Learning to Burn: A Case Study on the Redesign of Federal Prescribed Fire Training in the United States Using the Twelve Levers of Transfer Effectiveness

Abstract

Lack of effectively trained personnel is a barrier to increasing safe and effective prescribed burning. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) identified a need to redesign the required training to become a federally qualified burn boss. The redesign uses strengths of subject matter experts while considering best practices for training development and delivery using the twelve levers of transfer effectiveness as a framework. This article serves as a reference for developing and delivering courses in and outside of wildland fire by applying the most up-to-date understanding of adult learning for improved training effectiveness. The ideas presented in this article support continued development of practitioners to accomplish land management objectives.

Study Implications: Strategic development and implementation of burn boss training may increase the likelihood that burn bosses can safely and effectively implement prescribed burns. This article presents a case study for applying key adult learning methods to improve training effectiveness that can be applied to other training topics in and outside wildland fire management.

Over a century of fire suppression in the United States has led to an unnatural build-up of fuels across many states contributing to increased adverse impacts from wildfires (Parsons and DeBenedetti 1979; Roos et al. 2020). Scientists and land managers argue that more prescribed fire is needed to restore ecosystem health and reduce impacts of wildfires (unplanned ignitions) on natural and human resources in the United States (Kolden 2019; Varner et al. 2021). Prescribed fire is a wildland fire originating from a planned ignition in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific objectives (National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2024). Lack of trained personnel taking on the role of a “burn boss” is a barrier to increasing prescribed fire (Kobziar et al. 2015; Quinn-Davidson and Varner 2012). A burn boss is responsible for planning and implementing prescribed burns. Two critical contributors to the lack of burn bosses are retirements without replacing personnel and insufficient training mechanisms to build the number of personnel capable of responding to the increasingly demanding conditions of conducting prescribed burns (Black, Hayes, and Strickland 2020). Developing national interagency prescribed fire burn boss training for federal agencies in the United States is a responsibility of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG; National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2023). In 2021, NWCG prioritized redesigning the burn boss training as part of a program called the Incident Performance and Training Modernization, which is an effort to redesign all NWCG courses to align with updated duties and responsibilities of a fireline position. The burn boss position was one of the first positions to go through this process, due in part to recent prescribed fires that led to undesirable outcomes and feedback that the current training did not meet the needs of prescribed fire practitioners (Black, Hayes, and Strickland 2020; US Fish and Wildlife Service 2015; USDA Forest Service 2022; Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center 2013).

One key challenge in redesigning NWCG courses is reliance on subject matter experts (SMEs) for course development. SMEs are managers or scientists identified as expert practitioners by their peers or supervisors based on their qualifications and experience. Although some SMEs have training delivery identified as part of their established job responsibilities, other SMEs may have limited time to prepare and deliver training, either because training is not an official part of their job duties or due to heavy workloads. Additionally, SMEs may have little formal or informal instruction in training design and delivery, which can lead to ineffective training (Black, Hayes, and Strickland 2020; Williams 2001). To leverage the strengths of an SME as a trainer, SMEs need to be provided with a strategically designed course that considers best practices in learning and development and includes resources and instruction on how to implement the course (Martin and Hrivnak 2009).

The learning and development (L&D) field holds potential to provide insight into improving NWCG training. L&D is the study and practice of building a person’s skills, knowledge, and competencies, resulting in improved work performance (Academy to Innovative HR, n.d.). Part of the L&D process is known as training transfer, which refers to turning training into action by influencing the trainee, training, and workplace (Baldwin and Ford 1988). For decades, L&D researchers and practitioners worked to identify what enables training to transfer, or in other words, what makes training effective at changing the trainee’s behavior. Weinbaur-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderbach (2018) distill the literature on training transfer into twelve levers of transfer effectiveness that trainers can use to improve training transfer (figure 1). The framework groups twelve levers into three categories: the trainee (transfer motivation, self-efficacy, and transfer volition), training design (clarity of expectations, content relevance, active practice, and transfer planning), and the organization (application opportunities, personal transfer capacity, support from supervisors, support from peers, and transfer expectations in the organization).

