Main functions of a heritage manager
In order to understand range of responsibilities of Heritage Manager, firstly, it’s important to define terms ‘heritage’ and ‘management’. Management is defined by George R. Terry as a “distinct process consisting of planning, organising, actuating and controlling; utilising in both science and art, and followed in order to accomplish pre-determined objective”. Oxford dictionary defines heritage as “valued objects and qualities such as historic buildings and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations”. The concept of heritage has broadened significantly in the last half century in terms of the range of types of structures and places treated as heritage. A broad set of developed typologies includes urban centres, archaeological sites, industrial heritage, cultural landscapes and heritage routes.
This greatly increases the range of places and landscapes that has to be managed by heritage managers and thus widens the range of skills required.
In general, heritage managers tasks involve: managing budgets; securing funding from external sources; generating income from commercial activities, such as catering and hiring out the venue for events and film shoots; running a commercial shop; administering the collection of entrance fees, donations, sponsorship and memberships; strategic planning; organising and monitoring building, renovation and conservation work; recruiting, supervising and motivating staff and volunteer.
A heritage management system is a frame-work, often permanent, made up of three important elements: a legal framework (the mandate that empowers people and organizations to act. It defines what constitutes heritage and criteria for its conservation and management, usually by means of legislation), an institution (the organizational set-up that sets out the operational structure and working methods that allow actions to be taken), and resources (the human, financial and intellectual...