The Sarawak Government - Lincoln University (NZ) joint programme of professional training for protected area staff

Between March 1999 and February 2002, the Sarawak Government and Lincoln University (NZ) ran a joint training programme for the field staff of Sarawak’s National Parks and Wildlife Division. The course consisted of 30 weeks of teaching, plus individual student research projects, equivalent to one year of full-time study. Course content was tailored to the needs of the Division, but also covered the requirements for the Lincoln University Certificate in Conservation and Ecotourism Management. Three intakes, totalling 78 government officers, participated in the programme, including invitees from other agencies in Malaysia. About two-thirds of the teaching input was provided by Lincoln University lecturers, the rest being taught either by subject specialists from other institutions in Sarawak or by practitioners. Students now have clear ideas of what needs to be done on the ground in their protected areas, are aware of deficiencies in day-to-day management, and are able to analyse situations and judge what action to take. However, students have not made use of many of the new skills learned as their job descriptions have not changed. The Government intends to follow up with a Diploma-level course for selected students, but the details of this remain to be worked out.

Sarawak was exposed to increasing concern for conservation and the pressures of tourism growth in SE Asia through the 1980s and early 1990s, and these had implications for the quality of conservation management. In 1993, the Sarawak Tourism Masterplan was built around culture, adventure and nature as the principle attractions of the State, and identified a need for "training oriented to building a team of dedicated professionals" in national parks and wildlife management (TRC 1993). In 1997, the State adopted a Master Plan for Wildlife, which required that "staff of the national parks and wildlife section…should be trained specifically as professional wildlife managers" (WCS and SFD 1996). Both reports considered that training for field staff was the priority, and a training needs review was carried out in 1998 by Dr Pat Devlin of Lincoln University (NZ).

The review recommended programmes which were to be in-country, field-based, and university level, and would combine the local experience of practitioners and international expertise. A key objective – and the reason for adopting a university-oriented approach – was to develop students’ critical awareness. The role and context of wildlife and parks management is changing rapidly, as are the tools and techniques available to managers. To cope with change, staff at all levels need to understand the objectives and assumptions underlying their day to day work. Conceptual clarity and intellectual flexibility are not luxuries in the modern world. Specifically, the review envisaged a four-pronged solution, including –

• a programme of basic training tailored to the needs of field staff as well as covering the requirements for a Lincoln University Certificate in Conservation and Ecotourism Management;
• a study tour to New Zealand to complement the basic training;
• senior staff to take post-graduate degrees in the fields of conservation, recreation and tourism;
• a more advanced course for selected field staff leading to a Diploma in Conservation and Ecotourism Management.

The Sarawak Government subsequently entered into an agreement with Lincoln University to implement the programme of basic training, while the University provided a scholarship for an Assistant Director of Forests to study for the degree of Master of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. This paper describes the basic training programme which was completed in 2002, and outlines proposals for a Diploma programme in the future.

Academic content and quality control were the responsibility of Lincoln University. Lincoln was established in 1878 as a school of agriculture and is a leader in agricultural research. Plant, animal and soil sciences, with their initial applications in agriculture and horticulture, provided a basis for diversification into broader natural resource and environmental management diplomas and degrees. The first diplomas in parks and recreation management commenced in 1974. Urban and national parks management were subsequently joined by recreation and tourism management, and Lincoln has established a world-wide reputation as a leading centre of research and teaching in these fields. In the 1970s the University ran a series of ‘block courses’ to upgrade the skills of the staff managing New Zealand’s protected areas, and this experience was the basis for designing the Certificate programme delivered in Sarawak.

Practical support for delivery of the programme came from the State Government, through the Forest Department’s Forest Training School, based 20km south of Kuching. Facilities included a large classroom and computer room, a small but specialised library, student accommodation in single study-bedrooms, dining room, sports facilities, and so on. The School was an excellent base for study and discussion, but a large proportion – up to one third of course time – was spent in the parks or wildlife sanctuaries, where the Forest Department provided accommodation, meeting rooms, transport, etc.

Course content

The course consisted of five taught modules, each of six weeks duration, plus individual student research projects. It was equivalent to one year of full-time study, but students returned to their normal work for ten weeks or so between modules, so their studies were spread over two to three years.

The five taught modules were –

1. Protected area planning and management : fundamental concepts of wildlife conservation, forest ecology and outdoor recreation, plus introductions to quality management and adaptive management.
2. Cultural and ecotourism : understanding of the global tourism industry, and the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism; participation of park neighbours in tourism ventures of various forms (nature, cultural and adventure tourism); managing tourism in protected areas.
3. Conservation ecology : building on Module 1 with more details of plant classification and functions, ecological processes and populations dynamics, with specific coverage of sea-shore and marine ecology and caves and karst.
4. Environmental interpretation : the purpose of interpretation; discussion of communication with visitors of differing backgrounds; and practical exercises in public speaking and story telling, preparing displays and printed materials, and conducting guided walks.
5. Parks and reserves engineering : natural geophysical processes, including river and coastal erosion; siting of trails and visitor facilities; design, construction and maintenance of park infrastructure and utilities, emphasising safety and environmental measures.

