Tool 7 - Needs and inputs

1. To understand whether or not a comprehensive needs assessment has been undertaken to determine the inputs required to effectively manage the property – and create a benchmark to assess needs against current resources.
2. To assess existing human capacity and competences compared to needs.
3. To assess current levels of funding compared to needs, and the security of that funding.
4. To assess the adequacy of infrastructure, equipment, facilities and information systems compared to needs.
5. To assess whether there are sufficient resources to effectively manage the property and whether those resources are being used in the most efficient manner.

Inputs (or resources) are the ‘fuel’ for the management system 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. To assess the adequacy of existing resources – human capacity, funding, facilities, equipment and information systems – you will need to understand:

• the level of resources required;
• the extent to which these resources are available; and
• whether existing resources are being used in the most effective and efficient way.

The level, adequacy and consistency of resources available will significantly influence the ability to effectively manage the property and any existing buffer zone(s). However, not all issues arise from a lack of sufficient resources – they can relate to how resources are allocated compared to management needs, or from the quality of the resources. For instance, staff numbers may be appropriate overall, but people may not have the correct competences, and/or may lack institutional support to apply some of the competences they have.

Tool 7 requires you to look at the availability and adequacy of resources across the management system for 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. Therefore, how you use this tool and related worksheets depends on the complexity of the governance arrangements for the property and the number of managers involved. The work undertaken for Worksheet 4a, on the identification of managers, provides a good basis for the use of Tool 7. If several managers are responsible for the property and any existing buffer zone(s), it can be best to, first, understand the resources available for each manager and, second, assemble and evaluate all the resources available. That is, you need to assess both the adequacy of the resources available to each manager and collectively for the whole management system. This collective view is important because, in some situations, resource gaps identified for one manager can be filled by making better use of the resources available to another manager.

In addition, in order to fully understand whether existing resources available to each manager are adequate or not, you need to establish what level of resources is enough for them to effectively carry out their responsibilities. This is not a simple task: it requires what is usually called a ‘needs assessment’ to establish a benchmark against which available resources can then be compared.

Resource needs, at the level of each manager and collectively, can fluctuate over time, depending on the state of conservation of the property and the factors affecting it. 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. with no major threats can operate with a certain level of resources, but if those threats increase, more resources will be needed. Differing levels of resources may also be needed seasonally, for example corresponding to high visitation periods.

Understanding resource needs requires you to draw on the analysis and findings of previous tools. For example, if in Tool 1 you concluded that a certain category of values is insufficiently recognized and documented, this may imply that staff competences are not well aligned with the values of the property, or there are no resources allocated to protect such values. Likewise, if in Tool 2 you identified factors that are negatively impacting on some attributes and those impacts are not currently being addressed (or are being insufficiently addressed), then more resources may be required, or existing resources may need to be re-prioritized and reallocated.

An estimation of what resources are needed should also be based on planning processes and what is to be achieved within the current and/or next management cycle. That is why Tool 7 is positioned immediately after you analyse the management planning framework, in Tool 6.

For these reasons, Tool 7 is structured around three worksheets:

• Worksheet 7a examines human capacity;
• Worksheet 7b assesses financial resources;
• Worksheet 7c examines the adequacy of material resources (infrastructure, facilities and equipment) and information systems.

Although the worksheets may seem straightforward to complete, in reality they can be challenging – particularly if a detailed needs assessment has not been undertaken beforehand.

This worksheet looks at existent human capacity in terms of staff levels and composition, and their competences relative to those needed for managing the property. Note that the term ‘staff’ here is used in a broad sense and can include, for example, contractors and traditional custodians. Consider all types of staff categories, permanent and temporary, seasonal and voluntary. You should also consider staff who work exclusively on the management of the property or other heritage place, as well as people who only dedicate part of their employment time to it.

Staff numbers can vary considerably depending on the size and complexity 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. . Consequently, it is best to analyse staff composition in terms of broad disciplinary expertise (e.g. archaeologists, biologists, architects, rangers) rather than necessarily listing individual staff positions. Consider also staff location; in some situations, staff who contribute to the management of the property may be located either on-site or in a different physical location.

To assess whether staff numbers and composition are adequate, you should understand the amount of work required and, accordingly, the number of staff positions needed. For example, if you have estimated that there is a need for five architects to effectively manage the property, but realise that there are only four such positions, then there is a human capacity shortfall. Alternatively, you may have five positions filled but only two staff members work full-time and three work part-time. Without such a benchmark for comparison, it is difficult to work out whether the existing human capacity is adequate.

Assessing staff numbers and composition should be relatively straightforward; assessing whether they have the necessary competences to do their jobs is more difficult and involves a degree of subjectivity. The worksheet enables you to establish whether existing staff competences are sufficient or not, based on a suggested scoring system. A more detailed assessment of staff competences can be undertaken using other tools (see Box 5.5).

Use the suggested reflection questions below to help you reach conclusions and identify what follow-up actions may be needed. The questions can be used for:

• A single manager, as in the case where there is a dedicated management agency responsible for most aspects of the management of the property and any existing buffer zone(s).
• Different managers, as in the case where several managers exist, and you undertake an assessment for each.
• The whole or collective management system, to build an overview of existing and required resources for all managers with responsibilities over the property and the buffer zone(s).

