1. Introduction

The African Forest Forum (AFF) is a pan-African non-governmental organization with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The purpose of AFF is to provide a platform and create an enabling environment for independent and objective analysis, advocacy and advice on relevant policy and technical issues pertaining to achieving sustainable management, use and conservation of Africa’s forest and tree resources as part of efforts to reduce poverty, promote gender equity, and economic and social development. Through all its programmes and activities, AFF seeks to promote the empowerment of all marginalized groups, particularly women, who continue to be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and whose representation, priorities and needs are rarely adequately addressed in the forest sector.

To this end, the African Forest Forum is implementing the project namely, “Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management in Africa”. The project seeks to generate and share knowledge and information through partnerships in ways that will provide inputs into policy options and capacity building efforts to improve forest management in a manner that better addresses poverty eradication and environmental protection in Africa. One of the key project objectives is to enhance capacity of institutions and individuals – including farmers and farmer organizations, private sector actors, professional organizations, and public-sector organizations – to achieve forest compatible development. The project has also been designed to facilitate the formulation and harmonization of evidence-based policies, regulations and good forest governance mechanisms to strengthen public and private institutions to effectively support sustainable forest management (SFM). To fulfil these objectives AFF has prioritised developing strategic human capacity in African institutions that could better advocate for good forestry policies, and to influence national and regional agendas in order to promote sustainable forest management and good forest governance, with the ultimate aim being to facilitate forest compatible development.

It is within this context that AFF has developed two training modules, one for policy makers on sustainable forest management and leadership, and another one on good forest governance to support capacity building efforts for sustainable forest management in Africa. The modules have been designed to equip policy makers at all levels from African institutions with an extra set of leadership skills to improve the performance of the forest sector. They also seek to enhance international best practices in forest governance in order to improve delivery of forest ecosystem services with the view to help the continent realise its full economic and social potential, through better management and use of forest resources, while simultaneously responding to global environmental challenges.

2. Background

The growing global interest in sustainable forest management (SFM) and good forest governance, especially following the Rio+20 Summit in June 2012 cannot be over-emphasized. A number of global environmental issues have recently emerged that have a significant bearing on forestry in Africa. The Sustainable Development Goal 15 is explicit on the importance of sustainable management of forests to support inclusive economic and human growth. The International Arrangement on Forests and the recently adopted United Nations Strategic Plan on Forests (UNSPF) 2017-2030 provide a global framework for actions at all levels to sustainably manage all types of forests and trees outside forests and halt deforestation and forest degradation. Forests are also set to play a major role in meeting the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement given the natural capacity of forests to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and in climate change adaptation through maintaining ecosystem services and providing livelihood options. Further, the global community is now turning its attention towards a green growth pathway focused on forestry and good forest governance, among others.

Good forest governance is a crucial component of environmental sustainability that ensures benefits derived from forests, i.e. forest ecosystem goods and services, contribute to national economies and livelihoods. However, despite the political will and actions of national, regional and international institutions, illegal logging and illegal trade in forest products have assumed alarming proportions in some countries in Africa leading to significant forest loss. Recent estimates indicate that half of the 10 countries globally that recorded the largest annual net losses in forest area between 1990 and 2010 were in Africa. In 2003 African governments adopted in Yaoundé, the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Declaration (2003) that addresses, among other things, illegal logging and trade in forest and wildlife products. Many of the African countries are in the process of establishing appropriate mechanisms for sustainably addressing the current, new and emerging issues through formulating strategies, policies and legislation, to combat deforestation and forest degradation.

A stronger response by governments, public organizations, and the private sector requires an improved understanding of such issues and commensurate leadership capacities for the appropriate actions to promote sustainable forest management and good forest governance in the context of global environmental change. Consequently, these trends call for building of appropriate capacities to address them in line with international best practices.

It is within this context that the African Forest Forum in its annual plan of work for 2019 is organising an experts’ meeting to validate the training modules on sustainable forest management, leadership and forest governance that will guide capacity building in Africa. The meeting will be held on 18 to 22 March 2019 in Mombasa, Kenya. The goal of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for experts to undertake a rigorous professional review of the modules in the identified subject areas to ensure that the modules sufficiently address training gaps and needs in forestry in Africa.

3. Objectives of the meeting

The overall objective of the meeting is to validate the training modules on sustainable forest management, leadership and forest governance.

Specific objectives are:

a) To assess the extent to which the content developed in each of the training module meets the current and future needs of the target group;

b) To assess the logical presentation, in a pedagogical manner; and

c) To strengthen the modules based on any identified gaps.

4. Expected results

Training modules validated and finalized

5. Meeting participants

The experts meeting will bring together experts on sustainable forest management, leadership and forest governance in Africa, including researchers, academicians as well as practitioners in these themes.

6. Invitation of experts

AFF invites interested experts in sustainable forest management, leadership, or forest governance to participate in the experts meeting by submitting an expression of interest on the theme of their choice and their Curriculum Vitae not later than Friday 15 February 2019. Due to budgetary constraints a limited number of experts will be sponsored. Sponsored participants will be notified by 18 February 2019.

7. Criteria for selection of experts

• Have at least a Master’s degree in natural resources management, forestry, leadership, forest governance, environmental management, environmental law or any related area; A PhD will be an added advantage;
• Be an expert with proven knowledge and at least five years’ regional professional experience in Sustainable Forest Management, Leadership, or Governance in African forestry
• Have broad experience in training, education, in the specified themes of Sustainable Forest Management, Leadership or Governance in African forestry.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and/or French.

8. How to apply

Please email, and attach your expression of interest containing:

• Cover letter stating how you meet the above qualifications;
• Your expected contributions on any one of the following themes:
  • Sustainable forest management
  • Leadership; or
  • Forest governance, and
• A Curriculum Vitae.

With the subject line: “AFF – 01- Application to participate in experts meeting to validate training modules on Sustainable Forest Management, Leadership and Forest Governance” to: Dr Doris Mutta through d.mutta@cgiar.org and Dr Henri-Noel Bouda through h.bouda@cgiar.org, with a copy to Prof Godwin Kowero through g.kowero@cgiar.org and exec.sec@afforum.org

Application deadline is 15 February 2019. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

 

For further information on the meeting contact

The Executive Secretary,

African Forest Forum,

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri

P.O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

Phone: +254 20 722 4203

Fax: +254 20 722 4001/4181

Email: exec.sec@afforum.org

Website: www.afforum.org