Support to pilot implementation of the Forest Instrument (NLBI)
FAO, in cooperation with the Government of Germany and the NFP Facility, has supported the pilot implementation of the Forest Instrument in four countries. The first pilot, initiated in Ghana in 2008, developed an approach that has proven successful and has been applied, with local adaptations, in three new pilot countries: Liberia, Nicaragua and the Philippines.
Expected outcomes of the project in the three countries include:
increased awareness of stakeholders of i) the Forest Instrument, ii) the subsequent national-level policies and measures that countries should implement, and iii) the need to take these into consideration in national policies related to forests;
assessment of national policies and measures against those outlined in the Forest Instrument (as part of the NFP process), identification of the major gaps, determination of the relevant national goals, and identification of the priority policy measures to be undertaken;
strenghtened capacity of relevant institutions and initiation of the implementation of priority measures in coordination with other ongoing forest policy processes (e.g. REDD+, FLEGT);
establishing processes for monitoring the progress and sharing the lessons learned in the implementation of the Forest Instrument.
@FAO/Jhony Zapata Andia
In 2011, Liberia, Nicaragua and the Philippines produced awareness raising materials on the Forest Instrument, which were widely distributed to forestry-related stakeholders. The three countries applied the methodology developed in Ghana to assess their situations, vis-à-vis the 25 national policies and measures of the Forest Instrument, and to identify priority areas for action. They used the stakeholder fora established as part of the NFP process for this purpose.
More information on the progress in Ghana, Liberia, Nicaragua and the Philippines can be found by clicking the titles below.
GHANA
In 2008, a pilot project was initiated in Ghana to support its implementation of the Forest Instrument (NLBI) on all types of forests. The pilot project aimed to:
- raise awareness of relevant governmental and non-governmental stakeholders of the NLBI;
- gain experience in translating the agreed national policy measures of the NLBI into concrete action.
Using the multi-stakeholder fora established through Ghana’s NFP, the pilot project conducted four workshops, three regional and one national, with participation of a wide group of stakeholders. The workshops grouped the national policies and measures of the Forest Instrument in accordance with the degree of achievement and identified priority areas to be strengthened for its implementation, and mapped ongoing in-country initiatives relevant to it.
The assessment and inventory provided Ghana with a clear picture of the country’s situation vis-à-vis the Forest Instrument, and helped to identify priorities through a participatory process and proposed ways to move forward. The results now provide a baseline for monitoring progress and for reporting to UNFF. Once priority areas were identified, key actions followed, such as:
- enhanced visibility of contribution of forest sector to GDP and national development (to strengthen cross-sectral coordination);
- enhanced watchdog role of the civil society (to strengthen law enforcement)
- enhanced financial literacy and access to funding sources (to develop financing strategies for SFM);
- enhanced capacity of Disctict Assemblies to develop and implement forest programmes and to integrate NFP into national development plans.
Based on the findings of the project, NFP provided an appropriate framework for the implementation of the Forest Instrument. The existing multistakeholder platforms were well engaged in the process, which also increased understanding of forest policies among stakeholders and promoted exchange of information. The Forest Instrument worked well in supporting the development of an over-arching policy framework.
The implementation of the Forest Instrument in Ghana continues. Its future actions will include the incorporation of the priority actions into national development policy and use of the monitoring and evaluation system to measure progress towards SFM. More information is available from the project brochure and the Web site.
LIBERIA
Documents prepared by NLBI Liberia
A mapping exercise of the ongoing forestry-related initiatives, which includes grouping them under the priority policies and measures of the Forest Instrument, was initiated in 2011 and will be completed in early 2012.
Fifteen sub-national workshops, one in each county, were organized and delivered to increase awareness of the Forest Instrument and to strengthen the Country Forest Fora and the NFP. The Forestry Development Authority, together with FAO and the NFP Facility, organized a national stakeholder workshop in October 2011 to introduce the purpose and the policies and measures of the Forest Instrument. More than 80 participants attended the meeting.
During the workshop, participants determined where Liberia stands in relation to the implementation of the Instrument’s policies and measures, and identified the policies and measures not currently adequately addressed. Through a prioritization process, and taking into account the outcomes of the county workshops, participants agreed on five policies and measures that Liberia needs to pay more attention to when implementing the NLBI. Finally, they developed an action plan for their implementation. The list of priority activities and responsible stakeholders will be further streamlined through stakeholder consultations in 2012.
@FAO/Jhony Zapata Andia
In 2011, a video and an information brochure on the implementation of the NLBI was elaborated and distributed to stakeholders. Additionally, a set of documents on the forestry legislation in Liberia was distributed to enhance understanding of the legal framework that guides forestry activities. Also, the development of a monitoring system for NLBI implementation in Liberia was initiated.
NICARAGUA
In 2011, 11 regional workshops were carried out in ten forest districts to raise awareness and assess their perception of the country’s situation, vis-à-vis the policies and measures of the Forest Instrument. More than 350 stakeholder representatives participated in the regional workshops. This broad representation provided an opportunity to reach broad consensus on the priority policies and measures in each of the forest districts.
At a national workshop, held in July 2011 with participation of representatives from key national stakeholder groups, participants analyzed each of the 25 policies and measures of the Forest Instrument. Consensus was reached on the prioritized policies and measures at national level, taking into account the results of the consultations at regional level. The participants also identified the key actions for the implementation of the five prioritized policies and measures at country level.
@FAO/Jhony Zapata Andia
In 2011, a brochure and a banner were developed with information about the Forest Instrument in Nicaragua. The brochures were disseminated to stakeholders in the workshops and a dedicated Web site for the Forest Instrument was developed. Also, development of a monitoring system of the policies and measures of the Forest Instrument was initiated.
More information is available from the project brochure and Web site.
THE PHILIPPINES
In 2011, a national consultation workshop was conducted in Manila at the start of the Philippines’ NLBI implementation, to solicit the perspectives of various national and international organizations. Participants from different stakeholder groups were invited to conduct an inventory and assessment of the national policies and measures included in the Forest Instrument.
Altogether 18 regional consultations were conducted. The consultations were organized separately for the public sector and the private industries, and for community-based organizations, people’s organizations at the village level, and other civic organizations. The evaluation of the national policies and measures was carried out in two stages. First, the national policies and measures were scored based on whether they had been implemented, were in need of improvement, or had been implemented fully. The second stage prioritized those policies and measures judged as not yet implemented or in need of further attention.
A national workshop, held in Manila in December 2011, consolidated the results from the regional workshops and identified national priorities and key actions.
In 2011, a brochure describing the Forest Instrument and its implementation in the Philippines, was distributed at different workshops. Also, a dedicated Web site was developed to provide an avenue for interested stakeholders to obtain information about the Forest Instrument, current initiatives, on-going activities, reports, documents, events and other announcements.
More information is available from the project brochure and Web site.
last updated: Tuesday, May 21, 2013
