Since the PUSH project was initiated in October 2006, the three partners have worked to synthesize the available inventories of cultural and natural heritage through discussions with stakeholders including other universities, research institutions, private consultants and local non-governmental organizations.  Furthermore, team members utilized The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) categories to identify sites of cultural heritage and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) for natural heritage site selection, in addition to the guidelines developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for World Heritage inclusion.

Following are the three main stages of the selection process, culminating in the final six chosen sites.