Training

Having participated in very many training courses in flood frequency estimation, I now favour one type. A group of eight to twelve flood professionals come together for a day to discuss three or four specific (real) case studies. Each case study is introduced by the participant most involved, supported by a few pages of notes and key maps/diagrams. The presenter draws attention to features of the problem or their solution that they are least comfortable with, or might treat differently another time.

The presenters send their summaries — and related background reports and datasets — to me about a week before the course runs. I spend a few days intensively investigating the case studies and, on the day of the course, relate how I might have tackled them differently.

The format is well suited to large organisations in which flood professionals are spread over many sites, yet are required to deliver outputs that are reasonably corporate and consistent. It works best when participants sit round the table as equal partners. The course allows technical specialists to discuss different ways of doing things and to learn from each other: not just from the guest commentator.

By supplying details of the case studies only a matter of days before the course, the format provides a useful reminder of how much can be achieved in a short space of time. A key objective of the training is for individuals to gain the confidence — when faced with a problem that has some non-standard feature — to think outside the box and/or to check ideas with distant colleagues.

Experienced hydrologists know that no two flood estimation problems are ever quite the same. The organisation can achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness if staff more readily distinguish the key features of a new problem.