1
Central A merica
ARKANSAS
ARI Z ONA
GEORGI A
NEW M EXI CO
Atlantic Ocean
ALABAM A
T EXAS
MISSISSIPPI
LOUI SI ANA
FLORDI A
Chihuahua
T HE
BAHAM AS
Na s
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Gulf of Mexico
La Paz
M E X I CO
Ha v a n a
CUBA
DOMINICAN
REPUBL IC
T ampico
Sa n J
uan
ANTIGUAAND
Ba s
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HAIT I
Pacific Ocean
Guadalajar a
Sa n to
Do m
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CAYMANISL ANDS
M exico
Ge o rg e To wn
Ver acr uz
PUERTORICO
AMAICA
J
BARBUDA
ST.KIT TS
ANDNEVIS
GUADEL OUPE
Ba s
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Po rt-a u Prin c e
DOMINICA
Ro s
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Kin g s
to n
Fo rt-d e -F ra n c e
Acapulco
Oaxaca
Ca s
trie s
Belmopan
ST.VINCENT AND
THEGRENADINES
Caribbean Sea
GUAT EM ALA HONDURA S
T egucigalpa
Guat emala
San Salvador
E L SA LV A DOR
MARTINIQUE
ST.L UCIA
B E LI ZE
St.Ge o rg e 's
BARBADOS
Brid g e to wn
Kin g s
to wn
GRENADA
ARUBA
NETHERL ANDS
ANTIL L ES
NI CARAGUA
Po rt-o f-Sp a in
TRINIDADAND
TOBAGO
M an agua
San JosŽ
COST A RI CA
P A NA M A
Pan ama
COLOM B I A
V E NE ZUE LA
GUYANA
© B r uce Jones Desi gn I nc. 1 992
ALISON MOSES, EVALUATION CONSULTANT
Organization of American States
Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD)
November 2004, Final Copy
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTIONS
PAGE
LIST OF ACRONYMS and TERMS
3-4
PROJECT SUMMARY TABLE
5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
6-10
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Context, objective and methodology of the evaluation
11-12
2. Brief description of the project under evaluation
2.1 Objectives
2.2 Outputs
2.3 Activities
12-18
12-15
15-16
16-18
3. Evaluation findings
18-34
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
National/regional context of this sector
Relevance of the project
Effectiveness of the project
Efficiency of the project
Sustainability of the result achieved
Best practices, lessons learned, and factors of success, difficulties
18-21
22-24
24-29
30-31
31-33
33-36
4
Conclusions of the performance of the project
36-38
5
Recommendations
38-40
6. Project Summary Performance Assessment
7. Annexes
41
42-57
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
3
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND TERMS
Access
The range of means by which the general community and specific groups and individuals can obtain
information and enjoyment about movable cultural heritage. This range includes direct physical access to
original heritage, access to reproductions as well as other representations of heritage.
CENPES
Comisiones Especializadas No Permanentes
Centro de Documentación de Santo Domingo
Documentation Center of Santo Domingo
CIBC
Centro de Inventario de Bienes Culturales
Inventory Center of Cultural Assets
CIDI
The Inter-American Council for Integral Development
CONARE
The Consejo Nacional de Reforma del Estado, National Council for State Reform
Conservation and Preservation
The combination of these terms reflects the range of approaches to the care of movable cultural heritage.
In general, these terms refer to all actions taken to retain the significance of movable cultural heritage.
Such actions may include treatment to retard deterioration, the prevention of damage, and reproduction.
Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio
Cultural de Centro América y el Caribe
Workshop-Course on the Standardized Record-Keeping System (SRS) to Inventory, Register and Record
Cultural Assets for Central America and the Caribbean; known here as SUR project or SUR
D.N.P.M.
Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Monumental
National Office of Monumental Heritage
IACD
Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development
Movable Cultural Heritage
Objects that are of importance for ethnological, archaeological, historical, literary, artistic, scientific or
technological reasons.
OAS
Organization of American States
Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR)
Standardized Record-Keeping System (SRS)
SUR Project
The proposed project design to carry out a workshop-course to implement a computerized cultural
management information system called the SUR
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
4
SUR Program or SUR System
The computerized standardized record-keeping system (SRS) to inventory, register and record cultural
assets
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
5
PROJECT SUMMARY
PROJECT SUMMARY TABLE
PROYECTO PRESENTADO POR:
COORDINADOR RESPONSABLE:
CARÁCTER DEL PROYECTO:
PAÍSES PARTICIPANTES:
MONTO SOLICITADO:
MONTO APROBADO:
FECHA DE EJECUCIÓN PROGRAMADA:
FECHA DE EJECUCIÓN EFECTIVA:
REPUBLICA DOMINICANA
ARQ. JAPONESA CAPELLAN
CURSO-TALLER
Republica Dominicana, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Honduras, , El Salvador, Puerto Rico; Chile
$36,101.00 US
$21.650.00 US
8 marzo 2003-15 marzo 2003
10 marzo 2003-14 marzo 2003
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.
The project evaluated in this report involves a training workshop entitled “Curso
Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio
Cultural de Centro América y el Caribe". It was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
from 8-15 March, 2003 and views cultural heritage as an asset with significant potential to shore
up the socioeconomic development process. A rich and accessible heritage constitutes a strong
incentive for tourism, transportation, commerce, handicrafts and other activities and has a
multiplier effect on economic growth and employment. This project supports the knowledgebuilding and preservation of historical, archaeological, urban and architectural heritage as an
instrument of economic, social and cultural development.
In order for cultural heritage to play the role described for it in the public policies
of Central American and the Caribbean, it must be valued and preserved. Cultural heritage
assets must be inventoried, registered and recorded so they are known assets that not only
have socio-economic potential to help develop the targeted countries, but also grow in value in
terms of people’s creativity and desire to preserve them.
2.
The context in which this project was carried out highlights increased efforts
made by international organizations such as the Organization of American States the InterAmerican Development Bank and the United Nations Education and Scientific Organization
(UNESCO), to reaffirm the importance of cultural heritage and foster an exchange of information
in this area. It should also be noted that in the CIDI Strategic Plan for Partnership for
Development, 2002-2005, focus will be given to the area of culture.
3.
Many countries in Central America and the Caribbean have well-established
policies and institutions that govern the protection of their cultural wealth. In this regard, the
"Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del
Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y El Caribe" is a training workshop established with the
Organization of American States Inter-America Agency for Cooperation and Development to
train and development abilities as well as transmit Chilean norms and standards, best practices
and the latest digital methods to make known and protect the cultural heritage of the region that
includes Central American and Caribbean countries. To this end, the general short-term goal of
the project is to implement a computerized standardized inventory, registry and record-keeping
system and in so doing, build the inventory of cultural heritage assets in the target region and
potentially guard against illicit trafficking in cultural assets. In order to achieve this goal the
project will train participating country stakeholders on how to use and manage the computerized
system, SUR.
The longer term goals of the project include:


Protecting the cultural heritage of the region by knowing, registering and recording
the tangible, moveable and immovable cultural heritage assets;
Implementing an international registry network of joint plans and programs to
conserve, research and “revalorizar” cultural heritage by standardizing criteria to
inventory the cultural heritage assets of Central America and the Caribbean;
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
7
The main objectives of the project are:




To train participants in how to properly use the SUR, the Standardized Recordkeeping System to inventory, register and record cultural heritage assets;
To train and impart knowledge, skills and competencies in the training workshop so
participant/beneficiaries can become “multipliers” of what they have learned for other
members of the institutions they represent; (these first two points appear to me to be
activities;
To share the implemented data base system with institutions such as museums,
libraries, documentation centers and information clearinghouses; and
To contribute to increased prevention of illicit trafficking of cultural heritage assets.
4.
This one-week workshop-course, was budgeted at a total of $46,758.17 US of
which $21,650.00 US was received from FEMCIDI and $25,108.17 US from the Dominican
government. The SUR project was requested by the Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio
Monumental, D.N.P.M., a division under the Secretary of State for Culture, which in turn is
under the aegis of the Presidency of the Dominican state.
The D.N.P.M. was responsible for coordinating and carrying out activities that relate to
monumental and artistic heritage in the Dominican Republic. The SUR project was implemented
by the D.N.P.M.’s Office of International Cooperation, under the stewardship of the lead female
architect who coordinated the SUR activities and events during 2003.
5.
The possibility for the SUR workshop to take place was based on a Bilateral
Cooperation Agreement signed in 2001 between the Dominica Republic and The Republic of
Chile, as depicted in Diagram A. The participating population included 9 (nine) countries invited
to participate as students of the SUR workshop: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama,
El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The gender breakdown for this course was
equitable in that of a total of 13 participants, 6 (six) were female and 7 (seven) were male
professionals from diverse institutions such as educational institutions, conservation and
research centers, cultural record-keeping and inventory centers, museums, and the Ministry of
Education.
As designed in the project proposal, the coordinator of the SUR workshop invited
Haiti, with whom the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola. However, because of
Haiti’s unstable political situation at the time of the workshop, the Haitian participant was unable
to attend the SUR workshop.
The Dominican Republic, the requesting country for this project, sent 7 (seven)
professionals and served as host country as well a partial sponsor for the realization of the oneweek workshop. Chile provided 2 (two) instructors, 1 (one) of whom came from the Chilean
Documentation Center for Heritage Assets (Centro de Documentación de Bienes Patrimoniales
de Chile) and the other of whom came from the Library, Archives, and Museums Division
(Dirección de Bibliotecas, Archivos y Museos) of the aforementioned Center in Santiago. The
Republic of Chile served as the driving force behind the expertise in SUR’s soft-ware skills
training and theoretical program content for the course.
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
8
6.
The SUR project proved effective because with the assistance and facilitation of
two Chilean instructors the project produced the following specific outputs:



One week of hands-on workshop-course completed
13 sector-specific professionals were trained to manage and run SUR and its data base
Installed computerized system to inventory, record and register cultural heritage assets
in the Dominican Republic
7.
A major strength of this project and its activities is that beneficiaries from the
Dominican Republic, made up of sector specialists from the CIBC and the D.N.P.M.’s
Department of International Projects participated in the design and implementation of the SUR
project. While the Central American participants played no role in project design, there was
ample and productive coordination between the Chilean technical professionals, who prepared
the technical and didactic part of the workshop, and the Dominican professionals who were
responsible for providing human, financial and technical resources, all of which made it possible
to successfully implement the project and achieve its short-term objectives.
8.

There were two major shortcomings in the SUR project planning and design.
Ineffectual multiplier effect. The projected goal of obtaining a “multiplier effect” to be
carried out by the beneficiaries upon return to their respective countries was
unattainable. While the successful teaching of beneficiaries who gained technical skills
and knowledge about the SUR system and how to implement the SUR computer
program in their respective institutions at home represents an objective achieved, it must
be noted that the technical target to provide home countries with “multipliers” by way of
the trained beneficiaries is still remote because of two main issues.
The SUR model software was not given to any other participating country besides the
Dominican Republic. The Chilean digitized standardized model to inventory, register and
record cultural heritage assets, the SUR, is Chilean intellectual property the use of which
is impossible to have without a bilateral cooperation agreement with the Republic of
Chile. The lack of such a relationship between the Republic of Chile and the beneficiary
Central American countries compromises the sustainability of beneficiary educational
results for the international (i.e.) Central American participants.

Limited geographical coverage. The geographical scope of the SUR project reached
Central America and only one Caribbean country, the host country, the Dominican
Republic. Haiti, a second Caribbean country did not participate. Panama, another invited
country, did not participate either. Though the project title indicates Caribbean region
coverage, the program planning did not contemplate a wider Dutch and Englishspeaking Caribbean audience to participate in the SUR project, thus creating a
geographic bias in favor of Spanish-speaking beneficiaries. While this fact in no way
affected the operational performance of the project such a limited client-base affects
regional participation to the extent that some groups will be “out of the loop” and thus
unable to assist in developing efforts to sustain the all important project goal of arresting
illicit trafficking in cultural heritage assets in the Caribbean region.
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
9
Notwithstanding the Dominican project implementers’ budget constraints, this
shortcoming limits the project’s long-tem regional and decreases its regional impact
because of geographic limitations to Spanish-speaking participants only.
The long-term impact of excluding the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean from the
initial project design is to undermine increased consolidation of pan-Caribbean regional
partnerships in this sector takes away from more all-encompassing regional institutional
connectivity and the SUR’s long-term goal of “networking the system” to know, manage,
preserve and conserve cultural heritage assets in the wider Caribbean region.
Furthermore, it should also be noted that overlooking the English and Dutch-speaking
Caribbean falls short of the general overarching precepts that inform OAS funded
development projects as stated in the Organization of American States’ Strategic Plan
for Partnership for Development, 2002-2005.
9.
The project was very efficient in terms of financial record-keeping and its ability to
effect savings. From the counterpart funds of $$25.108.17 US, the director effected savings in
the amount of $ 5,347.23 US. 4 (four) Galaxia computers were purchased. This aspect is
important insofar as it concerns transparency, accountability and a reinvestment of funds to
sustain the project.
10.
Although the SUR computer program has not been able to generate the
expected graphic implementation, a strength of the project is that the installed computerized
system has generally increased the ease and speed with which individual beneficiaries
research, take inventory, register and record cultural assets; reduced the multiplicity of recordkeeping systems; and reduced document duplication.
The SUR project is relevant because it is in keeping with the Dominican government’s efforts to
reform and modernize the state and its public administration.
In this regard, the SUR computer system is efficient because it (1) modernizes information and
data management by reducing the amount of time it takes to process and store data and it (2)
provides an easily retrievable (digitized) standardized database to know and monitor cultural
assets.
11.
The most noteworthy outcome of this project is its achievement to build capacity
on the individual, the institutional and the system-wide levels in the Dominican Republic.
12.




