Tool 6 - Management Planning Framework

1. To review how different planning instruments – at various organizational levels and geographic scales – influence the protection and management of the World Heritage property A cultural, natural or mixed heritage place inscribed on the World Heritage List and therefore considered to be of OUV for humanity. The responsibility for nominating a property to the World Heritage List falls upon the State(s) Party(ies) where it is located. The World Heritage Committee decides whether a property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, taking into account the technical recommendations of the Advisory Bodies following rigorous evaluation processes.
   When used as a general term, World Heritage refers to all the natural, cultural and mixed properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. or other heritage place and its buffer zone(s).
2. To understand whether different plans specific to the property are well integrated in relation to wider planning instruments.
3. To assess the adequacy of the management plan or other planning instrument used to guide the management of the property.

Most World Heritage properties are subject to a variety of plans, especially if they cover large areas – such as natural protected areas, cultural landscapes or urban settlements. These plans are typically developed by different institutions and apply to different geographical areas, spatial scales and administrative zones. Even at the property level, a variety of plans may exist – such as the management plan, the conservation plan, the disaster risk management plan or the invasive species management plan. As a result, these plans may overlap, without alignment of provisions within them. In some situations, the provisions included in one plan can contradict or counter measures included in another.

This tool identifies and reviews the plans that apply to the property, its buffer zone(s) and its wider setting; and how effective the planning framework is for the protection and management of the property. Among these different plans, the management plan for the property plays a central role. Note that for some properties, this plan may have a different name (e.g. conservation plan, safeguarding plan). Worksheet 6a focuses on the planning framework relevant to the World Heritage property A cultural, natural or mixed heritage place inscribed on the World Heritage List and therefore considered to be of OUV for humanity. The responsibility for nominating a property to the World Heritage List falls upon the State(s) Party(ies) where it is located. The World Heritage Committee decides whether a property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, taking into account the technical recommendations of the Advisory Bodies following rigorous evaluation processes.
When used as a general term, World Heritage refers to all the natural, cultural and mixed properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. or other heritage place.

The existence of a management plan or similar planning instrument is not in itself a guarantee that adequate planning processes exist and are effective. For example, the management plan may be out of date, inadequate in terms of content and quality, or is not implemented. Worksheet 6b helps you analyse the adequacy of the management plan or similar primary planning instrument, in terms of:

• Its scope and integration within the wider planning framework.
• Clarity and practicality of what is to be achieved within a defined time-frame and available resources.
• Relevance of the desired outcomes and planned actions in relation to the values of the property, the management objectives and the factors affecting the property.
• How the implementation of the plan is to be monitored and evaluated.

If no management plan or similar planning instrument exists, then you will not be able to complete Worksheet 6b. Instead, discuss why there is no plan, what type of plan is needed and what work must be done to develop an effective plan. You can use the last rows of this worksheet to document your conclusions and follow-up actions, while leaving the rest of the worksheet blank. For serial properties, in addition to the management plan, you will also need an overarching management planning framework (sometimes termed a ‘strategy’) to harmonize the management of all component parts, particularly if these component parts lie in different jurisdictions.

Planning frameworks may vary considerably depending on the type and size of the World Heritage property A cultural, natural or mixed heritage place inscribed on the World Heritage List and therefore considered to be of OUV for humanity. The responsibility for nominating a property to the World Heritage List falls upon the State(s) Party(ies) where it is located. The World Heritage Committee decides whether a property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, taking into account the technical recommendations of the Advisory Bodies following rigorous evaluation processes.
When used as a general term, World Heritage refers to all the natural, cultural and mixed properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. or heritage place. For example, a single monument will likely be subject to fewer plans than an urban settlement or a large nature reserve. This worksheet gathers information about the extent and complexity of the planning framework and will help you analyse how different plans influence and support the protection and management of the property. It also helps you to understand the hierarchy between plans, including in relation to their scope, timeframe and legal status. This will provide a good basis for determining if the management plan, or main planning instrument, is well integrated within the planning framework (which is relevant to completing Worksheet 6b).