This article summarizes how each of the twelve levers of transfer effectiveness informed the design of the NWCG federal burn boss training. Improved training effectiveness in prescribed fire helps meet the need for additional qualified personnel. Additional personnel are needed to increase the pace and scale of prescribed fire and its subsequent positive impacts, as well as decrease the negative impacts of wildfire (Fernandes and Botelho 2003; Kobziar et al. 2015; Quinn-Davidson and Varner 2012; Varner et al. 2021)

This article demonstrates how academic advancements in andragogy and L&D concepts can be applied to wildland fire training and any other professional development where people are expected to perform at a high level, such as timber cruising, National Environmental Planning Act (NEPA) preparation, and contract administration. Introducing the twelve levers of transfer effectiveness and providing examples from a recently revised, widely used wildland fire management training is intended to build broader awareness and use of science-based training practices for professional development across a wide range of natural resource management training paradigms. Any individual or group taking part in training development and delivery can use this case study to begin to evaluate and adjust their own training to increase the likelihood that the training will achieve the desired results. This article establishes a foundation for future evaluation of the effectiveness of the training levers in the burn boss training and leverages the results reported by the supporting literature where the levers have already been evaluated.

Curriculum Development Process

NWCG hired the lead author (HH) of this article to work with the Fuels Management Committee and many subject matter experts to redevelop RX-301 Prescribed Fire Implementation and RX-341 Prescribed Fire Plan Preparation, courses required by many federal and state employers to be qualified as a burn boss. The first redesign step was to establish burn boss duties and responsibilities and identify the most appropriate method for teaching the concepts. As part of NWCG’s incident performance modernization process, some concepts were identified as best learned on the job rather than in the classroom and were not as heavily emphasized in the training, which included some aspects of burn plan implementation. Objectives were developed for each duty and responsibility identified as requiring training and were organized into related topics and categorized into course units. The recommendation was made to recombine RX-301 and RX-341 back into one course called RX-300 Prescribed Fire Burn Boss. The original purpose of splitting RX-300 was to ensure that adequate time was given to prescribed fire planning. There were three primary reasons for recombining the courses: (1) some implementation concepts moved to on-the-job training supported by job aids, reducing the time needed to cover the concepts in-class; (2) the development of precourse work reduces time required in the classroom to learn how to use fire modeling programs; and (3) many groups teaching the class were already combining the two courses with inconsistent results between offerings and, at times, more of an emphasis on implementation rather than planning. The RX-300 course comprises 24 hours of precourse work and 40 hours of live instruction with built-in exercises (Table 1). The course design was guided by Gagné’s nine events of instruction to increase learner engagement (Gagné 1965) and by the twelve levers of transfer effectiveness to increase the likelihood that training will turn into action (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018).

The following section details the levers of transfer effectiveness and how each was considered in redesigning the burn boss training. It also discusses whether the lever was covered in a required or recommended portion of the course, the intended impact of the technique on training transfer, and how revised course components compare with the previous version of the material. This is not to say that the previous version of the material did not include any of these practices, only to draw attention to the ways that each lever is addressed in the current version of the burn boss training material. There are a variety of ways to leverage each concept; trainers can use the strategies outlined here or can take the concepts described and design strategies that will work for their own training.

Levers for Trainees

Training effectiveness is influenced by a trainee’s motivation, self-efficacy, and transfer volition. Strategic trainee selection and intentional course development and delivery can influence levers specific to the trainees.

Transfer Motivation: The Desire to Implement What Has Been Learned

Research and experience confirm that motivation drives how much people implement what they learn (Blume et al. 2010; Pham and Le 2019). When a personal desire enhances a decision to attend and apply training, trainees are more motivated to implement what they learn. A range of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations increase training transfer; however, transfer diminishes quickly in extrinsic motivation when a reward is no longer offered (Ryan and Deci 2000; Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018) (figure 2). Although not a guarantee, transfer motivation plays an important role in transfer success (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018).

