9. Recent advances in training strategy development in support of RIL implementation - Napoleon T. Vergara*

* Green Tropics International, National Highway, Timugan, Los Baños Laguna 4030, Philippines, Tel: ++(63 49) 5361249, E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

For a long time, Asia-Pacific countries have been engaged in logging, and have in recent decades emerged as the world’s largest producers of tropical hardwoods. However, in a rising number of countries, ecological stability and the continuity of forest-derived benefits have become doubtful, indicating that timber-extraction techniques have been too exploitative. To counteract this trend, the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) has been trying to motivate its member countries to adopt and apply reduced impact logging (RIL) techniques as a means to achieve sustainable forest management (SFM).

A necessary condition for implementing RIL is that personnel have the qualifications to perform their tasks and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. These qualifications have to be acquired and developed through training and capacity building. First and foremost, personnel need to know and understand the nature and scope of the work to be done, why it has to be done and how best to do it. They need technical skills and manual dexterity. In combination, these skills enable them to carry out complex tasks efficiently. Thus, greater efficiency and higher productivity in timber extraction under RIL is achieved through training: the development of appropriate knowledge, favourable attitudes and suitable skills (KAS) enable a person to perform assigned duties and tasks with minimum effort (least cost) and maximum results (highest outputs).

This paper presents an approach to developing training strategies that could lead to more effective implementation of RIL. Many of the concepts and approaches presented here are drawn from Regional Training Strategy in Support of the Implementation of the Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting (APFC, 2000).^[8]

THE NEED FOR A TRAINING STRATEGY

Training is easier to implement, more effective in capacity building, and simpler to monitor and evaluate if it is guided by a comprehensive strategy, i.e. a carefully-prepared plan for achieving goals and objectives. Without such a strategy, training efforts generally remain reactive, i.e. piecemeal and uncoordinated responses to emerging problems. For example, RIL training often concentrates on felling/bucking and yarding/skidding operations simply because their negative impacts on the residual stands and the forest ecosystem as a whole are highly visible, and readily measurable in physical and monetary terms. Unfortunately, this approach often fails to recognize that other key stakeholders, such as policy-makers, planners and supervisors also need to undergo training because their decisions have significant and long-term impacts on the productivity and sustainability of the forest resources.

A training program that is guided by strategic thinking is pro-active in nature. It adopts a comprehensive, systematic and long-term approach to that leads to a training strategy encompassing:

• The whole range of logging operations.

• Identification and prioritization of the various personnel groups who need to be trained (the target trainees).

• Identification of the KAS essential to perform the various harvesting operations (the subjects covered in training).

• Determination of the different approaches and delivery techniques to produce the required expertise for carrying out the tasks (training methods).

• Identification of agencies and groups that could collaborate in implementing the training strategy and programs.

• Formulation of ways and means for securing financial resources for the training programs.

Constraints and opportunities for RIL

A number of constraints inhibit the adoption of RIL. Two important ones are:

• Widespread belief in the industry that RIL interferes with efficient harvesting operations and raises costs.

• Lack of appreciation in the industry and the general public of the expected benefits from RIL that could ultimately lead to ecological stability and sustainable forest production.

However, the rapid decline and degradation of forest resources and the fast-rising demand for forest products and services have created excellent opportunities for drawing the attention of policy-makers, forest managers, forest users and the general public to the urgent need to apply RIL to help perpetuate economic, ecological and social benefits derived from the forest.

Knowledge gaps in RIL

At this stage of RIL development in the region, significant gaps in knowledge exist regarding:

• The nature and magnitude of the negative impacts of forest harvesting that could be minimized through the application of RIL.

• The efficacy of various RIL components in reducing ecological and socio-economic damage.

• The comparative benefits and costs of RIL, especially from the perspective of the private sector.

