World Heritage Site Governance and Financial Resilience

The nineteen World Heritage properties located either wholly or partially in England operate under a range of governance structures and financial models. These include partnerships between public bodies, central government funded trusts or partnerships led by independent charitable trusts.

There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of the current operating models and any vulnerabilities to enable individual sites (and their decision makers), as well as potential funding partners, to refine and target resources to ensure that World Heritage properties have optimal management systems. An evidence base on how these different models work in practice, and how their success can be measured and monitored, would support decision making regarding these arrangements at individual property level.

To provide such an evidence base, Historic England wish to commission research and analysis of different types of governance and finance models currently in place at World Heritage properties in England. This work is to be undertaken through desk -based assessments of property Management Plans and other documentation, and discussions with key stakeholders at each World Heritage Site in England.

We are particularly interested in understanding current governance and finance models at World Heritage Sites in relation to models in equivalent sectors. For this reason, proposals from contractors with relevant experience of the operation of small organisations, particularly in the charity sector, are welcomed regardless of heritage sector experience.

In line with Historic England's commitment to secure sustainable futures for historic places, this work will contribute to assessments of how different governance and financial models can help achieve greater sustainability of management for World Heritage properties. The products of the project will improve knowledge that will develop the sector with the assistance of published advice. The project will also support Historic England's role advising the UK State Party on implementation of the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention.