PREPARED BY JOACHIM BILE ALLOGHOi
and JEAN-CLAUDE NGUINGUIRIii
The Central African forestry training institutions are experiencing enormous difficulties in bringing their programmes up to date. The training that they provide is in danger of being out of touch with respect to the evolution of ideas and practices in this field. A number of institutions have already begun to revise their training programmes. Others are planning to do this as well during the course of the institutional review that is taking place in different countries of the sub-region. Over and above the individual efforts that are being undertaken, a group process has begun at the sub-regional level. This complementary procedure offers the advantage of bringing the training institutions out of their isolation, sharing experience, stimulating the desire for high-level performance and the favouring of comparisons, reinforcing self-esteem and a sense of responsibility, creating the necessary conditions for apprenticeship and discovery, etc. In this paper, we shall present, at the outset, the procedure that has been followed in order to initiate this group process. We shall subsequently describe the results that have been obtained following a preliminary test, which resulted in the creation of participatory management modules. A mechanism for reinforcing the collaboration between the forestry training institutions in the sub-region, with a view to improving their training programmes, is in the process of being created, based upon the lessons that have been learnt from this test.
The triggering mechanism for this process resulted from an observation that had been made within the framework of the work begun by the CEFDHACiii with regard to harmonizing the forestry policies and laws of the Central African countries.iv It was apparent that the training programmes do not always follow the evolution of ideas and practices in forest management at an appropriate rhythm. This situation is all the more disturbing, given the fact that on the one hand, the training sector is rarely included in the field of action of the innumerable support initiatives in the sustainable management of forestry ecosystems in the sub-region, and on the other, that the training institutions have very weak anticipation capabilities. We are consequently faced with the problem of adapting training to the new conditions and circumstances.
Faced with this situation, CEFDHAC, in its role as a forum for reflection, has offered the training institutions in the sub-region a framework for agreement which would enable them to discuss the strategic options to be put into action in order to increase their level of contribution to the sustainable development of forestry ecosystems. It was within this context that the support project for CEFDHAC organized a meeting in Douala from 25 to 27 April 2000 that brought together the persons responsible for training programmes in the forestry training institutions. Delegates from the following institutions participated in this meeting:
During the course of this meeting, the participants were asked to identify the common problems with which they were faced and to search together for solutions to them.
From a methodological point of view, it was a question of beginning with an analysis of the potentials and problems, agreeing upon objectives and then identifying the strategies that would allow these objectives to be attained. At the beginning of the workshop, it was evident that an exercise of this nature whose goal it is to arrive at an agreement with regard to strategies and mutual objectives is not very familiar to the "world" of forestry training. In order to make certain that instructors do not lose their way, the work of the meeting was carried out in line with the methodology used in identifying training needs.
The concept of training needs involves three situations, namely:
Training need can be defined as the gap that exists between the present situation and the desired situation. IPC-AC, 1999. Manual for the Training of Trainers |
In positioning its work in this direction, the workshop particularly emphasized the following points:
The workshop was able to conclude that:
The principal mutual problems that were identified are:
The strategic goals that were judged to be of a priority nature are:
This workshop enabled participants not only to meet one another, share experiences, identify their mutual problems and seek solutions together, but also to discuss the action to be taken based upon this analysis and to decide together concerning the strategic goals to be explored. The persons responsible for training programmes are thus engaged in a procedure entitled:
" Collective procedure for updating the training modules in the Central African forestry schools".
Agreement was reached to begin by testing this approach centered upon "group processes". In the event the test is conclusive, the lessons that have been learned should aid in confidently organizing the carrying out of this process. In this perspective, it is not a question of a classical process consisting of a sequence of steps that have been planned in advance, and which evolve in a linear manner. It is a question, on the contrary, of seeking to achieve "shared" objectives, by proceeding with a flexible and repeated action which allows for continually reviewing the decisions taken at any given moment within the context of the experience that has been gained. However, before venturing into this area, the initiative was submitted to the 3rd CEFDHAC (Bujumbura, 5 - 7 June 2000). The participants at this conference recommended that IUCN follow through with its support of this process.
The challenge which IUCN decided to face following the 3rd CEFDHAC consists of stimulating group dynamics not only within the inner circle of forestry training institutions, but at the level of potential partners as well. Responsibility for helping to carry out this process was delegated to the joint management Project Coordinator, principally due to the experience this project has had in facilitating group processesv but also because this project had been requested to transfer the experience gained at the level of the apprenticeship sites of the natural resources joint management network in the Congo Basin to the training programmes.
In practice then, the two challenges to be met, which have been previously mentioned, involve the facilitation of the apprenticeship process, and the creation of synergies between the support institutions.