13.

There are three important “best practices” of this project :
Sector focus in keeping with national development policies
International technical cooperation agreements in force
Leadership interface with public and private enterprises
National support via strong inter-institutional cooperation
The most salient general recommendations include:
More specific beneficiary role-definitions in the project design
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
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


Extended regional coverage
Needs assessment of “implementation-ability” of project outcomes at planning/design
stage
Fund a second phase of the SUR project to include the purchase of hardware and the
promotion of educational materials
14. Recommendations specific to the OAS are:


Streamline project document format
Provide proposal writing training for potential project proponents
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
11
1.
Context, objective and methodology of the evaluation
The context of this evaluation has to do with the growing importance of culture and
safeguarding of cultural heritage assets in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Organization
of American States places importance on this sector and deems it necessary to not only
promote the sustainability of this sector by funding projects, but also to assess the
implementation of funded projects that have to do with some aspect of culture and its
significance in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.
While the broadest definition of evaluation includes all efforts “to place value on events, things,
processes, or people”, this Organization of American States’ evaluation will be concerned with
the evaluation of a social project. An important aspect in the context of this evaluation is that
emphasis is on a project designed to benefit the human condition rather than one with such
purposes as increasing profits or amassing influence or power. This choice of focus stems from
the Organization’s concentration on sustainable development and the need to reduce poverty
via development projects in different sectoral areas.
The purpose of this evaluation report is to provide the Interamerican Agency for
Cooperation and Development (IACD) and member states of the Organization of American
States (OAS) with an evaluation of the performance of the project entitled "Curso Taller Sistema
Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe". The project's evaluation is intended to help the member states and the
IACD to (1) achieve better performance and results in the delivery of technical cooperation and
project implementation and (2) to fully understand the context in which projects are implemented
to consider recommendations, best practices and potential impact and (3) and to assist in the
design and execution of future projects.
The report will focus on the essential elements of the project's execution, namely the training in
digital consolidation measures and standards, taught from the Chilean model (See Annex IV), to
record cultural heritage assets of nine countries of Central America and the Caribbean. To this
end, the report will analyze (1) the context within which the project was carried out, (2) the
institutional framework within which the project was carried out, (3) the scope of participation,
(4) the selected experiences of participants as recipients of services, (5) the outputs and
outcomes of said training and (6) the lessons learned from this project.
The aim of this evaluation report is to learn lessons from the implementation of this specific
training course methodology and outline the potential value it adds to providing economic and
social benefits to the participating countries
The specific objectives of the evaluation are to determine the relevance, the
developmental efficiency and effectiveness, as well as the sustainability of results achieved. In
addition, the evaluation will attempt to extract valuable lessons and best practices that will be
applied to improve the design, assessment and implementation of future FEMCIDI financed
projects. By specifically identifying lessons learned, underscoring best practices and drawing
conclusions we hope to emphasize those elements of the cultural heritage recording process
that will contribute to long-term development objectives of the IACD and OAS member
countries. Recommendations will be elaborated where appropriate.
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
12
The consultant gathered information and data about the project from a wide array of sources
(please include a list of these as an Annex) during the evaluation and used activity-based
methodologies to conduct the evaluation. The methodology of this inquiry consisted of general
information gathering techniques and specific field-based consultation techniques. Details of the
methodology used can be found in Annex I.
The inquiry methods used are based partly on (1) the study of secondary Sources (see Annex
II) and partly on (2) semi-structured interviews of informants from state and civil society
organizations in Washington, DC and the Dominican Republic.
First, the report is based on documents from the OAS IACD offices in Washington, DC such as
CENPES project proposals and project final reports from the implementing agency. The
questionnaires prepared by the IACD and the consultant were also taken into account (see
Annex III).
Second, participatory inquiry methods were used as part of the technique to get information and
understand the motivation and perceptions of the nine stakeholder countries as well as of the
host country in this project to provide training on measures and standards to record the cultural
heritage of the participating countries.
The informal interviews in the field during the evaluation mission to the Dominican Republic
guide the report's case histories concerning the project's execution and participating countries.
2.
Brief description of the project under evaluation: Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de
Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América
y El Caribe
2.1
Project Goals and Objectives
Based upon the premise (a) that cultural heritage resources are of fundamental value for the
region’s present and future, both as a unique knowledge basis and in terms of their commercial
utilization; (b) that there are potentially social and economic gains associated with a
standardized system of registry for the cultural heritage assets of Central American and
Caribbean countries and (c) that benefits such as asset preservation and conservation will
obtain by making known these assets when systematically recording them, the training
workshop "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación
del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y El Caribe", facilitated by Chile, took place from
March 10 to March 14, 2003 at the request of the government of the Dominican Republic.
The "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del
Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y El Caribe" is a training workshop established with the
Organization of American States Inter-America Agency for Cooperation and Development to
train and development abilities as well as transmit Chilean norms and standards, best practices
and the latest digital methods to make known and protect the cultural heritage of the region that
includes Central American and Caribbean countries. To this end, the general short-term goal of
the project is to implement a computerized standardized inventory, registry and record-keeping
system and in so doing, build the inventory of cultural heritage assets in the target region and
potentially guard against illicit trafficking in cultural assets. In order to achieve this goal the
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
13
project will train participating country stakeholders on how to use and manage the
computerized system, SUR.
The longer term goals of the project include:


Protecting the cultural heritage of the region by knowing, registering and recording
the tangible, moveable and immovable cultural heritage assets;
Implementing an international registry network of joint plans and programs to
conserve, research and “revalorizar” cultural heritage by standardizing criteria to
inventory the cultural heritage assets of Central America and the Caribbean;
The main objectives of the project are:




To train participants in how to properly use the SUR, the Standardized Recordkeeping System to inventory, register and record cultural heritage assets;
To train and impart knowledge, skills and competencies in the training workshop so
participant/beneficiaries can become “multipliers” of what they have learned for other
members of the institutions they represent; (these first two points appear to me to be
activities)
To share the implemented data base system with institutions such as museums,
libraries, documentation centers and information clearinghouses; and
To contribute to increased prevention of illicit trafficking of cultural heritage assets.
According to the project design the intended impact of this project is projected to be:



2. 2
Acquisition of knowledge of the general public in the respective participating
countries about their historical legacy;
Increased protection of cultural heritage by exchanging of information between
countries of the region; and
Increased expectations and flow of tourists that visit the region by including cultural
heritage as a component of tourism.
Description of Project Structure and its Population
According to the project design the project structure is composed of simple agreed relationships
and various components which devolve from the facilitator country, the Republic of Chile and its
bilateral technical cooperation agreement with the Dominican Republic. Two Chilean specialists
are responsible for the training workshop while the Technical Secretariat under the Presidency
of the Dominican Republic is responsible for intra-regional coordination of the workshop. The
following Diagram A depicts a basic operational structure of relationships in the SUR project.
Diagram A
Structure of Relationships in SUR Workshop
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
14
Republic of Chile
AGREEMENT
Dominican Republic
Technical
Secretariat
12 PARTICIPANTS FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
10 OTHER PARTICIPANTS FROM TARGET REGION: GUATEMALA,
NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA, PANAMA, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, HAITI,
AND PUERTO RICO.
The SUR project was requested by the Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Monumental,
D.N.P.M., a division under the Secretary of State for Culture, which in turn is under the aegis of
the Presidency of the Dominican state.
The D.N.P.M. is responsible for coordinating and carrying out activities that relate to
monumental and artistic heritage in the Dominican Republic. The SUR project was implemented
by the D.N.P.M.’s Office of International Cooperation, under the stewardship of the lead female
architect who coordinated the SUR activities and events during 2003.
The possibility for the SUR workshop to take place was based on a Bilateral Cooperation
Agreement signed in 2001 between the Dominica Republic and The Republic of Chile, as
depicted in Diagram A. The participating population included 9 (nine) countries that were invited
to participate as students of the SUR workshop: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama,
El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The gender breakdown for this course was
equitable in that of a total of 13 participants, 6 (six) were female and 7 (seven) were male
professionals from diverse institutions such as educational institutions, conservation and
research centers, cultural record-keeping and inventory centers, museums, and the Ministry of
Education.
The Dominican Republic, the requesting country for this project, sent 7 (seven) professionals
and served as host country as well a partial sponsor for the realization of the one-week
workshop. Chile provided 2 (two) instructors, 1 (one) of whom came from the Chilean
Documentation Center for Heritage Assets (Centro de Documentación de Bienes Patrimoniales
de Chile) and the other of whom came from the Library, Archives, and Museums Division
(Dirección de Bibliotecas, Archivos y Museos) of the aforementioned Center in Santiago. The
Republic of Chile served as the driving force behind the expertise in SUR’s soft-ware skills
training and theoretical program content for this workshop.
At the time of this evaluation in Santo Domingo, in an interview at the Centro de
Documentación, there was no baseline data available on the Chilean intellectual property which
constituted the basis of the SUR workshop didactic materials. Nonetheless, the Chilean
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
15
computerized “model” of the SUR program provided the classroom architecture for the four
day workshop held in Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial from the 8-15 March 2003.
2.3
Expected Outputs
This project has economic and social outputs which are the "goods" and "services" that emerge
from the project. A number of selected professional will be taught specific information about the
Sistema Unificado de Registro and will be taught and trained to use the SUR system to keep an
inventory, register and record cultural assets of their respective countries. The project’s
investment in the educational service of teaching and training provided by Chilean instructors is
expected to produce more educated professionals in the blended area of culture and
technology. The Central American and Caribbean professionals who participate in the SUR
project will have acquired information and skills to disseminate or “diffuse” and as such, they
will become “multipliers” in their home markets in Central America and the Caribbean.
It is important to understand that new knowledge is a “good” that is produced from this
investment choice the resources of which (both physical in the form of computers and human, in
the form of instructors) have been allocated to educational services provided for the countries
that participate in the project.
In sum, new knowledge and enhanced human capital are “goods” that are expected from this
project. Through the process of educational services or the deliberate and thoughtful use of
teaching and training in a one-week workshop, sector specific professionals will emerge with
an understanding and some sort of cognitive perspective about how to manage and administer
a digitized system to manage cultural heritage assets in their respective country institutions.
The specific teaching methods or techniques that are used in the educational services provided
in this project by the Chilean instructors will be outlined in section 2.4 under “project activities”. It
should be noted that there is no specific timetable envisaged in the project design as to when
these goods and services will be “multiplied” in other markets.
In conclusion, with the assistance and facilitation of two Chilean instructors the SUR project
aims to produce the following specific outputs:



One week of hands-on workshop completed
22 technicians, of which twelve participants from the Dominican Republic and 10 from
other target region countries1, will be trained to manage and run SUR and its data base
and who, putatively will serve as "9 multiplier agents" upon return to their respective
countries.
Installed computerized system to inventory, record and register cultural heritage assets
There are three specific benefits that are projected to be obtained from the SUR project
activities:
1
The other targeted regional countries are Guatemala, Nicragua, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and Puerto
Rico.
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


2.4.
By training professionals in new technology they will acquire more technical
knowledge and information about their historical legacy in the targeted region;
A network of communication amongst the countries of the targeted region will be
established to inter alia protect cultural heritage assets and to reduce illicit trafficking of
said assets;
The cultural heritage database will be used as support material to include cultural
heritage information in educational curricula and in sustainable tourism program content.
Project Activities
In order to achieve the stated goals and objectives of this project a “plan of action” with a
set of activities and components was designed. Each project component revolves around a
prioritized set of activities. The following Table I depicts the Project's proposed plan of action in
order of stated priority.
TABLE I
PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION for the SUR WORKSHOP-COURSE
Component

Activity

Installation of registry and record-keeping 
data base system
Training on how system works

Coordination among countries of the target
region
Practice sessions


Guided visits

Case Studies



Oral
presentations
and
audiovisual
overheads that explain how the system
works
Group practice sessions
Harmonization of registry and recordkeeping criteria and information in-take to
build inventory
Guided visits in the capital city of Santo
Domingo with participants to museums and
libraries; to the Centro de Inventario de
Bienes
Culturales
to
see
what
methodological or practical needs the
system has in these venues
 Presentation of registry and recording
methods carried out to date in other
participating countries
Conclusion: Impart sustainable knowledge to Conclusion: Set up system and instruct
install standardized system in host country
participants how to do the same in the
institutions of their respective countries
The aforementioned components in the SUR workshop project activities are specific
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to the projected objectives for the project’s specialized participants and its expected
outcomes.2 For example, by imparting knowledge and providing practice sessions on the SUR
system the participants of this project will be trained to use the SUR system; and once the
system is installed in the participating countries of the target region, the expected outcomes,
according to the project document, from the project activities are:
Implementation of a digitized instrument to inventory, register and record all moveable
and immovable cultural heritage assets in the Dominican Republic, the host country, and in
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and Puerto Rico.
The participating beneficiary countries are expected to return to their native countries and
serve as “multipliers” of the knowledge acquired in their own professional institutions.
Because the project is multinational in nature, the installed computerized capacity lends
itself to networking cultural heritage data bases and in so doing, to sharing information and
keeping track of cultural assets to reduce and/or help prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural
heritage assets.

