Exchange programmes - IUCN

� the resources available to commit to the exchange;
� the objectives and theme of the exchange;
� the level and amount of deliverables desired from the exchange;
� communication/language skills.
At this stage, the planning is being done within one protected area or agency.
However, once an agreement has been established (Stage 6), a joint co-operation
committee composed of relevant protected area staff or managers from each partner
should develop and review work plans for partnership activities, maintain communication
links and periodically evaluate the programme.
Assessing resource needs – both personnel and financial – will probably be considered
during each of the remaining stages. Funding may suddenly disappear or (more rarely)
appear, or personnel may quickly become available or unavailable: if so, co-ordinators
will have to adjust their plans accordingly.
Stage 2. Set clear objectives
Recommendations for protected area exchanges in East Asia
While the objectives of an exchange programme were probably informally discussed
throughout the first stage of the planning process, once it is agreed that an exchange is
desirable, it is essential to define the desired “deliverables”. The more specific one can
make the statement of the need for the exchange and the goals and objectives, the more
likely it is that an exchange will succeed (i.e. meet these goals and objectives).
The need for the exchange – the underlying reasons or rationale as to why an exchange
is felt to be necessary – should be clearly expressed as this will lead logically on to the
statement of goals and objectives. The three kinds of need are set out in Section 3.1
above. The statement of need can be important in terms of gaining the necessary
financial and political support for the project. In particular, it may be useful to identify if
there is an external threat acting as the trigger for calls for an exchange. For example, it
might be felt that an exchange is needed to help address a threat to the protected area
caused by a proposed new road or dam that affects the site. This can help identify
constituents who should be invited to participate in, or help fund an exchange.
There is a difference between goals and objectives. “Goals” are general statements of
a desired end product or result, while “objectives” are more specific, measurable
statements of a desired end-state. For example, a goal of an exchange programme might
be to improve the managerial capacity of a specific protected area or, more specifically,
to discover innovative methods of dealing with a particular issue (e.g. erosion of trails or
wildlife disturbance by tourists). Examples of objectives would be “to ensure that at least
80% of park visitors are satisfied with their visit”, or “to increase (or decrease) tourist
visits by 20% over the next three years”. Often, a set of goals is generated, with a number
of objectives relating to each goal. Being as specific as possible, even at this early stage
of the process, is critical to the success of an exchange programme.
Finally, even at the outset, it is important to begin thinking about how the exchange
programme would be monitored and evaluated. Thinking about these essential tasks
should become automatic at every stage.
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