The Training Needs Assessment is based on the conceptual framework published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) A Global Register of Competences for Protected Area Practitioners (Appleton, 2016). The framework defines possible skills, knowledge and personal qualities (=competences) required by people working in planning or managing protected and conserved areas. This tool helps you to assess the knowledge and skills considered relevant to successfully fulfil your present and/or future tasks in this context. The listed competences in this tool have been adopted from the original IUCN Global Register by selecting and clustering the key competences specifically needed for planning and implementing protected and conserved areas.
The skills-knowledge-attitude model for competence. Adapted from Appleton (2016).
The table below presents the categories of competences used in this TNA, which reflect a subset of the competences in the IUCN Global Register of Competences. Each category has a three-letter code, a title and a brief description. These codes are used for presenting the results of your self-assessment. Each competence category covers several specific skills and knowledge requirements, which are listed in your self-assessment.
| Categories of Competences | ||
| Code | Title | Description |
| PPP | Protected Area Policy, Planning and Projects | Providing a strategic and rationally planned framework for protected areas and/or ecological corridors governance and management. |
| ORG | Organisational Leadership and Development | Establishing and sustaining well-governed managed and led organizations for protected areas and/or ecological corridors management. |
| FRM | Financial and Operational Resources Management | Ensuring that the protected areas and/or ecological corridors are adequately financed and resourced and that resources are effectively and efficiently deployed and used. |
| CAC | Communication and Collaboration | Building and using the skills required to communicate and collaborate effectively. |
| BIO | Biodiversity Conservation | Ensuring the maintenance of the ecological values of the protected areas and/or ecological corridors through management and monitoring of species, their habitats, ecosystems and natural resource use. |
| LAR | Upholding Laws and Regulations | Ensuring that laws, regulations, and rights affecting the protected areas and/or ecological corridors are upheld. |
| COM | Local Communities and Cultures | Establishing systems of protected areas and/or ecological corridors governance and management that address the needs and rights of local communities. |
| AWA | Awareness and Education | Ensuring that local stakeholders, visitors, decision makers and the wider public are aware of protected areas and/or ecological corridors, their purpose and values and how they are governed and managed. |
| TEC | Technology | Use of technology to support protected areas and/or ecological corridors management and planning. |
The self-assessment is based on specific competences for different job levels. These are based on the type of work you do and the responsibility you have. For your assessment, please select the job level which suits your job description best. The levels aim to represent as far as possible the different ways in which job levels are differentiated around the world. In reality, every organisation is different and it might not be a perfect fit. If in doubt, we recommend to choose job level 3 as it has most overlap with the other job levels.
The primary target group for this Training Needs Assessment are conservation practitioners, spatial planners, natural resource managers, national authorities and ministerial departments responsible for the planning and designation of protected and conserved areas. The associated job levels for these functions are job level 2, 3, and 4. Job level 0 and 1 refer to a different job category, including for example rangers and local guides, which are not responsible for planning and designation of new conservation areas. Therefore, job level 0 and 1 are not included in this assessment.
| Job Level | Typical Title | Scope of work and responsibility | Function | Example of positions |
| Level 4 | Executive | National and regional policy development, spatial and strategic planning. Cross-sectoral coordination Central direction and management of large organizations. |
National coordination function - responsibilities for the coordination, and monitoring and planning of conserved or protected areas at the national level (ministries, agencies responsible for protected area systems). | Director or senior executive of national or regional ministry, ministerial department for Environment and Biodiversity or other natural resource management departments (forestry, agriculture, freshwater management), Director of national or regional NGO, landowner organisations/associations. Senior national or subnational planner (land use resource use, development). |
| Level 3 | Senior Manager | Planning and management of projects and programmes within strategic frameworks. Direction and management of medium-size organisations. |
Area-based coordination function - responsibilities linked to coordination, monitoring and strategic management of protected areas and ecological corridors, including supervision of sites, technical advice, reporting, and site management usually found at regional and local levels or at the site level. | Director or manager of a protected area, local governments/agencies in charge of protected areas, and landowner organisations/associations. Director or senior manager at spatial planning authorities. |
| Level 2 | Middle manager, technical specialist | Management, organization and leadership of technical sections and teams implementing plans and projects. Completing specific and complex technical assignments or data analysis (according to technical speciality) |
Site-based management functions - responsibilities include operational planning and management at the local or site levels, site monitoring, site protection, reporting etc. usually found at the local level for several sites or individual sites. | Head ranger, PA biologist, education/outreach/tourism officer, landowner. Technical staff at ministries or spatial planning authorities. |
Next steps:
- If you haven’t done yet, register to the platform to be able to start your assessment.
- Click on “III. Assessment Groups – Start your assessment here”. Choose the group you identify most with based on your job level.
- You will be guided to your assessment. Please take enough time to read the competences carefully and to provide your response. Try not to over or underestimate your competence. If in doubt, we advise to select a lower option. Your personal results will be available after you finish your assessment (“IV. My Assessments”).
- The results will be analysed and used to identify capacity and training needs relevant in the context of planning and designating protected and conserved areas. All data submitted through this form is handled with confidentiality, complying with EU GDPR, ensuring no individual response is directly referenced during the result analysis.