Building intellectual capital that emphasizes the importance of cultural heritage of the
people of the targeted region and that of all humanity. In additional to imparting technical
knowledge to participating professionals who will serve as “multipliers” in their native
countries, once inventories of cultural assets are registered and recorded in the participating
Central American and Caribbean countries, the information can raise people’s awareness
about the importance of their historical legacy and their national cultural wealth. This
knowledge can be included in educational curricula throughout the targeted region and
specifically in the Dominican Republic’s national projects, “Patrimonio Cultural Dominicano
Tangible e Intangible en el Sistema Educativo Nacional” and “Patrimonio Cultural en Manos
de los Jovenes”, sponsored by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the Dominican Secretary of State of Education,
The Secretary of State of Culture and the Secretary of State of the Environment.3

2.5 Project Funding
In accordance with recommendations from the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and
Development and as agreed by the Organization of American States’ Special Multilateral Fund
of the Interamerican Council for Integral Development (i.e., Fondo Especial Multilateral del
Consejo Interamericano, FEMCIDI) the Executive Plan for the SUR project was submitted to the
Dominican Technical Under-Secretariat on December 20, 2003.
The following Table II depicts the sources of funding agreed by the Organization of American
States and the Dominican Republic to implement the project, "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado
de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y
El Caribe".
2
Outcome is understood as the desired situation after project completion as products are used by the immediate and
future beneficiaries.
3 Informe Final, letter dated 21 March 2002, from Dr. Cesar Iván Ferias Iglesias to Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Vicepresident of the Republic; unpaginated document; 2003.
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TABLE II
Funding for "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación
del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y El Caribe"
FEMCIDI CONTRIBUTION
$21,650.00 US
DOMINICAN GOVERNMENT $25,108.17 US
TOTAL
$46,758.17 US
3.
Evaluation Findings
3.1
National/Regional Context of the Sector
3.1.1
General understanding of the concept of cultural heritage
Because the Curso-Taller project “SUR” has as its unit of analysis “cultural heritage” a
working definition is appropriate. According to the World Bank, “cultural heritage encompasses
material culture, in the form of objects, structures, sites and landscapes, as well as living (or
expressive) culture as evidenced in forms such as music, crafts, performing arts, literature, oral
tradition and language. The emphasis is on cultural continuity from the past, through the present
and into the future, with the recognition that culture is organic and evolving.”4
The term “cultural heritage” has not always encompassed the same things. At one time it
referred exclusively to the monumental remains of culture. This “material heritage” included
significant archeological remains of pre-Columbian cultures such as for example, in Guatemala
where there are approximately 200 Maya items in the jungle of Petén, most of which still have
traces of architecture.5 Cultural heritage as a concept has gradually come to include new
categories such as the intangible, ethnographic or industrial heritage so that the notion has
changed in order to express more aptly a more global and holistic approach that includes both
tangible and intangible cultural assets. In addition to ossified tangible assets from the past such
as architectural creations there is an additional dimension of cultural heritage that includes such
intangibles as acts of creation and representation (the performing arts, rites, festive events and
the plastic arts) and processes of transmission (the ways of society, traditional skills and knowhow, beliefs and practices relating to nature), as well as the fluctuating content of creativity
(languages and oral traditions).
There is a close relationship between intangible and tangible cultural heritage assets for
UNESCO states that, “Beyond the quest for the components of the intangible heritage, the
concept related to it has taught us that tangible vestiges cannot be appreciated in their own right
4
5
www.icom.org/bank.html
www.international.icomos.org/risk/guate_2000.htm
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but necessarily in relation to others and through an understanding of their interactions with
their physical and non-physical environments, both natural and human. The importance we
attach to this new dimension…shows that the notion of heritage only has a meaning when it
chronicles the diversity and complexity of human creativity.”6
For the purposes of this report, “cultural heritage” in the Dominican Republic consists of tangible
moveable and immovable cultural heritage assets. These might include such objects as stone
artifacts, traditional historic furniture, sculptures, paintings, and decorative items from churches
such as stained glass windows, colonial buildings and other tangible assets.
3.1.2
Overview of the Importance of Cultural Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean
Region
As diverse as Latin America and the Caribbean are, so too is the region's cultural heritage and
the need to ensure that attention is paid to the growing concerns about the fate of the region's
wealth. As recently as July 26 and 27, 2004 representatives of Organization of American States'
civil society organizations met in Santiago, Chile and after discussing and analyzing the
thematic areas for the Second Meeting of Cultural Ministers and Senior Authorities of the
Organization of American States (OAS) and considering the UNESCO Draft Convention on the
protection of the diversity of cultural contents, they reaffirmed the importance of cultural
production in their consultation workshop. Accordingly, the representatives underscored that
"culture is the ultimate goal of society and requires cross-cutting interaction with social and
economic policies that contribute to the full development of human beings".
The OAS views on culture further attests to the importance of this sector. The organization
views culture in a holistic way and considers it as “a means for human development and a
fundamental tool for economic growth and job creation.”7 To this end, culture is understood as
an important part of public policy since at the first Meeting of Ministers of Culture, held in
Cartagena de las Indias, Colombia, in July of 2002, much emphasis was placed on cultural
diversity and incorporating culture into public policies throughout the Americas. As stated:
“Reconocemos a las políticas culturales gubernamentales que preservan y promueven la
diversidad cultural como un factor fundamental del desarrollo social y económico de nuestros
países y un mecanismo clave en la lucha contra la pobreza y el mejoramiento de la calidad de
vida. En este sentido reconocemos la necesidad de darle mayor preeminencia a las políticas
culturales en las agendas de política nacional de los países del Hemisferio.”8
Similarly, the Ministers and High Authorities of the hemisphere met for the second time in
August 23 y 24, 2004 in Mexico to define joint priorities and analyze and discuss the most
pressing challenges in the area of culture.
6
portal.unesco.org/culture
http://www.oas.org
8 Freely translated the consultant renders this version: “We recognize governmental cultural policies that preserve
and promote cultural diversity as a basic component of social and economic development in our countries and as a
key tool in the fight against poverty and improvements in the quality of life. To this end, we recognize the need to give
greater primacy to cultural policies on the national political agendas of the countries in the hemisphere.”
www.oas.org/usde/english/cpo_cult.
7
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Alongside the OAS, there are other Inter-American institutions that have voiced interest in
this area of sustainable development. For example, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
has evinced interest in the area of culture as it relates to cultural heritage and its preservation.
The IDB has been active for three decades in the preservation of cultural heritage, supporting
programs in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru,
Dominican Republic, Uruguay and the 'Mundo Maya', which includes Central America and parts
of Mexico. In addition, the Bank has financed seminars and studies to exchange knowledge in
this area.
Further concern is present too, because there is a growing interest on the Bank’s borrowing
member countries to invest in the preservation of their heritage. For example, since 1984,
Honduras has had a Law for the Protection of the Nation's Cultural Heritage; it was reformed in
1997 (Decree 220-97).9 This is a response to growing concerns about the fate of the Region’s
rich cultural heritage in view of the globalization trends. The pressures of development and the
lack of effective protection policies threaten cultural heritage assets that, if well preserved and
properly utilized, can make significant contributions to development.10
With efforts made to pay attention to culture and cultural heritage, organizations are increasingly
conceptualizing cultural heritage as an asset with significant potential to shore up the
socioeconomic development process. In this regard, at the Generally Assembly in Panama in
1996, OAS member states agreed to establish a general framework to create an “InterAmerican Cultural Program” to reaffirm the importance of culture for regional integral
development. Similarly, in 2002, Italy was slated to establish a trust fund of 2,582,000 euros to
help preserve the cultural heritage of Latin America and the Caribbean, reflecting the growing
awareness of the links between cultural heritage and sustainable socioeconomic development.11
In 2005 the Interamerican Foundation for Culture and Development, to be headquartered in the
United States, will open its doors with monetary contributions from the private sector,
governments and the Inter-American Development Bank.12
While these international efforts are being made to highlight culture and the potential of cultural
heritage there are still challenges in making known cultural heritage assets in some developing
countries of Latin America and the Caribbean because of the lack of any digitized 13 registry or
record-keeping system to inventory, register and record cultural heritage assets. This
shortcoming in record-keeping runs the risk of leaving national and regional assets unprotected
on the one hand, unknown, undervalued, and endangered on the other.
While on the one hand there are organizations in the Caribbean region that deal with
gathering, keeping and disseminating cultural information about cultural heritage assets such as
The Cultural Information System for the Caribbean and Latin America (http://quiovvannabolivar2.virtualave.net),
MAC,
the
Museums
Association
of
the
Caribbean
(www.tcmuseum.org/museums association of the Caribbean.) or ILAM, the Instituto
Latinoamericano de Museologia (www.ilam.org), it should be noted that the dearth of
9
http://international.icomos.org/r
http://www.iadb.org/exr/am2000/seminar05a.htm
11 Idem
12 www.oas.org/udse/espanol/prensa2.html
13 The word digitized and computerized are being used interchangeably in this report.
10
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standardized digitized record-keeping systems for the cultural heritage of the larger
Caribbean region has been widespread. 14
This modern-day shortcoming was the subject of earlier efforts to correct the situation.
The non-governmental organization, CARIMOS (www.carimos.org), an organization established
some twenty years ago to research and disseminate information on architectural cultural
heritage in the region, established its own inventory system in December 2001. Then, with the
assistance of the European Union, CARIMOS helped to establish the Centro de Inventario de
los Bienes Culturales del Gran Caribe in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In 2001 the
Dominican Republic moved a step farther and signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with the
Republic of Chile through their ministries of culture. Chile agreed to facilitate training to
implement the digitized Standardized Record-Keeping System (SRS) to Inventory Register and
Record Cultural Assets15 at the National Center of Cultural Heritage Assets in the Dominican
Republic. Upon agreement, a training workshop, partially funded by the OAS, was planned to
teach and train nine countries in the region about this digitized inventory, registry and recordkeeping system known as the Sistema Unificado de Registro - SUR.
Because the countries of Central America and the Caribbean share common cultural
and social threads, it is assumed that implementation of this training project on how to digitally
record and register cultural heritage assets will also serve a broader purpose in the region and
particularly amongst the participating countries of Central America and the Caribbean: (a) that
cooperation in the field of culture will lead to increased consciousness about national identities,
historical legacies and the rich cultural heritage in the region and, (b) that in the long run these
efforts will strengthen local artistic creativity through information sharing in general and possible
digitized information sharing in particular, as well as (c) have the potential to shore up needy
economies, arrest theft and illicit trafficking in cultural goods and thus, decrease further sociocultural and economic impoverishment.
Furthermore, consciousness about identities, legacies and cultural belonging can be said to be
a prerequisite for a democratic development in societies in which a measure of balance in ethnic
equity is sought. In this light, the challenge of democratic development is to find mechanisms to
ensure that the majority of people not only have access to but also represent local creation,
production and preservation so that true diversity of cultural goods and services are at the
disposal of the nation.16
It is in the context of the foregoing overview about the importance of culture and cultural
heritage in the Caribbean region that this training project, "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de
Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y El
Caribe" to record such assets took place.
3.2
Relevance of the Project
14
http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2001_spa.htm
The Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) has been freely translated into English as the Standardized
Record-Keeping System (SRS) to Inventory, Register and Record Cultural Assets.
15
16
Informe Final, Curso-Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro SUR para el Inventario y Catalogación del patrimonio
Cultural de centro America y el Caribe, page 7 (unpaginated orgininal document); 2003.
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3.2.1
Targeting appropriate population and activities
The "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del
Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y El Caribe" targeted its participating population and its
activities well based on (1) the technical background of workshop participants, the specialized
nature of the workshop content and associated perception of relative insecurity connected to a
lack of any common systematized computerized data base of cultural heritage assets (2) and
the goals envisaged for the region to know, disseminate, conserve and preserve moveable and
stationary tangible assets; and to network the information and virtually connect the appropriate
professionals in the region.
The strength of the project’s population targeting lies in the pre-selection of candidates whose
professional curricula vitae and background were relevant to the course material and enabled
beneficiaries to effectively grasp the material presented. The selection of participants was based
on the following criteria:




Be related directly to museum and library projects
Manage computer data, graphic and word processing programs;
Manage peripherals such as digital cameras, scanners, zips, etc;
Report-writing to describe the status of library and museum registries
Because the aim of this project is to implement a digitized system that standardizes and
consolidates inventory, registers and keeps records of cultural heritage assets in Central
American and the Caribbean as well as to establish a network to communicate information in
the region, the inclusion of such a diverse set of candidates increases the scope of regional
participation and country information exchange as well as strengthens the ability to potentially
network SUR’s standardized system within a relatively broad Spanish-speaking geographic
spread. In interviews at the D.N.P.M sector specialists mentioned the potential impact of such
connectivity: to shore up the project’s long-term goal to increase information sharing in the
region, and thus, decrease illicit trafficking of cultural assets.
The activities carried out in the SUR workshop were well targeted and support the rationale of
the SUR workshop to implement a computerized system and train beneficiaries in management
skills to use and manage the system. For example, participants practiced using the
computerized system. They also paid visits to institutions such as museums that will potentially
use the computerized system to inventory, register and record their own cultural heritage
assets. Table III in Annex IV provides the specific course content.
Much to the credit of the D.N.P.M. management and its staff, in interviews held at the D.N.P.M
headquarters the consultant learned that the Director of the D.N.P.M. was able to overcome the
immediate effect of the budget constraint by calling on inter-institutional cooperation with the
Secretary of State of Education who, through its ”Aulas Virtuales para la Enseñaza” (AVE),
loaned the workshop 22 (twenty-two) computers.
3.2.2
Relevance to country and regional reality
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The SUR project context are relevant and tally with current Dominican public policy because
the project outcome is relevant to the current Dominican government’s efforts to reform and
modernize the Dominican state. CONARE, the Consejo Nacional de Reforma del Estado, an
agency established in 2001 by the President of the Dominican Republic, aims to reorganize and
increase efficiency in that country.17 The benefit produced by the SUR project, i.e. digitizing
cultural systems, are part of modern-day forms of communication and represent a strength in
the project’s vision to increase efficiency to build inventories of known cultural heritage assets,
monitor them and decrease illicit trafficking of such assets.
Culture. Also, in keeping with the Dominican government’s “Plan Decenal de Cultura”, drafted
by the Secretary of State for Culture in 2002 and the “Ley de Protección de los Bienes
Inmuebles”,18 the SUR workshop successfully implemented a digitized instrument, trained
human resources and in so doing, (1) emphasized culture as an important public policy axis in
the country’s social and economic development; (2) built intellectual capital to manage and
protect some of the country’s cultural wealth, and (3) increased the country’s capacity to
preserve and conserve its heritage.
According to Dominican Law 41-00, promulgated in 2000, the Secretary of State for Culture was
established and decentralization processes were put in place to manage national culture.19 As
recent as 1998, criticism was launched at the culture sector in the Dominican Republic because
cultural activities and related resources were concentrated in the urban capital city. 20 The SUR
project has reversed this trend and increased decentralization by (1) moving financial resources
and cultural activities hitherto concentrated in Santo Domingo and (2) successfully implementing
and using the SUR system in the three aforementioned provinces of the country.
As to the regional relevance of this project, it is clear that the Dominican Republic’s efforts to
more systematically record and thus “preserve” its cultural heritage serves as a point of
reference for other countries in the Americas region. While on the one hand it is difficult to
generalize about the possible problems, needs and conditions for the artistic and cultural
heritage in a region as large and diverse as Latin America and the Caribbean, it is reasonable to
highlight that the SUR project underscores the importance of using information management
systems to maintain cultural heritage assets in the region.21 The SUR system inventories and
records extant assets and thus, there is more likelihood that what is known to exist will be
protected.
While many Latin American countries have time-worn policies and institutions that govern the
protection of their cultural wealth, other than Chile, no evidence was found that points to a digital
system that enhances record-keeping, conservation and protection capabilities throughout the
region and that, further has the potential to provide a network of information amongst countries
for the same purpose. In light of the SUR project, The Dominican Rpublic now shares the
position of a crusader of sorts alongside Chile because the ability to digitally keep track of
17
www.gov.com.do
The “Plan Decenal de Culture” is loosely translted as the the Ten Year Cultural Sector Plan and the “Ley de
Proteccion de los Bienes Culturales Inmuebles is similarly loosely translated at the Law to Protect Stationary Cultural
Assets.
19 E-mail communication with CIBC, 8 October 2004
20 Idem, 19 October 2004
18
21
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bib/wbaker/paper3.html.
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cultural heritage assets is a powerful and modern way of conserving and managing wealth. In
this regard, the region’s countries, such as the Central American countries that participated in
the project, and others can hope to emulate the experience and potentially adopt the digitized
system for long-term cultural heritage asset use.
3.3
Effectiveness of the Project
3.3.1
Population prior knowledge and participation
Though this report does not focus more extensively on the project population per se, it should
be noted that it is impossible to measure the extent to which the population might have had any
difficulty in grasping the course content taught or how much more or less the beneficiaries
would have learned from the SUR workshop vis-a-vis their baseline knowledge. It is however,
reasonable to infer from the participants’ level of education and professional field that they
would easily understand the course content and thus be able to become effective “multipliers” to
disseminate the information learned upon return to their home country.
As further regards the effectiveness of targeting the sector specific population to benefit from
the SUR workshop-course, it should be noted that the coordinator of the SUR workshop invited
Haiti, with whom the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola. In formal talks with
the director of the Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Monumental and his colleagues, the
consultant learned that because of Haiti’s unstable political situation at the time of the workshop,
the Haitian participant was unable to attend the SUR workshop.22 During interviews the
consultant was assured that repeated efforts had been made to include the Haitian participant in
the SUR workshop.
At this writing, there is no record of whether the Haitian candidate from the Instituto del
Patrimonio Nacional (ISPAN), ever received any information or course material regarding SUR
after the course was completed. According to e-mail communication23 and interviews with the
management of the CIBC in Santo Domingo, despite efforts to communicate with the Haitians
no replies were ever forthcoming from that country regarding workshop participation. To date,
there are no known efforts to follow-up with that neighboring country candidate to explore and
pursue possibilities for future technical cooperation on cultural heritage issues as taught in the
SUR project workshop.
This point regarding the presence of the Haitian candidate is important because the Dominican
Republic and Haiti share a common border which is porous. Any unmonitored flow of goods and
services might hinder achieving one of the long-term goals of the SUR project, i.e. to decrease
the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage assets across national borders. First, it must be
considered that Haiti’s absence might put the Dominican Republic’s neighbor at a disadvantage
in terms of its ability to keep abreast of the technological know-how and information to curb or
prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage assets.
Secondly, according to the international projects coordinator of the SUR project and her
22
The evaluator met with the Director of the Direccion Nacional de Patrimonio Monumental, Dr. Cesar Ivan, Architect
Japonesa Capellan, Coordinator for International Projects in the aforementioned Dirección and Architect Nirva
Fonduer, Coordinator of the Centro de Inventario de Bienes Culturales de la D.N.P.M.
23 Dated 25 October 2004, from cibc76@hotmail.com
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colleagues, Haiti suffers from a particularly high incidence of theft of Haitian cultural assets.
Haiti’s absence from this workshop indicates that Haiti may continue at risk and not develop its
human resource base to work in partnership with other Caribbean countries to combat this
situation on an institutional level.
For reasons of force majeur the Panamanian candidate was unable to attend the workshop at
the last minute. There is no documentation or other evidence that explains this absence or
financial management of monies associated with it.
The original list of candidates included Puerto Rico, to serve as an observer country with a
female participant from the Museums and Parks Program of that island nation. While an
observer country to possibly oversee and also learn the SUR course content was part of the
project design, the evaluator found no documentation describing the actual role to be played by
a country with “observer status” in a course some of whose components involved “hands on”
exercises.
Though the Puerto Rican candidate lauded the excellence of the workshop in a letter sent to the
Dominican authorities after conclusion of the workshop, there is no evidence that describes
whether or not Puerto Rico only observed the SUR workshop, was there to review and /or report
on the workshop, monitor its activities or actually participate in the hands-on applications to also
be a “multiplier” and thus, help achieve one of the goals of this project upon return to Puerto
Rico.
3.3.2
Regional Coverage
Though the SUR project design refers to “Central America and the Caribbean”, the
English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean were not contemplated to be a regional partner to
participate in this round of the workshop. Notwithstanding the Dominican project implementors’
budget constraints, this shortcoming limits the project’s long-tem regional effectiveness and
decreases its regional impact because of geographic limitations to Spanish-speaking
participants only.
The long-term impact of excluding the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean from the initial
project design is to undermine increased consolidation of pan-Caribbean regional partnerships
in this sector which at this juncture, takes away from more all-encompassing regional
institutional connectivity and the SUR’s long-term goal of “networking the system” to know,
manage, preserve and conserve cultural heritage assets in the wider Caribbean region.
Furthermore, it should also be noted that overlooking the English and Dutch-speaking
Caribbean falls short of the general overarching precepts that inform OAS funded development
projects as stated in the Organization of American States’ Strategic Plan for Partnership for
Development, 2002-2005.24
3.3.3
24
Operations
Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development, OEA/SER.W/II.6 CIDI/doc.6/01Rev. 1 Corr 1; 9 January 2002
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The operational responsibility for the SUR project workshop lies with the Chilean instructors,
a gender-balanced team of sector specialists, who taught the workshop course material.
Madame was responsible for teaching the specific characteristics of the SUR program and
coordinating the hands-on sessions. Her colleague taught more general and conceptual aspects
about documentation for collections.
In a visit to the Centro de Inventario de Bienes Culturales (CIBC), the consultant was
introduced to the information management system and saw the installed SUR tool up and
running. The objective of teaching technical skills to the project beneficiaries was achieved
because the SUR computer program is a user-friendlly, effective and practical tool: it includes
an uninterrupted screen and includes 5 (five) menus each of which is divided into submenus
that make data management easy given the specific categories used to inventory, register and
record cultural heritage assets. For example, the SUR program includes and makes available to
program users categories for identification, description, context (i.e., archeological,
architectonic, style, theme, etc.), documentation and management (of events, exhibits, location,
rights, etc).
During the in-country visit for this evaluation, the consultant observed that the CIBC serves as
the institutional clearinghouse for information in the Dominican Republic and will also be
responsible for technically supporting the SUR system, consolidating data, and reviewing
information to ensure consistency, veracity, and sustainability of the SUR program in the
Dominican Republic.
The only risk to achieving a broader spread of Spanish-speaking regional participation for the
SUR project was a decreased amount of monies allocated for this project from OAS/FEMCIDI
funding since the original amount requested for the SUR workshop was $36,101.00 US and the
amount received was $21,650.00.25 The effect of this budget cut whittled down the number of
projected participants from 22 requested to 13 actual participants.
The long-term effect of this budget cut was to (a) decrease the number of potential multipliers
envisaged in the project design and (b) decrease the immediate possibility of purchasing
hardware as permanent infrastructure in the workshop.
3.3.4
Effectiveness of the workshop-course methodology.
The workshop methodology stressed “learning” and “training”, based on a mix of theory
concerning concepts of cultural heritage and practice sessions using the computerized system
to inventory, register and record cultural assets. The immediate implementation of theory
learned is a way of capturing, using and enforcing information on the spot. A methodology that
transfers information and provides hands-on experiences to use immediately is more likely to
have a greater impact and be more effective in the long run than one that provides theory alone.
Such a methodology reflects a process of learning which emphasizes skills acquisition and onthe-spot performance.
25
Project document OEA/SER.W/XV.2.6 CIDI/CENPE-II/doc.04/02; p.8.
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The D.N.P.M. administered a survey to get feedback about the service delivery and client
satisfaction regarding the quality of the workshop activities. When asked their opinion, 26 100 per
cent of the participants gave favorable views about the quality of the workshop. In written
feedback reviewed by the consultant, the beneficiaries said the workshop was excellent and
very effective because it taught them practical new skills and gave them new knowledge to
apply in their respective professional activities in various museums, information centers,
archives, churches or other entities having to do with cultural heritage. According to the
beneficiaries, the workshop was well designed and well organized.
Specifically, local representatives from different public and private institutions in the host
country, the Dominican Republic, received training and benefited from the SUR project: 3
(three) technical professionals from the C.I.B.C. were trained and thus, the C.I.B.C. was able to
build capacity by implementing the SUR system in-house.
Only one workshop participant said that more “hands-on” time using the system and fewer
country case studies would have been helpful during the actual workshop sessions. However,
when asked if the SUR system could be implemented in their respective countries, 100 per cent
of the participants said the system, albeit with some tweaking, could be implemented in their
country in institutions such as libraries, museums, churches, central banks, universities, and
information clearinghouses.
The Chilean instructors/facilitators support that opinion and underscore the need to harmonize
language and adapt the system according to local/national situations.
3.3.5
Delivery of the system
According to the instructors, participants in the SUR workshop were able to learn and manage
the computerized system as taught in the classroom course by way of hands-on sessions. In a
demonstration session, the evaluator saw trained Dominican technicians ably using and
explaining the effectiveness and efficiency of the SUR computer system.27 The effectiveness of
the system, for example, resides in the ability of the SUR system to digitally “document” cultural
heritage assets. By virtue of the SUR system we understand that a recorded “asset” is only
“cultural” because there is information about it. This stored information about cultural heritage
assets increases the probability of retrieving a stolen “cultural” asset precisely because
documentation exists.
A major strength of this project and its activities is that beneficiaries from the Dominican
Republic, made up of sector specialists from the CIBC and the D.N.P.M.’s Department of
International Projects participated in the design and implementation of the SUR project. While
the Central American participants played no role in project design, according to an OAS
questionnaire administered to the International Projects Department, there was ample and
productive coordination between the Chilean technical professionals, who prepared the
technical and didactic part of the workshop, and the Dominican professionals who were
responsible for providing human, financial and technical resources, all of which made it possible
to successfully implement the project and achieve its short-term objectives.
The question asked to all participants was “Que le parece el Curso-Taller?”, in Informe Final, section
“Consideraciones Finales del Curso por los Paticipantes”.
27 A description of the SUR system is in Annex V.
26
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3.3.6 Effective capacity building
The goal of the SUR project was to implement a computerized standardized inventory,
registry and record-keeping system and train sector professionals to use and manage it. The
success of the SUR project lead to an important outcome: the project builds up individual,
institutional and system-wide capacity that fosters the participation of multidisciplinary actors.
The aspect of “capacity building” was not well developed during the project design phase. It is
however, an important outcome of the project.
It is interesting to note that “capacity” is defined as “the ability of individuals and organizations
or organizational units to perform functions effectively, efficiently and sustainability. This implies
that capacity is not something static or passive but rather, part of a continuing process and that
human resources are central to capacity development. Capacity is the power of a system, an
organization or a person to perform or produce something.”28
The SUR workshop reflects the upgrading of both human as well as the institutional capacity
development since capacity development emphasizes the overall system, environment or
system in which individuals, organizations and societies operate and interact. In this regard, a
hallmark of the SUR project is based on the mechanism of counterpart funding from the
Dominican government. The financial resources enabled the Dominican project planners to
move ahead with this project and implement it with the assistance of international facilitators
and other Dominican institutions that provided support for the project’s implementation and
subsequent institutional capacity building. For example, because the CIBC and other Dominican
organizations sent sector specific professionals to the workshop, these institutions are now
equipped with trained staff and appropriate computer software for them to know, register and
record cultural heritage assets. Such institutions now have the ability to better protect cultural
heritage and when appropriate, upgrade the SUR and in so doing, sustain the didactic results of
the project.
Human resources are also central to capacity development. The project design stressed
increasing individual professional capacity to manage information about tangible moveable
cultural heritage assets. In this regard, the performance of the SUR project achieved an
increase in individual participant capacity by training a total of 13 (thirteen) beneficiaries in
specific computer skills and imparting specific sector knowledge to better manage cultural
heritage information. All 13 beneficiaries received certificates of completion for this workshop.
This aspect of increased capacity outcome is not well developed in the original project
document and thus takes away from the project design’s analysis about the projected impact
achieved in the SUR project. This gap in the project design undervalues the increased
organizational quality management of information systems that obtains for institutional
beneficiaries and overlooks the increased individual management style for managing cultural
information that obtains for individual beneficiaries. The project design does not take into
28
United Nation Development Programme, Capacity Assessment and Development, Technical Advisory Paper No.3,
Management Development and Governance Division, January 1998; p. x
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consideration the general productive work environment that is associated with the successful
implementation of this project.
Failure to mention these “capacity points” in the project document is a gap that not does
not take away from the general impact on institutional capacity building offered by the project’s
implemented system throughout the Dominican Republic. According to the Director of the CIBC,
thus far the collections from (1) the Fortaleza San Felipe museum in Puerto Plata province, the
(2) Casa Fuerte de Juan Ponce de León museum in La Altagracia province and the (3) Alcázar
de Colón museum in the Ciudad Colonial, in Santo Domingo (capital city) have been
incorporated into the SUR system. The Departamento Nacional de Arequeologia (Arqueology
Department ) in the D.N.P.M. has commenced its registries by using the SUR program as well.
SUR has not however, been applied to inventories of immovable cultural assets, since it was
originally designed for movable assets.
3.3.7
The multiplier effect rendered ineffectual
While the SUR project’s success is not being judged solely on the technical target performance
outcomes of the potential multipliers and their implementation of the SUR system in their
respective countries, a weakness should be noted in that the original project design
overestimated the performance and the short-term impact of the workshop outside the
Dominican Republic. In this regard, the SUR workshop activities did not produce verifiable
outputs on the “multiplier effect” since to date there is no indication of how and when the
beneficiaries will be more than theoretical multipliers in their home countries to use the skills
and knowledge learned.
In sum, to date only the Dominican Republic enjoys a bilateral cooperation agreement
with the Republic of Chile, therefore no other beneficiary was in a position to leave the
workshop with SUR software. The lack of software makes it impossible to (1) implement the
SUR system for the intended purpose in any other participating country or (2) be a “multiplier” to
disseminate the full breadth of technical knowledge about the SUR system and its practical
aspects as a management tool upon return to the home country in Central America.29
In this regard, the project goal of providing a “multiplier effect” by way of the beneficiaries in the
respective participating countries upon completion of the workshop remains unfulfilled. In
interviews with the members of the D.N.P.M, the CIBC, and the resident Chilean ambassador in
the Dominican Republic, they emphasized that they hope this goal will be realizable in a
possible future phase of this project in accordance with and depending on individual country
initiatives to engage in negotiations for technical cooperation agreements with the Republic of
Chile.
3.4
Efficiency of the Project
3.4.1
Sound financial management
29
Idem, e-mail correspondence with one of the Chilean instructors, 13 October 2004.
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According to financial records reviewed, a very strong point in the use of funds received to
implement the SUR project underscores efficient financial management in both spending
policies and the ability to effect savings by the D.N.P.M. The director of that institution was able
to (1) be exonerated from Dominican airline taxes for airline tickets bought for 6 (six)
participants and 2 (two) instructors; (2) get preferential hotel rates for the international
participants via the Asociación de Hoteles de Santo Domingo; and (3) have the costs of snacks
and beverages during workshop breaks covered by Dominican private sector companies, such
as the Embotelladora Dominicana, Industrias Banilejas and the Asociación de Hoteles de Santo
Domingo.
In interviews with the director of the D.N.P.M. and the international coordinator to implement the
SUR project, from the counterpart funds of $$25.108.17 US, the director effected savings in the
amount of $ 5,347.23 US. 4 (four) Galaxia computers were purchased. This aspect is important
insofar as it concerns transparency, accountability and a reinvestment of funds to sustain the
project. It is a strong point in support of the internal leadership skill of the Director of the
D.N.P.M.
The record-keeping of the project as carried out by the D.N.P.M. was transparent and
meticulously documented.
3.4.2
External leadership and communication
In the documents reviewed it is clear that the coordinator of international programs from the
D.N.P.M, the implementing agency, and the director of the same office strived to accomplish
more than just delivering the mandated service. For example, they lead outside the organization
and involved multi-disciplinary actors in the community, when they contacted and networked
with private sector partners to donate services to contribute to the smooth flow of project
implementation. It seems reasonable to say that both intra-institutional and inter-institutional
communication contributed to the success of this project because the leadership of the
D.N.P.M. was able to maintain relationships across a broad spectrum of public and private
sector groups as noted above.
It must be noted that though there are no arithmetic figures calculated here for any potential loss
on investment, it could be posited that a full return on investment from international participants
in the project will be reduced because of the immediate constraints related to their lack of
software and absence of bilateral technical cooperation agreements with the Republic of Chile
3.4.3
Computer program.
Although the SUR computer program has not been able to generate the expected graphic
implementation at this juncture, a strength of the project is that the installed computerized
system has generally increased the ease and speed with which individual beneficiaries
research, take inventory, register and record cultural assets; reduced the multiplicity of recordkeeping systems; and reduced document duplication.
In conclusion, the project is efficient because it allocated resources in a well-balanced way to
involve public and private sector actors and in so doing, effect savings.
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The SUR computer system is efficient because it (1) modernizes information and data
management by reducing the amount of time it takes to process and store data and it (2)
provides an easily retrievable (digitized) standardized database to know and monitor cultural
assets.
3.4.4
Communication efficiency
The activities and outcomes of the SUR project are a local and international priority when it
comes to making known and protecting cultural assets in the region from illicit trafficking.
Though these modern technological and administrative conditions are propitious for local and
international information networking about cultural assets in the region, that expected goal has
yet to be achieved in the target region as of this writing because of the aforementioned
beneficiary drawbacks. There is thus a disparity between SUR’s actual short-term project goals
achieved and those that are still expected as described in the project design.
3.5
Sustainability of the Results Achieved
3.5.1
Selection of technical specialists
The choice of architects, archivists, museum specialists, and researchers, underscores
the specific technical background of the participants’ professional training and underscores
favorably the project’s serious approach to the sustainability of its didactic results. Though
efforts in the past have been made to create registers and regularly update and maintain them,
the region does not necessarily enjoy the concept of long-term planning in the public sector to
support such efforts. In the case of Honduras for example, the government’s short-term political
agendas might weigh more heavily in the cultural heritage sector because of a public official’s
personal interest but there is no guarantee that in a following government term the earlier
cultural sector interest or planning will be continued.
Thus, the choice of technical specialists for this workshop suggests that these specialized
citizens will not tumble out of a government’s term in office and will be in a position to ensure
sustainability of the workshop’s course content over time.
3.5.2
Subtracting multipliers and software
While the successful teaching of beneficiaries who gained technical skills and knowledge about
the SUR system and how to implement the SUR computer program in their respective
institutions at home represents an objective achieved, it must be noted that the technical target
to provide home countries with “multipliers” by way of the trained beneficiaries is remote at this
writing because of complications described below.
In interviews at the C.I.B.C. the consultant learned of a shortcoming in the project. A
complication that became apparent at the close of the workshop-course is that the SUR model
software was not given to any other participating country besides the Dominican Republic. In
interviews with the project coordinator and the resident Chilean ambassador in Santo Domingo
and according to e-mail correspondence with one of the Chilean instructors of the SUR
workshop, the Chilean digitized standardized model to inventory, register and record cultural
heritage assets is Chilean intellectual property the use of which is impossible to have without a
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bilateral cooperation agreement with the Republic of Chile. The lack of such a relationship
with Chile compromises the sustainability of beneficiary educational results for the international
(i.e.) Central American) participants.
Irrespective of these complications, the project document defines a “multiplier” objective, but
specifies no timetable for any “multiplier effect” to take place. The project design offered no
estimates nor was there any indication in the project design as to how this multiplier effect would
be measured once the beneficiaries returned home. In interviews at the D.N.P.M. the consultant
learned there has been no follow-up correspondence between the beneficiaries and the host
country project officials since the workshop ended in 2003. It should be considered that these
oversights compromise the sustainability of the project’s intent and its achievements in Central
America.
3.5.3
Technological challenges
Questions about keeping abreast of technological updates of the SUR program in the
Dominican Republic on the one hand, and the sustainability of technological know-how for the
purposes of this project in participating countries, on the other, are of concern. While the
Dominican Republic has a bilateral cooperation agreement with Chile and could request local
follow-up to upgrade its SUR system and related knowledge should the need arise, other
participating countries neither have the software nor enjoy such a relationship with Chile as
ascertained at the time of the evaluation visit to Santo Domingo. Given this profile it can be
inferred that participating countries run the risk of losing some of the dimensions of the system
learned since they cannot apply it in practice at home.
This observation indicates that the Dominican Republic is more likely to more easily overcome a
technical challenge posed by the SUR system, should the system undergo any changes, than
will counterpart SUR beneficiaries who do not possess the software.
Upon completion of the workshop, the D.N.P.M. was obliged to return the borrowed
computers on loan from the Ministry of Education. While on a ‘micro’ scale individual
participants benefited from this project’s hands-on exercises with available computers in the
workshop, on a ‘ macro’ scale the generalized dearth of computer hardware in the Dominican
Republic makes it more difficult for institutional beneficiaries such as libraries, museums,
archival clearinghouses and other national institutions (as represented by the individual
Dominican set of participants) to immediately reap the net benefits of the projects’ outputs. Lack
of computer hardware represents a technical constraint that retards further implementation and
use of the SUR project outputs in the Dominican Republic. While the absolute sustainability of
this project is not compromised in the Dominican Republic, the dearth of computers makes it
impossible to further support the project in a broader scope of institutions in that country.
3.5.4
Networking and sustainability
International networking. Though networking, especially international networking, is mentioned
as an expected outcome in the design of the project no mention is made of any potential
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organizations with which the host country could network. For example, references to possible
international candidate organizations such as ICCROM, the International Centre for the Study of
the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, are absent.30
There is no evidence as to whether or not the Dominican SUR system is networked to any
museum or entity in Chile. In interviews at the D.N.P.M. the consultant learned there is an
ongoing close relationship between the Dominican CIBC and its Chilean counterpart, the CDBP,
Centro de Documentación de Bienes Patrimoniales. Dominican sector specialists also
periodically receive international information regarding the illicit trafficking of cultural assets from
ICOM, the International Council of Museums. At the time of the evaluation there was no
international networking of the SUR system from the Dominican Republic commented on.
Region-wide networking. Region-wide computer networking with the beneficiary countries is
impossible through the SUR system because at this stage there is not enough ownership of
software to obtain this expected outcome. None of the course beneficiaries from Central
America own the software and are thus, unable to implement the SUR system to network
between themselves or other neighboring individual or institutional beneficiaries in the region.
There is strong reason to believe that the SUR project results in the Dominican Republic will be
sustainable because, despite the aforementioned shortcomings of the SUR project, it must be
emphasized that the project has had a noteworthy impact both technologically and
administratively in the Dominican Republic. By (1) standardizing and consolidating criteria31, (2)
implementing a digitized system that replaces a hitherto manually recorded system to inventory
cultural heritage assets of this Caribbean island and (3) training professionals to use the
system, the SUR project’s target objectives were fully met in the Dominican Republic and
favorably reflect “value for money” for the resources committed to the project in that country.
In conclusion, although the SUR program in particular has not been able to generate the
expected graphic implementation at this juncture, the strength of the project is that it has
generally increased the ease with which individual beneficiaries research, take inventory,
register and record cultural assets; reduced the multiplicity of record-keeping systems; and
reduced document duplication in the Dominican Republic.
3.6
Best practices, lessons learned and factors of success; difficulties
3.6.1
Best practices
Sector focus in keeping with national development policies. In the light of Dominican
government laws, the SUR project serves to illuminate the state’s sectoral investment in culture
as an instrument of economic management in the country. The Dominican Republic’s
national development policies place importance on culture as a sector to be fully developed to
build the country’s economic and social landscape.

