Training & Capacity Building in

Concessions

What Communities and Civil Society Need to KnowEma Batey March 2012

The PROSERV Group

The Context

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITIES IN CONCESSION AREAS

PARTICIPATIVE

OWNERSHIP OF

TOURISM

DEVELOPMENTS

VALUE CHAIN

LINKAGES

(SERVICES, SUPPLIES

& PRODUCTS)

DIRECT EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITIES

(THROUGH THE

VARIOUS PHASES)

COMMON CONSTRAINTS IN REALIZING THESE OPPORTUNITIES

Limited understanding of

tourism industry,

demand & dynamics,

business & financial

management, roles &

responsibilities of

partners

Limited awareness of

tourism demand for

products & services,

business development

skills, access to inputs &

value of local offering

Limited formal

education, skills

training &

experience in formal

employment

The Context

RESPONSIBILITIES CONFERRED TO COMMUNITIES

MANAGEMENT OF

COMMUNITY INCOME

EFFECTIVE PARTNERING

IN TOURISM VENTURE

LAND & RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT

EMBRACE / PERSUE

ALTERNATIVE INCOME

OPTIONS, UNDERTAKE

ENTREPENURIAL RISKS,

INVEST IN START UP

RESOURCES

EMBRACE FORMAL

WORKING CONDITIONS

& ALTERNATIVE

LIVELIHOODS,

CULTURES, SKILLS &

LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES

POTENTIAL AREAS OF CONFLICT

MANAGEMENT

CONFLICTS, ALLOCATION

/USE OF COMMUNITY

FUNDS, CULTURAL

CONFLICTS / UNMET

EXPECTATIONS

INABILITY TO PENETRATE

TOURIST MARKET, MEET

DEMAND, SUPPLY QUALITY /

CONSISTANCY / VALUE =

LIMITED INCOME TO

COMMUNITY ENTREPENURES

= NO VALORIZATION OF

TOURISM

CONTRACTING ISSUES,

LOW SALARIES, LIMITED

SCOPE FOR

ADVANCEMENT,

CONFLICT WITH OUTSIDE

EMPLOYEES

What Communities Need to Know in Advance:

Creating Real Capacity to Explore the

Opportunities of Tourism

WHAT IS

TOURISM?

•Define tourist,

tourism and

general concepts

•Sustainability

•Cultural tourism

•Eco tourism

•Nature tourism

WHO ARE

TOURISTS & WHY

WILL THEY COME?

•What experiences

tourists want /

don’t want

•Cultural

differences & value

of local culture

•Differentiation

with countries of

origin

WHAT CAN

TOURISM DO FOR

THE

COMMUNITY?

•SWOT analysis of

potential in local

•Identify

opportunities

•Assess potential

negatives &

mitigation

strategies

How the standard approach to training, in scope and timing, does not

adequately foster real stewardship by communities or provide

the necessary tools to effectively

engage in the tourism value chain.

•Understanding of the opportunities, context and potential

of tourism

•Readiness to embrace alternative livelihoods and a high

level of entrepreneurial spirit/ capacity amongst

communities

•Focuses primarily on employment readiness and places

the burden of that training primarily on the investor /

partner

•Fails to address the wider scope of opportunities for

communities along the tourism value chain

•Fails to involve & mobilize collective resources

(government, donors, funding partners and private sector)

Pre-Concession / Concession

Allocation

•limited to land title / participation

issues,

•If community ownership / partnership

= community association,

management agreements with

investors etc

Construction / Development of

tourism infrastructure

•Limited general labor on job training /

skilled labor is imported

Commercialization of Tourism

Venture

•Entry level vocational skills training

On-going

•Limited to that which the tourism

operator deems necessary and / or

donor funded linkages projects

Assumptions / ShortcomingsScope & Timing

EXPECTATIONS, UNDERSTANDING & AWARENESS

•What is tourism / What is a Concession / How does the process work / What are the

stakeholders roles & responsibilities / What are the pros and cons of a tourism based local

economy

WHAT ASSETS DO THE COMMUNITY HAVE

•Natural / Cultural / Productive / Experiential / Traditional knowledge /

•Need for studies / consultations to inform the dialogue & compare with the demands of the

envisioned tourist segment

THE ROLES & VALUE OF TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS

•What are roles, responsibilities and value of;

� Tourism investors and / or management (financial investments, marketing capacity,

operational expertise) and scope of legal and concession based requirements in terms of

community development

�Governement & Communities in managing the concession, supporting sustainable tourism,

local community development and conservation

Training & Capacitation Needs

by Segment & Phase:

