Effective Implementation of Workshop for Developing a Competency Framework and Curriculum on Human-Wildlife Conflict in Karnataka

27 Nov, 2018

The third workshop for further development of the competency framework and curriculum was organised by the Indo-German Project “Human Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (HWC)” in India at the Heritage Resort, Madikeri (Kodagu, Karnataka) on 26^th and 27^th November 2018. The 24 participants included international and national experts from the fields of capacity development, wildlife, veterinary, media and communications, social sciences as well as officials from the state forest department. The participants also interacted with the field-level officers and Rapid Response teams from Virajpet Forest Division and Madikeri Forest Division to receive inputs on the contents and methodology of the designed trainings.

The workshop accomplished its aim to refine the curriculum framework and module drafts which had been developed at the second workshop in Haridwar on 20^th and 21^st November 2018. The event resulted in the identification of case studies based on experiences and success stories of human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures in Kodagu. These could also be incorporated in the curriculum as case studies.

Sh. Lingaraja S, Chief Conservator of Forest, Kodagu Forest Circle, Sh Mario Christa Raja, DCF of Virajpet Forest Division and Sh Manjunath, DCF of Madikeri Forest Division emphasised on the significance of a competence-based training for the field level officers. Dr Neeraj Khera, Team Leader of the HWC Project (GIZ), provided the detailed capacity development approach used by the project, to develop the curriculum, as well as for the implementation of trainings. She also shared the draft of the competency framework developed under the project. The workshop discussions further focused on the learning outcomes of different planned courses. Intensive group sessions further refined the modules developed for diverse training groups.

The event ended with a confirmation on the curriculum framework and selected modules, and identification of further scope of work for the upcoming workshop in North Bengal on 29^th and 30^th November 2018. In the final reflection session, the participants expressed their satisfaction with the ongoing process of curriculum development and shared their feedback for the way forward.

The participants included Sh. S. K. Khanduri, former IGF (Wildlife) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Sh. A. K. Bhardwaj; faculty and experts from the Wildlife Institute of India including Dr. Sathyakumar, Dr C Ramesh, Dr. K Ramesh, Dr. Stotra Chakraborti, Dr. Sanath Muliya; and experts from media including Mr. Ananda Banerjee, Ms. Pragati Paul (AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia, Delhi), Ms. Sharada Balasubramanium (Journalist, Karnataka), Mr. K. M. Devaiah (DRFO), Mr. Arun C R (RFO), Mr. Ranjan K P (DRFO), Mr. Shiuary and Mr. Naramyan Rai (Karnataka Forest Department), Dr. Michael Fisher (International capacity development Expert, DFS, Germany), Dr Floris Deodatus (International wildlife expert, DFS Germany), Sh. Ajay Desai (National wildlife expert, DFS), Mr Vimarsh Sharma (Junior Technical Expert, GIZ) and Ms. Priya Poonia (GIZ).

The documents developed in the workshop serve as working documents and will be further supplemented with ideas in order to refine the drafts for all target groups. They will also identify case studies from West Bengal which will be included in the curriculum as examples of good practices and learnings.