30
www.iccrom.org, ICCROM aims to improve the quality of conservation practice as well as raise awareness about
the importance of preserving cultural heritage
31 According to the questionnaire replies, there are some limitations in the standardization and the consolidation of
critera for registering national i.e. , Dominican cultural assets, but no documentation was found that describes or
defines how to to measure the extent to which this might impact the overall performance of the system.
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 International technical cooperation agreements in force. The mutual understanding
about the importance of preserving cultural heritage between the host country and the Republic
of Chile paved the way for implementation of this project.
Leadership interface with public and private enterprises. The Association of Hotels and
the Secretary of State for Culture provided logistical support. Dominican private sector
companies, such as the Embotelladora Dominicana, Industrias Banilejas covered some of the
costs for food and beverages used during the workshop. This generalized support system in
Santo Domingo contributed to the entire fabric of inter-institutional interaction

 National support via Inter-institutional cooperation. This project demonstrated
strong inter-institutional cooperation towards the common purpose of implementing this project.
In a letter dated 9 April 2002 the Secretary of State for Education signed a letter offering support
to the Director of the D.N.P.M. and promised to follow-up with the Undersecretariat of
Technology and Information Systems regarding the SUR project. 22 (twenty-two) computers
were requested and provided from the Secretary of Education’s “Aulas Virtuales” program.
The National Office of Museums and other institutions participated. Museums such as
the Museo Bellapart, the Museo Alcázar de Colón, the Museo de las Casas Reales and the
Museo Subaquático participated as did the Centro de Inventario de Bienes Culturales (CIBC)
with visits to their premises to view and study their museum and document collections. Other
institutions such as the Secretary of the State for Tourism provided cultural support; and the
Secretariat for Technical Cooperation under the Office of the President.
In sum, the general surrounding context in which the SUR project was implemented
underscores a strong national support system that utilized and strengthened existing capacities,
rather than to start from scratch. While the SUR project was multinational in nature, the enabling
environment was Dominican and its contextual systemic strength emphasizes Dominican intersectoral participation in a comprehensive and integrative manner.
 Sound financial practices carried out/Efficient use of program resources and
accessibility. The Director of the D.N.P.M and the project implementing agency were able to
effectuate savings by entering into agreements with the Dominican private sector that helped to
defray costs such as that of food and beverages.
As read in the project‘s final reports provided by the D.N.P.M., the designated participants made
use of the museum visits as part of the on-site experiential learning exercise to have an idea of
the Dominican Republic’s cultural assets and where the SUR computerized system could be
implanted. Access to these facilities underscores that (1) the program activities proved
consistent with the design and intent of the workshop-course project and (2) the scheduled visits
to the target institutions matched the backgrounds of the beneficiaries in the project.
Appropriate participant and instructor selection to learn new hands-on skills. Sector
specialists from Chile with proprietary knowledge about the SUR computer system were
qualified to impart knowledge and implement the project in the Dominican Republic.

