The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

16. Building leadership and professionalism
Fig. 1. Categories of protected area activities for which skills and knowledge
were identified, for the purpose of setting occupational standards
Universal “soft” skills
Financial and resources management
Staff development and training
Communications
Technology and information
Project development and management
Field craft
Natural resources assessment
Conservation management of habitats and species
Source: Appleton, 2002.
Socio-economic and cultural assessment
Sustainable development and communities
Protected area planning and management
Site management
Enforcement
Recreation and tourism
Awareness, education and public relations
The potential use of such standards is wide-ranging but, in the context of this discussion, this
system has a major role both as a tool for identifying the gaps in professional skills and
expertise, and by implication the individual and organizational training needs in the region, and
as a framework for curriculum/course development for training providers. Indeed, the World
Parks Congress 2003 recommended that the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
“agree generic global competency standards for protected area staff, which can be adapted at
local, regional and national levels, and encourage and enable the use of standards and selfassessments
to support improved effectiveness of protected area staff and training” (IUCN,
2003).
Interestingly, the skills and competencies listed in Figure 1 and the findings of the ASEAN
study, both drawn from experience with the wider family of IUCN protected areas, reflect the
inclusive and integrative approaches that are the key feature of protected landscape man -
agement.
Developing a training strategy: case studies from the field
Strategic provision of staff training (at all levels) can be a highly effective approach for
building capacity and improving organizational performance. Critically, however, the chal -
lenge in organizational training is to ensure that the knowledge and skills gained by individuals
are “captured” by the organization, so that once something is learned it also becomes part of the
institutional knowledge. Investment in training and staff development is futile (for the organi -
zation) if staff members leave and take the knowledge and skills with them. Indeed, “there are
too many cases in which organisations know less than their members. There are even cases in
which the organisation cannot seem to learn what every member knows” (Salafsky et al.,
2001).
Training therefore should be based on a clear strategy, so that members of the organization
are aware of its direction and progression (McGahan and Bassett, 1999). It should also be
subject to regular review and evaluation to ensure that it remains appropriate and responsive
within what must necessarily be flexible and adaptive management systems.
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