Description
Eco-counselling is mostly provided by NGOs. Environmental advising bureaus are distributed throughout the Czech Republic. Some of them are members of STEP which offers education, methodology and other services. This improves quality of provided eco-counselling services. In the project, STEP will improve eco-counselling in many services in the Czech Republic. The most important objectives of the project are sharing experiences and know-how among eco-counselling bureaus; improvement from more simple eco-counselling (basic information) to more complex services (management, procedural advice etc.); support eco-counsellors professionalism through education, methodological guidance etc. This project brings various benefits to each target group. Eco-counselling bureaus get new information, experience and new potential employees as well; students and unemployed will get new job opportunities, the public will get better and more professional eco-counselling services.
Summary of project results
The project has been focused on implementing and stabilizing ecocounselling in the Czech Republic. This has been achieved by building links and partnerships, educating and sharing know- how among ecocounsellors. With regard to various needs of ecocounselling offices and ecocounsellors, a number of implements have been created and educational events organized which reflected the needs of ecocounsellors through the thematic focus. Conceretely, there were two intensive educational one week courses for ecocounsellors – beginners and persons concerned inecocounselling. Those were focused on the methodology of ecocounselling and selected topics. At another event, a two day meeting of ecocounselling offices, the participants (experienced counsellors) met the deputies of the Ministry of the Environment, learned about new financial sources and the educational courses offered by the STEP, as well as tightened their mutual links. Two new implements were created in the project to simplify the ecocounselling activity: a detailed manual Ecocounselling – from Theory to Practice for Ecocounsellors and Ecocounselling Of ices intended primarily for beginning ecocounselling offices and ecocounsellors, and an electronical database of eco-counselling offices which can be used as an address list of organizations and which offers an easy search for the public. From the applicant ́s perspective, the project has been successful in creating links with new eco- counselling offices and eco¬counsellors, gaining new experts for this activity and building the brand STEP as a guarantee of quality service (education, methodology, etc.).
Summary of bilateral results