This module will develop your skills required to effectively enhance your prospects in the rural management employment market. Methods of data gathering and analysis and statistics required for ecological research will be developed along with the ethical implications of undertaking research. At the end you will have the ability to market yourself to prospective employers. In addition you will develop a detailed plan for your level 3 research project. The project will show synergy with your career aspirations.

Communication is key to being successful in countryside management. Because of the nature of the industry countryside managers have to be able to communicate on a regular basis to a broader range of audiences than many other managers. They are expected to put in funding bids, deal with government agencies and communicate at a technical level with their peers. They are likely to have employees working under them but also volunteers. The general public will need to be at times informed, sometimes educated and in many cases pacified. Talks to groups can range from adults through to youth groups and to school children. With school children the level will be linked to the requirement of the national curriculum at the relevant key stage. Consultation is a common skill required by countryside managers both responding to others and initiation of their own. All types of communication will be developed during this module.

A personal development portfolio containing a research proposal weighted at 50%
A teachers pack and oral presentation weighted at 50%

Portfolio weighted at 50% 3,000 word count (LO 1-4)
Teachers pack 2,000 word count and presentation weighted at 50% (LO 5-7)

Formative assessment will take the form of tutor review of portfolio, teachers pack and project plan prior to final submission.

The module will be delivered through 40 hours of lectures and seminars and with an additional 2 hours tutorial time. The remaining independent study time should be split 158 hrs reading and research, 100 hours assessment preparation.

Betts P.W. (2000) Supervisory Management, Pitman publishing
Mandel, S. (1993) Effective Presentation Skills. Crisp Publications Inc
Cole, G.A. (2000) Organisational Behaviour. Thomson Learning
Cooper G. (1998) Outdoors with Young People. Russell House Barnard, C. et al (2007). Asking Questions in Biology: A Guide to Hypothesis Testing, Experimental Design and Presentation in Practical Work and Research Projects. 3rd Ed. Benjamin Cummings.
Dytham, C. (2003). Choosing and Using Statistics: A Biologist's Guide. 2nd Ed. Blackwell Science Ltd.
Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research. A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers. 2nd Ed. Blackwell Publishing.
Sutherland, W.J. (2006). Ecological Census Techniques. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press.
Swetnam, P. (2000). Writing your Dissertation: the Bestselling Guide to Planning, Preparing and Presenting FIrst Class Work. How to Books Ltd.

Careers and employer literature
Access web materials by the careers service via Staffordshire web server
Statistics for the Terrified software
Internet access
Library
Access to desktop publishing software