Forest governance monitoring

Forest governance monitoring is a continuous and systematic process of data collection and analysis on forest-related policies, strategies, action or budget plans, and legislation. Data is collected on the way these are developed or amended, their status, and their implementation over time. Forest governance monitoring is usually designed to provide regular feedback in particular on the implementation of activities (e.g. what outputs have been produced, with what inputs, over what time period and by whom). Thus, it provides the information needed to identify and, if necessary, correct deviations from planned objectives and actions. It also provides the information needed for assessments and evaluations.

©FAO/Noel CelisIn response to country demands for support on forest governance monitoring, the FAO Forestry Department established the support initiative “Integrating forest governance monitoring into national forest-related monitoring systems” in 2010. The initiative is part of an FAO programme funded by Finland to support National Forest Monitoring and Assessment (NFMA) and Integrated Land Use Assessments (ILUA) in various countries. It also seeks to provide feedback from country-level needs and experiences to the work undertaken by the FAO/World Bank and UN-REDD/Chatham House initiatives, and also considers FLEG and FLEGT related information needs.

FAO works with a range of countries to strengthen their forest governance monitoring systems. In Tanzania forest governance aspects were included in the National Forestry Resources Monitoring and Assessment (NAFORMA) project, launched in May 2009. Analysis of forest governance data collected from households has started in 2012. In Viet Nam, Zambia and Peru work has started to strengthen forest governance monitoring in the context of national forest-related monitoring systems.

A scoping study has been undertaken in Viet Nam and Zambia, followed by a national workshop to inform and consult on the next steps to take, and ways to engage stakeholders in the further work on strengthening FGM, building on existing mechanisms and initiatives. Similar work will start in Peru in 2012.

The synthesis of the country experiences to date and the adjusted conceptual model form the basis for the Forest Policy and Institutions Working Paper 29 Strengthening Effective Forest Governance Monitoring Practice. It intends to inform national governments of key aspects of, and preliminary experiences with, the development and operationalization of national forest governance monitoring in the context of national forest-related monitoring systems.  It is particularly meant to assist the key players involved in creating a shared understanding on the objectives, outcomes and expectations of the initiative and to clarify the roles and relations among the key players and to provide a basis for designing an implementation plan.