Application Pack

Please read the programme information contained in Part I carefully, before completing the application form in Part II.

Deadline for applications: 24 February 2017

Introduction to Business Planning
The business world has developed many skills around analysing its markets, its products and services; and in developing tools and resources to turn this analysis into action and activities on the ground. In many cases, conservationists, who are expert in their field, can be generally poor at talking the language of the business sector. In an increasingly competitive world, it is important that the economic, social and environmental sectors learn to talk a common language.

A business plan helps managers and stakeholders to understand how business will be managed in the most effective way, and to ensure that the organisation is properly accountable for the use of any funds it receives.

“Every success story starts with a dream. Do you dream of a better future for your protected area? Joining this course was the best decision in my professional life. The content and experience was rich and more importantly the networking has been amazing.”
Abdul-Kareem, 2014 ESN Mentee, Ghana
Part I: Overview & Eligibility

The Programme Step-by-Step

“All I learnt from this program will help me to improve the management of the site where I work, and I will share it with my colleagues. We are now in a change process, to have a more entrepreneurial kind of management, instead of waiting for funds from donors.”
Haja, 2011 ESN Mentee, Madagascar

Residential Training Programme

Where:Lajuma Research Centre, South Africa

When:Training 1: 3 – 12 November 2017

Training 2: 14 – 23 November 2017

What: The Residential Training Programme takes place over ten days and combines business and personal skills development. Business Mentors will work with a team of representatives from your site to cover the various elements of business planning using the Business Planning Toolkit.The toolkit is not a rigid curriculum, but provides a framework to establishmeaningful mentoring relationships and action that meets the needs of specific sites. Some of the areas it can help you with are listed below.

  • Strategically examine your vision, stakeholder analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your organisation, and how to set effective objectives
  • Identify your customers and competitors
  • Develop ideas for how to best market your organisation’s ‘products’ and services
  • Identify risks and plan mitigation measures
  • Construct budgets and analyse your finances
  • Create an effective organisational structure, and identify required skills and current gaps to best plan for effectiveness
  • Design an activity plan and effective operational processes
  • Implement what you have learned on the training back in your workplace

In addition to this, an Earthwatch learning facilitator will support and enhance the business skills training. These sessions will develop confidence, capabilities, competencies, and the skills that will influence your ability to put what has been learnt into practise.

“The insights gained from the training will improve my approach to PA management. I will be able to more holistically address the challenges facing the site where I work through improved stakeholder engagement and financial planning. The experiences shared with other PA managers from different participating countries improved my understanding of the big picture.”

Michael , 2016 ESN Mentee, Zambia

Mentoring & Support

During the Residential Training Programme you will work with your mentor to identify what the most appropriate needs for your site are and how you can best use the Toolkit to meet these needs. On your return home, your mentor will continue to support you remotely for at least twelve months as you put into practise what you have learnt. Support, guidance and encouragement from your mentor, combined with senior management support on the ground will ensure the most effective outcomes.

"In an environment of scarce financial resources, it is always very important to make sure you’re doing the most with what you’ve got, so that even with a little, you can make a difference in helping conserve the world’s most outstanding natural areas. This unique programme helps staff from natural World Heritage Sites and Natural Protected Areas strengthen their business planning skills to do just that. It’s a wonderful opportunity not only to consolidate management skills, but also to expand professional networks and develop leadership and team working skills."

Senior Programme Specialist UNESCO World Heritage Centre

What’s Included?

  • Travel between your home base and South Africa for the ten day Residential Training Programme (direct flight, economy class).
  • Nine night’s accommodation at the residential field programme inLajuma Research Centre, South Africa
  • Meals and drinks for the duration of your stay.
  • Comprehensive medical evacuation insurance for the duration of the ten day Residential Training Programme.
  • All facilitation costs and training materials in the field.

What’s Not Included?

  • Staff salaries – it is fully expected that the staff members attending this training will continue to have their salary fully funded by your organisation.
  • Any miscellaneous expenses (e.g. visa fees, airport transfers, clothing, any other equipment).

