Assessing the UNESCO community capacity building initiative: a case study from the historic city of Vigan, Philippines

Abstract The crucial role of local communities in heritage management has received increasing international attention over the past few decades, exemplified by the Five Key Strategies, the Historic Urban Landscape Approach, and the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy. At the World Heritage 40th anniversary, the importance of local community was further highlighted in achieving sustainable development. The historic town of Vigan was awarded the ‘Best Practice in World Heritage Site Management’ award. The homeowner manual, which was codeveloped by UNESCO and Vigan partners, was developed as a capacity-building tool to educate the local community on conservation techniques. It aims to shape individuals into responsible and capable heritage custodians. However, an accredited evaluation report noted that the effectiveness of global capacity-building initiatives in practice is questionable and might not fully fulfil the target audience’s needs. Using an ethnographic approach to explore community members’ interactions with the homeowner manual, this article reveals the complex process undertaken by local communities in Vigan to develop their capacity for built heritage conservation. The presence of preexisting capacity and varied levels of social capital influence homeowners’ resources available for conservation projects. The difficulties encountered by local communities prompted discussions on the comprehensiveness of capacity-building programs and their adaptability to social dynamics. The findings and lessons learned provide guidelines for future capacity-building program designs targeting local communities at both World Heritage sites and places of cultural significance.