What is a management effectiveness assessment?

World Heritage properties and other heritage places constantly face challenges and threats which require strategic, sustained and long-term management responses to make sure they maintain their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other important values. A management effectiveness assessment is defined as the evaluation of how well 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 is being managed – primarily, the extent to which the values of the property are being maintained and management objectives are being achieved.

An effective management system depends on the type, characteristics and needs 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 social, economic and environmental context. It is critical to evaluate the management system on a regular basis to ensure that management is effective, to better understand what is and what is not working, and to plan any necessary changes as efficiently as possible. Therefore, management effectiveness assessments should be incorporated as part of the management planning cycle and repeated at regular intervals.

Evaluation and planning processes should also be seen as interdependent management processes. Management effectiveness assessments include an appraisal of whether and how management plans and other planning instruments are being implemented and whether desired outcomes are being achieved. This type of assessment can be particularly important before reviewing or updating plans, so that the findings and recommendations can inform future plans, resource allocation and management measures.

Assessments of management effectiveness have emerged as an important tool for assisting managers and other actors to:

• reflect on their experience;
• improve the way resources are allocated; 
• plan for the effective management of potential threats and opportunities; and
• understand whether management measures are being implemented successfully.