Towards a World Heritage Policy Compendium – Running Usability Tests for the Policy Compendium On-line Tool
The World Heritage Centre organized a series of testing sessions for the on‑line tool of the World Heritage Policy Compendium. These testing sessions, which took place between April and May 2019, gathered feedback and comments from key World Heritage stakeholders on the Policy Compendium On‑line Tool, currently being developed by the World Heritage Centre.
The consultation is carried out within the framework of the decision to develop an on-line tool for the World Heritage Policy Compendium, which received financial support from the Republic of Korea. The Policy Compendium itself was developed thanks to the generous contribution of the government of Australia. The final on-line Policy Compendium will provide a consolidated source of World Heritage policies, improve decision-making by the World Heritage Committee and States Parties for a better implementation of the World Heritage Convention, and encourage best practice heritage conservation policies.
The on-line testing sessions invited as participants States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, World Heritage Committee Members, UNESCO Category 2 Institutes and Centres, Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention, the Policy Compendium Expert Group, Regional desks of the World Heritage Centre, and civil society organizations with activities in the fields covered by the World Heritage Convention. User testing volunteers were provided with access to the tool they were invited to browse and test. Their feedback on a wide range of factors - user-friendliness, optimization, accessibility, completeness, relevance, etc. - was sent to the Secretariat by filling in a specially designed survey.
The results of the testing phase will allow the Centre to improve and finalise the World Heritage Policy Compendium on-line tool, which will be presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session (Baku, Azerbaijan, 30 June – 10 July 2019).
Decisions (3)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/11B,
- Recalling Decisions 35 COM 12B, 37 COM 13, 39 COM 12, 40 COM 12 and 42 COM 11 adopted at its 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 39th (Bonn, 2015), 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) and 42nd (Manama, 2018) sessions respectively;
- Thanks the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Korea for their commitment and financial contribution in view of the development of the World Heritage Policy Compendium funded by Australia and the Policy Compendium Online Tool, funded by the Republic of Korea;
- Commends the Expert Working Group and the World Heritage Centre for their commitment and efforts in improving the first draft and finalizing the World Heritage Policy Compendium;
- Also commends the World Heritage Centre for successfully developing a user-friendly and easily accessible World Heritage Policy Compendium Online Tool and for successfully carrying out inclusive consultations with World Heritage stakeholders and welcomes the constructive positive feedback received;
- Endorses the World Heritage Policy Compendium and requests the World Heritage Centre to keep it regularly updated.
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/11,
- Recalling Decisions 35 COM 12B, 37 COM 13, 39 COM 12 and 40 COM 12 adopted at its 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013), 39th (Bonn, 2015) and 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) sessions respectively;
- Thanks the Government of Australia for their commitment and financial contribution in view of the development of a Policy document for a better implementation of the World Heritage Convention;
- Commends the Working Group of experts and the World Heritage Centre for the preparation of the draft Policy Compendium;
- Also commends the World Heritage Centre for successfully carrying out an inclusive online consultation with World Heritage stakeholders and welcomes the positive feedback received;
- Takes note with appreciation of the first draft Policy Compendium and requests the World Heritage Centre and the Working Group of experts to continue the work of Phase 2 of elaborating the Policy Compendium, and organize inclusive consultations with key stakeholders as appropriate;
- Reiterates that Phase 2 is to be organized in line with the brief provided by the Scoping Study and also requests that the World Heritage Centre and the expert Working Group, in the course of their work, explore possible gaps where policy may need to be developed or refined; considering the broad target audience and the need for a user-friendly and easily accessible tool, further requests that introductory presentations under each major topic be included; and requests furthermore that the final Policy Compendium be submitted for examination and approval to the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019;
- Also takes note of the recommendation for the development of the Policy Compendium as an online tool and furthermore requests that the World Heritage Centre continue to explore the feasibility of this option and calls upon States Parties to provide extra-budgetary funds to finance this initiative.
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/12,
- Recalling Decisions 35 COM 12B, 37 COM 13 and 39 COM 12 adopted at its 35th (UNESCO, 2011), 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 39th (Bonn, 2015) sessions respectively,
- Reiterates its gratitude to the Government of Australia for their commitment and financial contribution in view of the development of a Policy document for a better implementation of the World Heritage Convention;
- Commends ICCROM for the preparation of the scoping study, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and IUCN;
- Decides to apply the two-phased approach for the preparation of a Policy Compendium as described in document WHC/16/40.COM/12;
- Requests the World Heritage Centre to assemble existing policies and to convene a geographically balanced working group of natural and cultural heritage experts and to inclusively involve other stakeholders such as ICOMOS, IUCN, ICCROM, Category 2 Centres and UNESCO Chairs, to review the collection of policies taking into account the views of Committee members through an appropriate consultation procedure;
- Also requests the World Heritage Centre to submit the first draft Policy Compendium, reviewed by the working group, as well as to report on the progress of work for examination to the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.