental, communicational, cultural, economic, and social dimensions enables the identification of significant interdependencies among institutional practices, governance processes, community relations, and communication strategies, offering a more comprehensive understanding of museums’ viability and public value. As its main contribution, the study presents Huella M as a conceptual and operational tool that facilitates diagnosis, strategic planning, and informed decision-making, based on verifiable, transversal criteria, thereby contributing to the development of museum management models oriented towards sustainability from a holistic perspective.