Exchange programmes - IUCN

Implementation of an Exchange Programme for Protected Areas in East Asia
Funding
A key feature of the exchange is the financial arrangements for the individual case
studies. On both sides of the Atlantic, the local organisers are responsible for meeting the
local costs (i.e. accommodation, food and transport within the area) of their team’s visit.
This is achieved in a wide range of ways, from applications to funding bodies to local
fundraising, sponsorship and contributions in kind. However it is done, it is a significant
test and guarantee of commitment, but it does mean that the ability to find the funding is
effectively a pre-qualification for participation. Hitherto this has been a greater concern
in the USA than in the UK, where public fundingseems to be more readily available and
where many of the case studies are run with financial support from existingprojects or
programmes. Policy in this area is kept under review.
All participants volunteer their time and either meet their own travel costs from and to
their homes, or are sponsored by their employers.
Establishing a partner
Those wishingto participate in an exchange are not responsible for findingtheir own
partners. Indeed there is no planned reciprocity between either case study locations or
individual team members. Instead, would-be case study hosts and team members both
apply to the organising bodies, which together control both selection and placement.
The Local Organising Committee
Case study hosts are screened for actual and potential leadership and capacity, the range
of problems and opportunities that they wish the exchange team to address, and the
likelihood that the catalytic impact of the case study will stimulate lastingresults. To
qualify for an exchange, the proposers must create an inclusive and representative Local
Organising Committee (LOC) to plan the project and oversee post-exchange implementation
of team recommendations.
The success of any case study depends in large part upon extensive preparation by the
LOC, which creates new coalitions and strengthens established partnerships. This
foundation allows the community to move forward and implement the team’s recommendations.
The LOC represents a cross section of local professional, statutory and
community interests (‘stakeholders’) and is responsible for identifyingand refining
local issues, developing the itinerary, arranging logistics for the exchange week and
spearheadingimplementation activities. There is no standard prescription for the constitution,
size or membership of an LOC. It will reflect the character of the locality, the
origins of the proposal and the range of issues.
An illuminatingcontrast between the two national contexts lies in the typical provenance
of case studies, and the respective implications for their subsequent character and
direction. Thus:
� in the USA, proposals tend to come from, and be led by, the residents and
representatives of local communities, who constitute the bulk of the LOC. What
the exchange does is to add expert opinion and shape recommendations for action.
� in the UK, most case studies are proposed by professionals workingfor local
government, NGOs or the local offices of national agencies. Accordingly, British
LOCs tend to have a higher proportion of professional members, representing
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