Application Eligibility
About your organisation

  • Permanent Staff from Natural Protected Areas, Protected Area Agencies or Management Authorities in Africa.
  • Site can be marine or terrestrial.
  • The site must have an IUCN Protected Area classification, be a UNESCO World Heritage site, be working towards WHS status or an agency working across a number of sites.
  • The site must have clear (gazetted) boundaries.
  • Management Authority and Approvals Authority must be known.
  • All governance types are eligible for the programme.
  • Depending on governance type, the site must have the relevant senior management approvals to participate in the programme.

About the participants:

  • Three employeesfrom the site must be available to participate in the full programme on the same team.
  • All threeemployeesmust have support and sign off from Protected Area senior management.
  • Employees must be fluent in English, as English is the main training language and application materials must be completed in English.
  • No business planning knowledge required but employees must be in a position to benefit from the training e.g. in a job role and at a level of seniority that allows for involvement in management or business planning.
  • If your site has been on the programme before, you are welcome to apply again but please nominate employees who have not already participated.

Part II: Application Guidance & Form

Who should complete this form?

This application form should be completed by a protected area agency or management authority, a senior manager, or the park director. If you are interested in the programme but do not hold any of these positions then please pass on this guidance, the application form and the programme details to the relevant person or provide their email contact details if you would prefer us to contact them directly.

Who can be nominated to attend this programme?

As a senior manager, park director or member of a management authority / protected area agency, you yourself may wish to attend the training. Please enter your details again in the Person 1 section should you wish to partake in the programme.

Three employeesfrom the organisation must be available to participate in the same training team. As you fill out the form you will have opportunity to indicate which dates they are available, but we encourage you to select as many of these as possible. In doing so this will better enable us to pair your organisation with a mentor that is suited to the needs of your site.

These three employees must have the support and sign off from senior management Staff and/or your site’s Managing Authority.

English is the main language used throughout the programme. We will be communicating with successful participants in English throughout the application process and all programme materials and forms must be completed in English. The three nominated individuals should be proficient in English writing, reading and speaking and have access to technology that allows them to communicate both before and after the training (I.e. email, telephone, internet access).

No business planning knowledge is required but all three nominated employees must be in a position to benefit from the training. For example, they have involvement in management or business planning.

The individuals you nominate can either work directly for your organisation or they can be from another organisation that provides direct support to your site.

In order to promote increased diversity and inclusion, we highly encourage the nomination of female participants.

Why do I need to nominate a reserve?

Please provide the details of a fourthperson who could attend the training in the event that one of the three original individuals cannot attend for any reason. Please note that this person will also be required to comply with the criteria above.

Who will see my application form?

Your application will be screened by a small team of Earthwatch staff and if shortlisted it will be shared and discussed with a panel of staff from Earthwatch, UNESCO, IUCN and ESN Corporate Partners.

If you are successful, your application form will be shared with your Business Mentor as part of the preparation process, in advance of the training.

What happens next?

We will notify shortlisted candidates as soon as possible after the deadline. Those shortlisted will be invited to complete a short questionnaire and attend a telephone interview. Please note that the interview will be held in English and all four nominees will need to attend.

A final decision will be made after the telephone interviews and all candidates will be notified of the outcome. If you are selected you will be required to sign an agreement form which outlines what Earthwatch will provide and what is expected of you. At this stage further details of the programme will be provided and you will be required to provide basic health and fitness information.

Any Questions?

For more information please contact:

  • Fatoumatta Sanyang, Earthwatch:

Deadline: 24February 2017

Part II: Application Form

PERSONAL AND BUSINESS DETAILS

Protected area represented / Click here to enter text.
Name the organisation that has oversight and responsibility for your protected area (i.e. management authority or government agency) / Click here to enter text. /
Total number of staff that work for your organisation / Click here to enter text. /
This application should be made by a senior site manager, a park director, protected area agency or management authority. Please provide your details in the section below.
Title
Choose an item. / First Name
Click here to enter text. / Family Name
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Position
Click here to enter text. / E-mail
Click here to enter text.
Telephone
Click here to enter text. / Mobile
Click here to enter text.
Role & Responsibilities:
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Please indicate which dates all of the nominees are available to participate on this training. We encourage you to be available on as many of these dates as possible to increase your chances of being paired with a mentor suited to your site’s needs.

