If the manager cannot trust his scouts then he is better off without them. The includers will mark a pest present if they suspect it is there or feel it should be. They seem to want to impress management with their conscientious scouting skills or wish to insure against missing a problem. Excluders, conversely, leave problems out, as they seem to feel that the presence of pests or diseases are their responsibility. Training and Beyond Zimbabwe is fortunate in having a scout training school.
Candidates come from commercial and small-scale farming backgrounds.
The courses are conducted in the local language, Shona, but there is one course a year in English for non-Shona speakers. The facility offers the course, food and accommodation. Cotton scouts emerge after two working weeks with a knowledge of cotton pests. They cover most of the pests or beneficials they are likely to encounter on horticultural crops. But for them to become proficient as horticultural scouts, it is important to train them on diseases specific to the crops they will work on and any special pests or beneficials they might encounter.