Collaborative Conservation: Partnerships in Practice

Collaborative Conservation: Partnerships in Practice (C2P2) (CLM 8124) is designed for federal employees actively involved in community-based partnerships who want to further develop their understanding and use of social science concepts, practices, and tools to strengthen community engagement and achieve long-term human and ecological outcomes.

This advanced-level course builds on the foundational skills taught in the Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy's Managing by Network course. Participants will cultivate their professional competencies for partnership and community collaboration by learning from conservation leaders and peer experiences of real-world implementation, and then transferring and applying that knowledge to their partnerships.

• Instructors will share concepts for framing and adapting partnership strategies, the latest models and practices identified through social science research, and new social science tools to enhance community engagement.
• Partnership practitioners will share lessons learned from the field and how enduring partnerships overcame barriers and emerging partnerships opportunities can be aligned to respond to today's conservation priorities.
• Participants will share a specific partnership opportunity and/or challenge seeking insights and feedback from peer participants and the instructional team.
• Participants will cultivate their partnership and community collaboration competencies, and then transfer and apply their understanding of practices featured in the course to their partnerships and collaborative networks.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate the competencies needed for developing successful collaborative partnerships.
• Identify the skills and expertise found in successful partnerships and transfer that knowledge to their partnerships.
• Apply knowledge gained in working across program lines to develop creative, visionary conservation actions that lead to on-the-ground partnership accomplishments; and
• Employ sound techniques to leverage conservation resources effectively, including people and materials.

Who Should Apply: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal employees who are actively involved in community-based conservation partnerships and possess foundational partnership and collaboration skills. This course is open to graduates of the Managing by Network course (CLM8123) and those from landscape conservation cooperatives, the Refuge System, Ecological Services, Fisheries, the Coastal Program and the Partners Program.

Prerequisites: It is recommended (but not mandatory) that participants complete the Managing by Network course (CLM8123) before attending this class.

Supervisor Approval: If you require supervisor approval to participate in training, you are asked to indicate your supervisor approval status on the application form. If selected for the course, we will share the selection announcement with you and your supervisor.

Applications are now closed. Applicants will be notified of their selection status no later than May 19, 2023. Applicants selected for the course will be enrolled in DOI Talent, the Department of the Interior’s Learning Management System.

Download th e C2P2 2023 Course Flyer

2023 Schedule

On Site Instruction, NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV: August 29-September 1, 2023

Capstone Webinars: November 1, 2, 8 & 9, 2023. 2-hour webinars. 

Course Format

• 30 training hours, delivered onsite and online
  • 28 hours of classroom meetings includes 3.5 days onsite at NCTC.
  • 2 hour live webinar for course participants to share their experience applying partnership strategies with peers and instructors. Participants are encouraged to attend all 4 webinars and expected to present at one webinar.
• Some independent study features selected readings and applied exercises in preparation for classroom discussion.

Training Hours: 30

Undergraduate College Credits: 2; Continuing Education Units: 3

Maximum Class size: 20 participants.

Tuition: Tuition for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service employees is prepaid. Tuition for select USGS employees may be prepaid. Tuition for all other participants is $796.

Additional Fees: Participants pay separately for travel, meals & lodging. NCTC’s meals and lodging are a package cost for NCTC guests based on the current GSA guidelines. There is no cost for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees. Meals and lodging for all other participants is $172 per day.

Reasonable Accommodations: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this training for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other accommodation needs to blaine_eckberg@fws.gov.

About NCTC

• COVID-19 Information: Curre nt status
• NCTC Event Information Sheet

Contact:

• For content and logistics questions:
  • Anne Desmarais, Director, Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy, anne@partnership-academy.net
  • Blaine Eckberg, Training Specialist, USFWS NCTC, blaine_ eckberg@fws.gov
• For application questions:
  • Jane Hanson, Registrar, Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy, jane@partnership-academy.net