Show Ranger Manual Explanation

The Journey depicts the Professional Development process the Ranger follows from day 1 in the job to fully established Ranger and Ranger manager. The Journey is illustrated in the diagram as the journey water makes from source (new start Ranger) to the sea (fully established ranger). The journey the Ranger makes is ‘influenced’ by a number a factors before and during the trip towards the sea and the process is cyclical representing the feedback loops of the process.

Close Explanation

Planning the journey

The success of any journey relies on good planning. Some key questions need to be dealt with such as ‘Where do we start?’ ‘What route do we take?’ ‘Where do we want to get to?’ ‘Where do we go to for help?’

A good place to start is at the start of the Rangers career. At this stage we assume that the Service has been assessed against the Rangers role and the Specialist competencies of relevance have been selected – see Assessing the Service

A new start Ranger will undergo a period of induction to enable them to understand their role and the organisations objectives.

Carry out Induction

A good induction programme contains the following elements:

  • Orientation (physical) - describing where the facilities are
  • Orientation (organisational) - showing how the employee fits into the team and how their role fits with the organisation’s strategy and goals
  • Health and safety information - this is a legal requirement
  • Explanation of terms and conditions
  • Details of the organisation's history, its products and services, its culture and values
  • A clear outline of the job/role requirements.

The length and nature of induction will depend on the complexity of the job and the background of the new employee. 

We suggest that the new induction process should comprise a checklist with pointers to where additional information can be obtained. This will allow Services to tailor their Induction to suit the new entrants and the Service and organisational demands. An Induction Checklist can be viewed here

A key element of induction will be the assessment of the new entrant against the Generic and Specialist competencies. This will allow the manager and Ranger to agree what training and development is required and whether the Ranger needs to attend the Foundation Training Course – see Getting equipped for the journey

The assessment will work through the competency elements to identify gaps. A sample of Specialist and Generic competencies are shown below. Proof of skill in the Specialist competency can be shown through practical qualifications or references from previous employers. Generic competencies are more ‘behavioural’ in nature and may need more time in employment to be assessed. Established Rangers can be ‘accredited’ for their level of skills through this same process. It may simply be a matter of gathering evidence that they have met the listed Generic and Specialist competencies and submitting their CPD Summary for assessment. See The Journey

 

Specialist Competency
Habitat management
Element EC2.1 Collect and record data on the natural environment
Element EC2.2 Report on the condition of the natural environment
Element CU87.1 Maintain suitable site conditions
Element CU87.1 Maintain suitable site conditions
Generic Competency
Work with other people
Respect others backgrounds, views and approaches
Show commitment to the organisations values
Be sensitive to the needs of others and willingly offer support
Share credit and take responsibility for own work

A full list of Generic competencies can be seen here
A full list of Specialist competencies can be seen here

Plan CPD

Once a new start Ranger has been assessed against the Generic and Specialist competencies, a series of learning and development needs will become apparent. These will contribute to the formation of the CPD Plan.

A CPD Plan is a step-by-step framework for you to:

  • List the main areas of work you do now
  • Note you longer term aspirations for the future
  • Identify goals you want to achieve in the next few years – where you want to get to
  • Define what you need to achieve your goals
  • Determine which specific activities will meet your needs

Each CPD Plan will be different because no two individuals will do exactly the same job or have the same aspirations, abilities, opportunities, learning styles or needs.

More detail of the CPD process is covered in the Journey


Mentor support

There are times on any journey when you need help or assistance. Before embarking on the Journey it is suggested that you identify a ‘mentor’ – a person who you can go to for help if needed. A mentor can be another member of the team, your manager or another Ranger from elsewhere in Scotland.

A key part of the Journey is undertaking Mentor training – so that the pool of mentors in Scotland continues to increase.