Measurement & Evaluation
Scottish Historic Environment Audit
Key statistics on the historic environment are gathered every second year through the Scottish Historic Environment Audit.
BEFS facilitated a workshop on the emerging SHEA 2016 statistics – a report from the event can be found here.
The 2018 SHEA reports (for the year 2017-18) the following:
- More than 56,000 sites/places are protected – 400 protected places have been lost since 2016
- Management of the historic environment is informed by at least 1.8 million pieces of heritage information
- The historic environment attracted and benefited at least 17,100 volunteers
- The historic environment attracted 18 million visitors
- £1.2bn spent on repairing and maintain the historic environment in 2016
- Contributed more than £2.3bn directly to Scotland’s economy in 2017
- 89% of adults agreed that “it is important to me that heritage buildings and places are well looked after”
Scotland Performs – National Performance Framework
The contribution of Scotland’s historic environment is monitored through the National Performance Framework. The national indicator: improve the state of Scotland’s sites, is measured by the percentage of pre-1919 dwellings classified as having disrepair to critical elements. This measure was introduced in April 2017 following research undertaken by BEFS with stakeholders that resulted in a recommendation to the Scottish Government.
Measuring Success of Strategy ‘Our Place in Time’
The historic environment strategy ‘Our Place in Time’ identified the need for a framework of evidence to measure collective progress against the Historic Environment Strategy and ultimately the success of the Strategy itself. The aim was to be able to measure and demonstrate the benefits for people which should arise from delivering the Strategy.
During 2014 – 2016 BEFS convened two working groups to develop a framework of strategic outcomes with associated indicators. Further information is available on the Measuring Success resource page.