The Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) and LEAD Conservation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, formalising a collaboration built on a simple premise: that two organisations with different strengths working together can do more for conservation than either could alone.
The SAWC brings deep institutional experience in conservation education, accreditation, and training delivery, along with an extensive network of parks and partner organisations across the region. LEAD brings focused expertise in developing instructors, leaders, and problem-solvers — the people whose quality determines the quality of everything that follows. The agreement recognises that these strengths are complementary, and that combining them accelerates both organisations’ ability to fulfill their strategic plans and create impact on the ground.
“We have enormous respect for what the SAWC has built and the role they play in the sector. This isn’t about doing more of the same together, it’s about listening to what is needed, being honest about where each of us adds the most value, and building something that is genuinely better for the parks and people we both serve.”
— Dominique Noome, Executive Director, LEAD Conservation
Theresa Sowry, CEO of the SAWC, reflected on what the partnership represents:
”By combining our respective strengths in education, operational capacity development, leadership, and collaborative learning, we can create greater and more sustainable conservation impact across Africa. This MoU reflects our belief that meaningful conservation outcomes are only possible through trusted partnerships, shared knowledge, and long-term investment in people.”
The collaboration spans four areas:
- Joint curriculum development and quality assurance;
- Training delivery and capacity building across conservation focusing on four pillars, namely operations, protected area management, community-led conservation, and leadership;
- Shared learning systems including monitoring and evaluation of outcomes and case study development; and
- Joint awareness raising through publications, events, and sector dialogue.
Both organisations are committed to approaches that are needs-driven and evidence-based, tracking the real difference made for the organisations and people on the receiving end. A joint coordination mechanism will oversee the work, with regular reviews to assess progress and adapt where needed.
The MoU takes effect immediately and runs for an initial period of five years. Both parties are open to pursuing joint funding opportunities to support shared initiatives as the partnership develops.
Read more about the SAWC’s new partnerships that reflect a shared commitment to advancing African conservation through strategic collaboration, innovation, and long-term capacity development in the upcoming issue of the Bateleur Newsletter.
About LEAD Conservation
LEAD Conservation is a non-profit specialising in the training of operational analysts, instructors, and leadership for the conservation sector. Its RangerPro and Insight training frameworks focus on quality of delivery, clear outcomes, and demonstrable impact in the field. Since 2017, LEAD has trained 799 individuals (including 400 ranger trainers) from 151 organisations across 39 countries in Africa and Asia.