PRE-CONCESSION – COMMUNITY LEVEL

•Understand the framework of the concession agreement

•Establish rights and responsibilities and roles in making a success of the project

• Form realistic expectations & communicate these to community members they represent

•Understand what the opportunities are & how to prepare to make use of these

•Engage in detail with stakeholder focus groups (employee pools, community entrepreneurs by

service / product segment & cultural groups / artisans) to identify desired roles in the tourism

value chain / identify the nature of the demand = training needs analysis to explore opportunities

•Entrepreneurial Skills Development / SMME Development & Business Management

•Community Action Plans

Training & Capacitation Needs

by Segment & Phase:

DURING THE CONCESSIONING – COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS IN

PARTNERSHIPS WITH TOURISM VENTURES

DURING THE CONCESSIONING – STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

Training Needs by Segment & Phase:

Community Associations as Partners / Owners

ROLES

• Co-Management of tourism

venture

• Monitoring performance of

tourism management

company

• Allocation & Management

of Income / Community

Development Funds

• Community / Tourism

Venture Liaison

AREAS OF CAPACITATION

i

- Basic business & management

principles and tourism sector

knowledge

- Contracting principles, KPIs,

M&E, negotiation skills &

principles

- Accounting Principles (income vs

profit, operational expenses etc)

- Development needs analysis,

reporting

- Information exchange & cultural

diversity management skills

- Association management and

good governance practices

PRE OPERATIONAL / OPERATIONAL PHASE

Training Needs by Segment & Phase:

Community Entrepreneurs

ROLES

• Supply of Products (fresh

fruit & veg, arts & crafts,

building materials, clothing,

etc)

• Supply of Services (tour

guiding, cultural groups,

transport, activities)

AREAS OF CAPACITATION

i

- Technical capacity building

specific to product / service

/ supply

- SME Development

- Access to credit, inputs,

materials

- Business Mentoring (pricing

/ costing, profit / loss)

- Product quality

management / Service

standards

- Contracting and Delivery

(obligations, rights etc)

- Basic Accounting

- Legal requirements /

obligations

PRE OPERATIONAL / OPERATIONAL PHASE

Training Needs by Segment & Phase:

Employment Pool

ROLES

• Construction Phase

(general labor/ skilled labor)

• Operational Phase

Service staff, support staff,

management positions

• On-going Training & Career

Advancement Programmes

AREAS OF CAPACITATION

i- Vocational capacity building

specific to employment area

- Legal requirements /

obligations under formal

contracts

- Tax obligations of formal

contract

- Labor rights and

responsibilities

- Health & Safety

- Cultural diversity & tourist

experience

PRE OPERATIONAL / OPERATIONAL PHASE

Examples of Innovative & Integrated Approaches

to Training, Linkages & Support

Programmes

• MDG-F Cultural Tours

Development

• TPRP Market Linkages

•Donor / Government / Professional

Training Providers / Tourism Operators /

Community Entrepreneurs / Associations

& Producers / NGOs

•Entrepreneurial Spirit cannot be learnt but it

can be fostered

•There is a role & value add for middle men

along the Value Chain

•Local Government must be capacitated to

understand & support exploration of

opportunities by community entrepreneurs

•Need to present sophisticated concepts in an

absorbable manner

Programmes / Projects Who and How

Some Lessons Learnt

Acknowledging & Integrating the Scope of Needs into the

Concessioning Process & Planning

Discussion Points

• Tourism awareness building

• Capacitation of Community Associations

• Entrepreneurial Awareness & Capacity Building

• Soft & Vocational Skills Development & Ongoing

Training Needs

• Required Studies, Assessments and Training

Needs Analysis

• Government

• Donors

• Concession based funds

• Community Development Funds

• Tourism Investors / Operators

• Reinvestments of returns by parks / investors

etc

• Scholarships / learnerships

•Government

•Donors

•NGO’s

•Community Brokers

•Tourism Investors / Operators

•Private Sector Service Providers

•Tourism awareness building

•Capacitation of Community Associations

•Entrepreneurial Awareness & Capacity Building

•Soft & Vocational Skills Development & Ongoing

Training Needs

•Required Studies, Assessments and Training Needs

Analysis

Who Should Be Responsible? Who Should Implement?

Who Should / How to Fund? Who Should / How to Monitor?

THANK YOU / OBRIGADA