The second “Connect and reflect” virtual forum for country-led planning brought nations and partners together to unpack the invisible architecture behind forest monitoring systems.
On 18 September 2025, more than 50 government officials, technical specialists and development partners from around the world came together to explore a vital but often overlooked question: How can national forest monitoring systems become lasting and trusted parts of government frameworks?
Hosted by the Country-Led Planning (CLP) programme of support of the Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI), the second “Connect and reflect” virtual forum focused on the conditions that determine whether forest monitoring systems take root in national institutions or fade once projects and external aid conclude.
The forum opened with a presentation on six key enabling conditions identified through years of CLP country engagement. These include:
These enabling conditions are not merely checkboxes; they constitute an ecosystem that allows forest data to grow, circulate and influence decisions across institutions and agendas.
The forum drew on real-life experience from the participating practitioners and experts. Participants spoke candidly about the struggle to build institutional memory when technical teams change, or the difficulty of coordinating across ministries with overlapping mandates. Several acknowledged “coordination fatigue,” where weak or unfunded mechanisms end up being more frustrating than helpful.
Some experts emphasized that enabling conditions are dynamic – they must evolve with political transitions, new technologies and changing national priorities.
One recurring theme was the need for peer learning. The participants called for improved documentation of how countries are building legal mandates, managing budget cycles and improving data governance – not just success stories, but also lessons from setbacks.
Sharing data is not enough; communication strategies must be designed to make people care about the information and understand its relevance to their context and decisions.
The forum highlighted that monitoring systems gain sustainability when they are visible, trusted and valued – not just by forest agencies, but by policymakers, Indigenous Peoples and the general public. Tailored communication, early stakeholder involvement and co-creation approaches were presented as key strategies.
Unlike a training or lecture, the “Connect and reflect” format prioritizes dialogue and shared solutions. Participants used the space to surface common bottlenecks, compare strategies and reflect on what is working – and what is not.
For forest monitoring systems to endure beyond the lifespan of individual projects or personnel, it is essential to invest in the less visible yet foundational elements such as institutional mandates, trust-building processes and sustained dialogue.
Looking ahead, the forum closed with a call to deepen peer exchange and to continue strengthening the CLP’s role as a platform for alignment, learning and long-term support. Donors and partners were invited to reflect on how their contributions can foster quality and consistent data collection as well as durable institutions.
In forest monitoring, as in many areas of governance, the real challenge is not just knowing what to do, but also creating the conditions that make it possible.
