«CURRENT EVENTS»

IMPROVING THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR NATIONAL PARK STAFF

On January 13—19, 2002, in Pushkino (Moscow Region), at the All-Russian Institute for Continuing Education in Forestry, a workshop was held on Improving the Training System for National Park Staff. The workshop was organized by the Biodiversity Conservation Center (BCC), a charitable foundation, and with the methodological support of Zapovedniks, an eco-education center.

Twenty-two specialists from 12 Russian national parks (Alania, Vodlozersky, Kenozersky, Kurshskaya Kosa, Losiny Ostrov, Meschersky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Plescheevo Ozero, Sebezhsky, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Ugra and Khvalynsky) took part. Representatives from the Association of PNAs in the Russian Northwest and the All-Russian Institute for Continuing Education in Forestry also participated. The British side was represented by F. Hurst and Ph. Johnson, experts from the Russian National Parks Management Strategy Project.

A professional training program for national park staff, National Parks Management, created by the BCC with the participation of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and with the financial support of the UK Department of International Development within the framework of the Russian National Parks Management Project was presented at the workshop.

To better understand the goals and objectives set forward in the Russian NPs Management Strategy and to find proper ways of achieving them, the knowledge and skills of NP staff must be checked. Thus the idea of a subproject to create an NP staff training system came about.

National Parks Management (the training program) is currently in the MNR waiting for approval. It consists of 10 basic modules and covers almost all spheres of NP activity.

The Program reflects the new approaches to NP functions set out in the Strategy and is based on the experience of NP administrative management in new economic conditions as well as the experience of teaching NP staff responsible for eco-education and eco-training of the local population. The Program takes into account the knowledge and skills required of different categories of NP specialists assessed by the working group of the Project during NP staff testing. Job descriptions for NP staff have been reviewed and amended.

On the one hand, the training workshop was the final stage in the development of the training program. On the other hand, it was an attempt to start forming a team of trainers, instructors and teachers from among the most experienced and qualified NP specialists.

After various lectures, workshop participants were given the practical task of developing draft topical educational plans for different NP staff categories on the following subjects: Natural Resource Management, Tourism Development, Natural Complexes Conservation and Protection, Forms and Methods of Liaison with the Local Population (Ecological Education and Training).

The object was to determine how much knowledge an NP specialist required in a given field: for example, what a forester needs to know about tourism and ecological education; what a tourism and eco-education specialist needs to know about natural complexes protection and natural resource management; what an NP director needs to know about all of these things. The Draft Strategy as well as drafts of curricula and job descriptions served as basic materials.

The work on topical educational plans in small groups consisting of professionals in different areas was the most productive part of the workshop and provided the most interesting materials for further comparative analysis.

The workshop was a success overall. The organizers met their objectives: computer presentations of curricula and materials of the two most important aspects of NP activities — tourism and sustainable livelihoods – were made. The staff of the Zapovedniki Eco-Education Center did their best and created a friendly working atmosphere for professional discussion and demonstrated once again their superb ability as organizers of the educational process in groups. The facilities and rooms provided by the All-Russian Institute for Continuing Education in Forestry allow us to say that the first technically equipped and comfortable educational center for PNA specialists already exists.

Natalya Vinogradova,
Biodiversity Conservation Center

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