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

The changing economic and political climate

The Ranger Review, led by SNH, took place throughout 2007 and a new national Policy was published in early summer 2008. This has resulted in a great deal of consideration and thought being given to benefits arising from Ranger activities and the need for national consistency in their work.

A new Scottish Government in May 2007 brought the announcement in December, that from April 2009, Scottish Natural Heritage will no longer provide ring fenced funds for Local Authority Ranger Services. The funding is now distributed via a standard core settlement formula, not on historical spend of SNH grant, resulting in a drop in funding to some Local Authorities and an increase in others. It will be for the Local Authorities and community planning partners to allocate these funds to priorities identified in Single Outcome Agreements.

Rangers working for other government agencies or National Park will also be expected to contribute to the delivery of National Outcomes. Grants or concordat agreements for private or Trust Services will be dependant on meeting National Policy outcomes. Rangers work is therefore shaped in the following way:

Setting professional standards 

In these challenging times when there will be increased competition for a reduced pot of money, it is important that services can demonstrate that they are delivering against Government or other funding agency priorities. It follows that Services need to be equipped to do so in a consistent and professional manner.

Rangers have always delivered work to a high standard across Scotland; however there has never been an established set of standards and competencies that all Rangers can work to along with a mechanism for measuring achievement against funder priorities. The Ranger Professional Development Journey (see The Journey) is a process of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) underpinned by standards and competencies. By embarking on the Journey, Rangers can for the first time prove their professionalism through achieving a set of competency milestones leading to a Scottish Ranger Award. Further development can also be taken through working through management competencies (CPD+) – see The Journey continues