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Interpretive planning
Michal Medek
michal.medek@kapraluvmlyn.cz, www.michalmedek.cz
Role of interpetive planning
• Purpose of interpretation (see L1 definitions):
– connect visitors with heritage (by turning phenomena into
experiences)
– make difference in knowledge, attitudes, behaviour
• Interpretive planning is decision-making process in
order to achieve the purpose of interpretation.
• Unlike in the Czech Republic interpretation is often
considered part of corporate communication (national
parks, public agencies, NGOs..).
Decision-making process
• Interpetive planning seeks answers to these
questions:
– What you want to communicate with visitors
– Who your visitors are
– What your place is like and what is has to offer
– What else is happening around
– What you want to say about your place
– How, and where, you are going to say it
– What are the management implications
History of IP
• Interpretive planning models are starting by the
end of 1970s/early 1980s in order to:
– move from „we do HI“ to „we do quality HI“
– justify HI costs and effective use of funding in order to
achieve objectives
– deal with competition in the free-time market
– define roles of different providers in an area (there is
just a single visitor‘s experience regardless of number
of providers)
– get local service providers on-board of conservation
Planning documents
Several types of documents (often overlapping):
Interpretive plans, Interpretive strategies, Master
(Comprehensive) plans, Interpretive prospectus...
Interpretation strategy
• framing HI in a region = coordination of plans
of different players with management plan
• start synergy by planning together
• point out areas that lack interpretation and/or
services => channelling funding
• sets framework for more detail interpretive
planning
• can be part of destination management
strategy
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Interpretation plan
• deals with concrete methods and interpretive
media for an area, museum, phenomenon..
• media, tasks, budget, time-frame
• foundation for funding
Roles in the planning process
visitors
resource owner/
manager
local entrepreneurs
(capitalize resource)
external
consultants
local inhabitants
(identification)
Task:
Compare content of IPs and ISs
• definition of IP subject and methods of IP process
• description of resources (heritage, policies..)
• audience identification & non-audience as well
• audit of current interpretation & services
• definition of key stakeholders
• goals of interpretation
• audience development
• themes
• interpretive media
• suggestions for services provision
• operational capacity for interpretive provision
• action plan
• attachements (research data, resources in detail, photos)
Methods in interpretive planning
Two main types of interpretation planning methodology
exist:
• Process-based:
– Peart Woods Planning Model (1987)
– Countryside Commission (1995)
– A Sense of Place (1997)
• Model-based:
– David Uzzell
– 5-M model (2003)
Process based model (Carter, 2001)
Process methodologies are finding answers to a series of specific
questions.
Why we want to communicate?
Who is it for?
What we want to interpret?
How will we do it?
How will it be managed?
How we find out it is working?
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David Uzzel‘s model Model 5M (Brochu, 2013)
Uses standard planning process:
Model 5M (Brochu, 2013)
In each stage 4 areas are considered, Media come last after all
the other areas were considered =>5th M
Model 5M (Brochu, 2013)
• Convenient for large infrastructure projects and
complex planning in large areas.
• Advantages:
– builds on standard project planning process,
– more complex and flexible (takes into account wide range
of factors),
– deals with multiple institutions/stakeholders => mitigates
risk in the implementation phase
Model 5M (Brochu, 2013)
MANAGEMENT
how will HI deliver management objectives, what are the
goals of interpretaion, identification and involvement of
stakeholders (locals, services providers)…
MANAGEMENT
how will HI deliver management objectives, what are the
goals of interpretaion, identification and involvement of
stakeholders (locals, services providers)…
MARKET
current audiences and audience development, what will
be our product and what will be pricing, what else is
happening around – who are competitors and how to deal
with them...
MARKET
current audiences and audience development, what will
be our product and what will be pricing, what else is
happening around – who are competitors and how to deal
with them...
MESSAGE
Main themes of interpretation and sub-themes, what
stories shall we use, how we use universal concepts...