Motivations to take RX-300 generally fall into three areas: qualify for higher pay (controlled motivation), eligibility for a more advanced position (autonomous extrinsic motivation), and/or to improve the landscape through prescribed fire (intrinsic motivation) (figure 2) (Nease 2000). Higher motivational quality can lead to better performance and personal well-being. Motivation may increase during a course by openly addressing factors that decrease trainees’ motivation, such as increased responsibility and liability (North et al. 2015; Weir et al. 2019). Trainees must also believe they can perform the job (self-efficacy) and want to perform it. In response to these considerations, RX-300 includes additional time for open discussion between trainees and experienced individuals teaching and facilitating the course (hereafter referred to as the cadre). Hearing how others successfully navigate their role as a burn boss and the gratification they receive from that experience increases the chances that trainees will be motivated to retain course material and pursue their burn boss qualification. Selecting inspiring cadre members is critical to influencing this lever of training effectiveness.

Self-Efficacy: The Extent to Which Someone Is Convinced They Can Master Acquired Skills in Practice

Belief in one’s ability, known as self-efficacy, can play a principal role in motivation to learn (Colquitt, LePine, and Noe 2000). Well-implemented training can build self-efficacy by allowing trainees to experience success based on their actions or actions of someone they can relate to (Bandura 1997; Bandura and Walters 1977). To increase trainees’ self-efficacy, the RX-300 precourse work, in-class exercises, and final course project incorporate exercises that allow trainees to practice skills they are likely to use as a burn boss. During precourse work, trainees learn to operate fire modeling programs required to generate and evaluate the written plan used to detail the conditions and considerations for the burn (called a burn plan). Throughout the course, trainees evaluate and improve a burn plan with guidance and feedback from the cadre. The final project requires trainees to synthesize and justify their evaluation of and improvements to their burn plan. In the previous version of the material, students worked to build a burn plan from scratch that often left them with a suboptimal product and without the skills needed to evaluate existing work, which is more often the task required when writing and revising a burn plan. By incrementally building self-efficacy and practicing in a safe and supportive environment, trainees build confidence in their abilities and become aware of their knowledge gaps.

During presentations and group discussions, cadre are encouraged to share personal experiences directly related to the content. Demonstrations and directed cadre storytelling expose trainees to experiences and lessons learned, building their self-efficacy. Additionally, working collaboratively with the cadre and peers during lessons and exercises can help build a sense of community and resource sharing to further expand their belief that they can perform as a burn boss. The course has always relied on a robust cadre, but the revised course increases its involvement by assigning cadre members as coaches for small groups of students rather than having loosely defined roles and expectations.

Transfer Volition: Trainees’ Ability and Willingness to Dedicate their Attention and Energy to the Implementation of the Transfer Plan, Even When There Are Obstacles and Difficulties

Volition is the willpower to push toward goals when motivation wanes, often called grit, and can be a significant predictor of success in life (Duckworth 2018). Setting clear and rigorous goals or transfer plans helps to achieve the desired training outcomes (Locke and Latham 2002) partly because goals provide something concrete to work toward. Although changing volition is beyond the scope of most training, trainees are more prepared to boost their volition over time when training includes discussion on what to expect and how to overcome obstacles learners will face when they implement the training.

To foster development of transfer volition, trainees are prompted to set goals at three main points: precourse work, daily reflections, and closeout. Individual goal setting includes short-term and long-term goals for applying course material and prompts trainees to identify their learning goals. It encourages them to continue working toward these goals during challenging times, thus increasing individual volition and motivation.

The Levers for Training Design

Training effectiveness is influenced by clarity of expectations, content relevance, active practice, and transfer planning in a course. These levers can be affected by strategically designed course material and the cadre’s ability to deliver the material as intended.

