Interested in a simple Skills Scan and Learning Progress Tracker tool for the Countryside ranger standard?
Knowledge
K1: Current legislation including health and safety, codes of practice, and work place policies and procedures relevant to their role and duties for example Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, General Data Protection Regulations, safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, waste management, risk management and assessment, record keeping and compliance
K2: Key UK environmental legislation, land and wildlife designations, permissions and licences relevant to the management of habitats and species and other countryside management works e.g. Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act and Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act
K3: Current legislation, planning regulation and legal processes and procedures in relation to managing public rights of way and other public access such as Highways Act, Countryside and Rights of Way Act and Definitive Maps and Statements
K4: Ecology including main UK ecosystems, habitats and indicator species and identification and requirements of a complex range of native and invasive species and the relationship between them and the environment in relation to their local area
K5: Practical and technical land and habitat management techniques such as felling, pruning, planting, cutting, mowing, coppicing, thinning, spraying and uprooting, livestock grazing and controlling vegetation and invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed and best practice for a range of habitats and species and how to balance conflicting needs
K6: Main uses of land in UK such as a: Main uses of land in UK such as agriculture, forestry, housing, recreation and their interactionsgriculture, forestry, housing, recreation and their interactions
K7: The structure, content, purpose and uses of work programmes, site, habitat and project plans to assist with the day to day and technical management of the delegated countryside sites, areas or projects. For example, habitat action plans, biodiversity action plans
K8: Principles of financial management including how to set up and manage a budget and the project management life cycle from business case to implementation including risk assessment, planning, financial management, resources, reporting and evaluation techniques
K9: Methods for managing teams, allocating work and delegation and how their team’s work links to the organisational objectives, lines of responsibility and who to speak to if they need to escalate issues
K10: The types of UK funding streams relevant to organisational objectives. For example: Countryside Stewardship, farming subsidies, developer contributions and lottery funding
K11: Legislation, principles and best practice for the design, construction and management of assets and infrastructure such as steps, ramps, gates, stiles, bridges and drainage; boundaries such as fences, walls and hedges; and public access routes such as public rights of way and permissive access including a technical understanding of their type, usage, cost, lifespan, historic value and relationship with landscape, terrain and regional character
K12: Applications for different machinery, tools and equipment for a wide variety of habitat, access or asset management work, and their use e.g. 4WD vehicles, winches and other powered and non-powered tools such as chainsaws, mobile devices and other technology such as GPS and tablets
K13: Survey techniques and how to plan surveys, appropriateness of the surveys and techniques and technology used in their implementation for habitats and species, visitors or volunteers, assets and access work
K14: How to examine and interpret survey data with particular attention to how this data is used internally such as Ecologists, externally, locally and nationally to assess current populations of flora and fauna and current and future habitat management and visitor management
K15: How to recruit, train, supervise, motivate and manage volunteers and staff to maintain good team relations and provide a positive volunteer experience
K16: Communication methods used to influence and build effective relationships with colleagues, team members, volunteers, contractors, local community groups such as Friends of groups, interest groups such as British Horse Society, educational and corporate groups, neighbouring landowners, tenants and stakeholders and the public and how to promote the work of their organisation in a positive light
K17: Customer service principles including types and needs of different customers (internal and external to the organisation), their expectations and managing conflict
K18: The different types of minor and major emergencies and incidents in the sector such as landslips, flooding, snow and ice, fires, pollution, first aid emergencies or theft of equipment. How to manage them including safe working practices, limits of responsibility, organisational and legislative processes and the response/actions needed and how they impact upon the environment, natural habitats, assets and people
K19: Notifiable or other pests and diseases relevant to their role which affect plant, animal and human health and reporting procedures and biosecurity measures associated with them e.g. Phytophthora and Ash Dieback
K20: The differences between environmental interpretation and information provision and methods of delivery, intended uses and benefits e.g. social media, public events, educational visits and Forest School, interactive displays, guided walks, leaflets and trails