MESSAGE
Main themes of interpretation and sub-themes, what
stories shall we use, how we use universal concepts...
MECHANICS
Where HI will take place, how will visitor experience be
catered, what type of settings we expect, how we deal
with physiological needs of a visitor…
MECHANICS
Where HI will take place, how will visitor experience be
catered, what type of settings we expect, how we deal
with physiological needs of a visitor…
MEDIA
Choosing media to communicate with visitors; matching media
to target groups and messages; meia cost-effectivness;
Evaluation of HI (monitoring success/failure).
MEDIA
Choosing media to communicate with visitors; matching media
to target groups and messages; meia cost-effectivness;
Evaluation of HI (monitoring success/failure).
5M – acquiring information:
Management
Information
sources
Annual report,
corporate plan
or documents
which set out
strategic
objectives,
Government or
other policies,
Monument
management
plan, Budget,
Agreements
with
stakeholders,
Staff interviews
i. sladění interpretace s posláním organizace (proč interpr.)
ii. definování účelu interpretace = co by měla udělat pro naši
organizaci
iii. cíle interpretace = jaké konkrétní výsledky očekáváme od
interpretace (např. v oblasti managementu, PR, ovlivnění
návštěvníků) – cíle by měly být stanoveny tak, abychom
posléze mohli sledovat jejich splnění
iv. sladění se stávajícími zákonnými omezeními, návštěvními
řády, pravidly managementu atd.
v. sledování omezujících faktorů: finanční a personální zdroje,
provozní prostředky
vi. sledování zájmu dalších subjektů při interpretaci území –
kdo jsou naši podílníci? (místní podnikatelé, provozovatelé
atrakcí, krajské a místní centrály CR)
vii. celková organizace interpretačního plánování a
pravidelných revizí úspěšnosti
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5M – acquiring information: Market
Information sources
Market research,
Education/schools
catchment data
Visitor surveys (if any)
Visitor research and
evaluation reports (if
any) showing use of
existing facilities,
programmes,
attendance at special
events etc.
Assessment of
provision within
region (all) /nation
(specific)
a. who is the visitor/client
b. what is the product (e.g. cave visit is just small
part of the whole visitor‘s experience
c. for new venues/installations we ask:
i. what are the target audiences?
ii. Is the location convenient?
iii. is the target group currently present on site,
is it reachable?
iv. how much time can visitors devote to
interpretation?
v. What they want /do not want to pay for?
vi. where interests of heritage manager and
visitors overlap?
Out of our bubble
Interpretation is
always dealing with
whole area or topic –
it copies visitor
experience, not
competences of
institutions as there is
only single visitor
experience.
Interpretive planning
is not delivering
content to, say,
educational trail or a
visitor centre but
interprets
phenomena.
d. Promotion = how it works now and how it will be
developer in the future (up to 70% of our
experiences is based on previous opinions)
e. Competition – who and what is their product
f. What data shall be acquired about visitors and
which way? (amount, way of transport, interests..)
knowing what type of
information about
visitors we will need in
the future may
significantly influence
the planning & provision
be aware of guestbooks
– people do not like to
give negative feedback
=> positive FB divide 5,
negative multiply 5
5M – acquiring information: Market
Sources of
information
Resources to be
interpreted;
Existing, or
planned, facilities,
functions, spatial
allocations etc.
Plans and maps for
the context,
showing access,
existing visitor
routes and context
constraints
(sensitive areas
etc.)
a. what is the potential of the place (Am.
„resources“), what can be directly experienced and
what other resources we have (collections,
witnesses), are there limits in using them?;
b. how the infrastructure looks like today and who
operates it;
c. current signage;
d. what routes are visitors taking (return to one
point, linear..) is there grading of their experience?
Infrastructure is means,
not aim of interpretation.