The research project required each student to identify a research question, design research methods, and carry out the research in the field. The results were analysed and written up in a formal research report. Most students also had the opportunity to present their research at the annual workshop of National Parks and Wildlife staff and to publish a paper in the journal Hornbill. Although based on the principles covered in the taught modules, the research project was clearly a learning experience, with a good deal of individual coaching by teaching staff at all stages. The topics submitted covered a wide range of subjects related to the course and relevant to management, for example –

• survey of large mammals at Telok Sibur, Bako NP
• benefits to local people at Batang Ai NP
• visitor recall of interpretive signs at Lambir NP
• colonisation of artificial reefs by marine organisms
• choice of materials for structures in the caves of Mulu NP

In addition to the technical content of the course, students were helped to acquire study skills and computer skills. Each student was allocated a computer for the duration of a residential module, and learnt to use word processing and spreadsheet software and to prepare presentations and publications.

Students

A total of 78 students participated in the programme. All were government staff, mostly staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Division of Sarawak’s Forest Department, but with invitees from West Malaysia’s National Parks and Wildlife and Forestry Departments, Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department, and Sarawak Tourism Board. All were mature students (average age 38) with varying levels of formal education (from 9 years of schooling to first degree) and a range of jobs from Park Warden to Animal Keeper and Office Assistant. Formal university entry requirements were waived for a large number of students; some of these dropped out after only one module, but many achieved good results.

The students formed three classes (or intakes), with no more than 26 students in each. This meant that only a small proportion of park staff were involved in the training at any one time.

Fig 1 : Contributions to teaching hours.

Teaching staff

About one-third of the teaching input (in terms of student contact hours) was provided by Lincoln University lecturers coming to Sarawak to teach specialised topics, and a further third by Lincoln staff based in Sarawak. The rest was taught either by subject specialists from other institutions in Sarawak or by practitioners. (See fig. 1)

Outcomes

Fifty eight students have successfully completed the programme and received their Certificates at Lincoln University ceremonies held in Kuching in 2001 and 2002. A further ten students completed all the taught modules but have yet to submit their research projects.

Senior officers in the Division have noted broad improvements in the quality of students work. They are now more inclined to question previous ways of working and are aware of deficiencies in day-to-day management. They are able to analyse situations and judge what action to take, and have new ideas on solutions to management problems. And they have greater confidence in putting forward their ideas in speaking with senior officers and in staff meetings. There has also been an improvement in writing skills and English in preparing memos and reports and in giving presentations, such as those at the annual staff workshops. Those who have visited parks regularly over the years have also noted improvements in both physical infrastructure and the readiness of staff to provide information on the wildlife of the park.

The six modules included a large number of specific skills relevant to the day-to-day management of protected areas, which students should be able to apply in their work. In practice, application of these skills has been very patchy. Expectations of the role of park staff have changed little, and people are not given the time, resources and authority needed to carry out activities which would enhance park management, such as increasing contact with park neighbours or implementing interpretation programmes.

With hindsight, it is clear that changes in the kinds of activities carried out by managers can be supported but not driven by training. It would have been helpful to have agreed on changes in job descriptions and associated competences at the design stage, and to have developed these into performance indicators. The ARCBC occupational standards, had they been available in 1998, would have been a useful tool for this. This process should have involved middle management – especially students’ immediate superiors – and reflected their concerns and aspirations for enhanced management of parks.

The future

The Sarawak Government has stated its intention to continue the programme to Diploma level. Those who have already gained the Certificate would need to complete an additional six taught subjects plus a further research project equivalent to two subjects. The University has proposed the following six subjects, which could be taught in two intensive eight-week modules:

• Recreation : research methods and data bases; carrying capacity and zoning; impact management systems.
• Resource management : principles and practice of Adaptive Management; Environmental Impact Assessment; Environmental Management Systems
• Conservation of regional biota : biogeography of Sundaland; species of conservation concern in the region; environmental change.
• Tourism : models for sustainable development; new forms of tourism; connections between tourism protected areas and regional development.
• Environmental design : introduction to landscape design; strategies for protected areas, based on case studies; engaging a landscape architect.
• Management principles : the management cycle; protected area management planning; project management; managing people.

This phase has not been implemented as originally envisaged, because of changes in the Sarawak Government’s administrative structure. In particular, responsibility for management of protected areas was due to be transferred to the newly-formed Sarawak Forestry Corporation Sdn Bhd, so in-house training exclusively for government officers was no longer relevant and fresh arrangements will have to be negotiated with the new organisation. In the meantime, the University has looked into alternatives to in-house programmes, but there are major administrative problems with doing this in Malaysia.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Oswald Braken Tisen, Assistant Director (Wildlife), Dr Melvin Gumal, Head of the Education and Interpretation Unit of the Sarawak National Parks and Wildlife Division, Glenys Innes and others who provided helpful information.

References

WCS and SFD (Wildlife Conservation Society and Sarawak Forest Department). 1996. A Master Plan for Wildlife in Sarawak. Unpublished report, Sarawak Forest Department

TRC (Tourism Resource Consultants). 1993. Final report of the Second Tourism Masterplan Study, Sarawak, Executive Summary. Sarawak Ministry of Tourism unpublished report