Relevance
The UNITAR training emphasis on nomination preparation remains a relevant niche in the wider global context.
Peace and conservation emerged as a critical theme offering a potential field of further engagement given recent trends linking conflict resolution and World Heritage.
Whereas the training focus responds closely to UNITAR’s strategic focus on protecting cultural and natural heritage, changing conditions offer an opportunity to rethink how best to achieve it and with what training and organizational modalities.
Effectiveness
Participant assessments suggest overall effective delivery of training sessions themselves, although declining participant numbers and the ultimate cancellation of the 2017 training session present implementation challenges in need of attention.
While the shift to a participant payment scheme has reduced ability to target audiences, it is not per se an obstacle to reaching the right audiences if complementary sponsor arrangements are put in place.
Despite multiple attempts, institutional coordination mechanisms between UNITAR, UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre are considered rather weak.
Efficiency
For a relatively modest investment, expenses lower than budgets projected and high levels of voluntary engagement, the Training Series have been maintained for the last 15 years.
While the participant payment scheme lowered the immediate costs of the Training Series in the short-term, this has not led to great efficiency due to declining participant numbers and lowering the ability of UNITAR to target audiences most in need.
Impact
Evaluation findings generally point to high levels of individual learning outcomes with the majority indicating frequent to occasional use and application of knowledge obtained. Fields of application were closely tied to key aspects of preparing World Heritage site nominations.
Sustainability
There is a need to invest in sustaining the results of the Training Series in terms of its learning approaches, capacity building approaches and knowledge products.