Revolutionizing eLearning for forest monitoring: a global training experience

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) online facilitated course plays a key role in strengthening forest data transparency by equipping professionals with essential skills in forest monitoring, reporting, and data management. This course aligns with FAO’s Food and Agriculture Microdata (FAM) Catalogue, a global initiative aimed at enhancing access to reliable forest-related data to support climate action, sustainable forest management, and policy development.  

By building capacity in data collection, analysis, and reporting, the course contributes to boosting transparency in forest data, empowering countries to improve decision-making and fulfill international commitments such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) online facilitated course was delivered simultaneously in English, French and Spanish from 11 September to 21 October 2024 on the FAO elearning Academy collaborative platform.  Designed as an inclusive and interactive capacity development initiative, the course covered all key phases of an NFI, from planning and implementation to data gathering and reporting. Participants had until 10 December 2024 to complete the course and earn digital badges. 

For those who missed the facilitated session, a self-paced version will soon be available in multiple languages at the FAO eLearning Academy, allowing learners to access materials and complete the course at any time.  

An innovative and inclusive capacity development initiative for forest monitoring 

This initiative from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) represents a significant step in consolidating practical experience on conducting an NFI. It provides comprehensive, collaborative and user-friendly education, and aims to equip participants with knowledge to improve decision-making and policymaking for forestry-positive climate and development actions. 

"This impact is essential in making learning available and accessible to people in forest countries, especially to those who may not have consistent access to education required to implement successful forest monitoring”, highlighted Svenja Bunte, Programme Manager and Senior Policy Advisor in the International Forest Unit (REDD+), UK Government. 

The preliminary results of the facilitated course were presented during the webinar, Learning Opportunities for All: Forest Monitoring for Climate Action, that took place on December 26, 2024, at FAO headquarters in Rome. 

A total of 2 520 participants from 141 countries registered for the facilitated course, 36 percent were women from different regions and sectors, 54 percent were young professionals and 40 percent self-identify as Indigenous Peoples. A total of 1 390 have actively joined the FAO eLearning collaborative platform and 842 digital badges were awarded.  

"As an MRV officer, I believe I will use the knowledge gained in the field. I have gained more knowledge on forest inventory and understand it better." 

Participants were asked to submit a satisfaction survey at the end of the course. The results showed that: 

The satisfaction survey provided valuable insights into the reach and impact of the course. Participants came from 72 different countries, highlighting the global relevance of the training. 

The NFI online facilitated course was developed by the FAO with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the "Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)" project and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) programme. 

Now available the self-paced version of the course National Forest inventory - Learning journey at the FAO eLearning Academy!