Exchange programmes - IUCN

Implementation of an Exchange Programme for Protected Areas in East Asia
British tidal estuary, while an American member of another team in the UK is currently
arranging for the whole team to go and do a similar job in his home area.
The Glynwood Center underpins and facilitates ongoing contact between former team
members by maintaininga contacts register in a restricted area of its website, access to
which comes with participation in a team.
Monitoring and evaluation
Periodic reviews and follow-ups by Glynwood and CEI staff track the progress of former
case studies. In 1993, an independent review was undertaken in the US by a private
consulting firm, which found that the exchange programme had been successful as: “a
catalyst of community process, motivatingcommunity planningfor the future; an
effective “capacity builder” for developinglocal community leadership; a unique professional
development programme that energises leading professionals working in fields
that relate to community stewardship; and a significant event along a chain of events
through which communities can begin to shape their own futures”. In 1998 CEI
contacted and interviewed the local organisers of eight case studies run in the UK in
1993 and found that in most there were identifiable specific outcomes that could be
traced to the teams’ visits and reports. Most local organisers also identified increased
local capacity, confidence and commitment as further, less tangible, benefits.
CEI has recently introduced systematic evaluation of the impact of all UK case studies
over the subsequent three years, against a baseline description of the case study area
established before the team’s visit. Results will begin to emerge during 2003.
Lessons learned
The North America/UK Countryside Exchange Programme has been successful as a
result of its task-focused approach and its insistence on retention of local ownership and
leadership. It deals with real world issues and promotes direct contact with and between
people. It stresses integration in approaching solutions to complex countryside problems
and promotes cross-linkages between specialist agencies and public bodies. It has also
been shown that host communities are often prepared to listen to experts from other
countries when they would ignore their own. For example, a UK farmer might well be
less likely to respect the advice of a British expert than an advisor (or better still, a
farmer) from Canada (Phillips, 1999).
While there is no single “recipe for success”, there are some common ingredients. A
successful exchange requires:
1. The commitment and active support of the widest possible range of stakeholders –
by residents, business and not-for-profit organisations, government agencies and
financial institutions;
2. Collaboration and leadership at the local level;
3. Commitment of time and effort, and a willingness to work hard;
4. Early investment in planningand co-ordination (this includes financial and
human resources);
5. Integration of the three ‘legs’ of sustainability – social, economic and environmental
– in consideringproblems and proposingsolutions;
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