Important concepts

The assessment will produce the best results if it is based on a collaborative process and involves all the actors responsible for managing 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. Since some of these actors may have responsibilities that are not heritage-specific, they may not be familiar with certain concepts used in the Toolkit. It is important that all those participating in the assessment process have a basic understanding of the most important concepts and terms. This can avoid confusion, misunderstandings and unnecessary frustration or delay during the assessment. Otherwise, people may feel left out or afraid of participating in the discussions. In some situations, initial capacity-building may be needed for different audiences; if that is the case, you should incorporate it into Phase 1 of the assessment process.

The Toolkit includes a Glossary with definitions for most of the technical terms that you will need to use. Some concepts are critical to start a conversation, and they require an in-depth understanding. These key concepts are described in detail below.

Heritage values are the reasons why a heritage place is considered important to be protected for present and future generations. These values are socially determined (i.e., significance is ascribed by communities or cultural groups) and dependent on a range of social and cultural experiences. What is valued by one section of a society may not be valued by another, or may be valued for different reasons. Heritage places always have a range of values: aesthetic, architectural, biological, ecological, historic, archaeological, scientific, geological, social, spiritual, educational, etc. The combination and interactions of different values, including their accumulation over time, constitutes the significance of the heritage place.

Since not everyone values the heritage place for the same reasons or at an equal level, significance is often considered in terms of different ‘levels’: international, national and local. This would be the case for 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. where the focus of inscription on the World Heritage List is on Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). However, that property will invariably have a range of other values – at national and local levels – that are also part of its overall significance. These other values should be well understood to ensure that the management system, while giving priority to the property’s OUV, applies a holistic approach that integrates all values.

It is important to remember that people often want to protect a place for reasons other than seeing it as their heritage, and that certain groups use the word ‘value’ in different ways to its heritage meaning. This is where it is also important to recall that heritage, for the purpose of this Toolkit, is defined as all inherited resources and/or assets which people value for reasons beyond mere utility. This may sound like a subtle difference, but it is one that is fundamental. The most obvious example is economic importance. A heritage place may provide economic benefits that support many people’s livelihoods, but this does not constitute a reason why people consider it as their heritage. As such, the term ‘benefit’ is preferred when referring to situations when a recipient (whether an individual, a group or a society) derives utility – whether in monetary terms or in-kind goods, services and transactions – from the existence or protection of a heritage place.

Since values are socially determined and are essentially intangible (i.e., non-material), it is necessary to identify which attributes convey them. Attributes Attributes are the elements of a heritage place which convey its heritage/conservation values and enable an understanding of those values. They can be physical qualities, material fabric and other tangible features, but can also be intangible aspects such as processes, social arrangements or cultural practices, as well as associations and relationships which are reflected in physical elements of the property.
For cultural heritage places, they can be buildings or other built structures and their forms, materials, design, uses and functions but also urban layouts, agricultural processes, religious ceremonies, building techniques, visual relationships and spiritual connections.
For natural properties, they can be specific landscape features, areas of habitat, flagship species, aspects relating to environmental quality (such as intactness, high/pristine environmental quality), scale and naturalness of habitats, and size and viability of wildlife populations.
Attributes, and the interactions between them, should be the focus of protection, conservation and management actions.

The term ‘attributes’ is particularly used for World Heritage properties and a clear understanding of the attributes that convey their Outstanding Universal value is critical for their long-term protection. The spatial distribution of those attributes and respective protection requirements should inform the boundary of the property and other management responses. are the focus of management and conservation actions.

Attributes Attributes are the elements of a heritage place which convey its heritage/conservation values and enable an understanding of those values. They can be physical qualities, material fabric and other tangible features, but can also be intangible aspects such as processes, social arrangements or cultural practices, as well as associations and relationships which are reflected in physical elements of the property.
For cultural heritage places, they can be buildings or other built structures and their forms, materials, design, uses and functions but also urban layouts, agricultural processes, religious ceremonies, building techniques, visual relationships and spiritual connections.
For natural properties, they can be specific landscape features, areas of habitat, flagship species, aspects relating to environmental quality (such as intactness, high/pristine environmental quality), scale and naturalness of habitats, and size and viability of wildlife populations.
Attributes, and the interactions between them, should be the focus of protection, conservation and management actions.

