In order to perform their management, law-enforcement, research, conservation and educational tasks at an appropriate level, the PAs require adequate equipment, energy-efficient, low-maintenance and functional buildings as well as competent personnel. Therefore, within the framework of this field of intervention, the Project plans for the following procurements:
Procurement of equipment
Modern and reliable equipment is crucial for PAs, especially when tackling serious issues like poaching and illegal logging. PA administrations cannot fulfill important conservation and protection tasks effectively without sufficient technical equipment.
Therefore, the SNPA project plans to procure the following items:
Cars and motorbikes
The PAs require modern, reliable, fuel-efficient and low-maintenance vehicles, including 4WD high-clearance field cars and heavy-duty off-road cars for ranger patrols. Necessary patrols can often not be carried out due to a lack of transport. In many cases, rangers use private cars and motorbikes or walk long distances.
Therefore, two tenders for the procurement of cars and motorbikes have been initiated and are still in progress.
Computer hardware, software and accessories as well as photo equipment
All eight target protected areas of the project are lacking modern and up-to-date computer hardware and software as well as modern accessory equipment such as printers, scanners etc. On average, the IT hardware and software currently used by the parks is much older than five years. The departments of communication, research and monitoring are underequipped and as a consequence, they cannot meet the required work standards. The SNPA project will provide computer hardware and software plus accessories as well as amateur and professional photo equipment plus accessories. The tender documents are already prepared and the tender will soon be initiated.
Uniforms for PA rangers
Currently, PA rangers frequently use non-official uniforms and sometimes even casual clothing when patrolling the territory. This weakens the authority of the PA staff. In order to standardize and professionalize the visual appearance of the PA rangers and to improve their image, resulting in more successful protection of the PAs, new uniforms will be provided to the target PAs within the frame of a corresponding tender.
The procurements mentioned above will (1) increase the efficiency of PA administrations, research departments and ranger work in the eight target PAs (monitoring data gathered from Management Effectiveness Monitoring measurements), (2) decrease the maintenance costs for the equipment specified above and (3) increase the quality of the PAs’ communication and public relations work.
First car hand over in 2018 (to the CBR)
Ecologically sound and energy-efficient architecture and infrastructure for PAs in the Carpathians
All eight of the target PAs need improvements in infrastructure. Therefore, several construction sub-projects are envisaged. These sub-projects range from simple renovations over complex extensions of buildings to the construction of completely new buildings. The types of buildings that are planned to be built or improved are medium-furnished administration buildings, visitor centers, exhibition buildings and visitor accommodations.
For the planning and implementation of all those sub-projects, ecologically sound and nature-friendly building technologies are of prime importance. All contractors involved have to consider those principles as key aspects for their work, including the selection of building materials and construction methods. Energy-efficient building concepts and innovative heating and energy-supply systems must be the standard. The energy-efficiency standards of KfW must be met as well.
In general, two different kinds of building operations will be distinguished in all sub-projects:
- Renovations
- Energy-efficient upgrading of the building shell (additional insulation, exchange of windows etc.)
- New central heating and other facilities (e.g. electric systems)
- Change of interior layout (dismantle/build new walls, doors, technical facilities, heaters)
- Extension of buildings and/or construction of entirely new buildings.
Despite the focus on the application of ecologically sound approaches, the overall criteria for all building sub-projects within the SNPA project are cost efficiency, high quality of materials and construction technologies as well as the sustainability of the works.
In order to ensure a high quality of the construction works, the highly experienced architect Jan Hülsemann will be involved in the implementation of the sub-projects. He has already visited the target parks several times and prepared the first draft plans for the renovations. Currently, the project is seeking to engage the services of a national architect bureau, which will conduct all the tenders required, in cooperation with Jan Hülsemann and the project team.
Discussion of the proposed building plans for the PAs
Capacity building and trainings for PA staff
Effective and sustainable management and protection work as well as law-enforcement activities in PAs is largely dependent on the capacities of their staff. Well-qualified, competent, motivated and committed PA personnel are key to the successful delivery of results, especially in relation to nature conservation objectives, law-enforcement activities, targeted and applied research as well as participative management, awareness raising and stakeholder cooperation with local communities. Therefore, one of the most important components of the project is capacity building. The project aims at developing the management capacity of the target PAs and of the MENR as well as the capacities of scientific staff, rangers, laboratory assistants and other relevant groups.
For the coordination and development of the activities within this project component, a working group under the authority of the MENR was established during the meeting of different project stakeholders in June 2018. The working group consists of SNPA-project experts, heads of the MENR, staff of target PAs and representatives of the public sector. The first meeting of the working group was held in August 2018. The group discussed the basic principles for the implementation of the project component and for staff trainings and reviewed the preliminary version of the capacity building program, which was generally supported.
The first step of the implementation of the capacity-building project component was a workshop with PA representatives, where the participants determined which skills and abilities PA staff needs to have. The workshop took place in two stages (in December 2018 and February 2019).
One of the next steps will be the tendering for delivery of specific trainings and courses and for the participation in international conferences and trainings as well as master programs. Moreover, a Ukrainian PA Wiki is planned to be established, where various types of documents (information material, papers, laws, directives, videos, data, seminar and student works, theses, standards, definitions, research findings, project documents, articles, etc.) will be made available to the interested public in a structured way. Also, a Ranger Handbook presenting all information relevant for rangers and forestry staff in a comprehensive way is planned to be compiled, as well as other material on management planning, GIS and remote sensing and relevant trainings.
