With the role and legitimacy of experts within the political process subject to ever more scrutiny by politicians and the press, my study aims to explore how experts (in the form of epistemic communities) make a significant contribution to the ways in which we are governed, through their influence over the form and functions of multi-level governance arrangements.

The study will be located within two case study areas, Wales & Quebec, chosen for their varying multi-level governance structures and linguistic backgrounds. These cases will be studied through the lenses of heritage policy and World Heritage Site management, which will supply the context and evidence for expert contributions and influence.

There will also be a special focus on how language usage within epistemic communities themselves mediates their influence within the case study areas and how this impacts upon their ability to legitimise subsequent policies.

It is hoped that this research will lead to a new understanding of the origins and development of multi-level governance and reveal the deeper importance of expert involvement within policy-making processes.