3.6.2
Lessons learned
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 Fewer case studies. It should be pointed out that the usefulness of underscoring
potential outcomes and benefits at the project design stage is to help project planners and
implementers decide on the activities that are most likely to fulfill the objectives of the
investment. For example, when comparing museum visits or case-study presentations to handson activities, it would have been helpful to refer to the objective of training in SUR computer
program skills when determining priorities in project activities. In the light of beneficiary
responses, it can be concluded that fewer case studies would have better suited the objective of
learning and using the SUR computer system.
 Appropriate field activities. While the SUR project design did not weight any activities
according to their importance in terms of content or time spent on them for learning the
computer program skills, it did provide a framework of field activities for organizing relevant
cultural heritage information and seeing possible end-points for system application by way of
museum visits. It is important to match specific project activities with specific project projected
outcomes.
3.6.3
Factors of success
 Cross-cutting levels of capacity building. The success of the SUR workshop
Methodology is that it considers capacity at both the individual level and the entity level,
including interactions on both levels within the generalized countrywide cultural heritage system
in the Dominican Republic. For example, the CIBC, which is responsible for general cultural
heritage management to plan, program, coordinate and supervise research; inform, disseminate
local and international information regarding cultural heritage and maintain international
contacts, sent its director to the SUR workshop to update her professional sector specialization
and increase her management skills for the benefit of the organization.
 Strong network of inter-institutional communication between public and private sectors
shored up the overall efficiency of this project.
3.6.4
Difficulties
 Non-harmonized language. According to e-mail correspondence with one of the Chilean
instructors, the one difficulty encountered in delivering the course content and seeking
standardization of the SUR system had to do with the use of non-harmonized language since
the diverse Spanish-speaking group had different reference terminology for some of the
concepts discussed. At this writing, Chile is working to overcome this linguistic challenge ands is
in fact working to produce a Thesaurus.32
 Failure to receive full target participation. Through no fault of the project, the potential
beneficiaries, Haiti and Panama, were unable to attend the SUR workshop-course. Though
there is no documentation that explains the Panamanian absence, in interviews the consultant
learned that political disruption in Haiti at the time of the project contributed to that country’s
failure to send a participant.
32
e-mail correspondence with Chilean instructor, Daniel Quiroz, dated 13 October 2004.
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It should be noted and taken into consideration that additional audiences can be reached at
possibly no additional cost so that the target population defined during the planning and
development of the project can be adhered to.
4.
Conclusions on the performance of the project
4.1
Balance in project policy design
SUR policy design overestimated the region-wide impact of the project outputs. Because of that
ambition, two things can be said about the project goal.
First – the project by itself may not be enough to attain the project goal. In the SUR project the
goal of producing “multipliers” who truly disseminate project benefits upon return to home
countries was unattainable because intellectual property issues and international agreements
precluded that outcome.
Second – The statement of the goal does not imply when it is going to be reached and become
“operational”. In the case of the SUR project, international beneficiaries in Central America may
have to wait substantial time before they become “functional multipliers” because that status will
depend on a third party and if and when negotiations unfold.
Because the putative multipliers will remain “dormant” until new international relationships are
negotiated and established with the project facilitators, it must be considered that funding for
these multipliers could have been re-allocated to use for increased coverage of the project
outputs in the host country, the Dominican Republic.
4.2
Unintended bias
The geographical scope of the SUR project reached Central America and only one Caribbean
country. Haiti, a second Caribbean country did not participate. The program planning did not
contemplate a wider Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean audience to participate in the SUR
project, thus creating a geographic bias in favor of Spanish-speaking beneficiaries. While this
fact in no way affected the operational performance of the project such a limited client-base
affects regional participation to the extent that some groups will be “out of the loop” and thus
unable to assist in developing efforts to sustain the all important project goal of arresting illicit
trafficking in cultural heritage assets in the Caribbean region.
4.3
Smooth flow of operations
The SUR project ran smoothly during its implementation in the Dominican Republic. Because
Chile and the Dominican Republic enjoy a technical cooperation agreement to use Chilean
intellectual property for this project, the project suffered no inconveniences in implementation in
the Dominican Republic. However, there are two aspects that are of concern as regards
operations implementation in Central America: (a) proprietary claims on data and (b)
subsequent multiplier effects of this project.
4.4
Record-keeping
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By decentralizing the use of the SUR program, there is more likelihood that feedback loops of
information amongst institutions involved in heritage preservation will be kept intact regarding
what assets are in the country, which ones can be used for educational purposes and which
may be subject to theft and illicit trafficking.
4.5
Potential net benefit of project: economic and social impact
By successfully completing the SUR project the Dominican Republic and its sector specific
institutions are in a position to inter alia:






4.6
Expand and diversify the income-earning potential of its tourism industry by exploring
sustainable cultural tourism possibilities based on cultural heritage;
Develop vocational courses and projects to train youth for productive employment in
heritage preservation;
Provide technical advisory assistance as required for framing legislation and public
policy regarding the preservation of cultural heritage;
Implement modern public information, documentation, library and reference systems on
cultural heritage in a cross-section of institutions;
Establish channels of dialogues to make citizens and especially young people, more
positive participants in the preservation, conservation and protection of sustainable
cultural heritage processes; and
Promote regional and international involvement for the protection of cultural heritage
assets to red
Long-term performance benefits
The project reviewed delivered positive results on three levels of capacity building.
4.7

Individual level. The impact of the SUR program, i.e. the digitized record-keeping system
is to (1) change individual management style to deal with cultural heritage issues; to (2)
increase the capacity of sector specific beneficiaries to know inventory and track known
assets and (3) increase sector-specific software knowledge to digitally know and
disseminate educational information and other pertinent information between individuals
and entities in the Dominican Republic and such international organizations as Interpol,
to retrieve stolen assets.

Entity level. The impact of the SUR program, i.e. the digitized record-keeping system is
to (1) increase core organizational strategic management capacity for cultural heritage
preservation; (2) increase rational coordination of cultural heritage activities within the
individual entity and its counterparts (3) increase interactions with broader system and
“cultural stakeholders” in the host country; and (4) increase the productive work
environment.

System level. The impact of the SUR program, i.e. the digitized record-keeping system is
to (1) acquire new knowledge and skills to meet evolving challenges regarding the
preservation and conservation of cultural heritage assets throughout the host country.
Synergy
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The aforementioned cross-cutting capacity outcomes provided a platform for productive synergy
to work with (1) local projects in the Dominican Republic such as the “Registro del Cadastro
Nacional Georeferenciado” proposed by the Supreme Court of Justice and the “Sistema de
Protección del Patrimonio Cultural Dominicano”33 and (2) such institutions as the Museo del
Niño.
5.
Recommendations
5.1
General
5.1.1
Clarity
The undefined “observer status” of Puerto Rico underscores the need to define this category of
beneficiary so that use of FEMCIDI and/or other funds allocated for participating stakeholders
and activities avoids becoming a questionable budget line item of expenditure, is financially
managed in the most efficient manner and ensures some return on investment from a
beneficiary who is expected to serve as a multiplier upon return to the home country.
5.1.2
Service utilization
A useful tool in the project planning and design stage is a “service utilization plan” which depicts
the sequence of events through which the target population is expected to make contact with
the project, become engaged and most importantly maintain involvement to fulfill the project’s
long-term goals.
Because this project is multinational in nature, one must be mindful to not only define target
population roles such as “observers” during implementation, while using the project’s services,
but also before and after the project’s implementation to understand how and when “observers”
can complete a continuation of intended services as described in the project’s objectives.
5.1.2
Extended regional coverage
In keeping with the title of this or any project, when dealing with the Caribbean sub-region,
increased Caribbean participation is recommended to achieve the current need to exchange
information and network management information systems for a common purpose.
5.2
Specific recommendations relevant to SUR project stakeholders
5.2.1
Project design
Care should be taken to research the status of intellectual property ownership before
implementation of information technology projects.
33
These projects are mentioned in the CIBC participant’s set of feedback conclusions about the project.
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Care should be taken to properly assess “implementation ability” of outputs by beneficiaries
so that efficient use of funding can be considered for possible resource re-allocation at the
planning stage of the project. Timing is an important variable to consider.
Care in the project design must be taken to include more indicators and measurable
objectives and their relationship to the goals.
The requesting country should consider designing components to encourage civil
society participation and the growth of countrywide social capital
5.2.2.
Financial support for public policy
Continued resource mobilization in the private sector will help to expand planned budget
investments.
In order to ensure further implementation and follow-up of the SUR digitized system throughout
the Dominican Republic and to overcome budget constraints that have precluded purchasing
needed hardware, such as computers, for follow-up and expansion of the SUR system as part
of a cultural policy tool in the Dominican Republic, a second tranche should be made available
for a Phase II of this project.
It is recommended that a second tranche will strengthen possibilities for the Dominican Republic
to develop a cultural heritage niche and become the Caribbean “hub” for SUR system
knowledge and computer networking for cultural heritage. It is suggested that the CIBC serve as
a coordinating unit a second SUR phase.34
5.2.3.
Enhancing capacity effectiveness
Care should be taken during project design to project the extent to which implementation of
project outputs will be possible during and after the project35, especially one that involves
management information systems across borders. It is suggested that the important aspect
regarding “multiplier effects” be given some attention by requesting country project planners
before implementation.
Continued integration of more than one sector, by developing multi-disciplinary education
materials, in second phase design to help disseminate newly acquired knowledge and increase
awareness about the importance of cultural heritage, identity and creativity among youth at
primary and secondary levels to build country capacity and intergenerational equity.
For capacity building to be on-going, i.e. keep beneficiaries knowledge at “state-of-the-art” level,
periodic computer program “training of trainers” in SUR content is recommended in the
Dominican Republic.
34
Given the success of the SUR project, the Dominican Republic has a modern mechanism and sector-specific
knowledge that can be further decentralized throughout the country and shared in the broader Caribbean region.
35 This may involve reviewing the life-cycle of the project.
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To build regional capacity: vocational training, regional development and the use of digital
content relating to culture. As a valuable resource shared by everyone, cultural heritage is
protected at both national and regional level.
5.2.4.
Reporting and follow-up
Short-term monitoring by sector specialists to note project shortcomings during implementation
helps the evaluation process, which is not an ex post process alone.
It is suggested that the implementing agency examine ways to increase involvement of incountry technical representatives who can liaise with sector specialists to assist in ongoing
monitoring to increase adjustments during the course of project implementation.
It is suggested that deadlines be established for beneficiary follow-up contacts so that
implementing agencies can maintain contacts and be kept abreast of sustainability of project
outputs for international beneficiaries.
Encourage possible preparation of Memorandum of Understanding to be drawn up between
Chile and the other participating countries to obtain software and the capacity to implement
SUR in respective country and achieve planned “multiplier” outcome.36
5.3
Recommendations to Organization of American States
5.3.1 Project Proposal Document
Care should be taken to streamline the project document format: clarify and distinguish project
goals (more general outcomes), project objectives (more specific targets), project timetables,
project indicators and project methodology so proponent countries have a clear understanding
of the differences and in that regard, clearly delineate project processes (methodology or
strategy to achieve a specific objective), measurable indicators and project short and long-term
goals.
Increase Organization of American States involvement of country office in project to develop a
monitoring function. Provide training where appropriate.
36
This initiative has the potential to increase opportunities for other Caribbean and Central American countries to
modernize their management information systems for cultural heritage on the one hand, and networking solutions
with the Dominican Republic in a common cause, on the other. Such an initiative is in keeping with the current
strategic plan of CIDI to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences and knowledge.
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Project Summary Performance Assessment
A. Project Profile
Title: Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación
del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro América y el Caribe
Budget:$21.650.00
Over 100,000
Duration: 1 week
1 year
Under 100,000
2 years
3 years
4 years
Sector: Culture
Project Type:
Multinational
National
B. Project Assessment
Poor
Average
Good
Excellent
1. Project Relevance
X
2. Project Effectiveness
X
3. Project Efficiency
X
4. Project Sustainability
X
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ANNEXES
ANNEX I
METHODOLOGY
The consultant gathered information and data about the projects from a wide array or sources
during the evaluation and tested activity-based methodologies to conduct the evaluation. The
methodology consists of general information gathering techniques and specific field-based
consultation techniques.