The term ‘attributes’ is particularly used for World Heritage properties and a clear understanding of the attributes that convey their Outstanding Universal value is critical for their long-term protection. The spatial distribution of those attributes and respective protection requirements should inform the boundary of the property and other management responses. are the elements 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 which convey its heritage values and enable an understanding of those values. They can be physical qualities, material fabric and other tangible features, but can also be processes, social arrangements or cultural practices, as well as intangible aspects such as associations and relationships. Identifying attributes is also vital to understanding the conditions of authenticity and integrity of a heritage place.

Distinguishing between values and attributes can be a complex task and the two concepts are often confused. One simple way to distinguish between them is to ask:

• ‘Why is the heritage place important?’ (the answer will be about values).
• ‘What do I need to protect and conserve to maintain the place’s significance?’ (the answer will be about attributes).

In general, people find it easier to identify the attributes, particularly physical ones (e.g. buildings, natural features, or materials). However, while identifying the attributes is important, it is critical that you consider fully why the heritage place is important (the values) – and this can have multiple answers, as mentioned above. Otherwise, you may be directing your management efforts to conserving certain attributes and neglecting others. This can often be the case for attributes such as processes, practices or relationships, which are difficult to define and identify. If the why is clear, then it will be easier to decide what needs to be protected in the heritage place, and how to do it. These distinctions are especially important when difficult and unusual situations arise that have an effect on multiple attributes, or even on the heritage place as a whole. For example, in the case of a natural disaster or a proposal for a high-impact development, or even social dynamics that can gradually lead to a change in the perception of why the place is important, and to whom.

Attributes Attributes are the elements of a heritage place which convey its heritage/conservation values and enable an understanding of those values. They can be physical qualities, material fabric and other tangible features, but can also be intangible aspects such as processes, social arrangements or cultural practices, as well as associations and relationships which are reflected in physical elements of the property.
For cultural heritage places, they can be buildings or other built structures and their forms, materials, design, uses and functions but also urban layouts, agricultural processes, religious ceremonies, building techniques, visual relationships and spiritual connections.
For natural properties, they can be specific landscape features, areas of habitat, flagship species, aspects relating to environmental quality (such as intactness, high/pristine environmental quality), scale and naturalness of habitats, and size and viability of wildlife populations.
Attributes, and the interactions between them, should be the focus of protection, conservation and management actions.

The term ‘attributes’ is particularly used for World Heritage properties and a clear understanding of the attributes that convey their Outstanding Universal value is critical for their long-term protection. The spatial distribution of those attributes and respective protection requirements should inform the boundary of the property and other management responses. are the focus of protection, conservation, and management because it is by implementing concrete actions on the attributes, or on the factors impacting them, that you will be able to maintain the values in the long term. Do not do forget, however, that taking no action, is in fact a management action. If things are stable in general and there are no major factors affecting (or likely to affect in the near future) the attributes, then no immediate or major action is necessary.

All World Heritage properties and other heritage places must have a management system in place to ensure they are protected for future generations. The world is increasingly interconnected and actions in one part can have effects on the planet as a whole (e.g. climate change). Therefore, ‘leaving things to chance’ or ‘business as usual’ are no longer viable management strategies.

For the purpose of this Toolkit, a management system is defined as the combination of institutional structures, instruments and processes which together ensure the effective protection of the heritage place for present and future generations. An effective management system depends on the type, characteristics and needs of the heritage place and its social, economic and environmental context. Therefore, management systems may vary according to different socio-cultural perspectives, the resources available and other aspects, and may incorporate traditional, formal and informal instruments, practices and processes.

In recognizing such diversity, any management system should be based on:

• a comprehensive, shared understanding of the property or heritage place, including its values and attributes, by all managers;
• a respect for diversity, equity, gender equality and human rights, and the use of inclusive and participatory decision-making and management processes;
• a cycle of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
• mechanisms for the involvement and coordination of activities between different managers;
• the allocation and sustainability of necessary human, financial and material resources;
• continuous learning and capacity-building; and
• an accountable and transparent description of how the management system functions.

The term ‘system’ implies that all these elements of a management system are interconnected, and – when acting together – assume a larger scheme or structure. Changing or adding an element or an interconnection may affect how the whole management system works.