K21: How to plan, research, design, analyse and evaluate environmental interpretation and information provision including selecting methods, style and structure best suited to the needs of the audience, location and focus of content
K22: The importance of and organisational approaches to performance management and supervisory practices to improve performance
Skills
S1: Assess, prioritise, maintain and evaluate a safe working environment following relevant legislation, work place policies and procedures including identifying hazards, assessing risk and minimising risk and implementing and complying with control measures
S2: Comply with and ensure others comply with legal requirements, industry regulations and standards and organisational policies, processes, procedures and professional codes and ethics
S3: Comply with environmental best practices and procedures and follow sustainability and waste management practices
S4: Organise and prioritise environmental and land management work activities such as habitat management, work associated with public access or assets such as bridges and scheduled monuments. This includes assessing tasks, identifying and allocating the required resources to deliver the task effectively and review completed work
S5: Manage a range of habitats and species using a variety of specialist techniques and resources which takes account of the local area, habitat, species of flora and fauna and levels of associated protection such as felling, pruning, planting, cutting, mowing, coppicing, thinning, spraying and uprooting, livestock grazing and controlling vegetation and invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed
S6: Produce short or medium term work, site, habitat action or small scale project plans for the delegated areas of responsibility for and in line with organisations requirement and based on sound knowledge of ecological principles and in line with relevant legislation
S7: Delegate tasks to volunteers/ team members
S8: Deliver work and projects on time, to a high standard, using allocated resources, to planned budget, method and quality and represent value for money e.g. environmental and land management, public engagement, interpretation or survey work
S9: Manage workload, taking into account competing and changes in priorities and demonstrate problem solving ability
S10: Communicate with the correct authorities and seek advice on land, nature conservation and asset management, such as Historic England for Scheduled Monuments or ecologists
S11: Organise and prioritise asset and infrastructure construction, maintenance and management works including any surveys and alternative plans
S12: Construct, maintain and manage a range of boundaries, public access routes, infrastructure and assets using a variety of specialist techniques, tools, equipment and resources
S13: Correctly identify the unique range of native and invasive species and habitats in the geographical area
S14: Survey, analyse, communicate and evaluate results for habitats, species and countryside assets
S15: Select and use a range of work-based tools, machinery and equipment e.g. 4WD vehicles, trailers, winches and other powered and non-powered tools such as chainsaws, brushcutters, hedge trimmer and hand tools, mobile devices and other technology such as GPS, tablets and cameras
S16: Instruct others how to use tools and machinery correctly and safely and ensure operator competence
S17: Complete records associated with tools and machinery e.g. maintenance, use, vibration and noise levels etc
S18: Engage and communicate clearly and effectively with stakeholders including the public, landowners, tenants, contractors and colleagues
S19: Supervise, motivate and work alongside others while undertaking habitat management, construction and maintenance of boundaries, access routes and associated countryside assets
S20: Present information to the public and relevant stakeholders on planned works, site designation, its species and habitats and techniques used to manage an area
S21: Deal with emergencies and incidents as appropriate within the limits of their responsibility, authority and level of training
S22: Design, produce and evaluate various types of environmental interpretation and information provision for a range of audiences
S23: Speak in public and engage with a wide range of audiences such as stakeholders e.g. tenants, local community or interest groups, volunteers, educational and corporate groups and members of the public on a range of topics. For example, planned or ongoing habitat or access management, local flora and fauna or history and archaeology of an area
S24: Recognise strengths and areas for development, creates SMART objectives in line with organisational objectives, participates in development opportunities and regularly seeks feedback
S25: Make decisions based on the organisations principles and relevant and accurate information
Behaviours
B1: Has a self-disciplined, self-motivated, and proactive approach to work
B2: Is conscious of time constraints and takes personal responsibility for delivering their work to time and budget
B3: Responds positively to feedback and is open to change
B4: Considers other perspectives, options and the bigger picture to make a decision and focuses on solutions rather than problems
B5: Acts in accordance with the organisational policies, procedures, values and behaviours and in a polite, professional and inclusive manner