Clarity of Expectations: The Extent to Which Trainees Already Know Before the Training What They Can Expect Before, during, and After the Training

Trainees are more likely to achieve clearly stated learning outcomes that are connected to specific results when they understand what is expected of them before, during, and after the course (Denkinger et al. 2021). It is also important for trainees to believe the learning outcomes will be covered during the course. If trainees have not experienced results from past training, they are less likely to believe they will achieve results from future training, undermining the likelihood that training will be effective (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). Trainees in this course will have gone through numerous trainings before engaging in the RX-300 course and may have preconceptions and prejudices based on prior experiences. Openly addressing these preconceptions at the beginning of the course can be effective in setting a tone for success.

Course expectations are created by providing trainees and cadre members with clear and concise information about the purpose of each course element and how elements fit together to meet course objectives. Whereas the previous version of the material contained some instructions for delivering materials, the revision includes training videos and detailed directions to accompany course materials that guide the cadre. It is recommended to have the cadre members list what attitudes, knowledge, and skills they hope trainees will obtain by the end of the course. By doing so, the cadre will more confidently teach the material as intended rather than reverting to what they taught previously, and the trainees are more likely to notice when course material is moving them toward the stated goal.

RX-300 is designed to help trainees focus on course content rather than interpreting unclear expectations and searching for ways to make the content applicable. In contrast, the original course had many areas with repetitive (e.g., preburn considerations) or incomplete (e.g., gathering information on the weather) content. There was also an inconsistent course structure lacking individual goal setting or opportunities to check in with trainees to determine progress towards goals and ways to overcome barriers.

Content Relevance: The Extent to Which Trainees Experience the Training Content as Well Matched with the Tasks and Requirements of Their Work

Relevant training is developed by identifying training needs (Bartram and Gibson 1994) and connecting those needs to the content. Three techniques have been shown to improve content relevance: (1) problem-based learning is an instructional method where trainees use problem-solving, often in group work, to learn the desired concepts and practice critical thinking (Hmelo-Silver 2004); (2) self-reference is a process that connects material to concepts the learner is already familiar with (Hartlep and Forsyth 2000); and (3) personification makes abstract or large-scale concepts relatable through specific stories or examples (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018).

In RX-300, ensuring content relevance involved developing objectives based directly on the duties and responsibilities of a burn boss, whereas the prior version of the training was only indirectly based on them. Clearly articulating the connections between duties and responsibilities, unit objectives, and elements of the position task book is a new approach in the revised course and NWCG training moving forward (figure 3). The position task book is “a document listing the performance requirements (competencies and behaviors) for a position in a format that allows for the evaluation of individual (trainee) performance to determine if an individual is qualified in the position. Successful performance of PTB tasks, as observed and recorded by a qualified evaluator, will result in a recommendation to the trainee’s home unit that the individual be certified in the position” (National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2024). Previously, there were gaps between what was taught in training and expectations while performing the job.

Cadre members are encouraged to add relevant local or personal examples to link course objectives and applicable concepts, unlike previous versions of the training, which used predefined examples. Several new course exercises use problem-based learning to increase content relevance and engagement. Trainees are provided with scenarios based on actual incidents they are likely to encounter, along with necessary information to inform their decisions.

Active Practice: The Extent to Which Training Design Provides Opportunities to Experience and Practice New Behaviors That Are Desirable in the Work Context

Active practice means synthesizing information to help expand trainees’ thinking and decision-making and requires cadre members to allow trainees to work through new skills while guiding them through challenges (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). Using active practice in 30% to 50% of the course can lead to more successful training (Day et al. 2006).

RX-300 involves an estimated 30% active practice as compared with an estimated 15% with the prior two courses. The precourse work consists of fire modeling training, where trainees work through asynchronous exercises to build their skills in operating programs they use during the course. The previous version of the material taught how to use fire modeling programs during class, which reduced time for active practice, group work, discussion, and reflection. Most course units contain opportunities for active practice, where trainees learn a concept and then immediately take time to apply it to their final project. Giving trainees time to apply what they learn during the training helps them practice ways to respond to diverse scenarios they are likely to encounter outside of the course.