Identifying the different elements of your heritage place’s management system can be challenging, particularly if it involves multiple managers with different mandates who use different instruments and practices to exercise their rights and responsibilities. Describing how everything comes together and is coordinated may sometimes seem impossible. Each of the EoH 2.0 tools allows you to explore critical elements of a management system in order to better understand what those elements look like in relation to your particular heritage place. The tools are also designed to help you identify important interconnections between those elements. Note that the Toolkit is not intended to examine every single detail of the management system, but rather the elements that every 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. should have. You can also think of the Toolkit as a general ‘check-up’, similar to one you might undertake for health reasons.

Wherever choices and decisions are made about the protection 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, some form of ‘governance’ system exists which enables people to exercise their rights, influence, authority and responsibilities over that place. Therefore, understanding who takes those decisions and how they make them is important in assessing how well that property or place is being protected.

The concept of ‘governance’ has grown in importance over the past decade and is now used in many contexts. Consequently, there are different views as to what governance means. Often governance is inaccurately used as a synonym for government. Whereas ‘government’ refers to a set of institutions responsible for administrating a country or state, the term ‘governance’ can be used in a broader sense and applied across a wider range of circumstances. It is common to talk about the governance of a financial market or the governance of a company, as well as the governance of a heritage place or a territory.

For the purposes of this Toolkit, governance comprises all the interactions among administrative structures, processes and traditions that determine how power and responsibilities over 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 are exercised, how decisions are taken and how different actors have their say and participate in decision-making.

Governance and management are closely related concepts, although it can be useful to distinguish between them. While governance is fundamentally about who takes decisions and how those decisions are made, management is about what is done to implement those decisions and the means and actions needed to achieve them (Borrini-Feyerabend et al., 2013). This distinction is also helpful as it reminds us that heritage protection is influenced by economic, social and political considerations and not just technical ones. It is also important to note that, in the context of World Heritage, governance and management arrangements are situated within the management system for each property.

Managing 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 involves many people, such as individuals working for government agencies, local administrations, traditional authorities, NGOs and businesses, as well as people from Indigenous peoples, cultural groups, local communities and wider civil society. All these can be viewed as ‘actors’.

In the context of this Toolkit, the term ‘actors’ covers all the people, and the institutions and groups they represent, who are involved directly and indirectly with the protection and management of a World Heritage property or heritage place. There are three broad categories of actors: managers, rights- holders and stakeholders.

Managers refers to institutions and other types of entities, as well as the individuals working within those institutions, which are recognized, responsible and accountable for protecting and managing the heritage place. Rights-holders Actors socially endowed with legal or customary rights with respect to heritage resources. In cases where there are Indigenous people involved, they have the right to free, prior and informed consent before approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, and need to participate in impact assessment. are socially endowed with legal and/or customary rights over the heritage place. Some rights-holder groups may also have responsibilities for managing the heritage place, or parts of it. Stakeholders In a World Heritage context, stakeholders are those who possess direct or indirect interests and concerns about heritage resources, but do not necessarily enjoy a legally or socially recognized entitlement to them.
In impact assessment, stakeholders are individuals or groups that may be affected by a project, or someone or an organization who represents such people. Collectively, the two are sometimes referred to as ‘interested and affected parties’. are communities and/or cultural groups who have direct or indirect interests, concerns and influence over the heritage place, but do not necessarily have a legally or socially recognized entitlement over heritage resources or their management.

A number of terms are used for the goals or aims of the management system for the World Heritage property or other heritage place. Terms such as ‘aim’, ‘goal’, ‘objective’, ‘vision’, ‘results’ and ‘outcomes’ tend to be used ambiguously and interchangeably. For the purpose of this Toolkit, ‘management objectives’ refer to the primary aims that will guide the management system of a heritage place to ensure that its values are maintained, forming the basis of management strategies, plans, policies and actions. Management objectives are not time-bound but act as the guiding principles or foundations for the whole management system.

Management objectives need to be determined first and foremost in relation to the values 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. Other aims – such as the need to ensure the function of heritage in the life of the local communities, its presentation to visitors or its contribution to sustainable development – are important but not essential to maintain the values of a property or place. In cases of conflict between different aims, those management objectives concerned with maintaining the values of the property should always take priority.

