Business Skills Transfer for Protected Area Management

1. Business Skills Transfer for Protected Area Management • Paul Laird, Senior Programme Manager, Earthwatch • With acknowledgements to: • Shell, UNESCO, and the Shell Foundation

2. Protected Areas • Protected Areas (PA): • Cornerstones of international efforts to conserve biodiversity • Increasing numbers > 100,000 worldwide • About 12% of land surface - one of Earth’s most significant land uses • Not only for conservation – also climate regulation, livelihoods, well-being, sustainable development. • “Protected areas are essential for biodiversity conservation... set aside to maintain functioning natural ecosystems... [and] act as benchmarks against which we understand human interactions with the natural world.” (IUCN) • However, declaration of a PA will result in effective biodiversity conservation only if it will be managed effectively.

3. Protected Area Management - The Challenge Global study: ‘Management effectiveness in protected areas’ (WPDA 2010): • Up to 40% of PAs are ineffectively managed • Lack of staff training in business planning contributes to ineffectiveness According to CBD many PAs are ineffective due to: • Insufficient financial & technical resources to develop and implement management plans or lack of trained staff; • Lack of scientific data and information for management decisions; • Lack of public support & unwillingness of users to follow management rules, often because users have not been involved in establishing the rules; • Inadequate commitment to enforcing management rules and regulations; • Poor governance or lack of clear organisational responsibilities for management and lack of coordination between responsible agencies • Conflicting objectives

4. Protected Area Management - The Challenge • “Protected area management leaves much to be desired, with management effectiveness in most cases just meeting or missing acceptable minimum standards.” (IUCN) • PAs generally managed by governmental, academic and NGO stakeholders: • Most are trained biologists, able to respond to conservation challenges • Managing a PA requires additional skill sets that may not be part of traditional training • Increasing recognition of need to develop wider business planning competencies to enhance management of these biodiversity ‘assets’. • http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/maangementeffectiveness2008.pdf • http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/PAPS-016.pdf Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Philippines

5. The Business Skills Transfer Programme Since 2009 Shell, UNESCO, Earthwatch implementing the Business Skills Transfer programme: • Based on a toolkit developed by UNESCO and Shell • Programme uses skills and resources of private sector to enhance the management effectiveness of natural World Heritage sites - some of the most beautiful and threatened places on earth • Sharing skills, knowledge and experience in business planning to help them make better use of resources • To become financially self-sufficient, improve effectiveness in safeguarding biodiversity, and support environmental sustainability • With indirect economic benefits to local communities

6. The Business Skills Transfer Programme • So far 44 managers from 15 World Heritage sites trained by 15 Shell mentors (2 years in Asia/Pacific; 2 years in Africa) • Shell staff apply annually to take part in programme • Best candidates are selected as business mentors • Undergo an intensive ‘train the trainer’ programme, facilitated by Earthwatch and Shell Foundation • World Heritage Sites apply to join the programme through UNESCO • Then an 11-day residential field training programme • World Heritage Site managers are paired with the mentors: • Guidance on aspects of business planning e.g: • Budgeting • managing risk • developing marketing strategies • managing staff resources • developing best practices

7. The Business Skills Transfer Programme • After the initial training, the World Heritage Site managers remain in close contact with their mentors over 12 months • Work together to develop the Site’s business plan; mentors provide support and guidance wherever it is needed • So far feedback from mentors and mentees has been highly positive • Currently reviewing the impact of the programme since 2009 With seed funding from the Shell Foundation: • Now launching a wider version of the programme – The Earth Skills Network • Reaching out to Protected Areas worldwide and a larger group of mentors from a range of companies • Aiming to achieve financial sustainability within 3 years

8. The Earth Skills Network

9. The Earth Skills Network

10. The Earth Skills Network The Role of the Shell Foundation: To offer initial funding and support until the programme is independently functioning and financially sustainable. At this point it will continue its association with the programme but will allow the enterprise to grow and develop independently.

11. Some Challenges and Lessons • Feedback from both mentors and mentees has been positive • But more work is required with World Heritage Sites during the review to identify the factors that support success • Careful selection of sites and managers to support is critical: • They need sufficient capacity and independence to make effective use of the mentoring • We may need longer mentor- mentee relationship to ensure outcomes are effectively adopted by the PA Mount Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia

12. Some Strengths and Potentials • Feedback from the mentors and the business is strongly positive This type of programme has benefits which may support scaling up: • Treats business as a positive force and values what business can offer • Does not rely on traditional corporate responsibility or philanthropy funding – never sustainable in the long run • Direct costs to the business are relatively modest • Main contribution comes from the volunteer mentor – who works very hard, but who also benefits personally and professionally • The business also indirectly benefits • It has the potential to grow into a programme in which companies pair with PAs near their operations, providing long-term mentoring support and developing a close relationship