GUIDELINES FOR THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF PERSONNEL IN METEOROLOGY AND OPERATIONAL HYDROLOGY
4.1
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
A Hydrological Technician generally holds a qualification such as a high-school diploma based on 12 or more years of formal education, specialized formal training in a technical field related to hydrology and relevant experience. The Hydrological Technician is expected to master increasingly sophisticated laboratory instruments and office equipment, deal with the increasing scientific character of daily problems and also take on the role of an instructor to more junior technicians (see Maniak, 1989). Instruction and training needs for Hydrological Technicians differ from those of Hydrologists in several respects. Perhaps the most important difference is that whereas Hydrologists tend to have relatively similar educational and experiential backgrounds, even at a global scale, the educational backgrounds and practical experience of Hydrological Technicians can be quite diverse, not only at the global scale but also at the national or regional scale. Despite this diversity of backgrounds, Hydrological Technicians are often expected to work as members of a team in support of initiatives and projects led by Hydrologists. In addition, Hydrological Technicians are often expected to provide continuous knowledge transfer and training to junior technicians through on-the-job training. The support activity provided by the Hydrological Technician is closely tied to rapidly changing technology, both in the office and in the field, which puts a premium on the ability for lifelong learning and continuing education. Education and training of Hydrological Technicians must focus on the technician’s need to put a premium value on accuracy and to interface with the public on data accessibility and acquisition. The continuously accelerating pace of technological change, especially as it affects field instrumentation and communication, and the progressive shift from mechanical to electronic data systems, heightens the need for effective and responsive education and training of Hydrological Technicians. In his IHP-IV report on education systems, Bruen (1993) points out that the education and training for Hydrological Technicians can take many different forms, reflecting the nature of the discipline and its environment. These forms include training in the workplace (coaching and counselling, on-the-job training, job exchange and secondment, joint exercises, in-house workshops); and training outside the workplace (special courses, refresher or continuing education courses, part-time continuous courses, full-time continuous courses of short and long duration). The primary focus of this Chapter is on full-time continuous courses; Chapter 5 addresses issues of continuing education and training (CET). It is of course understood that validation and accreditation based on quality assurance and assessment, as discussed in Appendix 2, also apply to the basic instruction for Hydrological Technicians.
4.2
BASIC INSTRUCTION PACKAGE FOR HYDROLOGICAL TECHNICIANS
The following table presents possible training programmes for Hydrological Technicians in the fields of instrumentation and measurement technology (IMT) and information and communications technology (ICT).
4.3
DESCRIPTION OF BIP-HT TOPICAL UNITS
The topical units are introduced here for both branches of specialization presented in table 4.1. The branches differ in the degree of depth in which the topical units are covered.
Basic subjects Introduction to hydrologic processes
32
Learning objectives: To introduce participants to the basic concepts of hydrology, the establishment of water balances and the appropriate technical terminology. Syllabus: Terminology, hydrologic cycle and water balance, catchment and its geomorphological characteristics; hydrological processes and their interaction: precipitation, interception, evapotranspiration, surface runoff formation, infiltration, groundwater flow; hydrological regimes.