The role of the joint management project is similar in this case to furthering the development of the self-promotion capabilities of the different forestry institutions. In this regard, the most appropriate intervention activity emphasizes the respect of the subsidiarity principle: "the project should not take exclusive control, but should rather provide support and impetus". The project's activities cannot achieve a real (sustainable) impact if they are limited to a process of apprenticeship. This process would appear to be sufficient, provided the training institutions undertake, for the first time, a group process at the sub-regional level. They are venturing into unexplored terrain and consequently offer apprenticeship opportunities.
In order to find an accommodation with the expected results of the joint management project, the theme around which the test should be carried out is the management of natural resources in partnership. This theme corresponds to one of the principal concerns, which were expressed during the course of the Douala meeting. It was not imposed upon the forestry training institutions, but was chosen in order to "kill two birds with one stone": meeting the expectations of the training institutions, as well as those of the joint management project. This association of objectives that combine to produce a single effect has been frequently used, as we shall subsequently see.
A first workshop entitled "The training of trainers in the management in partnership of natural resources" was organized in Gabon in November 2000. The Cap Esterias National Forestry School (Gabon) hosted the workshop, with a view to encouraging training institutions to adopt the process. With this view in mind, the moderation at the workshop emphasized the creation of discovery and apprenticeship conditions. In addition, the participants during the course of the workshop identified the apprenticeship objectivesvi By proceeding in this manner, the participants were associated with the clarification of the workshop's orientation. The three apprenticeship objectives that were identified (knowledge of joint management, didactic aptitudes and aspects) marked the workshop's field of action. The final apprenticeship objective was approached with a view to determining the training needs in participatory management for each level (technicians, engineers, etc.). The former was based upon the definition of competencies.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants set out to produce a training package on participatory management, which would include the use of modules and a guide to pedagogical methods. In order to emphasize the work's incomplete character, a reutilization of the engagements undertaken by the participants was organized during the workshop's closing ceremony. A "contract between us" was signed at this time.
The strategy which was adopted for the follow-up of the process deals with the organization of a retreat devoted to the production of a first draft of the training modules in joint management, the setting up of an e-mail debate on the results of the retreat and the organization of a workshop with the objective of finalizing the modules.
The Mbalmayo Forestry School (Cameroon) from 8 to 11 May 2001 hosted the retreat. The criteria for choosing the five participants were established with the objective of forming a multi-disciplinary team. The areas of expertise that were sought included the following sectors:
The work carried out during the retreat allowed participants to choose the methodology for developing a training programme based on objectives. In order to facilitate the use of this methodology, a matrix was developed; it enabled the participants to underline the function of the modules, the overall objectives, the specific objectives, the teaching objectives and the apprenticeship objectives. Each apprenticeship objective included the training content, the pedagogical methods, the evaluation techniques and the approximate duration. With reference to the specific areas of expertise at each training level set up at Cap Esterias (November 2000) it appeared to be more effective to develop the modules in relation to the different levels (engineers, technicians technical agents). Due to time limitations, the participants were only able to roughly sketch out the modules' general format.
The results achieved by this retreat were widely distributed, both within the circle of training institutions, as well as in the research and action milieu. The remarks and suggestions that were received were taken into account when the work was finalized, during the course of the workshop organized at ENEF (Gabon) from 30 July to 3 August 2001.
The latter workshop was devoted to the development of modules. The participants were chosen from among the instructors who had been approached for conducting training in participatory management. In order to achieve the workshop's objectives in the time allotted, and keeping in mind group dynamics and the creation of apprenticeship and discovery conditions, the facilitation team introduced the work to be carried out by delineating the "rules of the game". After examining the comments and suggestions that had been received, it was decided to develop a single course for the three levels (engineers, technicians and technical agents), and to give the instructors the possibility of adapting the course during a pedagogical workshop, in function of the training objectives of their respective institutions. The structure of the course was to take into account the elements that had been developed at Mbalmayo, by integrating them into a training package, which would include six modules:
The contents of these modules were determined by the working groups based upon the "pedagogy by objective" approach. The modules were sub-divided into sequences, sessions and meetings. An apprenticeship objective was created for each sequence. The contents of a sequence were identified on the basis of the apprenticeship objective.
The participants also discussed the carrying out of the process. A dozen commitments were made, which included the drafting of module syllabuses for the workshop participants, the creation and distribution of the training package and the strengthening of collaboration between the forestry schools on the basis of the lessons that were learned. In opting for the drafting of syllabuses, the instructors concerned devoted themselves to an apprenticeship exercise, which turned out to be effective with regard to the improvement of capabilities.
Supporting forestry training institutions is an activity, which is interwoven with a support system that is formed by the different actors and their interactions. It was indispensable, within this context, to identify these actors (such as potential partners) with the goal of involving them in the process. The first observations made it possible to note that a number of different support institutions could be interested in the regional process of updating the training modules in the forestry schools. Nevertheless, some of these institutions have a narrow field of action (limited to a single institution), while others only have good intentions at the present time.