Research needs in support of RIL application

The knowledge gaps indicate the need to undertake research, to generate both qualitative and quantitative information on the ecological and socio-economic benefits of RIL, the comparative costs of ‘with’ and ‘without’ RIL in forest harvesting, and the long-term effects of RIL on forest sustainability. The research outputs would be of critical value for formulating appropriate policies and for developing RIL techniques. They would likewise be useful reference materials for RIL training courses.

DEVELOPING A RIL TRAINING STRATEGY

There is nothing new in developing a generic training strategy. It simply involves the setting of goals and objectives; identifying target trainees; determining training needs; and formulating training courses that address those needs.

What may be unique to developing a RIL training strategy are the following considerations: (a) enlisting the participation of a much broader group of collaborators (e.g. government, industry, the general public, NGOs and academia); (b) focusing on a wider group of target trainees beyond just harvesting operators (i.e. top policy-makers, middle management, frontline supervisors, opinion-makers, and advocacy groups); (c) recognizing that RIL training is not just manual skills development but includes imparting of new knowledge and creation of favourable attitudes as well; (d) promoting the integration of RIL principles and techniques in formal forestry courses in academic institutions.

Goal and objectives of a training strategy

The broad goal of a RIL training strategy is to strengthen the capacity of appropriate persons, groups and agencies to formulate and implement RIL programs for forest management.

The objectives to achieve the above goal are to:

• identify and prioritize the target trainee groups (TTGs);

• improve the capability to design, organize and conduct training courses;

• assist in developing and organizing of in-country training courses for priority TTGs;

• promote the sharing of capacity-building experiences and training resources among countries to improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of training; and

• encourage the integration of RIL techniques in forest-harvesting and silviculture courses offered by forestry schools in the Asia-Pacific region.

The scope of the training strategy

A RIL training strategy for APFC member countries will have to be at two levels: regional and national.

The regional training strategy would involve the execution of three important tactics:

• Training of national RIL trainers.

• Development and organization of RIL training courses for priority TTGs.

• Integration of RIL principles and techniques in formal silviculture and forest-harvesting courses in forestry education institutions.

Adoption of the above tactics necessitates the following activities:

For the regional or sub-regional level

• Organization, with the assistance of APFC, FAO and other international donors and NGOs, of regional or sub-regional trainers’ training courses that will develop a corps of competent national RIL trainers.

For the national level

• Organization of national workshops, with the involvement of industry, local government and local NGOs to identify and prioritize the TTGs.

• Assessment of the RIL training needs.

• Design, development and formulation of RIL training courses specific to each TTG.

• Implementation of in-country RIL training courses for each TTG.

• Promotion of the integration of RIL principles and techniques in silviculture and forest-harvesting courses in forestry colleges in the Asia-Pacific region.

Identification of TTGs

In each country, three principal groups are targeted for training:

(a) National trainers - personnel drawn from government or private sector associations to be trained at the regional or sub-regional level, and whose main tasks are to help develop and execute national programs for training TTGs who will become in-country RIL implementers.

(b) In-country RIL implementers - government and private sector personnel of various ranks and responsibilities who will be trained in-country by the national trainers and who will help plan and execute RIL programs in their countries:

• Senior management - top government or corporate executives who set up their organization’s vision and formulate policies that guide forestry operations.

• Middle management - mid-level officers who translate broad corporate policies into logging work and budget plans and programs using RIL techniques.

• Frontline supervisors - lower level officers, who directly interact with field operators and ensure that the RIL-guided logging plans are carried out.

• Field workers/operators - field-level workers directly responsible for timber harvesting using RIL techniques.

(c) Media practitioners and advocacy groups

• Opinion-makers - information analysts who disseminate expert views through mass media to shape public opinion.

• Journalists - skilled writers and reporters, who collect, process and disseminate information through the media that helps create public awareness concerning important issues.

• NGOs - organizations that play strong advocacy roles to help promote public awareness of the importance of RIL for sustainable development.

TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT (TNA)

Each RIL training program should aim directly at filling the training needs of each TTG. Initially it is necessary to determine the required degree of KAS to make the TTG an efficient and effective RIL implementer at his/her level of responsibility. In short, the training needs should be ascertained first.

A four-step generic approach to determining the training needs of each TTG is outlined below:

• Ascertain the nature and scope of RIL-related tasks and the duties of each TTG.

• Determine the type and level of KAS required.

• Ascertain the current or actual level of KAS for RIL possessed by the personnel.

• Determine the capacity gap by comparing the current with the required KAS. The capacity gap has to be filled through training.

The nature of RIL training needs

Most candidates for RIL training are employed by logging firms and forest departments and have had significant experience in timber extraction. Thus, training does not have to include basic forest harvesting aspects. Instead it needs to focus on new skills to enable personnel to carry out their old tasks in new ways that minimize damage to the forest ecosystem while maintaining output levels and keeping costs down.

For example, experienced felling crews no longer need to be trained in directional felling. Rather they should be taught to apply their directional felling capabilities to minimize damage to the residual forests, to reduce breakage of the harvested logs, and to facilitate yarding or skidding - in short, to lessen the negative economic and ecological impacts of forest harvesting.

ACTIONS TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING STRATEGY

Examples of the important actions needed to meet the objectives of the training strategy, and to produce the expected outcomes, are shown in Table 1:

Table 1. Objectives, actions and outcomes of the training strategy

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAINING STRATEGY

Coordinating and implementing mechanisms for RIL training

The training strategy aims to provide coordinated training for three major TTGs: (a) the national RIL trainers, (b) the in-country RIL implementers and (c) representatives of the media and NGOs. This calls for the organization of training activities at two levels: (a) regional and (b) national.

The regional strategy aims to put representatives from the different countries through trainers’ training courses. The outputs will be national trainers responsible for helping to design, organize and carry out in-country RIL training courses.

The national training strategy is geared to employ the national trainers to produce in-country RIL implementers and to create favourable public awareness in support of RIL.

Considering the close linkages between the activities and outputs of the two levels of training, it is necessary to set up coordinating and implementing mechanisms: (a) a small Regional RIL Training Coordinating Unit to coordinate efforts and help approach prospective donors, training experts and NGOs to assist with carrying out trainers’ training courses at the regional level; and (b) a National RIL Training Coordinating Unit to stimulate and coordinate the efforts of industry, local government, and NGOs for planning and executing in-country RIL training.

Development and organization of regional trainers’ training

The Regional RIL Training Coordinating Unit, which could be established strategically at the APFC, will have the following functions:

• Spearhead the development and organization of regional training courses for national RIL trainers.

• Enlist the assistance of donor agencies, training-oriented NGOs and industry organizations in the execution of the regional training activities.

• Compile, store and disseminate information on RIL courses to facilitate the sharing of training experiences and resources among countries.

• Coordinate with national RIL training coordinating units on course designs, availability of training resources and other relevant matters.

It would be desirable and cost effective to conduct the training in three separate sub-regions involving different countries (see Table 2).

Table 2. Country allocation for training in three APFC sub-regions

* Countries believed to have sufficient RIL implementation capacity already.

Regional course evaluation

At the end of each regional training course, participatory evaluation by the TTGs needs to be conducted to:

• determine whether the course contents are relevant and adequate to meet the objectives;

• assess the performance of the training specialists/course instructors;

• assess the quality and applicability of training materials used;

• assess the quality and timeliness of support provided by the host and other collaborating institutions; and

• assess the suitability of the trainees sent by the countries to take the course.

The results of the evaluation should be made available to the Regional RIL Training Coordinating Unit to be used to improve and upgrade future courses.