Date / We are available / We are not available
3–12 November 2017 / ☐ / ☐ /
14 – 23 November 2017 / ☐ / ☐ /

Please provide the details of threeindividuals who will undertake the training, and a reserve. Please include your detailsagain if you will be attending.

Person 1
First Name
Click here to enter text. / Family Name
Click here to enter text. / Gender
Choose an item.
Date of Birth (d/m/y)
Click here to enter text. / Nationality
Click here to enter text. / Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Date joined your organisation
Click here to enter text.
E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Telephone
Click here to enter text. / Mobile
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Role & Responsibilities:
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Name Supervisor and Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Work E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Telephone
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Person 2
First Name
Click here to enter text. / Family Name
Click here to enter text. / Gender
Choose an item.
Date of Birth (d/m/y)
Click here to enter text. / Nationality
Click here to enter text. / Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Date joined your organisation
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E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Telephone
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Role & Responsibilities:
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Name Supervisor and Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Work E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Telephone
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Person 3
First Name
Click here to enter text. / Family Name
Click here to enter text. / Gender
Choose an item.
Date of Birth (d/m/y)
Click here to enter text. / Nationality
Click here to enter text. / Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Date joined your organisation
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E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Telephone
Click here to enter text. / Mobile
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Role & Responsibilities:
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Name Supervisor and Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Work E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Telephone
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Person 4 (Reserve)
First Name
Click here to enter text. / Family Name
Click here to enter text. / Gender
Male
Date of Birth (d/m/y)
Click here to enter text. / Nationality
Click here to enter text. / Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Date joined your organisation
Click here to enter text.
E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Telephone
Click here to enter text. / Mobile
Click here to enter text.
Role & Responsibilities:
Click here to enter text.
Name Supervisor and Job Title
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Work E-mail
Click here to enter text. / Supervisor’s Telephone
Click here to enter text.

Please use the below questions to tell us more about your organisation and why you see the training being of benefit. Please answer fully and be open and honest in your responses. Your answers should be between 250 and 600 words for each question.

1.a. Please tell us about your site / organisation. For example: general description of the type & size of the protected area/s you work with. Why is your site important?What are the conservation outcomes that you are working towards? Does your site have IUCN or UNESCO status/classification? What challenges does your organisation face?
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1.b.Pleasetell us about the business operations in your organisation as per the headings below.
How is your organisation managed? (e.g. who makes decisions and who has final approval):
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What business or management plans do you already have at your organisation?
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Does your organisation have plans to update / generate a business plan? Who is going to be responsible for this?Do you have a timeline in place for this?
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Where does your organisation receive funding from and who decides how this is spent?
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2.aThe Earth Skills Network programme focuses on key areas of business planning. Please identify the areas in which your organisation needs advice / support from the list below.(Your answer to this question will help us to better pair the needs of your organisation with a business mentor if your application is successful.)
Organisation Vision & Mission / Stakeholder Analysis / Marketing
Operational Planning / Human Resources / Risk Management
Financial Planning / Budgeting / Fundraising
2.b. Please identify the three key areas where your organisation faces business planning challenges and explain how you think the training will support you with these.Please consider how training in these areas will help you progress your conservation outcomes.
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3. For each individual you have nominated please explain why you have selected them for the training, what involvement they have in business planning and what you hope theywill learn from the programme.
Nominee 1
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Nominee 2
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Nominee 3
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Nominee 4
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4. Please describe how you will bring the training back to your organisation. For example, what support will the nominated individuals receive? How will the knowledge and tools be shared with other employees? How will management support be given to ensure changes in your organisations plans and operations can be made as a result of what has been learned?
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5. How did you hear about the Earth Skills Network Programme? For example, you may have seen promotional materials on our website, spoken to a former participant or colleague (please provide their name if so) or seen information in a newsletter or publication (please provide details of which one).
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Declaration Signature
In submitting this application form, you are confirming that the individuals you have nominated comply with the following conditions of entry. Please use the check boxes to indicate that you agree with these conditions:
☐Nominees are in a position to make a direct contribution to the management of their organisation
☐The full support of the parks authority / senior management in the nominees attending this programme has been granted