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Integrated Management Approach
ne of the most important lessons learned was that the responsible government agencies in rural Europe need an integrated approach to the management of both cultural heritage and its surrounding landscape. Throughout the project it was learned that many decisions impacting heritage and landscape are often made unilaterally. While there is the recognition that consultation with experts and other agencies is necessary, it is also difficult given the rigid structures and current policies. Following HISTCAPE project objectives, which were to explore these issues and the potential of heritage and landscape in rural areas as drivers of regional development, the project conclusions advocate an integrated management approach. An integrated management approach takes into account that heritage and landscapes are complex and interlinked with many different dimensions including cultural, physical, digital, environmental, human and social. This approach acknowledges that for these to be managed successfully and sustainability, numerous agencies, the public and experts must be involved and contribute.
The integrated management approach was recently highlighted in 2014 by a European Commission report: Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe. This report states: “It is clear that many public policies have an impact on heritage, and heritage in turn has many impacts in other policy areas. Therefore a more integrated approach to heritage conservation, promotion and valorisation is needed in order to take into account its manifold contribution to societal and economic objectives, as well as its impact on other public policies”. This report goes on to state that the value of heritage is both intrinsic and economic, that it is a function of these different dimensions and of the flow of associated services.
This concept was validated by feedback from partners and experiences during the project. Many partners expressed frustration in reaching common decisions that involved multiple national, regional or local government agencies. Often there were situations recounted where one agency executed decisions that adversely impacted others. This was also reflected in one of the key thematic themes of the
project – good vertical and horizontal governance as well as the search for good practice examples that incorporated integrated management.
Integrated management of cultural heritage and landscapes has been an ongoing topic since the 1990s; however, this approach has not yet reached its full potential as an established management platform (round tables, regular meetings, conferences) which gathers together representatives from many different disciplines. The cross discipline aspects behind this approach have not been fully adopted in most administrations. This is a critical point for the HISTCAPE project in that our objectives included the conservation and management of both cultural heritage and its surrounding landscapes. Usually these themes assigned to at least two different government agencies. Although more efforts are being made to bring knowledge and resources of different disciplines together, there is still a significant amount of work to be done to facilitate this approach.
For rural areas the integrated approach means even more efforts in implementation, as responsible authorities and persons are not necessarily in close proximity to the sites and collaborative processes are subject to more restrictions in organizational terms. Therefore, the HISTCAPE project offered a chance for all partners to learn about the advantages, techniques and methodologies of this approach in terms of successful implementation.
The HISTCAPE project offered a unique chance to compare successful processes and methodologies to determine if an integrated management approach was in place. It was determined that while the concept is widely recognized it is not firmly in place. Therefore, the HISTCAPE partnership is able to make well-founded conclusions and recommendations to adopt this approach.
Main conclusions are:
• Protection, promotion and management of cultural heritage and its surrounding landscape are inseparable. One cannot be managed successfully without consideration of the other. The denigration of one eventually leads to increased risks overall.
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interlinking aspects with responsibilities assigned to different government agencies and requires numerous experts.
• Currently most policies concerning landscape, natural resources, agriculture and cultural heritage do not include integrated management.
• Short-term and isolated activities are often on the political agenda but are not an adequate approach for dealing with long-term complex challenges and unlocking the social and economic potential of cultural heritage and landscapes in rural areas.
• Successful solutions often do not align with election cycles and more time is necessary to produce results and bring everybody on board to generate sustainable agreements between experts and stakeholders.
• Solutions that work successfully in urban or high density areas might not necessarily work in a rural context. • Interregional exchange on European level offers benefits
and chances for learning from each other: Through this exchange partners can learn more concerning the integrated management of resources.
The HISTCAPE results confirmed a need for a breakthrough in introducing the integrated management approach for rural areas. Although the partnership is well aware of this concept, they also know that it is difficult to execute, arduous and time consuming but offers the best way forward.