5M – acquiring information: Mechanics 5M – acquiring information: Message
Sources of
information
Literature,
archives, authentic
materials, current
intepretation,
interviews with
local experts,
story-tellers and
persons who still
remember...
a. What are the most significant natural and
cultural heritage stories?
b. What are visitors interested in?
c. What does management need to communicate?
d. What do we know about context of the resource
(how it was discovered, how is it managed),
e. Authentic stories and photos
Example of a method: location of stories on
the map => thematic filtering => sub-theme
formulation
5M – acquiring information: Media
Sources of
information
Evaluations
and/or audit or
current
delivery, own
research
(interpretation
delivered by
multiple
providers)
a. what are current interpretive media(panels,
guides, what is provided over the internet,
brochures, etc.),
b. how can visitors access the media,
c. how good is quality of current media.
A to je konec
shromažďová
ní informací? Ne, čím déle v
území jsme, tím
více toho o něm
víme.
Tím, jak oblasti
analyzujeme, vybíráme
si a prohlubujeme
poznání ve zvolených
směrech.
5M – Information analysis
Analysis => Filter => Selection:
• Management: we know what to interpret and
why
• Market: we know to whom intepret and what is
visitors‘ context
• Mechanics: we know what we have and how are
visitors using it, we know what we lack as well
• Message: we know what we want to
communicate and how it will be structured
• Media: we know which means of communication
we will be using with the audience
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5M – Information analysis
Analysis might take various forms: consensus, expert
focus groups, SWOT...
Analysis might use e.g. current operation analysis, where
we look at revenue from activities and compare it with
the misson
5M – Media
Only when we know what we want to communicate, to whom
and why we ask how.
Market
Message
Education
‘X’ years
Families Over 50s
Sub-theme A
Storyline 1
Outreach
programme
Trail guide
Sub-theme A
Storyline 2
Visitor centre
Exhibit A
Souvenir
booklet
Sub-theme B
Storyline 1
On-site
curriculum
Sub-theme B
Storyline 2
Activity booklet Activity booklet Visitor centre
Exhibit B(
„When you work backwards,
deciding on your media first
and then checking to see
whether it can be shoehorned
into the mission of the site or
the budgeet or visitor interest...
chances are good you will end
up spending a lot of money for
something that does not work
very well. Better back up and
think through the other 4 M-s
before getting your heart set on
the latest technological gadget
that every other visitor centre is
installing“ Brochu 2003:65
Message – Markets – Media Matrix
Key IP methods: Visitor research
• Visitor research – in order to understand our audience we
need to understand their typical behaviour (categorization:
age, length of stay, visit interests).
• Empirical data are indispensable.
Key IP methods: Visitor experience
audit
• Decision phase (our on-site experiences are largely fabricated
by our pre-concepts – up to70%)
• Introductory phase (orientation, relaxation, planning, decision
making, separation from transport experiences, physiological
needs)
• Contact phase
• Outcoming phase (sharing
experiences, relaxation,
reflection, memorabilia,
determination)
Bibliography
• Brochu, L. (2003) Interpretative Planning: The 5-M Model for Successful Planning
Projects. Fort Collins: National Association for Interpretation
• Carter, J. ed (2001) A Sense of Place – An Interpretive Planning Handbook. [online]
Tourism and the Environment Initiative, Inverness. Available from <
http://www.scotinterpnet.org.uk> v ČR vyšlo doplněné jako Ptáček, L. et al (2004):
Interpretace místního dědictví. Brno: Veronica pro Nadaci Partnerství.
• Ham, S. (1992) Environmental Interpretation. Golden CO: North American Press
• Ham, S. (2013) Interpretation – Making a Difference on Purpose. Golden
CO: Fulcrum Publishing
• Ptáček, L., Růžička, T., Medek, M., Hušková, B., Banaš, M. (2012) Jak
předkládat svět. Brno: Partnerství o.p.s.
• Veverka, J. (1998) Interpretive Master Planning. Tustin: Acorn Naturalists
• Weaver, S. (2007) Creating Great Visitor Experiences. A guide for museums, parks,
zoos, gardens and libraries. Walnut Creek CA: Left Coast Press