Transfer Planning: The Extent to Which the Transfer Is Prepared in Training

Training should be designed to help trainees identify how to effectively use knowledge learned in the course as a professional on the job (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). As discussed earlier, directed goal-setting increases transfer motivation. Goals for applying learned knowledge may be specific or general; however, general goals lead to less training transfer than setting specific implementation intentions or concrete actions (Brandstätter et al. 2003).

In the previous version of the material, no training components included transfer planning. In the revised course, trainees are tasked during precourse work with making a plan to complete their burn boss task book as part of their personal implementation plan (Resource S1) that is meant to help them visualize how they can begin applying course content and may also increase their motivation. During the course, trainees are also prompted to set one or two specific objectives in their daily reflections for when and how to apply what they have learned (Resource S2). They receive coaching from cadre members on successfully setting intentions and sharing plans with the group, and they receive feedback to improve their objectives. During the final course discussion, trainees review and revise objectives to increase the likelihood that they will follow up with their objectives. Cadre members are encouraged to reach out to the trainees several months after the course to remind trainees to review their personal implementation plans, report back to the cadre on the progress they have made, and revise objectives as necessary (Resource S3).

The Levers for the Organization

Organizations influence training effectiveness through opportunities for application, increasing personal transfer capacity, facilitating support from supervisors and peers, and setting clear transfer expectations. Organizational levers are typically outside the scope of influence of most training because they take place after the training event. RX-300 does, however, provide trainees with tools to advocate for applying course material, which can potentially influencing the organizational levers. Enacting these levers helps shift organizational norms and resources toward the idea that effective training requires additional investment by the organization.

Opportunities for Application: The Extent to Which the Necessary Situations and Resources for Application Are Available in the Workplace

Lack of opportunity to use new knowledge contributes to loss of trainee comprehension and decreases training effectiveness (Lim and Johnson 2002). Factors to consider include when training material is applied after training, how often it is used, and how challenging it is to use (Ford et al. 1992). Applying concepts soon after training, at frequent intervals, and with appropriate complexity makes training more effective. Additionally, trainee motivation increases when they know they will soon have an opportunity to apply knowledge learned (Lim and Morris 2006).

Training effectiveness of RX-300 will likely increase when trainees are at a point in their career when they can apply knowledge learned and their supervisors are prepared to support them. The personal implementation plan during precourse work requires trainees to identify a prescribed fire plan that they will work on immediately after the course (Resource S1). Identifying a plan to use the course material encourages communication with supervisors and increases the likelihood that a trainee will continue to work on their plan and apply the course material. During the course, relevant exercises build skills that trainees can use on their jobs, such as critically evaluating existing burn plans, supporting prescriptions with fire modeling, and interpreting weather forecasts.

Personal Transfer Capacity: The Extent to Which Trainees Have the Capacity—in Terms of Time and Workload—to Successfully Apply Newly Learned Skills

Training is a process, not a singular event that results in instant changes (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). Increasing personal transfer capacity of trainees involves preparing them before training to budget time and resources needed to continue learning after the training. Additionally, trainees should receive coaching from cadre members on setting realistic goals for using the training material considering past experiences, accounting for known and unknown barriers and obstacles, and getting feedback from others on their transfer plan (Buehler, Griffin, and MacDonald 1997; Koole and Spijker 2000).

Increasing personal transfer capacity is addressed in RX-300 through the personal implementation plan, guidance during the course, and the supervisor summary. The personal implementation plan prompts trainees to consider how much time they intend to devote to implementing course material. Opening and closing remarks in the course cover the importance of planning to apply learned material, emphasizing the importance and urgency of tasks they will perform during the course. Expectations for continued learning after course completion are included in the supervisor summary to increase the likelihood that trainees get necessary time to apply course content (Resource S4). The supervisor summary should be sent to the trainee’s supervisor following the training. The summary highlights main concepts taught during the course and encourages the supervisor to meet with the trainee to discuss what they learned.

