P R O F I L E

  Established in 1993, the nonprofit, nongovernmental Institute for Environmental Management DREVO became the first NGO in Slovenia to garner experience and expertise in environmental training activities.

  In 1994, DREVO oversaw the translation and publication in the Slovene language of Georg Winter's important book "Business and the Environment." The following year, the organization developed and launched the first general environmental course for Slovene managers, using the same title. The program was co-financed by the Slovenian Ministry of Environment.

  Between then and now, DREVO has continued to expand its activities. This year, the organization became a partner of the Ministry of Environment and The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development UMANOTERA in the local environmental action planning process. DREVO's task in this process is to provide local coordinators with knowledge and skills in the field of change management. In addition, a new training program entitled "Local Environmental Action Planning: Coordinators as Change Agents" started in June and will continue in autumn.

  DREVO has also gained international training experience within the Danube River Program. The organization participated as a local partner in providing courses on European Union environmental policy and on management training for municipal authorities.

  Other workshops organized by DREVO over the past few years have included sessions on business trends, Slovene legislation, harmonization in Slovenia, practical ways to implement environmental solutions, general management programs, identification of stakeholder groups, and development possibilities in the country. These workshops were attended by professionals in many sectors, including managers in private and public businesses, local authorities, NGO representatives and environmental specialists.

  Through all of this experience, DREVO's mission has remained the same: "To enable local communities and industrial enterprises to develop and implement environmental measures by providing support through training and development and consulting."

  The basic principle in all of DREVO's operations is to provide high quality professional services. For this reason, project teams are built very carefully, involving experts from relevant fields. The group's core list of trainers includes local experts in the fields of change management, teamwork, communication skills, water management, waste management, environmental management, strategic planning, project management, facilitation skills, leadership, and public speaking.

  Because of its early start in Slovenia's environmental training activities, DREVO was invited to represent Slovenia in the REC's EMTC Network. DREVO also represents Slovenia in the International Network of Environmental Management (INEM) and the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).