Capturing the Impacts of Archaeology for Development: Opportunities and Challenges in Evaluating the Sustainable Preservation Initiative in Peru

Abstract

Archaeology and heritage projects can have profound social, economic, environmental and cultural impacts on the development of communities. Yet, their impacts are rarely articulated or measured in development terms, to the detriment of their accountability, sustainability and replicability. This article explores the potential for a more systematic evaluation of these impacts through the case study of the Sustainable Preservation Initiative (SPI) and their evaluation strategies in Peru. Informed by an evaluability assessment framework, this study highlights the practical challenges in evaluating small-scale projects in the Global South and the scope for overcoming them, appraising how SPI’s contribution to local development can be measured in practice. Development evaluation methods are measured against the practical concerns expressed by project staff and participants. The article reflects on the importance of evaluating the wide-ranging development impacts of archaeology and heritage projects and concludes with practical suggestions for documenting these multifaceted impacts and for further comparative research.

Archaeological Heritage as a Resource for Development: Definitions, Issues, and Opportunities for Evaluation

“…These include the Global Heritage Fund (GHF, 2010), the World Monuments Fund (Ackerman, 2014) and the Sustainable Preservation Initiative (Coben, 2014). The latter is a capacity-building programme aiming to foster local entrepreneurship by training members of the community as artisans, operating in Peru, Guatemala, Jordan and expanding to Bulgaria and Tanzania (a fuller description is available in Dupeyron, 2018). Burtenshaw (2013, 115-116) refers to these projects as archaeological 'Integrated Conservation and Development projects' (ICDPs), harking back to similar initiatives in the ecological conservation sector.…”

“…Some of that work on economic capital has informed research on evaluation. More recently, Burtenshaw has promoted the collection of rigorous economic monitoring and evaluation methods within the Sustainable Preservation Initiative (for more details on the SPI programme and how its impacts could be measured, see Dupeyron, 2018). Glassup's work (2011) in San José de Moro, Peru, attempts to collect data on the economic, socio-cultural and conservation impacts of the Sustainable Preservation Initiative project through questionnaires and surveys, but the lack of a baseline against which to compare the results of the intervention was a significant obstacle in demonstrating that the impacts were caused by SPI.…”

The Influence of Leadership Style, Individual Characteristics and Work Environment on Member Performance at Kesdam XII/Tanjungpura Pontianak

“…Meanwhile, the activities carried out are increasing, thus encouraging people to collaborate with other people and to fulfill the demands of hopes and expectations, one of which is by entering organizations. (Dupeyron, 2021).…”