Reflection questions:

• Are staff numbers adequate to effectively manage 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. and any existing buffer zone(s)? If not, what are the main gaps and what are the reasons for those gaps?
• How can identified gaps be addressed? Can some of the gaps be addressed by strengthening collaboration between managers? Or, by strengthening the engagement of rights-holders in the management of the property?
• Is the balance between staff levels across different professional categories (managerial, technical, administrative and operational) adequate to manage the property?
• Are the competences of the staff appropriate in relation to the values of the property?
• Do staff have the required competences to fulfil their roles and responsibilities? Are those competences aligned with current and future management demands? If not, what types of capacity building are required?
• If certain competences are only needed on occasion, are temporary staff and/or external consultants employed or engaged to address those needs?
• Is staff time being directed to the highest priority management issues? Do the management responses align with those identified in Worksheet 2 (‘ Factors Everything that can affect, positively and negatively, the values and attributes of the heritage place and its state of conservation. Negative factors are usually called threats.
  How factors affect a property needs to be analysed through a series of parameters namely the underlying causes that are the source of the factor, their origin (if originating within or outside the property), the current and potential impacts deriving from the factor and the extent and severity of the impacts on the attributes of the heritage place. affecting the property’)?

Most managers of World Heritage All inherited assets which people value for reasons beyond mere utility. Heritage is a broad concept and includes shared legacies from the natural environment, the creations of humans and the creations and interactions between humans and nature. It encompasses built, terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, landscapes and seascapes, biodiversity, geodiversity, collections, cultural practices, knowledge, living experiences, etc.   properties, even in relatively wealthy countries, will argue that existing levels of funding are insufficient to effectively fulfil their mandates and responsibilities. Therefore, the main purpose of this worksheet is to assess i) whether the budget is sufficient to carry out high priority management actions and ii) whether existing financial resources are being effectively allocated. It is not the purpose of the worksheet to identify the ideal or ‘perfect’ level of funding, but to be realistic in terms of funding available to appropriately and effectively manage the property or other heritage place.

For properties managed by a single (or one main) manager – and with a dedicated budget aimed exclusively or primarily at the management of the property – completing this worksheet should be straightforward. However, in most cases, the management of World Heritage All inherited assets which people value for reasons beyond mere utility. Heritage is a broad concept and includes shared legacies from the natural environment, the creations of humans and the creations and interactions between humans and nature. It encompasses built, terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, landscapes and seascapes, biodiversity, geodiversity, collections, cultural practices, knowledge, living experiences, etc.   properties is dependent on a variety of funding sources, across multiple managers (identified and analysed in Worksheet 4a). This means that each manager will need to complete the worksheet individually before all managers collectively undertake an analysis and assessment of the financial resources across the whole management system.

For Worksheet 7b, data on funding will be most useful if it is categorized by management need, rather than types of expenditure, as this gives an indication of the directions and priorities of management. However, such financial information may be difficult to access. If that is the case, you can base the assessment on expenditure categories. Information included in the management plan and the annual (or multi-year) work plan or operational plans will help you assess funding needs against actual budgets. In completing the worksheet, take note of the period covered for different budget items, as this can vary between expenditure categories.

It can be challenging to complete Worksheet 7b in detail the first time you use it. However, you should not feel discouraged if you are only able to initially fill in certain sections. This is a worksheet that can be used on a frequent basis, e.g. annually (see Section 2.5 on when to use the Toolkit). Over multiple years of completing Worksheet 7b, you will be able to gather a fuller picture of the financial situation for the property. You may also gain valuable insights, such as long-term trends in budgetary allocations and actual expenditure – especially if analysed against the achievement of desired outcomes.

If completing this worksheet feels too challenging (e.g. because there is no management plan nor annual work plans specific to the management of the property), then use the reflection questions to help you identify the underlying reasons for this, including the challenges of obtaining accurate information on financial allocation and expenditure. You can then draw general conclusions on the adequacy of existing financial resources based on the professional experience of those involved in the assessment.

Reflection questions:

• Is there a detailed needs assessment of the financial resources that are required for the effective management of the property – as a whole and in relation to each manager involved? If yes, is that assessment based on a thorough understanding of current and future management needs and linked to the high-priority management responses identified in Worksheet 2? If not, why not, and is it possible to undertake such a needs assessment?
• Do you systematically collect information on existing financial resources that would allow you to monitor changes in resource availability over time? Are you able to monitor how the use of financial resources is broken down into: i) staff costs; ii) routine management actions or operations; iii) project-based management actions or operations; and iv) emergency response management actions?
• Based on the information available and professional experience, do you consider that existing financial resources are sufficient to carry out the most important management needs? If not, what are the main funding gaps?
• Are existing sources of funding secure, and likely to remain so in the foreseeable future? If not, how is this affecting the ability to plan for continuing and future management responses and needs?
• Are there efforts to mobilize or raise funds beyond traditional funding sources?
• Are financial resources being allocated according to identified management priorities and in response to those critical factors impacting the attributes of the property?

Worksheet 7c helps you assess the adequacy of resources with respect to infrastructure, facilities, equipment and information systems. These types of resources can easily be overlooked but are fundamental to staff doing their jobs well. Structured around a questionnaire, this worksheet offers a set of questions to help you gain a general understanding of i) the availability of these resources and ii) how they are used to support the management of the property.

Due to the increased use of constantly evolving technology, information management has become a critical tool to support planning, decision-making and monitoring. Modern technologies facilitate the collection of and access to high-quality data and large amounts of information. Such information can be easily shared between managers and, where appropriate, with relevant rights-holders and stakeholders. When human capacity and financial resources are limited, information systems can help perform tasks and provide access to information and knowledge that would be otherwise difficult and costly to collect and access. The collection of data, information and knowledge should not be seen as an end in itself, which is why information systems need to be designed to take into consideration limitations – such as human capacity to operate them and to ensure secure storage and regular backup. Therefore, when completing Worksheet 7c, you should reflect on the relationships between the use of all different types of resources identified and analysed