Participatory and integrated governance of cultural heritage for South-East Europe through evidence-based policy approach

The current prevailing models for governance of public cultural heritage for South-East Europe distinguish cultural heritage mainly as a detached field from the others (education, social, economy etc.) with scarce consideration of the potentialities related participation of different stakeholders than governmental. Such lack of involvement hampers both the viability and transmission of heritage as well as its enhancement. The thesis aims at building participatory and integrated governance of cultural heritage planning model based on three pillars-participation/integration, evidence-based approach and heritage as an economic factor, with the focus on different geopolitical levels-the influence of SEE regional level and existing EU policies, programmes and funding opportunities that could be applied in the reality of SEE countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). Comparable sector analysis in culture is not one of the strong points of SEE countries, nor is their rootedness in facts. Result of the recognition of the importance of research in understanding analysing one region, SEE in particular, as an entity, at the same time with all differences and similarities among countries. Therefore, research brings together evaluation of policy, institutional, NGO and financial frameworks for cultural heritage in South-East Europe countries. Evaluation considers assessment of influence from different applied systems to cultural heritage and international organisations involved. Furthermore, thesis identifies opportunities for the mobilisation of strategic and financial resources for conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, management etc. of cultural heritage, in EU policies, programmes and funding opportunities, as well as from what could be implemented at national governmental level. Due to necessity for implementation of alternative revenue-raising methods in governance of cultural heritage thesis drawing on examples that could be applicable on SEE and cultural heritage typical for the region. Evidence-based approach is the method and pillar at the same time. It is considered to involve a complete ground of knowledge, starting from devoting evaluations and contribution rates to demographic changes and trend analysis. Objectivity, transparency and viability of the policy process-shaped by concrete verification-is a way to achieve the trust of different stakeholders as well as of the general public, so established indicators related to, participation/integration and economic aspect, are considered for developing method and analysis of their values are intend to be used as a feedback for decision-making in the future. The thesis has the ambition to overcome specialised sectorial policies by means of defining and theoretically testing a heritage-centred governance model drawing on the assets of national territories and frameworks, hereby including the elaboration of evidence-based evaluation tools. In addition, identified recommendations for the improvements are drawn from matrix analysis. Matrix analysis is developed from defined model and three case studies from Serbia are analysed. Analysis is synthesis of three defined pillars (participation/integration, evidence based approach and economic aspects), spanning over 13 policy fields (tourism, culture, education, social, youth and sport, media, environment, construction and urban planning, economy and finance, local self-government, interior, EU integration, international co- operation), 6 geopolitical levels (international, regional, national, provincial, local and site level), each of them through 5 types of stakeholders (international organisation, public, private, NGO and individual) considering all previously analysed policy frameworks and including elements from mapped opportunities in EU policies, programmes and funding possibilities related to cultural heritage.