Examples of management objectives include:

• Preserving a particular traditional building technique.
• Protecting a certain endemic species.
• Maintaining a specific traditional industry as the main economic activity of the heritage place.
• Maintaining the urban structure of a traditional human settlement.
• Ensuring the preservation of particular physical formations.
• Preserving pilgrimage routes to a sacred site.
• Maintaining the habitat essential to the survival of an endangered species.

Distinguishing between management objectives and the detail of what is to be achieved over a specific time period can cause confusion. Because of their general and broad nature, management objectives need to be complemented with desired management outcomes, which define what is to be achieved within a specific period of time. Hence, desired management outcomes help translate management objectives into work programmes through management planning processes, which must also consider how factors affecting the property affect (or can potentially affect) the attributes of the heritage place.

For the purposes of this Toolkit, ‘management’ means a combination of processes and actions taken in relation to decision-making, planning, allocating resources, implementing and monitoring to protect 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 for present and future generations.

‘Planning’ can be defined as the process used to establish how to get from the present situation (here) to a desired state or point in the future (there). This requires a clear understanding of the present situation and deciding what is to be achieved, what actions to take, and what the time-frame and costs will be.

Planning is one of the most important management processes and can take place at various geographic scales and organizational levels. This is why EoH 2.0 includes a specific tool on the management planning framework, which is centred around the management plan 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. While the development of the management plan is a critical stage in the management planning process for a World Heritage property, its implementation, monitoring and evaluation – which can also be defined as management processes in their own right – are part of the wider management cycle.

Planning is not simply a one-off event or a product, but part of dynamic sequence of iterative processes, involving:

• developing the plan;
• implementing the plan;
• monitoring implementation;
• adjusting the plan; and
• evaluating the implementation of the plan.

It is important to continue to adapt and adjust a course of action when necessary and to learn from experience in order to achieve desired management outcomes.

The complete sequence of these different iterative processes is defined as the ‘management cycle’. This cycle is typically established with regard to a fixed time-frame; that is, the period of time extending from the beginning of the development of the plan until it is reviewed or replaced by a new one.

A planning framework can include:

• planning instruments that are broader than those specific 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. in terms of scale and scope (e.g. master plans and land-use plans); and
• ‘subsidiary plans’ that detail particular management functions or areas (e.g. conservation plans, disaster risk management plans, sustainable tourism strategies, visitor management plans, interpretation plans, business plans, operations plans, etc.).

It is important that management plans are well integrated within the national, regional and local planning framework (see Figure 3.2).

Outputs are the tangible products, goods and services produced as a result of the implementation of an intervention, activity or action.

Outcomes can be defined as the intended and unintended medium- and long-term effects and achievements of the implementation of management measures, interventions, activities or actions, and the outputs derived from them. The desired outcomes should be specified at the beginning of the management cycle, as part of the planning process, and assessed at the end of the cycle to establish whether they have been achieved or not, (at which stage, they should be ‘real’ and no longer in a desired state). The assessment of outcomes is critical because it allows you to identify the real results of management measures. This involves looking at:

1. whether the outputs produced are really contributing to achieving the outcomes; and
2. if the values 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 are being maintained.

Distinguishing between outputs and outcomes can be difficult, which is why people tend to mainly assess outputs. Identifying outcomes is, nevertheless, critical if you really want to have a clear understanding of how effective the management system for your heritage place is. Imagine that in the past year you have held more than 50 meetings with different rights-holder and stakeholder groups but, despite all those meetings, the underlying issue that led to the meetings remains unresolved. If you assess your success in terms of outputs (i.e., 50 meetings), it can look impressive but in terms of outcomes, you have failed. On the other hand, if the aim of the meetings was to promote engagement of rights-holders and stakeholders in the management of the heritage place, and the meetings have allowed you to identify ways to strengthen that engagement, then you have achieved your aim and hence a good outcome.

This example illustrates two further reasons why it is easier to assess outputs rather than outcomes. First, it is easier to quantify outputs than outcomes; outcomes tend to be qualitative and broader. Second, whereas outputs are easily identifiable in the short term, once interventions and activities are carried out, outcomes may only be visible at a later stage and, consequently, may remain unknown if effective monitoring and evaluation processes are not in place.