Interpretation and Education Renaissance Workshop

Greater Washington National Parks
Interpretation and Education Renaissance Workshop
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts



Session III: Partnering with the Regional Partnership Office
March 6, 2007
2:30 to 3:30 pm














J. Glenn Eugster
Assistant Regional Director for Partnerships
National Park Service, National Capital Region


























I. Presentation Purpose and Anticipated Results

Discussion of needs from the parks and ways the Regional Office can help. At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain how the Partnerships Office can help park managers and staff help themselves successfully use partnerships.

2. Explain their partnership needs to the Assistant Regional Director for Partnerships

3. Share ways to work together


II. NCR Office of Partnerships

On July 23, 2002 Regional Director Carlstrom wrote a memo to the field that indicated:

“The National Capital Region Partnership Office was created in March 2000 in order “to find ways to use partnerships to help National Park Service Park and program managers, and community leaders meet National, State and local goals and objectives within the Potomac River watershed and metropolitan Washington region”.

The location of the Partnership Office is intended to demonstrate the importance of ongoing partnering and fundraising efforts. This change does not include the consolidation of existing regional partnership, volunteer, and outdoor recreation activities or the addition of new staff. It does, however, reinforce NCR’s strategy and commitment to use partnerships to support park, State, community and volunteer initiatives through the integration of programs, projects, and activities at regional and park levels.

NCR leadership believes that voluntary partnerships--both projects and long-term relationships, can be a key approach to dealing with issues and opportunities that cut across park, program, policy and technical lines, and across the landscapes we work in”.



III. Partnership Defined:

Actually partnership comes from the Romans. Partnership in Latin is “Consortio” or “Societas”, and it means “to enter into with a person”. Partner in Latin is “Socius”, “Particeps” or “Consors” and it means “in marriage”.

But what do the Greeks say, you ask? The Greek word for partnership means “bond, collaboration, go into”. The Greek word for partner means “companion, dance, cards, game”. Greeks enjoy life a little bit more than the rest of us, right?

So what did we do to this fairly simple word here in NPS?

Former Director Mainella sent out a letter to all NPS employees in mid-September 2002 about partnerships. The letter was the collective product of the work of the NPS Partnerships Council. In that letter, she—and the Council, defined partnerships as:

“voluntary relationships that advance our respective missions by doing work collaboratively."

Fran also wrote, “In practice, we create partnerships to improve or sustain resource conditions; to improve service to communities; to increase efficiency among park and recreation systems at every level; to make our park, open space, historic place and outdoor recreation network accessible to all; to supplement funding appropriated by Congress; to share technical information and expertise with public and private land managers; and to communicate to the American public and our visitors how the extensive system parks and conservation areas improve the quality of life”.

Fran went further to write, “I have told managers throughout the National Park Service that the number and circles of friends working with us should expand. By doing so, several important results will accrue:

Improve Effectiveness: Partners will be better able to achieve their mission by working with other organizations and agencies to solve problems, share ideas, pool resources, and share responsibilities.

Increase Efficiency: Partnerships can help share information and intentions to reduce the time needed to implement critical plans, lower execution costs, and reduce expected resistance by affected stakeholders.

Gain Access to a Larger Resource Base: Working through partnerships gives each organization expanded access to resources of other partner organizations.

Increase Predictability: Partnerships help avoid surprises and disputes that delay core operations or lead to litigation.

Increase Public Support: When partnerships expand participation, the process and the partners tend to have more credibility with the public.

Improve Employee Morale and Public Attitudes: Partnerships can enhance skills and morale of all participants, thus improving the performance of individuals, groups and agencies”.



IV. Greater Washington National Parks Partnerships Office Activities

Advocacy for:
parks
regional program offices
partners

Staff to the Greater Washington National Parks Fund, Park Fund Council for:
the 34 NCR donation and fundraising accounts
guidance on fundraising and donations
Greater Washington National Parks product development

Technical assistance to park and regional program staff, and partners, on a request basis, for:
strategies
friends-raising
non-NPS public and private funding
donations

Manager for:
donations to the Cherry Tree Replacement Fund and Tree and Shrub Replacement Fund
the Metropolitan Washington Green Infrastructure Demonstration Project
the Greater Washington National Parks Healthy Parks-Healthy Living/ Trails Forever initiative with Unilever
Student Conservation Association-Unilever intern

Coordinator for NCR for most matters of the National Park Centennial Challenge


V. Interpretation and Education Needs

What are your partnership needs?


VI. What ways can we work together?

What is working now?

What would you like to see done in the future?


VII. For more information contact:

J. Glenn Eugster
Assistant Regional Director,
Partnerships Office
National Park Service
National Capital Region
1100 Ohio Drive, SW, Room 350
Washington, DC 20242
(202)619-7492 phone
(202)619-7220 fax
E-mail: glenn_eugster@nps.gov