Worksheet 6a is structured in a similar way to Worksheet 5a (Legal, regulatory and customary framework). In general, the planning framework is less extensive in scope than the legal framework; that is, provincial, regional and local level plans will most likely be the focus of your analysis – see Figure 3.2 for a typical planning framework. While the worksheet requires you to focus on plans that guide or profoundly influence the management of the property, you should not exclude broader plans, since some of them may include elements that could significantly affect the property (e.g. the construction of an airport or other major infrastructure).

For each plan, draw a short conclusion in the final column (‘Main issues/comments’) on: i) how that plan influences the protection and management of the World Heritage property A cultural, natural or mixed heritage place inscribed on the World Heritage List and therefore considered to be of OUV for humanity. The responsibility for nominating a property to the World Heritage List falls upon the State(s) Party(ies) where it is located. The World Heritage Committee decides whether a property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, taking into account the technical recommendations of the Advisory Bodies following rigorous evaluation processes.
When used as a general term, World Heritage refers to all the natural, cultural and mixed properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. or other heritage place; ii) how that plan relates to or influences the management plan for the property and its buffer zone(s); and iii) any issues that arise from the content and implementation of the plan. Using the reflection questions below, in the last three rows of the worksheet you should develop overall conclusions about the adequacy of the planning framework, and identify the follow-up actions needed. When developing your conclusions, it is important to consider in some detail the links between the management plan or primary planning instrument for the property and the other plans.
 

Reflection questions:

• Is it clear which is the main planning instrument that guides the management of the property? Is it called a management plan (or does it have an equivalent title)?
• Is the management plan well integrated with those other planning instruments that influence the management of the property (including plans with a broad territorial scope, such as a land-use plan, regional tourism plan or a master plan)?
• If discrepancies exist between the provisions included in the management plan and those in other plans, is it clear that the provisions in the management plan prevail?
• Is the overall planning framework adequate to effectively manage the property?
• Is the planning framework adequate to effectively manage any existing buffer zone(s)?
• What aspects of the planning framework could be improved? Which of these aspects are within the mandate of managers responsible for the property or can be influenced by them?

This worksheet examines the adequacy of the management plan for the property and its buffer zone(s). In principle, the management plan should be the primary planning instrument that guides the management of a World Heritage property A cultural, natural or mixed heritage place inscribed on the World Heritage List and therefore considered to be of OUV for humanity. The responsibility for nominating a property to the World Heritage List falls upon the State(s) Party(ies) where it is located. The World Heritage Committee decides whether a property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List, taking into account the technical recommendations of the Advisory Bodies following rigorous evaluation processes.
When used as a general term, World Heritage refers to all the natural, cultural and mixed properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. or other heritage place. Sometimes the management plan can have an alternative title (e.g. conservation plan, safeguarding plan).

The management plan should be prepared on the basis of comprehensive management planning processes. The context and nature of management plans can vary considerably, depending on the type of property. The management plan will also depend on the characteristics of the property’s management system. In some cases, there will be a formal management plan, approved by a relevant authority; in others, the plan may be less formal and exist as a guiding document. Properties with traditional management systems often do not have written managements plans, but can have alternative planning instruments and/or processes. While management plans are not mandatory for World Heritage properties, they are (or should be) a crucial element of any effective management system.

Worksheet 6b is structured as a questionnaire to help you evaluate the adequacy of the management plan. As such, the main focus of the worksheet is on the structure, presentation and content of the plan. Issues related to adequacy of the management planning processes will be analysed in more detail in Tool 8 (‘Management processes’). Tool 9 (‘Implementing management measures’) then helps you assess whether the plan is being effectively implemented. Where there is no management plan or equivalent planning instrument, the use of Tools 8 and 9 is likely to be limited.