Secondary information gathering techniques - pertinent project document and file reviews of
selected projects; review of documents related to the context and issues specific to the
sector of the project for specific country/countries involved in the project and/or for where
project is to be evaluated

Primary information gathering techniques - in-depth conversational (informal) interviews,
meetings, group facilitated sessions at OAS headquarters (where necessary and
appropriate) and in the field

Beneficiary assessment (BA) will be used in the field. While BA is often used at the
identification and design stages of project development, the consultant will adapt this
approach to consult with project beneficiaries and other project stakeholders in the field to
obtain feedback about the projects and the implementing institutions. BA is an investigation
of the perceptions of a systematic sample of beneficiaries and other stakeholders to ensure
that their concerns are heard and incorporated in the evaluation and any subsequent policy
formulation that might possibly emerge as a positive externality of the project.
A guide of questions for semi-structured interviews will be developed to cover key themes.
Information will be collaborative and involve, at different stages of the evaluation process, main
parties such as:

The IACD/OAS offices in Washington, DC

Donor institutions

The National Liaison Office (ONE) in the country that implemented the project

The implementing institutions

Project beneficiaries
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ANNEX II
SOME SECONDARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION
1.
2.
VI Reunion CENPES – Dominican government website
OEA/Ser.W/XV.2.6 CIDI/CENPE-II/doc. 04/02 21 septiembre 2002
(Original:Spanish)
3.
Rendicción de Cuentas 6 CD series from the D.N.P.M.
4.
See expanded Bibliography
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ANNEX III
QUESTIONNAIRES
A. ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES QUESTIONNAIRE
Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿Cuán
congruente
es
el Grado de coherencia del proyecto con:
proyecto con las prioridades
- las políticas del gobierno con referencia al sector
establecidas por las políticas del
gobierno y los programas para - las prioridades y plan de acción (explícitas o sin formular) del
gobierno en el sector
este sector?
- Es congruente con el “Plan Decenal de Cultura”,
elaborado por la Secretaría de Estado de Cultura en el año
2002, de la cual la Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio
Monumental es parte.
- Dentro de este Plan Decenal está la Ley de Protección de
los “Bienes Inmuebles”, que incluye el inventario,
catalogación y categorización de todos los Bienes
Inmuebles de la Nación.-l
 ¿El proyecto ha tenido en Grado de coherencia y complementariedad del proyecto con:
cuenta, en su concepción, lo
- los planes y actividades de los donantes internacionales en
que
otros
donantes,
este sector
instituciones
locales
están
- los planes y actividades de las instituciones y organizaciones
haciendo en el sector?
locales en el sector
- El proyecto ha tenido en cuenta las actividades y planes
de los países de la región involucrados en la Capacitación
del Seminario-Taller, como son los Centros de Inventarios
de Centro América y el Caribe.- Ha tomado en cuenta los planes y actividades de las
instituciones locales como son: los Museos, Centros de
Inventarios, Bibliotecas.
También los planes de la
Secretaría de Estado de Educación, debido a este proyecto
se enmarca dentro de los ejes curriculares de esta
Secretaría y del proyecto el Patrimonio Tangible e
Intangible en el Sistema Educativo Nacional.,
 ¿Cuáles son las necesidades y Descripción de:
problemas que aborda el
- Características del entorno (institucional, político, económico,
proyecto?
principales actores que participan) en el que el proyecto se
lleva a cabo En la actualidad el Centro de Inventario de
Bienes Culturales (CIBC) de la Dirección Nacional de
Patrimonio Monumental (DNPM), ambas dependencias de
la Secretaría de Estado de Cultura (SEC), dan seguimiento
a la aplicación del proyecto. El entorno político se
caracteriza por la instalación de nuevas autoridades
gubernamentales, evaluándose en la actualidad la política
cultural estatal en función de los recursos económicos
asignados en el Presupuesto General de la Nación al
Ministerio.
- Necesidades y problemas específicos que aborda el proyecto
- Seguimiento a la capacitación local, equipamiento
institucional (público y privado) tanto del CIBC como de
las demás instituciones beneficiarias del proyecto.
- Beneficiarios previstos
- Públicos (CIBC, museos, archivos, bibliotecas, Dirección
General de Bienes Nacionales y demás instituciones
públicas poseedoras de bienes culturales) y privados
(museos, archivos, bibliotecas, coleccionistas, entre otros)
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Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿Estas
necesidades
y - Percepciones de los beneficiarios previstos de la importancia
problemas son considerados
relativa de las necesidades y problemas que aborda el
una
prioridad
por
los
proyecto
beneficiarios?
- La gestión financiera de ayudas de los sectores públicos y
privados, nacionales e internacionales, actuará en
beneficio de la solución a las necesidades y problemas
anteriormente citados.
- Nivel de participación de los beneficiarios en la concepción y
ejecución del proyecto
- Alto, participando el CIBC junto al Departamento de
Proyectos Internacionales bajo la Dirección General de
Patrimonio Monumental desde sus inicios
 ¿Fue el diseño del proyecto Nivel de calidad / idoneidad de:
apropiado para lograr sus metas
- Análisis / conocimientos anteriores del contexto, capacidades,
y resultados?
necesidades, problemas, condiciones y riesgos
- Estrategias, enfoques y actividades concebidas para abordar
los problemas y responder a las necesidades identificadas
- Recursos (humanos, financieros, materiales) planificados para
ejecutar el proyecto
- El diseño del proyecto se elaboró de manera satisfactoria
y cumplió con las metas y resultados esperados
- Esto fue logrado producto de una buena coordinación con
los técnicos chilenos que elaboraron la parte técnica y
didáctica de la capacitación y la República Dominicana
organizó los recursos humanos, financieros, materiales y
equipos, que permitieron los logros esperados. ¿Cómo concuerda el
con el foco establecido
áreas prioritarias en
Estratégico pertinente
período?
proyecto Nivel de concordancia del proyecto en relación con el foco, como
para sus se establece en el Plan Estratégico, para el ‘área prioritaria’
el Plan específica en la que se basa el proyecto
para el

El proyecto concuerda con el área prioritaria especificadle
proyecto, dentro del desarrollo científico e intercambio de
transferencia de tecnologías, en el área prioritaria especifica del
proyecto

Desarrollo científico e intercambio de transferencia de
tecnologías: en el sentido de que promueve el entendimiento de
la ciencia y la tecnología necesarias.

Además apoya la formación de capital humano de alto
nivel para el desarrollo de la investigación en ciencia y
tecnología y la innovación
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Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
 ¿Concuerda el proyecto con las
prioridades establecidas en el
Programa Interamericano en
vigor para el período?
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
Nivel de concordancia de los objetivos del proyecto con las
prioridades establecidas en el Programa Interamericano
correspondiente
Los objetivos del proyecto concuerdan con las áreas de: en las demás
áreas prioritarias del Plan Estratégico

Cultura: Con el fin de contribuir con la preservación de la
memoria colectiva y del patrimonio histórico y cultural de los
Estados miembros, a través de la capacitación en el registro de
los Bienes Culturales Patrimoniales de la región.

Educación: Con el fin de contribuir con el esfuerzo de
fortalecer y ampliar las temáticas en los sistemas educativos de
la región, introduciendo el patrimonio cultural, para
concienciar a la población y reforzar la identidad, el
entendimiento, y el respeto mutuo entre los pueblos.

en la/s institución/es ejecutora/s

Fortalecimiento de las instituciones democráticas: con el fin de
promover el uso de la tecnología, la cooperación, el intercambio
de formación, experiencias y mejores prácticas, para la
existencia de instituciones gubernamentales efectivas y
eficientes.

a nivel de país/es (según corresponda)

Con la unificación del sistema de registro se contribuirá a
fortalecer el desarrollo cultural de los países participantes ya
que a través de la red internacional de inventario de los bienes
culturales patrimoniales se podrán realizar programas
educativos, de concienciación y revalorización del patrimonio
cultural y se podrá promover dentro del turismo de la región
las rutas culturales nacionales para el desarrollo económico de
los diferentes pueblos.a nivel regional/sub-regional (según
corresponda)