Proceeding in this manner, we are attempting to create synergies, and therefore to carry out a joint action with regard to the support of the regional process of updating the training modules in forestry school. This action has the advantage of economizing resources, avoiding duplications and time-wasting, strengthening the cohesion of support agencies around a common objective, and eliminating unnecessary competition and the emergence of rival initiatives.
The action of the "facilitator project" consisted in interesting the support agencies that were identified in the development of the process. In order to achieve this, a number of confidence-building measures were indispensable. These were linked, on the one hand, to the novel character of the approach and the first results that were achieved. They are also related to the cohesion, in this "marketing" enterprise, that was formed between the "facilitator project", the training institutions concerned and the partners who associated themselves with facilitating this process, particularly the RENEF (GTZ) Project and the FORAFRI (CIRAD/CIFOR) Project.
This action, therefore, made it possible to involve a number of different support agencies in supporting this process. This is particularly true in the case of the GTZ, FAO and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (France). Each of these institutions provided a varying degree of support at different stages of the process, with the objective of contributing not only to the achievement of a selective action, but also to becoming an integral part of the process itself.
The fact that all these support agencies are involved in this action does not necessarily imply that they all pursue the same goals. FORAFRI, for example, is principally concerned with the transfer of capitalized knowledge, FAO looks upon this action mainly as a case study that could provide material for the debate on forestry instruction, the RENEF Project sees in it the means for integrating ENEF in the regional and international networks, while the joint management project is principally concerned with the integration of participatory management in training modules, etc.
The mobilization of training institutions was heavily influenced by the leadership role played by ENEF. In assuming this role, ENEF contributed to having the process appropriated by the training institutions and in developing the feeling of belonging to the group.
This first test demonstrates that the support groups did not believe that it was sufficient to carry out a previously defined strategy in order to achieve the desired objectives. This strategy was refined in function of the actual evolution of the actors concerned, when faced with new situations that came into being as a result of the action. This would indicate that an effort at re-actualization had been approved, as we shall subsequently see.
The test that was carried out illustrates that the trajectory followed by the process of developing the participatory management modules had been considerably influenced by the exchange, apprenticeship and appropriation dynamics. In other words, the process passed through a series of apprenticeship loops. These would correspond to certain particular moments, during which the actors concerned might have asked themselves "are we on the right road?" These particular moments correspond to the different workshops that have been organized. We have seen, in effect, that following each workshop, the participants observed the process and then asked themselves the question "what would we like to achieve?" The activities to be carried out during the course of the next stage were always identified following the discussions that were held. We might therefore note that this exercise was carried out during the course of the three workshops that were organized, respectively, at Cap Esterias (November 2000), at Mbalmayo (May 2001) and at Cap Esterias (August 2001). Each of these workshops made it possible to reorient the action to be carried out in function of the lessons that had been learned.
It was agreed to organize a follow-up to the process that would have a larger scope, in which the responsible persons in the forestry training institutions would be asked to participate. This would be done within the framework of a meeting to be held on 4 and 5 October 2001 in Libreville, with the participation of the Heads of the Forestry and Environmental Training Institutions of Central Africa. During the course of this meeting, the responsible persons in these training institutions will observe the process, and engage in a series of reflections, such as "What aspects of our action have proven successful?"; "What have we been able to learn about the reasons that might explain why our action has been effective?"; "What factors turned out to be different from what we had expected?". These persons would also express their views about future actions, namely, "What aspects would we like to change? Who can provide us with support in carrying out this task?"
In carrying out their follow-up to the process, the responsible persons at the training institutions concerned would identify, based upon the lessons that had been learned, the strategic methods to be used for strengthening sub-regional collaboration in bringing these programmes up to date, and in creating the follow-up mechanism to be used.
An approach that is centered upon group processes would appear to be adapted to the strengthening of sub-regional collaboration in bringing training programmes up to date.
It would make it possible to agree upon mutually held positions with a view to resolving shared problems and strengthening mutual capabilities by means of collective action. It would be legitimate, however, to inquire whether trainers are in possession of a culture that would allow them to integrate errors, in order to build new learning and adopt new attitudes. We might also ask, with regard to the pressing demands for tribal or national identity being made by Central Africans, whether there exists a feeling of belonging to a socio-professional group at the sub-regional level. In any event, it is clear that the process in question will undoubtedly continue.
i Director-General of the Gabon National Forestry School
ii Coordinator of the National Resources Joint Management Project in the Congo Basin (UICN)
iii CEFDHAC : Conference on the Central African Dense and Humid Forest Ecosystems
iv cf. Koyo J.P. (1999) Basis for Harmonizing the Forestry Policies and Laws of the Central African countries. UICN-BRAC / CEFDHAC
v cf. Borrini et al. 2000. In particular, Annex 4 with regard to joint management project experience.
vi The participants came from the training institutions present in Douala. The Post-University School of Development and Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests (ERAIFT) joined this group. Due to funding reasons, ISA was not involved in this phase.
