The
Interpretive Development Program is about professionalism.
The
Interpretive Development Program is a customized, outcome-based
employee development program. Conceived, reviewed, and refined
by over 300 field interpreters, this program enables an employee
and supervisor to tailor professional development efforts,
increase efficiency, and demonstrate interpretation at a national
standard. Grounded in "Ranger Careers," the Interpretive
Development Program identifies essential "Benchmark Competencies"
(knowledge, skills, and abilities) for every interpretive
ranger in Ranger Careers positions. However, the
program is widely applicable to all who do interpretive
work or manage resources.
Focus
is on developmental outcomes, not training courses
Training
decisions and resources are decentralized--the interpreter
and supervisor determine training needs and make informed
choices on developmental opportunities
The
program recognizes training as only the beginning of the
learning process
Continuous
learning occurs at all levels of the organization.
As
always, a learner may attend a given course covering a topic.
In addition, a learner may work with the supervisor to identify
and participate in any opportunity which supports meeting
an interpretive certification requirement: sources of learning
may be located ANYWHERE and could include peer or supervisory
coaching, mentoring, detail assignments, college or university
courses, correspondence courses, OJT, self study, IDP module-based
courses delivered locally or nationally.
These
competencies are the NPS national standards
for interpretation, and stand as a goal to foster interpretive
excellence nationwide in NPS areas, at every stage of an employee's
career.
The program
is designed to be dynamic, and it changes as feedback and
the growing professional needs of NPS interpreters require.
It is imperative when participating in the program that you
maintain your files with the most recent versions (available
on this site). Revisions and updates of the material are posted
to this site as they occur.
The interpretive
competencies described here are also pursuant to the "National
Strategy for Training and Development," which prescribes
competency development for all career fields within the National
Park Service.
Advantages
of the Program
Employee
and supervisor make decisions based on developmental needs.
The
objective is professionalism through certification, not
requiring the attendance of a training course.
Process
for peer review and certification are modeled after professional
education models, and are designed to enhance interpretive
effectiveness servicewide.
Supports
the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), and parallels
private sector strategies for successful personnel development
programs.
Parks
may use local recognized instructors to create customized
training to help employees prepare to demonstrate certification
standards.
New GS-025 Interpreters The
IDP should be the foundation for your training and skills
development – it empowers you to take responsibility
for your own development. Interpretive employees
hired into Ranger Careers positions after January 1, 1996,
should pursue the benchmark competencies to meet the national
standard for NPS interpretation. NPS Special Directive 94-3
prescribes successful completion of training before advancing
to the Full Performance level within the Ranger Careers program,
but parks and supervisors have the final say in how this developmental
strategy is applied. You need to work with your supervisor
to develop a learning plan that incorporates opportunities
to study the curriculum material and resources, identify learning
needs and ways to meet them. Upon successful certification in each module, an SF10-182
form should be completed by you and your supervisor and, along
with the confirmation letter from Mather, placed in your Official
Personnel Folder as documentation of your achievement.
Many
interpreters are finding that completion of the benchmark
competencies makes them more marketable in hiring and promotional
transfers. Participation in the IDP indicates to
peers and hiring officials that you are serious about professionalism
and hold yourself accountable for meeting and maintaining
standards of excellence in your interpretive work. The IDP
encourages life-long learning – so achieving the benchmark
competencies is a sign of a personal work ethic based on continuous
growth and improvement.
Experienced
Interpreters No
matter how long you’ve been an interpreter, the IDP
can help you get better at what you do. The
IDP promotes the idea of life-long learning. Freeman
Tilden said, “Interpretation is a voyage of discovery
in the field of human emotional and intellectual growth, and
it’s hard to foresee a time when an interpreter can
confidently say, ‘Now we are wholly adequate to our
task.’” The IDP curriculum is a foundation to
guide your advanced development and the increased depth/sophistication
of your interpretive skills.
The
IDP is a venue for you to participate and contribute “on
the cutting edge” to the growth of interpretation as
a profession. The IDP promotes professionalism.