Support from Supervisors: The Extent to Which Trainees’ Supervisors Actively Demand, Monitor, Support and Reinforce Transfer

Supervisor support can take many forms, such as mentoring, coaching, and task support (Schindler and Burkholder 2016) and requires active encouragement before, during, and after training (Weinbauer-Heidel & Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). Supervisors must clearly understand the training objectives and provide opportunities for trainees to work toward those objectives (Kodwani 2017; Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). Support from supervisors does not need to be elaborate and time-consuming. Brinkerhoff and Montesino (1995) found that 15-minute conversations with trainees before and after training to discuss course objectives, trainee goals, and supervisor expectations significantly increased training transfer.

Support from a supervisor is fostered in RX-300 through trainees’ implementation plans, using local burn plans in exercises, and the supervisor summary. Trainees gather information about their supervisor’s expectations to include in their personal implementation plan, which starts a dialog with their supervisor and sets up an opportunity for follow-up conversations (Resource S1). Using a local burn plan for the final project encourages trainees to collaborate with their supervisor by selecting a burn plan before starting the course and then reviewing it afterward. It is recommended that trainees share the course summary with their supervisor by scheduling a 15-minute meeting immediately after the course ends to develop a strategy to apply the material learned (Resource S4). Including the supervisor in the training process is not currently a part of the wildland fire training culture. It may take additional coaching by the cadre to help the trainees and supervisors invest in these activities.

Support from Peers: The Extent to Which Colleagues Help Trainees with Transfer

Training can positively leverage peer influence in several ways. When trainees verbalize intentions to a peer to apply knowledge, they are more compelled to follow through, demonstrating their reliability and consistency, thus decreasing the cognitive dissonance between what they say and what they do (Festinger 1957). Training that includes group work can increase peer collaboration and support, which can continue after the training (Saks and Belcourt 2006).

Developing peer connections during RX-300 often happens naturally. Trainees, and even cadre members have likely worked together before or will work together in the future. In their personal implementation plan, trainees identify two peers they are encouraged to connect with after the course. During the course, trainees are often assigned to work in groups, which naturally builds connections and support for each other. The cadre should encourage trainees to form peer groups in and outside the course, where they can set intentions and a pattern of collaboration that will support their transfer goals.

Transfer Expectations in the Organization: The Extent to Which Trainees Expect Positive Consequences from Applying What They Have Learned or the Absence of Negative Consequences as a Result of Nonapplication

Knowledge transfer is more likely if there is an expectation set by the employing organization and communicated to trainees (Baldwin and Magjuka 1991). An organization that evaluates transfer success shows caring about what trainees learn and commitment to achieving a return on their investment (Weinbauer-Heidel and Ibeschitz-Manderb 2018). The success of training is measured with four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick 2016). Reaction is a measure of what trainees thought about the training, often captured as a satisfaction survey immediately following the training. Learning is a measure of knowledge, skills, attitudes, confidence, and commitment that trainees acquire in training. Behavior is a measure of whether the trainee applied what they learned as intended. Results are a measure of whether the targeted organizational outcome was achieved because of the training (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick 2016). Designing training with the desired results in mind is critical to ensuring that training meets an organization’s needs.

RX-300 includes daily surveys, a final survey, and a learning transfer survey to gather information about trainees’ perceptions of what they found most influential and how they might apply the information (Resource S5 and S6). Within-course measures provide information regarding how trainees felt about the training and how they intend to use the material but do not capture the realized impact of the training. Influencing an organization’s transfer expectations and evaluating behavior and results after the training is beyond the scope of RX-300.

