2. Follow-up Phase of the Project from 1/3 2006 to 28/2 2008
2.1 The Contextual Framework
2.2 The Rationale of the SFM Phase II
3. Elaboration of Specific Objectives
3.1 Establishment of an African Forest Forum
3.2 Supporting the Implementation of SFM Project Recommendations
3.3 Dissemination of SFM Project Recommendations
5. Expected Outputs and Beneficiaries
5.1 Project Outputs
5.2 Project Beneficiaries
Appendix 1: Logical Framework Analysis
Appendix 2: Partner Institutions
Appendix 3: Examples of Follow-up Projects
1. Background
The project Lessons learnt on SFM in Africa started in early 2003 and formally came to an end in June 2005, and, although most final outputs are ready and distributed, a few final documents remain to be finalised at the time of writing this revised request (January 2006). The project was initiated in response to the realisation that, in spite of repeated statements in the IPF/IFF and UNFF processes on the importance of basing decisions about sustainable forest management (SFM) on “lessons learnt”, limited efforts had been made to analyse the vast experience and body of written material for such lessons. To do so in a more systematic and unbiased way would, it was argued, increase our understanding of when and why particular combinations of economic, ecological, political, social, cultural, legal and other factors lead to success or to failure. And, more importantly, such analyses would help us to derive guidelines on how to target and extend positive lessons to larger areas and more people, primarily in Africa but also elsewhere. Finally, it would help in determining what mechanisms and conditions are needed for such learning to succeed.
A joint initiative was taken in late 2002 between the Board of the African Forest Research Network (AFORNET), based at the African Academy of Sciences, FAO’s Forestry Department and the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KSLA) through its Committee on International Forestry. Through this initiative, a project proposal was submitted to, and subsequently funded by, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sida. Implementation of the approximately USD 1 million project started in March 2003 through a joint Steering Committee of the three institutions involved in implementing the project, with KSLA being responsible for the financial management and reporting. The Steering Committee also drew members from Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries in East, West and Southern Africa, making it a truly pan-African owned initiative. In addition, the UNFF Secretariat has been represented on the Steering Committee and the Project was regarded as a so called “country/institution-led initiative” in the terminology of UNFF. Agreements between the Project and ICRAF and CIFOR have guaranteed strong inputs by these two important international organisations.
The Project phase I had three specific objectives, viz.:
1. Analyse and establish what lessons have been learnt from positive and negative experiences of various initiatives, projects and programmes aimed at sustainable management, use and conservation of forests in Sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Analyse and establish what the ecological, economical, social, and other pre-requisites are for extending positive lessons to wider use (to more people, larger areas, other countries, etc.).
3. Based on the outcome of the above analyses, identify the most urgent issues and concerns for Africa to give priority to in international forest processes such as UNFF.
In addition, the intention was that the work would also assist in:
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Defining roles for how the various international and regional institutions can contribute to national efforts to extend positive lessons and assist African countries in international processes related to forests and forestry.
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Defining roles for how Swedish “forestry actors” (authorities, institutions, industry, forest owners, NGOs, etc.), and those in other developed countries, might contribute to achieving SFM in Africa in partnership with national or international institutions.
There were four different, sequential and logically linked, component activities of the project, viz.:
1. Compiling and analysing a number of case studies and studies on regional and cross-cutting issues relevant to SFM in Africa.
2. Organising a workshop in Nairobi 9-13 February, 2004, at which these studies were presented and discussed.
3. Further studies and analyses commissioned.
4. Concluding workshop in Uppsala, Sweden 18-22 October, 2004.
All the material emerging from the 20 studies and the two workshops plus all other inputs and ideas that have been submitted in this process were discussed by the Steering Committee in January 2005 and decisions were taken about products and formats suitable for dissemination to the main target groups, viz. African forest stakeholders (in a wide sense). The final outcome and recommendations were presented at UNFF 5 in New York in May 2005, and will be made available to other global and African stakeholders.
The Project has developed, among others, the following concrete outputs:
• Well-documented studies and syntheses on key lessons learnt from various aspects of forest management.
• Strategies on how to extend positive lessons on SFM in Africa.
• Plans and priorities on how to achieve SFM in different situations in Africa and suggested roles of various actors in implementing such plans and priorities.
• Enhanced African participation in the international forest-related processes and initiatives.
• All the above produced in various printed and digital formats to suit the various stakeholders and target groups.
The project Steering Committee tentatively decided that these formats will include, but not necessarily be restricted to, the following:
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The 20 original reports that were commissioned by the project have been edited for style, consistency and language and are available on the internet WebPages of AFORNET – www.afornet.org - and KSLA – www.ksla.se ).
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Based on a careful analysis of these twenty reports, the discussions at the workshops and the ideas and recommendations coming out of these, and by looking at other relevant material, a “master output” publication is currently under production. It will summarise the reports under the headings “issues”, “lessons learnt” and “the way forward”, and it will contain recommendations and suggestions on actions and responsibilities at national, regional and international levels, in order to achieve sustainable forest management in Africa.
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Short (4-8 pages) and nicely printed policy briefs on different subjects (more or less following the chapters of the main report). To date, 13 such policy briefs have been produced and widely distributed.
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As appropriate and whenever relevant, the material generated in the project will also be turned into other products, such as CD-ROMs containing information/literature data, incorporating material into various web-pages, power-point presentations, press releases, posters, training and education material, curriculum outlines, special issues of (or articles in) different journals and newsletters, etc.
Some of this material was ready for presentation at the COFO meeting in Rome in March 2005, and for presentation and distribution at the UNFF 5 meeting in New York in May 2005. Most of it will be distributed during 2006, partly in connection with dissemination activities during the next phase (see below).