It is based on the philosophy of Tilden, Mills, and other
early thinkers and writers. It is built on the evolutionary
body of work of our growing profession. Over 300 field interpreters
helped to identify the essential benchmark competencies from
the Ranger Careers position descriptions, develop the IDP
curriculum, and describe the corresponding NPS national standards
for interpretive work. Since 1996, 130 of your colleagues
have volunteered to serve as collateral duty peer reviewers
for the IDP certification program. In 2000, the National
Association for Interpretation adopted language from the
NPS national standard (core rubric) as its definition for
interpretation. In 2003, Stephen F. Austin University in Texas
will begin offering a Masters Degree in Resource Interpretation
– the first of its kind – based on the NPS benchmark
competencies.
The
IDP provides an opportunity to get valuable input and fresh
perspectives on your work, from peers outside your park.
The IDP promotes professional accountability. Since 1996,
NPS interpreters (from VUA’s to Regional Chiefs) have
submitted over 3,000 of their programs
and products for peer review. This is a giant leap forward
from using audience applause at the end of our programs as
personal justification for the effectiveness of our work.
Although much needs to be done in the emerging field of audience
research in order to verify the IDP concepts, the national
standards have taken us light-years ahead in terms of measuring
and articulating the potential interpretive effectiveness
of the work we do – for both personal and non-personal
services.
Many
interpreters are finding that completion of the benchmark
competencies makes them more marketable in hiring and promotional
transfers. The principles of sound interpretation
apply to all interpreters - including those who are “grandfathered”
(an incumbent in a permanent GS-025-05/07/09 position on 01/01/96).
The national standards are applicable and useful to everyone
who creates, delivers, plans or evaluates interpretation services.
Your participation in the peer review certification program
will indicate to peers and hiring officials that you are serious
about professionalism and hold yourself accountable for meeting
and maintaining standards of excellence in your interpretive
work.
Interpretive
Supervisors Supervisor
involvement is crucial to developing interpreters -- the IDP
provides you with standards, tools and resources. Supervisors
who are knowledgeable and can communicate about the IDP and
its resources have a solid foundation for guiding and focusing
the development of
effective interpreters. The IDP can help you provide analysis
of an interpreter’s performance, suggest strategies
for improvement, help the employee identify training and career
goals, and develop a learning plan that is mutually beneficial.
Supervisors
who understand and broadly apply the national standards will
enable more effective interpretive products and programming
in their parks. National standards can be used:
for employee self-assessment before any coaching takes
place;
as language in audit/coaching forms and discussions;
as language in performance standards;
to measure effectiveness of interpretive products;
to identify areas for employee development;
to identify skills in job candidates.
Law
Enforcement Rangers Interpretation
of the resource is identified as an essential skill for the
full performance (GS-09) level for NPS protection rangers.
The broadened protection responsibilities defined within Ranger
Careers call for competencies in public education efforts.
The Entry Level essential interpretive competencies are derived
from the benchmark position descriptions, and are recommended
for those performing protection duties. The Module
101 curriculum (Fulfilling the NPS Mission - The Process
of Interpretation) provides a strong foundation for anyone
who works with park visitors. Module
102 (Informal Visitor Contacts) and Module
103 (Interpretive Talk) also present foundational skills
-- certification in these competencies would meet Ranger Careers
requirements for competencies in resource education.
Park
Guides, Visitor Use Assistants, Volunteers, Interns/SCA’s,
Cooperating Association Employees, Park Partners and Others
Who Deliver NPS Interpretive and Information Services
Although the IDP, as an employee development program, was
designed primarily to support the GS-025 park ranger/interpreter
career ladder, components
of the IDP definitely apply to the interpretive services you
provide. The IDP curriculum is an excellent way
to learn about interpretation. The developmental activities
and resources can be used by anyone for self-directed learning,
and can be useful tools for developing training sessions.
Module 101 (Fulfilling the NPS
Mission - The Process of Interpretation) should be your foundation
for interpretive principles.
