EXCHANGE PROGRAMME    

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BE THERE, MEET THE PEOPLE, SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE

1. What is the exchange programme?

While developing WWF activities during the past years, it hasn't been uncommon for us to find organizations investing enormous human and economic resources in developing projects without knowing about, and thus being unable to benefit from, the previous experience of other organizations working in similar fields. Here we have the paradox!!

This is why we have launched a brand new programme promoting a highly practical and dynamic exchange of technical and management expertise between NGO's and other organizations. We hope that - through this programme - environmental organizations may overcome a specific difficulty or problem by learning from other institutions with greater experience in dealing with the point in question. The guest participants will learn from firsthand participation in the host's day to day operations, while contributing knowledge from his or her own organization.

Each "meeting" will consist of an exchange, not only of professional knowledge but also of cultural and personal experiences. This will help us to build a networking framework and enrich our common heritage. We really hope that such meetings will represent the first step in creating longer-term joint-ventures between the organizations involved. This is why we want to underline the term "exchange" because our hope is that we will be able to say "fellowship" and even "twinning" in the near future.

As you see the programme is an exchange platform where YOU the environmental organizations, ARE THE ACTORS! 

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2. Why an exchange programme?

Over recent decades, an ever growing number of institutions - non -governmental organisations, governments and administrations, universities, foundations, protected areas - have been involved in the design, implementation and management of actions for the protection of the environment and the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. As a result of this, a considerable amount of experience and exemplary practices have accumulated, constituting an invaluable source of know-how potentially available to society. All too often, however, this patrimony of experience is very difficult - if not impossible - to access. In many cases, even activities which had originally been conceived and designed as pilot experiences are neither properly advertised or repeated, due to lack of funds or human resources, or because of poor planning or ineffective communication strategies.

The lack of information and the problematic access to, worthwhile experiences and model practices is probably one of the most serious drawbacks to the rapid increase in the quantity and quality of conservation and environmental protection work - on a global scale, and particularly in the Mediterranean region. More often than not this constraint, hinders the development of good actions and programmes: mistakes are repeated often and unnecessarily, and enormous amounts of human and financial resources are wasted on processes that have already been tested and put into practice elsewhere. 

On the basis of its experience, WWF has identified a real need for improving the access to, and circulation of information, in the Mediterranean region, concerning experiences and model practices in the environmental field, for putting into place effective and easy mechanisms of communication and exchanges that would increase the capacity of stakeholders to access the knowledge they seek. This need is especially felt by the NGOs in the least developed countries of the region, who are often fighting against all kinds of constraints and restrictions, and for whom the access to ready, relevant, and appropriate knowledge is most vital. 

Specific objectives

WWF is organising a new, regional programme of exchanges and fellowships with a two-fold objective:

1) To facilitate the circulation of people, ideas, experiences and best practices among all stakeholders in the region.

2) To promote a better understanding of the conservation and environmental panorama of the Mediterranean eco-region, and of the cultural and social aspects of the different countries around the Mediterranean basin.

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3. How it works. An example.

This is a very flexible programme, in which a single organization can participate as a host, as a guest participant or both. Hosts are those who make their expertise in a particular field available to others, and participants are those who visit and learn from the experience of the host.
One or more representatives of an NGO/institution – possibly together with other guests - spend a period of time with the hosting institution at its headquarters or at a project site.
Independently of the nature of the exchange, each initiative is perceived as a two-way process, which will benefit both the participant/s and the host institution. The aim is to promote a better mutual understanding among NGOs of different parts of the Mediterranean region (south>north; south>south; east>west) of the environmental, cultural and institutional panorama. Indeed, it is to be hoped that guests will also learn from and teach each other. 

Participants of an Across te Waters activity getting aware
about different environmental programmes

What is exchanged?

Guests participants will developed a previously -agreed programme of activities: learning about organization, management and institutional matters; discussing project lessons learned; meeting professional conservation workers and volunteers and sharing their experience and knowledge.

For instance, an organization that wishes to improve both its knowledge of techniques for reducing water consumption and its ability to communicate with local people would visit and actively participate in a successful project run by another organization. During the visit, the participating guests might make a positive contribution by demonstrating their association’s expertise in techniques for communication with the mass media to the hosts.


Time: a visit or a stage

There are two types of exchanges;

a) “visits”, where the participants follow a programme of meetings and activities to gather an understanding of the host organization and its activities. Visits usually last from 5 to 14 days depending on the nature of the exchange, the interests and time constraints. The longer the time, the more possibilities there are to take part in specific activities or campaigns.
A bird draw indicates this modality of exchange throughout the publication.

b) And the “stage”, which can last anywhere between 3 weeks to 3 months, where the guests not only learn about the host organization but also gain “hands-on” experience of its daily activities, and contribute with their own intellectual or manual skills. In this way the cultural and professional exchange is more profound. Remember the saying: “I heard and I knew, I saw and I understood, I did and I learnt”.
An ant it’s the sign of this type of exchange.

Roles and logistics

As a general rule of this programme, hosting institutions kindly cover the board and lodging costs of their participating guests, while the latter are asked to pay their own travel expenses to and from the hosting destination. Notification of exceptions to this rule will be given for individual exchanges. Across the Waters will make the first contact between the host institution and the participating guest, acting as a facilitator for the practical organization of the exchange (travel, visa, and other logistic matters) and will carefully monitor the whole process. At the end of the experience, the beneficiaries of the exchange - both guest and host - will be asked to produce a report, describing and evaluating the experience, which will be forwarded to WWF. This will help to fine-tune the logistical and technical aspects of the exchanges. 

Arranging the Exchanges

The WWF/Across The Waters Officer in charge of this programme will act as the focal point for each exchange, and will receive, gather and select all applications. The most qualified applicants will be recommended to the hosting institutions, who will make the final decision in the selection process.

For more information click here

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