SMART understands that practitioners—rangers, administrators, analysts, managers—are critical to effective protected areas management. Providing them with tools to collect, analyze, and use information is important, but it is not enough by itself. For practitioners to do their jobs well, and for the protected areas they serve to thrive, these tools must come with comprehensive and ongoing training and support.

SMART offers a package of support and services for users, including regional meetings, peer- and partner-led workshops, online and in-person trainings, and new curricular materials. Together with a new standardized SMART competencies register tool, the Partnership can support and inspire practitioners as they build SMART skills and use SMART to better manage conservation areas.