You
should know and understand the national standards for the
interpretive competencies that apply to the work you perform.
Module 102 (Informal Visitor
Contacts) and Module 103 (Interpretive
Talk) are useful skills for all who work with park audiences.
Other modules may apply to the specific type of work you perform
(i.e. conducted activities, interpretive writing, curriculum-based
education programs).
The
level of your participation in IDP training should be agreed upon with your supervisor and assigned
work should be grade appropriate. Voluntary participation
in the program to enhance skills for job advancement does
not guarantee advancement, but will likely make you more marketable
for interpretive jobs with the NPS and other agencies.
Park
Managers/Superintendents The
IDP provides standards for accountability and helps achieve
park goals for visitor experience and resource protection.
The IDP curriculum and national standards can be used:
to evaluate interpretive effectiveness of programs/media
and determine strengths and weaknesses;
to inform park planning and interpretive priorities;
as language to communicate about a park interpretive
program;
to identify potential leaders and supervisors who have
interpretive skills
to engage and inform discussions of park significance
and audience outreach
Education
Specialists The
IDP can be a powerful tool for your education staff.Module 101 (Fulfilling the NPS
Mission - The Process of Interpretation), Module
270 (Presenting Effective Curriculum-based Programs) and
Module 370 (Developing Curriculum-based
Programs and Services) provide the link between the powerful
informal learning principles of the IDP and your staff’s
knowledge of formal education principles and learning theories.
The resulting combination of skills will facilitate education
programs that are guaranteed to engage as well as instruct,
and maximize the opportunities for students to relate to and
remember what they learn.
Resource
Management Specialists/Researchers The
IDP can provide a useful foundation for collaboration with
interpreters and educators.Module
340 (Interpretive Research and Resource Liaison) instructs
interpreters about the research process and reinforces the
need to collaborate with researchers and resource managers.
A resource manager (natural or cultural) who is knowledgeable
about the interpretive principles in Module
101 (Fulfilling the NPS Mission - The Process of Interpretation)
and Module 340 can help interpreters effectively translate
research results and management data into interpretive programs
and products that engender long-term care for park resources.
Specifically,
the IDP can help you in your work in the following ways:
engender public support for resource management initiatives
through effective press releases, articles, presentations
and exhibits that you develop/present or that park interpreters
develop/present with your input
build powerful interpretation/education components into
your resource management plans, initiatives and funding
requests
Media
Specialists The
IDP provides a basis for evaluating the elements of interpretive
effectiveness in media products. The national standard
for assessing the interpretive elements of media can be applied
in the front-end, formative, and summative stages of planning
and development. It can be useful as a foundation for roundtable
discussions, evaluating the potential interpretive effectiveness
of proposed or existing park media, and defining interpretive
standards/goals for media contractors.
The
Module 311 (Media Development)
curriculum is a tool that informs and enhances the media planning
process. Although specifically designed for training
park interpreters to work on a media planning team or develop
in-house media products, Module 311 has broad application
for the media planning process. Along with Module
101 (Fulfilling the NPS Mission - The Process of Interpretation)
and Module 230 (Interpretive
Writing), Module 311 provides a common platform for NPS media
specialists, park interpreters, park partners and contractors
to discuss and articulate resource-specific interpretive goals
and desired outcomes. The ideas in this provocative module
continue to evolve with input from media specialists, and
represent the cutting edge of interpretive theory for media
development.
Interpretive Planners The
IDP reinforces the principles of goal-oriented interpretive
planning through effective group process. Module
101 (Fulfilling the NPS Mission - The Process of Interpretation)
and Module 310 (Planning Park
Interpretation) provide a foundation for training park interpreters,
and also for informing park partners and stakeholders, about
effective planning for meanings-based resource interpretation.
Module 310 emphasizes the importance of multiple perspectives
in the CIP/LRIP planning process in order to identify and
articulate a broad range of resource meanings, interpretive
themes and delivery venues to reach multiple audiences. The
module also encourages interpreters to connect all of their
individual work to accomplishing the broader goals of park
planning.
