A Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) is an overarching plan that stipulates how affected cultural heritage will be managed throughout an asset’s lifecycle. The core of a CHMP is the mitigation and management measures compliant with national legislation and aligned with international good practice, specifically IFC PS8. A CHMP should:

• be developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including religious leaders and community elders
• contain a consolidated list of all cultural heritage potentially affected by the site, inclusive of photographic records and spatial references for the boundaries of the site (i.e. not just a point location)
• be culturally appropriate and acceptable to community and other local stakeholders, and respectful of local traditions and cultural norms
• include milestones or schedule for managing cultural heritage, linked to the site’s construction or operations schedule
• endeavour to preserve cultural heritage in situ and allow for continued community access to the site.
• outline a specific engagement plan that ensures the participation of affected communities and relevant local and national authorities/institutions.

The exact scope and contents of a CHMP will vary according to extent and type of cultural heritage impacted. A sample table of contents for a CHMP is included in Tools and Templates.

Cultural heritage should not be moved unless unavoidable. Where removal is necessary, strict conditions apply. These are listed in section Tools (see Section 4H Tools).

CHMP implementation requires dedicated staff and resources and should be undertaken in accordance with the specified milestones/schedule. Whether or not a dedicated cultural heritage team is required depends on the significance of the site’s impact on cultural heritage. If a site is associated with substantial cultural heritage impacts, it will need specialist expertise, either recruited in-house, or – more likely – commissioned out to external specialists.

Specialists are needed to help prevent or minimise impacts. This may include conducting archaeological excavations, cataloguing and preserving artefacts, and managing or facilitating grave or sacred-site relocations (see 4H Task 5). The team must also maintain comprehensive records and develop effective monitoring and evaluation processes. If the scoping process determined that site activities are associated with considerable cultural heritage impacts, sites should consider having a suitably qualified cultural heritage specialist on site.

General cultural heritage management guidelines include the following:

• If tangible heritage remains in situ, ensure access to the resource for the life of asset. The nature of access must be determined in collaboration with stakeholders and can range from being continuous, on an ad hoc basis, or during a few pre-determined times throughout a year. Social performance teams must remain flexible with regards to access to in situ resources in order to accommodate stakeholders’ wishes, as far as is reasonable.

• If there is no alternative to relocation and a grave or cemetery must be moved, a Grave Relocation Plan must be developed and implemented in collaboration with a suitably qualified cultural heritage specialist (see 4H Task 5).

• In some instances, cultural heritage sites discovered in proximity to a site may hold local economic opportunity, either through commercialisation of tangible or intangible cultural heritage (e.g. medicinal plants, traditional handicrafts) or through potential as tourist attractions. In such cases, the site is required to undertake Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP) with stakeholders, and where appropriate, specialised support may be required to help local communities develop the opportunity. Proposals should be incorporated into sites’ SED plans and are subject to the explicit agreement and ongoing participation of the affected communities. Any initiatives should benefit the affected communities in a fair and equitable manner. Please note that additional considerations are needed in relation to the commercialisation of cultural heritage when stakeholders are/or include Indigenous Peoples (see Section 4I. Indigenous Peoples).

Implementation of the CHMP can only commence upon agreement with stakeholders, including the appropriate authorities. Depending on the agreed structure of the Community Engagement Forum (see Section 3A), and the significance of cultural heritage in the local area, it may be useful to establish a specific working group within the Community Engagement Forum (CEF) focused on cultural heritage, including monitoring and evaluation.