Desarrollo sostenible del turismo: con el fin de adoptar y captar
la tecnología, la información y la comunicación como
herramienta para el desarrollo sostenible del turismo cultural
 ¿Cuáles son los resultados Descripción detallada de todos los resultados
reales inmediatos (producto) eficazmente por medio de las actividades del proyecto
logrados por el proyecto?
logrados
 ¿Cuáles son los resultados Descripción detallada de los efectos y cambios causados por el
reales (efectos) a medio plazo proyecto a medio plazo sobre: Capacitación de técnicos locales
logrados por el proyecto?
representantes de distintas instituciones públicas y privada;
capacitación de tres (3) técnicos del CIBC; instalación e
implementación del “SUR” en el CIBC; actualización de
cuatro (4) inventarios de bienes culturales; coordinación
inicio inventario bienes culturales de dos (2) instituciones
privadas; adquisición de dos (2) ordenadores para el CIBC.
- la situación de los beneficiarios El proyecto ha facilitado la
sistematización de la investigación (inventario) del
patrimonio cultural local, reduciendo el tiempo y los
procesos producidos por los sistemas manuales de
registro empleados con anterioridad.
- las condiciones imperantes antes de la ejecución del proyecto
Registros manuales; multiplicidad de sistemas; mayor
tiempo en registros; limitaciones en la reproducción de la
documentación, limitaciones en la documentación digital;
limitación en la documentación gráfica por la falta de su
actualización.
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Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿Cómo se comparan los Grado y naturaleza de las diferencias, de haber alguna, entre los
resultados y efectos logrados resultados y efectos reales del proyecto y aquellos esperados, tal
con los resultados esperados?
y como se describen en el documento del proyecto y su marco
lógico Existe un alto grado de concordancia entre los
resultados y efectos reales del proyecto y los esperados. Se
espera continuar con su seguimiento a partir de la segunda
etapa propuesta (evaluación de la implementación por parte
de los facilitadotes chilenos) coordinándose una segunda
jornada de capacitación local que viabilice la revisión e
instalación correcta del sistema adquirido
 De haber disparidades entre lo - Condiciones, elementos específicos, causas de diversa
que se esperaba y lo que se ha
naturaleza que han afectado a la implementación del proyecto
logrado, ¿cuáles son las causas
tal y como se había planificado En el ámbito local, la falta de
de
estas
disparidades?
recursos económicos para la continuación de la
¿Afectan estas disparidades al
multiplicación en la capacitación local; falta de
logro
de
los
resultados
equipamiento de las instituciones beneficiarias. En el
generales del proyecto?
ámbito internacional se requiere un mayor apoyo
intergubernamental que faciliten acuerdos bilaterales con
la República de Chile antes de la implementación del
proyecto.
- Nivel de diferencias – positivas o negativas – de haber alguna,
entre los resultados generales esperados y los resultados
reales del proyecto El nivel de diferencias entre los
resultados generales esperados y los resultados reales del
proyecto es positivo
- Nivel de éxito (o fracaso) general del proyecto El nivel de
éxito general del proyecto es alto, cumpliéndose los
propósitos de su planificación.
 ¿Hay
algún
resultado - Naturaleza de los resultados imprevistos, a diversos niveles,
imprevisto? De ser así, ¿cómo
logrados mediante la implementación del proyecto En el
afectan estos resultados al logro
aspecto tecnológico, el sistema no ha podido generar la
de los resultados generales
implementación gráfica, posiblemente por su instalación.
esperados del proyecto?
En el nivel de multiplicación e implementación, la falta de
recursos económicos ha limitado la capacitación del
personal de las demás instituciones públicas y privadas y
la adquisición de equipos informáticos, indispensables
para su seguimiento
- Naturaleza del efecto(s) de aquellos resultados inesperados
sobre el éxito general del proyecto Limitación en la
sistematización y unificación de criterios en los registros
de los bienes culturales nacionales; limitación en el
conocimiento y protección del patrimonio cultural nacional
 Las actividades del proyecto, - Nivel y naturaleza de la participación de los diversos actores
¿son de propiedad local?
interesados en el proyecto, incluidos los beneficiarios, en la
concepción e implementación del proyecto
- Las actividades del proyecto son de prioridad local e
internacional, en cuento que la participación de los
diversos
actores
incluidos
con
la
protección,
concienciación e inventario de los Bienes Culturales
Patrimoniales tanto nacional como de Centro América y el
Caribe.
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
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Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿Existe un compromiso local de - Naturaleza, nivel de recursos necesarios para mantener,
recursos
suficientes
para
procurar los beneficios/resultados del proyecto (de ser
mantener
los
aplicable) Los recursos necesarios para el mantenimiento y
beneficios/resultados, de ser
beneficios del proyecto provienen de los fondos públicos
aplicable?
asignados a la Secretaría de Estado de Cultura a través del
Presupuesto General de la Nación, así como de ayudas del
sector privado.
- Disponibilidad eficaz de estos recursos una vez el proyecto se
ha completado La disponibilidad eficaz de los recursos
depende de la Secretaría de Estado de Cultura y el sector
privado. Como incentivo a la inversión de este último se
ha propuesto una Ley de Mecenazgo y el Plan Decenal de
Desarrollo Cultural 2004-2013. Este último propone la
asignación de fondos especiales para el fortalecimiento
del CIBC en relación al inventario de los bienes culturales
muebles e inmuebles que integran el patrimonio cultural
de la Nación.
 ¿Hay
capacidades - Nivel de uso eficaz de los resultados logrados por el proyecto
institucionales adecuadas para
Alto, ubicándose, conociéndose y valorándose el
mantener los resultados y hacer
patrimonio cultural dominicano a través de la
un uso continuo de los mismos?
sistematización y unificación de criterios en el registro y
catalogación de los bienes culturales que lo integran.
- Naturaleza, nivel de capacidades de las instituciones
interesadas, para mantener y usar eficazmente, en el futuro,
los resultados del proyecto Pública y privada, con personal
pendiente de capacitación y falta de equipamiento en la
mayoría de los casos
 ¿El entorno nacional/local es - Diferentes factores conte4xtuales que facilitan o impiden el
conducente al mantenimiento de
mantenimiento de los resultados logrados Limitaciones en la
los resultados?
capacitación del personal (debe saber manejar recursos y
equipos informáticos); falta de equipamiento en las
instituciones
- Nivel de influencia eficaz de estos factores sobre el
mantenimiento de los resultados logrados Nivel de influencia
alto, requiriéndose establecer condiciones previas para la
optimización de los resultados esperados
4. Eficacia del proyecto
 ¿Los recursos planificados eran - Descripción de los recursos planificados (humanos,
adecuados y se hizo un uso
financieros, materiales)
eficaz de los mismos para lograr - Nivel de idoneidad de los recursos para lograr los resultados
los resultados esperados?
- Nivel de correspondencia adecuada entre los recursos y las
necesidades/problemas que aborda el proyecto
- Nivel de uso eficaz de los recursos para lograr los resultados
- Los recursos planificados, tanto humano como financieros
y materiales fueron adecuados y se involucraron en la
donación a instituciones nacionales que tienen que ver
con la protección de los Bienes Culturales, que aportaron
recursos financieros, equipos y apoyo logístico para el
evento, como son:
-
La Secretaría de Estado de Turismo
La Secretaría de Estado de Educación
El Secretariado Técnico de la Presidencia
La Asociación de Hoteles
La Secretaría de Estado de Cultura
La Dirección Nacional de Museos.
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
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Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿La
información
financiera - Examen de toda la información financiera producida
relacionada con el proyecto es - Nivel de amplitud, exactitud y fiabilidad de la información
completa, exacta y fiable?
financiera producida
- Nivel de conformidad con la información requerida y con los
procedimientos de los informes financieros del FEMCIDI
- La información financiera contiene todos los gastos
incurridos en el proyecto, con copia de todas las facturas
y cheques emitidos a la cuenta del proyecto, que avalan el
Informe Financiero, el cual se encuentra dentro de los
Informes Financieros del FENCIDI.
 ¿La gestión del proyecto se - Nivel de idoneidad de las políticas y prácticas financieras y de
realizó con la prudencia y
gestión de contratos utilizadas eficazmente en la gestión del
probidad adecuadas?
proyecto
- Indicaciones, de haber alguna, de mala gestión.
- La gestión financiera se realizó de acuerdo a las políticas y
prácticas establecidas y la prontitud de la aprobación de
los recursos y entrega de los mismos por parte de la
Oficina de la OEA, facilitó el desarrollo del proyecto.
 ¿Se
establecieron - Descripción de los procedimientos y sistemas de gestión
procedimientos y sistemas de
establecidos en el proyecto para administrar, monitorear y
gestión
sólidos
para
la
presentar información
ejecución,
monitoreo
y - Nivel de conformidad de dichos procedimientos y sistemas con
presentación de información del
procedimientos y sistemas sólidos reconocidos
proyecto?
- El proyecto consistió en una actividad única, en que se
presentó la solicitud inicial y luego el Informe Final, de
acuerdo a los procedimientos establecidos.
 ¿Cómo se comparan los costos - Nivel de conformidad entre los costos reales del proyecto y las
del proyecto con las cotas de
cotas de referencia pertinentes (donde/cuando sea viable)
referencia pertinentes, teniendo - Los costos reales del proyecto estuvieron acorde con los
en consideración los resultados
costos de referencia pertinentes, al punto de que se
logrados?
reportó un saldo a favor del proyecto.
 ¿Los gastos del proyecto fueron - Nivel de correspondencia entre los gastos reales y los gastos
los planificados, y de haber
planificados
variaciones significativas, están - Idoneidad de la justificación, de haber cualquier variación
estas variaciones totalmente
significativa entre los gastos reales y los gastos previstos
justificadas?
- Los gastos reales estuvieron en total correspondencia con
los gastos planificados, en el entendido de que se
planificó la donación de recursos de las instituciones
nacionales involucradas y la República de Chile, que a
través de un Acuerdo Bilateral con la República
Dominicana, donó la Capacitación del Curso-Taller.-
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
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Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿Cuáles son, de haber alguna, Prácticas más exitosas en cuanto a:
las
‘prácticas
óptimas’
- la metodología para diseñar y planificar el proyecto
observadas en el proyecto?
- La metodología del intercambio de información
experiencia entre todos países involucrados.
y
- la elección de estrategia, enfoque y recursos
- La estrategia de realizar un convenio bilateral con la
República de Chile para la Capacitación e implementación
del Sistema de Registro.
- las opciones técnicas
- Involucrar la Secretaría de Estado de Educación, para la
aportación de los equipos y las tecnologías a través de un
programa de Aulas Virtuales para la Enseñanza (AVE).-
- las sinergias / cooperación establecida con otros actores
interesados en la(s) cuestión(es) / sector que aborda el
proyecto
- Involucrar a todas las instituciones interesadas en la
conservación del Patrimonio Cultural, como la Secretaría
de Educación, la Secretaría de Turismo y la Secretaría de
Cultura y su Dirección de Museos.-
- las actividades de varios tipos en el proyecto: metodologías de
capacitación, introducción de nuevas tecnologías, apoyo
institucional, etc.
- Introducir en la capacitación tanto la proyección visual a
través de pantallas gigantes, como también el Sistema
computarizado y de de red de información.-
- la
gestión general; incluyendo todos
procedimientos, sistemas establecidos
 ¿Cuáles son las principales
lecciones aprendidas o que
deberán aprenderse de la
ejecución y los resultados de
este proyecto?
los
tipos
de
la gestión del riesgo, adaptabilidad al cambio
Principales lecciones aprendidas o a aprender en las siguientes
áreas:
- gestión del proyecto
- A) La integración en el proyecto de las instituciones
locales e internacionales (Centro América y el Caribe), que
tienen que ver con Inventarios y Catalogación de Bienes
Culturales, para la Capacitación e intercambio de
experiencias.
- B) La respuesta rápida de la OEA con la aprobación de los
Fondos, que facilitó que los costos no se afectaran
- resultados logrados (esperados y no esperados)
- Se logró una buena Capacitación y Sistematización de la
información
- El empleo de nuevas tecnologías
- El intercambio de experiencias tanto a nivel de registro
como de Capacitación
- La unificación de criterios en cuanto a Inventario y
Catalogación.
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
51
Preguntas principales y
preguntas secundarias
relacionadas
Indicadores / tipos de información y datos a recopilar
 ¿Qué factor(es) contribuyeron al Lista de los principales factores de diferentes tipos que ejercieron
logro
de
los
resultados una influencia importante en el éxito del proyecto
esperados del proyecto?
El Acuerdo Bilateral de la República de Chile con la
República Dominicana, para la donación de la Capacitación
del Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR)
La carencia de criterios unificados de registro de
Catalogación entre los países del área del Caribe y Centro
América.
El interés de la Secretaría de Estado de Educación, de incluir
dentro de sus Currículum el tema del Patrimonio Cultural
El apoyo tecnológico de la Secretaría de Estado de
Educación
El apoyo de la Secretaría de Estado de Turismo.
El apoyo del Secretariado Técnico de la Presidencia.
El interés de la Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio
Monumental, para que se realizara. .
 ¿Qué factor(es) o elementos Lista de los principales factores o elementos de diferentes tipos
presentaron dificultades?
que presentaron dificultades importantes en el logro de los
resultados reales del proyecto
Los países participantes de Centro América y el Caribe
invitados para la Capacitación necesitan realizar un Acuerdo
Bilateral con la República de Chile, para poder obtener el
programa de Registro (SUR) e implementar y poner en
práctica la Capacitación impartida en este proyecto.
 ¿Qué factor(es) o elementos Lista de los principales factores o elementos de diferentes tipos
pueden haber conducido – de que ejercieron una influencia importante en el fracaso del
ser el caso – al fracaso del proyecto o de algunos de sus principales componentes
proyecto o de algunos de sus
principales componentes?
ANNEX III
B. ADDITIONAL CONSULTANT QUESTIONS USED AS A GUIDE
PREGUNTAS ADICIONALES
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
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52
Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registros, SUR
1. ¿Cuál era la situación en el DR y en general en la región para tomar la decisión de
hacer este curso?
2. ¿Qué criterios se usaron para seleccionar a los participantes?
3. ¿Qué dificultades fueron encontradas por los facilitadores durante las sesiones del
curso?
4. ¿Qué tipo de dinámicas se usaron para este curso?
5. ¿Cómo podrán los beneficiarios alcanzar lo que se espera de sus roles como
“multiplicadores” y cómo se podrá medir su desempeño en sus países de origen?
6. ¿Cómo pueden los beneficiarios mantenerse actualizados sobre las nuevas
aplicaciones tecnológicas?
7. ¿Qué cambios institucionales se dieron a raíz de este curso?
8. ¿Cómo se pueden mantener los beneficios de este curso en la región en el largo plazo?
9. ¿Qué mecanismos de intercambios entre los países surgieron de este curso regional?
ANNEX IV
TABLE III
SUR COURSE CONTENT
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
53
DAY
COURSE CONTENT
The concept of cultural heritage
(Moveable,
immovable and intangible) and
documentation
processes
 The role of documentation to protect
cultural assets
 Documentation of Cultural Heritage:
the
Chilean experience

Day 1
Day2


Case studies of 8 countries
Tools and applications for
documentation processes

Strategic Planning and Documentation
Projects
Standards for documentation
collections: standardized terminology
Visual documentation in registry
Systems
Visit to the Centro de Inventario de
Bienes Culturales (CIBC)
Visit to Museums and the Centro de
Documentación de Santo Domingo
Automated registry of cultural heritage:
SUR program
Museum visit
Data entry and retrieval in SUR
Practicum (hands-on) with SUR
program
Day 3





Day 4



ANNEX V
SUR DESCRIPTION
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
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ANNEX VI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004
55
1.
Evaluation, A Systematic Approach. Rossi, Peter; Freeman, Howard; Lipsey,
Mark, 6th edition, Sage publications, 1999.
2.
http://international.icomos.org/r
3.
http://www.iadb.org/exr/am2000/seminar05a.htm
4.
http://www.oas.org
5.
Informe Final, letter dated 21 March 2002, from Dr. Cesar Iván Ferias Iglesias to
Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Vice-president of the Republic; unpaginated document; 2003.
6.
Informe Final, Curso-Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro SUR para el
Inventario y Catalogación del patrimonio Cultural de centro America y el Caribe, page 7
(unpaginated orgininal document); 2003.
7.
portal.unesco.org/culture
8.
Project document OEA/SER.W/XV.2.6 CIDI/CENPE-II/doc.04/02
9.
Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development, OEA/SER.W/II.6
CIDI/doc.6/01Rev. 1 Corr 1; 9 January 2002
10.
www.icom.org/bank.html
11.
www.international.icomos.org/risk/guate_2000.htm
12.
www.oas.org/udse/espanol/prensa2.html
13.
www.gov.com.do
14.
www.iccrom.org
15.
United Nation Development Programme, Capacity Assessment and
Development, Technical Advisory Paper No.3, Management Development
and Governance Division, January 1998
APPENDIX VII
CONTACT INFORMATION OF ITINERARY AND VISITS IN SANTO DOMINGO DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
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1.
DIRECCION NACIONAL DE PATRIMONIO MONUMENTAL
Director: Architect, Dr. César Iván Ferias Iglesias
Coordinator of International Projects: Japonesa Capellán
Hostos 154
Santo Domingo
809.686.8657/ patrimonium@hotmail.com
2.
MUSEO INFANTIL---TRAMPOLIN
Directora General: Nancy Handal de Mejia
Casa Rodrigo de Bastidas
Zona Ciudad Colonial
Santo Domingo
809.685.5551/trampolin@verizon.net.do
3.
SUB-SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DE LA CULTURA
Lic. Sulamita Puig de Gonzalez
Av. George Washington
Esq. Pte. Vicini Burgos
Santo Domingo
809.221-4141, exts. 253-235/ secpatrimonio@verizon.net.do
4.
CENTRO DE INVENTARIO DE BIENES CULTURALES
Coordinator/Director Nerva Fondeur
Cuidad Colonial, Santo Domingo
Cibc76@hotmail.com
5.
EMBASSY OF CHILE
H.E. Carlos Rubio Sandoval
Anacaona 11
Mirador Sur
809.530.8441/ embajchile@codetel.net.do
Report on "Curso Taller Sistema Unificado de Registro (SUR) para Inventario y Catalogación del Patrimonio Cultural de Centro
América y El Caribe", OAS/IACD Alison Moses VIII-X/2004