1. Safety Guidelines
Section 6 a
Skills and Competencies
1.0
The Organization shall have clearly defined skill sets and competencies which will facilitate smooth
and effective functioning to deliver program expectations while consistently minimizing risk in all its
operations
2.0
Guidelines
2.1
It is to be noted that the different competencies mentioned here will primarily serve to
2.1.1 Create awareness of the comprehensive skills required to execute the several roles that bear
responsibility towards maximizing the effectiveness of healthy and safe practices while retaining the
charm and benefits of adventure activities, and
2.1.2 Help Organizations and individuals to decide on directions of growth that will point at requisite
training inputs required, given the continuous thrust towards maximizing safety
Skills required can be classified into two broad categories
Technical skills
People skills
2.1.3 The areas of responsibilities which will require this set of multiple skills can be listed as follows:
Programme design (based on, say, terrain difficulty, participant profile, programmegoals, concepts like outdoor education, etc.)
Risk Management – across functional areas
Group leadership -- with clarity in roles like escorts, instructors and leaders
Equipment purchase -- maintenance and repair-discarding
Logistics – especially for organised programmes in remote areas
Communication – within Organisation, with programme participants & public, and
during critical incidents
Management & Administration -- including finance and legal aspects
Note:
1.
The following list of skills and competencies is adapted from the UIAA Model Training Standards
for Voluntary Leaders and Instructors – please note that this list is to be used only as a reference
list, ‘indicative’ of what is desirable and recommended.
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2. Safety Guidelines
2.
The following list of skills and competencies also take cognizance of three criteria that would be
relevant to forming a specific skill-set for a particular role:
i)
ii)
Experience
iii)
2.2
Qualification
Training
SKILLS
A.
Specific Activity Expertise
a.
Courses undertaken and evaluations from same (e.g. rock climbing, basic & advance
mountaineering, search-and-rescue, etc.)
b.
c.
Experience, primarily of personal trips and expeditions
d.
B.
Knowledge & Technique, including of equipment
Any noteworthy achievement or experience (e.g. awards, published material)
Mountain Environment
a
b.
Experience in practices in conservation and protection: socio-cultural-ecological
c.
C
Knowledge about geography and geology of Sahyadri, Himalaya, etc.
Experience in application of Leave No Trace Principles through appropriate practices
Weather
a.
b.
Comprehension of consequences of weather factors on various groups
c.
D
Basic understanding of weather in the Sahyadri, Himalaya, etc.
Ability of interpreting signs of changes in weather which might be of concern to group
Orientation & Navigation
a.
Familiarity with the Sahyadri, Himalaya, etc. terrain – ability to navigate in all kinds of
conditions, ability to estimate distances, ability to do micro-route-finding
b.
Familiarity with navigation techniques and equipment
Map reading and use of maps
Use of compass for route finding with the help of maps
Use of compass for organizing games relevant to diverse age groups and program
requirements
Use of map and compass for planning, preparation and realization of routes in Sahyadri
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3. Safety Guidelines
E
Risk Management in mountains
a.
Comprehensive grasp and approach to risk management practices; ability to execute
role as stated in Organization’s emergency response mechanism
b.
Ability to relate organization’s accepted field practices to organization’s core values as
well as program designs
c.
Knowledge and techniques needed to safeguard groups in camps and terrain outside
camps, taking into consideration objective hazards
F
Search & Rescue
a.
Knowledge of appropriate rescue equipment and other needs for proposed activity or
program
b.
Ability to independently take charge of emergency situations, deploy resources and
manage others
c.
Ability to administer first aid
d.
Ability to effectively use communication systems set up by one’s organisation for handling
emergency situations
G
Leadership
a.
Courses undertaken (leadership workshops, outdoor leadership)
b.
Has demonstrated high self awareness
c.
Ability and experience in leading teams and groups
d.
Flexibility of leadership styles
e.
Presentation skills, especially in the context of briefing for activities and programmes
f.
Organization and control of group
g.
Ability to adapt a program to suit different group profiles
h.
Grasp of and ability to balance diverse needs that can arise during operations
i.
Personal
traits
like
resilience,
resourcefulness,
assertiveness,
communication,
approachability
H
Teaching/instructing
a.
Courses undertaken (e.g. instructor training, teaching skills, coaching-mentoring)
b.
Knowledge of subject matter
c.
Knowledge and skill of teaching techniques
d.
Knowledge about and experience in having worked with different groups; this is especially
important for groups of children
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4. Safety Guidelines
e.
Ability to assess effectiveness of knowledge/skill being transmitted, and to be flexible in
one’s role to enhance effectiveness if necessary
f.
I
Knowledge and skill of evaluation for various purposes
Anatomy and physiology
a.
b.
Physical preparation required for an activity or program
c.
Diet considerations
d.
Physical fitness for an activity or program
e.
Tiredness and recuperation in the mountains
f.
Effects of weather
g.
J
Characteristics of proposed activity/program
Ability to prevent emergencies and to administer first aid when necessary
First Aid
a.
Status of first aid certification: whether it is a ‘wilderness first aid’ certificate and whether it
is current
b.
K.
Experience of having administered first aid in remote situations
Organizational and Managerial Skills
a.
Ability to plan, organize and implement things that go beyond the immediate task-level
demands
b.
c.
Ability to streamline individual efforts within teams
d.
L
Initiative in taking lead in organizing events
Alignment with organizational values, goals and culture
Legal Matters
a.
b.
Knowledge of rights of operations
c.
Knowledge of issues related to insurance
d.
2.3
Knowledge of responsibilities and legislations relevant to undertaken activity/project
Knowledge of legalities related to rescue operations
The following table mentions the skill sets required for a few key program varieties most often
undertaken by Organizations and individuals from Maharashtra.
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5. Safety Guidelines
To arrive at adequate skills sets for a variety of roles, the following table is to be used in conjunction
with a) the list of skills stated above, to choose one or more specific points listed under each skillhead, and b) content of the syllabi for a variety of adventure programmes mentioned elsewhere in
this Document.
Program
mes
Hike
in
Sahyadri
Hike
in
Himalaya
Basic
&
advance
Rock
Climbing
courses
In-charge
Leader / Instructor
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended).
Organisational
and
Managerial Skills.
Legal Matters.
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended).
Organisational
and
Managerial Skills.
Legal Matters.
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk Management in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First Aid (strongly
recommended).
Organisational and
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended.
Legal Matters.
Junior Leader /
Instructor
Specific Activity
Expertise.
Orientation &
Navigation.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and
physiology
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended).
Legal Matters.
Specific Activity
.Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation &
Navigation.
Leadership.
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended).
Specific Activity.
Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Leadership.
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6. Safety Guidelines
Program
mes
Adventur
e-based
camps
for
children
3.0
In-charge
Leader / Instructor
Junior Leader /
Instructor
Managerial Skills.
Legal Matters.
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended).
Organisational
and
Managerial Skills.
Legal Matters.
Specific Activity Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation & Navigation.
Risk
Management
in
mountains.
Search & Rescue.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Anatomy and physiology.
First
Aid
(strongly
recommended).
Legal Matters.
Specific
Activity
Expertise.
Mountain Environment.
Weather.
Orientation
&
Navigation.
Risk Management in
mountains.
Leadership.
Teaching/instructing.
Records for Verification
•
Competency Records of In-charge, Leader s/ Instructors, Junior Leaders/ Instructors
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