Although many courses include a general postcourse questionnaire about whether or not knowledge has been gained, clearly defined transfer expectations and their evaluation, as well as course-specific postcourse evaluations are not widespread elements of wildland fire training. All positions have defined duties and responsibilities, but there are rarely explicitly defined long-term outcomes. Defining desired results and relating each course element to the result will likely give trainees and cadre members heightened purpose and direction during and after the course (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick 2016). A plan for evaluating the results of training and modifying the course based on feedback should be built into the planning and delivery process to ensure the course remains dynamic and responsive to trainee needs. Barriers to this dynamic pattern of course development, delivery, and evaluation include NWCG’s and SMEs’ lack of time and resources (Martin and Hrivnak 2009). The NWCG’s Incident Performance and Training Modernization for designing and revising course material includes plans to use dedicated SMEs and educators or contractors to consider best practices in learning and development to design and deliver courses (National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2023). The goal is to make wildland fire training more dynamic and grounded in the end-state results of the course.

Limitations

Even the best-designed course can miss the intended mark if it is not taught as designed. There are many additions to RX-300 that are outside of the typical pattern of wildland fire training, such as applying course material after the course and discussions on mindset. If cadre members do not take time to familiarize themselves with the content and commit to delivering elements of the course that are unfamiliar to them, the training will be less effective.

Training alone, even quality training, will not be enough to ensure the holistic development of professionals. NWCG is only responsible for fireline position training, which includes the activities directly associated with work on prescribed fires and wildfires. There are many aspects of being a burn boss that extend beyond fireline activities, such as contract procurment, adaptive management, and monitoring. These and other off-fireline duties are outside of the responsibility of NWCG to train. Lack of clear responsibility for who will teach off-fireline duties may lead to inconsistent or nonexistent standards for how to perform them, and uncertainty on where to go to learn them. Kobziar et al. (2009) presented a framework for developing wildland fire professionals beyond fireline positions that includes training, education, and experience. Figure 4 combines this framework with the professional wildland fire manager framework from NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2023) to show the role of training compared with education and experience in the development of wildland fire professionals. Building the next generation of wildland fire practitioners will take a unified effort from agencies, colleges, contractors, and others, leveraging their collective traits to develop a system that will meet the training needs of the fireline and meet the everyday needs of the people laying the groundwork for effective fire and land stewardship. Collective professional development efforts are starting to take place and include an academic–industrial alignment, where colleges build scientific and communication skills and work in the industry builds technical skills and qualifications. Contracting with colleges and outside experts such as instructional designers provides an opportunity to tap into expanded skill sets and resource availability to build and deliver training.

Conclusion

Effective training is critical to developing the next generation of prescribed fire practitioners (Black, Hayes, and Strickland 2020; Kobziar et al. 2009). However, outdated course material prepared and taught by overburdened and unsupported SMEs with little precourse preparation or training has fallen short of developing the necessary skills and knowledge of prescribed fire practitioners. To better leverage the strengths of SMEs, there is a critical need to invest in strategic course development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement that considers identified levers of effective training at the trainee, training, and organizational levels.

RX-300 includes many elements that leverage the twelve levers of transfer effectiveness to increase the likelihood that trainees will learn and apply knowledge to achieve desired training results. Improved instructional material and guidance will decrease the burden on cadre members and give them more tools for maximizing their impact as trainers. There are some recommended and aspirational changes that require shifts in wildland fire training culture to accomplish. The success of RX-300 is dependent on the cadre charged with delivering it and the commitment of NWCG to continue to revise the course based on studying the outcomes and feedback of each training event. The concepts presented in this curriculum development article can be used as a reference for those developing and delivering training in and outside of wildland fire. The strategies used in RX-300 are just some examples of how the twelve levers can be implemented. Additional study on the concepts of the twelve levers and experimentation within each training program will help identify the best ways to maximize the impact training can have on professional development.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available at Journal of Forestry online.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group for your willingness to take a nontraditional route to course development. We are grateful to the Great Basin Training Center and the National Advanced Fire and Research Institute for supporting the exploration of creative teaching styles. A note of appreciation to the hundreds who participated in the training as we progressed through various stages of development and provided feedback. Finally, we express many thanks to the multiple people who reviewed and gave improvement feedback for this article.

Conflict of Interest

None declared.

Data Availability

The data underlying this article are available in the article and in its online supplementary material.

Literature Cited