OVERVIEW
U.S. Forest Service Volunteer Program (VP) coordinators manage the volunteer program, budget, and volunteers. The Forest Service is tasked with training Forest Service coordinators to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the processes and procedures required to properly oversee volunteers.
FOREST SERVICE’S NEEDS
Inconsistency in training standards and materials led to a lack of clarity around expectations and requirements for coordinators. The U.S. Forest Service VP used a variety of methods, which differed by region, to implement and conduct training for VP coordinators and partners. To provide uniformity, the Forest Service sought to implement the first-ever national service-level training curriculum for all new VP coordinators and partners and to update the 8-year-old Reference Guide. The Reference Guide serves as an evergreen resource for coordinators after their training is complete. It needed to be updated with current standards, laws, and directives to encourage ongoing use by the coordinators.
STRATEGY
The Schatz team created and implemented a comprehensive strategy to revise the existing Forest Service Reference Guide and create the new training curriculum. Because the curriculum would be coordinators’ initial exposure to the information covered in the Reference Guide, Schatz’s strategy began with updating the Reference Guide. Schatz updated the content, making it more relevant for everyday use by coordinators; enhanced the visual aesthetics; updated training topics; and augmented the digital accessibility and Section 508 compliance of the 8-year-old publication. The Schatz team developed a user survey, and the team analyzed the responses to determine the interest, usability, relevancy, and helpfulness of training topics and content in the existing Reference Guide. That information was then used to propose topics for inclusion in the newly updated Reference Guide. The new training curriculum was then developed on the basis of the updated Reference Guide information.
APPROACH
Schatz attended the annual Forest Service VP meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to share the survey results, propose a plan for updates, and moderate several roundtable discussions for additional feedback and considerations. The survey participants informed the creation of a roster of subject matter experts to evaluate, guide, and review training materials. Using this feedback, Schatz conducted followup research and developed the content for the Reference Guide. These efforts then led to the initial iteration of the national-level training curriculum. Schatz provided a learner’s guide, instructor’s guide, and ancillary presentation materials for the curriculum and editable versions for future revisions.
Once the materials were developed, Schatz conducted the initial beta-testing of the curriculum, guides, and associated content. Schatz led a 3-day course with many of the same VP coordinators that participated in the initial survey and subject matter expert discussions to determine the viability of the revisions and any final proposed changes. Schatz provided recommendations to the Forest Service regarding a roll-out plan for the launch of the materials and any subsequent updates to ensure the highest levels of program acceptance and adherence. The Reference Guide is structured for updates every 2 years so that the information remains relevant.
RESULTS
After a successful testing phase, the course was approved as the first official Department of the Interior training course for Forest Service Volunteer Coordinators.
