The immediate Project objective is:
"To establish the essential requirements to support the development of profitable and sustainable private / community forestry in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe."
The Project will operate at regional (transboundary) level to serve the National Projects (NP) in each of the participating countries. The NP will basically aim at restructuring the SFS and possibly other institutions / organisation and at influencing the forestry policy and the legislation.
State forest services and the forest services of other organisations are enabled to meet the needs of the private / community forestry sector concerning training, advisory and management support services.
Activities:
1.1 Support / facilitate necessary training needs assessments for all relevant forestry services (state or private) and support / facilitate the preparation of plans of operations for the National Projects in all participating countries in a participatory manner.
1.2 Support the establishment of an in-service training programme for relevant forestry services.
1.3 Develop / improve public relation skills of relevant state or private forestry services by training, seminars and workshops.
1.4 Support the establishment of a country specific training and extension system for private forest owners and community users.
1.5 Support the elaboration of extension materials.
1.6 Organise study tours and exchange programmes / fellowships within the country and abroad for staff from state and private forest services according to specific needs of participating countries.
1.7 Support the establishment of a market information system for forest products.
1.8 Support the establishment of a regional network of trainers for CEE countries.
1.9 Support the development of partnerships and collaboration among forest services within each participating country and with other countries.
1.10 Support the establishment of participatory forest management planning on the basis of simplified and rationalised planning techniques.
Private forest owners and community users are able and encouraged to establish forest owner associations.
Activities:
2.1 Support the relevant state and private forestry services to identify priority target groups within the private / community forestry sector and to develop strategies to reach these target groups with adapted messages and services.
2.2 Support the relevant state and private forestry services to identify in a participatory manner problems and priorities of private forest owners and community users.
2.3 Support the relevant state and private forestry services to inform, train and advise private forest owners and community users in view of building associations.
2.4 Support relevant state and private forestry services to promote self-help improvement measures of forest owners to increase benefits from private / community forestry.
2.5 Organise study tours and exchange programmes / fellowships within the country and abroad for key forest owners according to specific needs of participating countries.
2.6 Support the private forest owners to organise tenders before wood harvesting and other common marketing activities together with relevant state and private forestry services.
2.7 Support the private forest owners to organise collective input purchasing together with relevant state and private forestry services.
2.8 Support the private forest owners to organise an insurance system together with relevant state and private forestry services.
Essential requirements are integrated in the institutional framework (consisting of forestry policy, legislation and institutions) to meet the needs of private forest owners and community users.
Activities:
3.1 Introduce participatory methods in all parts of the institutional framework and support their full integration in work routine.
3.2 Support an assessment of the current institutional framework for identification of problems and possible solutions.
3.3 Support prioritisation of development constraints of the private / community forestry sector.
3.4 If required, support the preparation of proposals to change / improve forest relevant legislation.
3.5 If required, prepare proposals for changing the forestry institutional structure in a participatory manner.
3.6 Support the preparation of proposals to adapt the forestry policy to needs of the private / community forestry sector.
3.7 Support the implementation of agreed proposals for improving the institutional framework.
3.8 Support the establishment of a feed-back mechanism to permanently improving the institutional framework.
3.9 Support national campaigns to promote private / community forestry.