Development and organization of in-country training courses

In each country, a National RIL Training Coordinating Unit should be established. Depending on the country situation, the unit could be within the national forestry agency, or in an existing in-country training centre, or in a well-established training-oriented NGO. The unit is expected to collaborate closely with government and industry and take the lead in the following activities:

• identify and prioritize the TTGs;

• undertake TNA for the priority TTGs;

• design national RIL training courses for the priority TTGs based on the results of the TNA;

• secure funding for the training courses;

• identify qualified in-country trainers/resource persons and venues for the courses;

• provide guidelines for the preparation of visual aids and other training materials;

• conduct seminars on effective teaching/training methods for course teachers who have not participated in the regional trainers’ training courses;

• help organize and manage the training courses; and

• coordinate with the Regional RIL Training Coordinating Unit.

Identification and prioritization of in-country TTGs

TTGs who will become in-country RIL implementers in each country will be identified and prioritized during national workshops convened by the National RIL Training Coordination Unit, using the following criteria:

• Nature of involvement in forest harvesting - the more significant the TTG’s involvement in logging operations, the higher the priority for training.

• Consequences of not providing training to the TTG - what would be the magnitude of negative effects on the forest resource base if the TTG does not undergo RIL training?

• Advantages of providing training to the TTG - what would be the beneficial effects for the forest and society as a whole if the TTG is given appropriate training?

• Urgency of training the group - would training of the TTG speed up the recovery and sustainability of the residual forest?

• Availability of support funds - are domestic and external funds available for RIL training?

• Sufficiency and availability of qualified trainers in the country.

INTEGRATION OF RIL IN FORMAL FORESTRY COURSES

The integration of RIL in formal forest harvesting and silviculture courses offered by forestry schools and colleges in the Asia-Pacific region can be of major assistance in creating public awareness and appreciation of, and broadening the support for RIL adoption and application. Knowledge of RIL principles and techniques will be useful for forestry students in their future professional work.

The institutions that are logical targets for possible integration of RIL are:

• Professional-level institutions (e.g. universities) that offer degree programs at BA and higher degree levels.

• Sub-professional level colleges that offer diplomas and associate degrees in forestry programs.

• Technician-level schools that offer one-to-two year courses for forestry technicians.

• Training centres for skilled forest workers.

One possible approach to promote the integration officially is to bring the matter up for consideration by the Asian Network for Forestry Education (ANFE) coordinated by the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok.

SHARING OF TRAINING RESOURCES

Sharing of training resources and experiences among countries could minimize the costly duplication of efforts significantly and reduce the budgetary requirements of in-country training. Examples of resources that can be shared are course designs, audio-visual aids (e.g. slides, transparencies, films, video clips, etc.), course handouts and training specialists.

To facilitate sharing, the Regional RIL Training Coordinating Unit can collect training materials developed by the different countries for compilation in a computerized database that will be accessible through the Internet.

FUNDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAINING STRATEGY

Even the best-planned training strategy will be ineffective if the countries concerned cannot implement it due to lack of financial resources. To ensure that the strategy can be realized it is necessary to consider funding.

Possible sources of funds for carrying out the strategy are:

• domestic funds of national governments and the private sector;

• grants from donor agencies (domestic and international); and

• loans from financial agencies (domestic or international).

Domestic funds are scarce, especially among the less developed countries in the region. External grants and loans are often allocated to projects that are perceived to have higher priority than training in RIL. Thus, funds for implementing the training strategy may only be available when ‘excess’ funds are re-allocated. This allocation could be facilitated by cultivating high-level policy makers, industry and the general public regarding the desirability and value of RIL training for sustainable forest management.

Donor agencies that have supported similar projects financially in the region include:

• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)

• Government of New Zealand

• Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

• International Timber Trade Organization (ITTO)

• United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service (USDA/FS)

• United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

• World Bank

• European Union (EU)

Resource-poor countries could negotiate directly with donors for such aid, but it would be advantageous if an international/regional agency, such as FAO, served as a ‘broker’ to facilitate negotiations between donors and the countries concerned. One significant advantage of a broker is that it can negotiate simultaneously with a pool of donors to support a common activity, such as training, that is undertaken by several countries in separate but coordinated ways.