B6: Communicates effectively - Adapts communication style and medium to suit the audience
B7: Acts as an ambassador for the organisation and takes personal responsibility for identifying and addressing the needs of customers and builds effective and collaborative working relationships
B8: Proactively promotes and champions health, safety and wellbeing within their organisation
B9: Takes personal responsibility for developing knowledge and skills and continually seeks to improve their performance
B10: Self awareness - Aware of own knowledge and limits of responsibility and seeks relevant advice and support when appropriate
B11: Establishes and promotes respect for the work of the organisation from customers, stakeholders and co-workers
B12: Takes a positive approach to working outside in differing weather conditions
Duty 1
DUTY: Organise and prioritise short and medium term work programmes relating to the day to day management, maintenance and protection of delegated countryside sites, areas or projects. Including the organisation and sourcing of resources, staff and volunteers to deliver work programmes within the agreed timeframe, quality, and budget and ensure value for money
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K7
K9
K10
K11
K12
S3
S4
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11
S20
S25
B2
B4
B10
Duty 2
DUTY: Organise, supervise and carry out a wide range of practical conservation and land management work that creates, maintains and improves habitats to protect species, increase biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and ensure a natural and healthy environment
K2
K4
K5
K6
K12
K19
S4
S5
S8
S9
S10
S13
S19
B1
B2
B4
B12
Duty 3
DUTY: Supervise, induct, and train others such as paid, seasonal or voluntary staff
K9
K15
K16
K22
S7
S16
S19
B3
B5
B6
B7
B8
Duty 4
DUTY: Work both collaboratively with others both internally and externally and establish and maintain effective working relationships, as well as independently and autonomously when the role requires
K16
K17
S10
S18
S20
S23
B3
B4
B5
B6
B7
B10
Duty 5
DUTY: Promote responsible public use of the natural environment, balance the conflicting needs of wildlife, land use, landscape and historical value and different users and diffuse conflict between different interests and user groups, provide excellent customer service and represent their organisation in a manner which builds public confidence and encourages people to engage with their local green spaces
K16
K17
S18
S20
S23
B5
B6
B7
B11
Duty 6
DUTY: Organise, prepare and supervise the construction and maintenance of boundaries, assets and infrastructure such as steps, ramps and drainage and public access routes such as permissive access for a wide variety of users to encourage responsible and safe use of the countryside. This will often involve balancing conflicting needs between different types of users, negotiation of access, the use of the land, public opinion, current land management practices and environmental constraints
K3
K11
K12
S8
S9
S10
S11
S12
S19
B1
B2
B4
B12
Duty 7
DUTY: Identify and respond to events (major or minor) that impact upon the environment, wildlife, natural habitats, assets or people e.g. responding to small and large scale environmental incidents, first aid emergencies, theft of equipment or identifying and reporting notifiable or other diseases and pests which affect plant or animal health
K4
K12
K18
K19
S1
S9
S10
S21
S25
B4
B6
B10
B11
B12
Duty 8
DUTY: Manage and comply with health and safety and countryside legislation, organisations policies and procedures such as safeguarding and implementing environmental good practice, to ensure work is delivered safely, correctly and sustainably including reporting and managing any risks and adhering to any licences required
K1
K2
K11
K19
S1
S2
S3
S25
B4
B5
B8
Duty 9
DUTY: Prepare, conduct, evaluate and report to others (internally and externally, regionally and nationally) on surveys and monitoring of habitats and species to understand species numbers and how this relates to current and future habitat management practices, people - including visitors and volunteers and countryside assets and structures
K4
K6
K11
K13
K14
K19
S8
S9
S10
S13
S14
S20
B1
B2
B6
Duty 10
DUTY: Prepare, deliver and evaluate high quality environmental interpretation, education and information to promote key messages, increase peoples understanding of the natural environment and encourage people to engage with local green spaces. For example, public events, educational visits, outdoor boards, signage, interactive displays, guided walks, talks and presentations and using social media
K20
K21
S20
S22
S23
B2
B3
B6
Duty 11
DUTY: Organise, deliver, and supervise small scale project work from start to completion, and as specified by their organisation, within remit, on budget and to timescales and representing value for money
K7
K8
K10
S4
S6
S8
S9
S10
S18
S25
B1
B2
B4
B7
B10
Duty 12
DUTY: Prepare, operate, maintain and supervise others using vehicles, equipment and machinery. e.g. 4WD vehicles, trailers, tractors, and other powered and non-powered tools such as winches, ride on mowers, pole saws and hand tools
K1
K12
S1
S2
S3
S15
S16
S17
B1
B5
B8
Duty 13
DUTY: Source, store and control the use of resources such as materials, mobile devices and other technology such as GPS, tablets and cameras, ensuring responsibility of resources at all times
K12
S15
S17
B1
B5
B8
Duty 14
DUTY: Agree and develop their personal objectives, performance and ongoing development
