STINAPA - MANAGEMENT

The Foundation is managed by the Management Team:
The STINAPA Managing Director, the Manager of the Bonaire National Marine Park, the Manager of the Washington Slagbaai National Park, the Nature Environment Education Coordinator, the Manager of the Natural and Historic Resources Unit , the Accounting Manager, and the Communications Officer.

An Administrative Assistant, an Interior Maintenance Person and one All-Around Person support the foundation administration. Each park has its own Rangers.

The Management Team concept was introduced in 2003 when the foundation hired a Managing Director for the first time. The Managing Director represents the Board of Directors on the work-floor and presides over the Management Team’s weekly meetings. These meetings are to keep the members informed about the activities in each unit and to reach consensus on strategic and tactical decisions.

Any policy-related suggestion is presented to the Board of Directors for approval.

A general meeting is held once a month to keep all employees informed about the activities of the Foundation. Management Team members report to their colleagues about what is happening at the executive level. Other employees react to happenings in their areas and bring forward questions, concerns or suggestions.

The Board of Directors is kept informed through the minutes of the Management Team meetings and the minutes of the general meetings.

-

Understanding Park Management

The following generic information about park management, park management organization and park management work is provided below to assist in understanding STINAPA in the context of its park management program, its organization, and the work that it performed during the years.

The scope and quality of park management depend on the resources available to the park management organization. If resources are unavailable or are restricted, the park management organization's capacity to perform its work is limited. The key resources that enable a park management organization to perform its work are as follows:

• Financial resources (income)
• Human resources (staffing)
• Physical resources (equipment)
• Information resources

As described in the Trust Fund Study (Feasibility Study of a Protected Areas Trust Fund: sustainable funding for the Nature Parks of the Netherlands Antilles, February 2005 http://www.dcnanature.org/donations/trustfund.html) and elsewhere, categories of park management work have been quite clearly defined. They are:

• Administration (management, office and field)
• Monitoring and research
• Law enforcement
• Information, education and outreach
• Travel and training

Financial resources
Income for park management can come from a variety of sources such as government subsidies, admission fees, fees for service, grants, donations and revenues from franchises. Frequently, park management organizations in the Dutch Caribbean have difficulty accessing sufficient income for their operations because many organizations are ineligible for most international aid funds and for funds from many domestic sources. Yet, sufficient income is required for day to day park management as well as to address issues and threats that could arise and adversely affect a park. In addition, the income must be recurring to ensure the park management organization's continuing operation.

Human resources
A park management organization that is considered to be fully staffed has at least a manager and an assistant manager and/or a chief ranger for each park, 4 or more rangers whose responsibilities cover all parks, an education officer and an administrator. It may also have staff dedicated to specific projects and available to address issues or threats that could adversely affect a park. In cases where a park management organization have oversight of both terrestrial and marine parks, it may have a director that oversees the management of both parks, carries out lobbying activities, raises funds and serves as the organization's representative . These director duties are authorized by the organization's board of directors. Parks management organizations also may have active or passive volunteer programs, use interns, trainees and consultants.

Physical resources
A park management organization must have the necessary tools and equipment to carry out its duties. These tools, equipment and infrastructure must include such items as actual offices, and workshops, communication facilities (computers, telephones and internet), transportation capabilities (boats and trucks) and equipment and tools for park maintenance, scientific and field work. Further, a park, itself, must have the necessary infrastructure to operate.

Information resources
A park management organization must have the ability to access essential information relating to the park it manages such as maps (terrestrial and bathymetric), tide and current data, species lists and management plans.