Training for participatory forest management
Enforcing the NFA Making forest policy work Participatory approaches for forestry		Developmental Services has played a central role in the design of a suite of training to assist Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to reorient foresters to participatory forest management approaches, familiarise them with new policy and legislation and examine how enforcement can be integrated within PFM. Three courses have been developed and delivered in the following sequence: Introducing participatory approaches for forestry Making forest policy work Enforcing the National Forests Act (NFA) Information on the courses appears below with the most recent training presented first. Enforcing the NFA This three day course locates enforcement of the NFA within the context of participatory forest management and the responsibilities of forest officers to respect the human rights guaranteed by the South African constitution. Participants familiarise themselves with a prepared case study that contains all the different forest types covered by the National Forests Act. They identify key enforcement challenges and develop PFM strategies that integrate enforcement concerns. Participants work with Chapters 7&8 of the NFA and identify offences and penalties specified in  the Act.  Participants role play a wide range of offence scenarios which are embedded in the case study. The role plays expose forest officers to situations where they must exercise their powers of entry, search, seizure and arrest. Forest officers examine how their approach to enforcement will impact on local PFM initiatives. The training provides hands on exposure to enforcement of the Act and develops both practical skills and knowledge of the legislation. Participants are individually assessed on their performance. Course team: Rick de Satgé, with Robert Lesabane and Karam Singh of Lawyers for Human Rights. Course materials assessed by Alex Kühn. Poster and map artwork: Anne Westoby. Layout and design by Rose Campbell Making forest policy work Course team: Alex Kühn, Jeanette Clarke, Rick de Satgé with Zelda Ferreria, Sakhi Mbiko, Jenny Kock, Catherine Garson, Sarah Venter, Segware Rapolai, Ngcali Nomtshongwana, Susan Steyn, Johan Bester, Bob Frost, Mike Modise, Shakes Soyzwape, Sebueng Kelatwang, Vincent Wiese, Mmpaeu Manyaka, Mafu Nkosi, & Isla Grundy This course was designed to provide foresters with a comprehensive introduction to new forest policy and legislation with the main focus on the National Forests Act (NFA).  The course design set out to utilise the knowledge and skills and different people within the Department and drew on a large team of people to facilitate different sessions. The course: tracked key policy shifts in the history of South African forestry examined the contribution that forests make to sustainable livelihoods summarised key policy principles informing the NFA and introduced the concept of sustainable forest management provided an overview of the land reform programme and its implications for forestry unpacked the legislative process exposed participants to the conventions used in drafting legislation examined policy in action through the analysis of three forestry case studies - Gaba, Manubi and Ntendeka The workshop split into theme groups for parallel sessions that examined community forestry agreements, the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, woodlot devolution and the concurrent competencies for State Forest management. Finally the workshop examined: Offences and penalties in terms of the NFA Enforcement of the NFA The challenges of sustainable forest management A final assignment in the form a game show contest assessed syndicate groups' knowledge of the Act. Introducing participatory approaches for forestry Course team: Jeanette Clarke, Rick de Satgé, Isla Grundy, Mary Hobley, Alex Kühn, Thabiso Mudau and Peter Neil This three day course was designed to provide a brief orientation to the approaches and values implicit in new forest policy adopted by the DWAF and to provide a forum to examine how individual foresters and the department would need to change and transform to implement new policy effectively. Yesterday, today and tomorrow In an introductory activity participants analysed how policy, legislation and approaches to forestry have changed over time in South Africa and are likely to change in future. This activity highlighted a shift from an older tree centred, technical and state controlled paradigm to a new people centred participatory management model. Global trends in forestry A follow up input highlighted key shifts in the international forestry experience. The input tracked shifts in approach from an early emphasis on industrial plantations that gave way to a focus on basic needs and woodlot creation to address a perceived woodfuel 'crisis'. The input then explored more contemporary forest management approaches which stress participatory approaches for co-management and the recognition of the contribution that forest products make to the livelihood strategies of different forest users. Examining participation Participants examined and categorised different types of participation to give more depth to this commonly used but much abused term. The sustainable livelihoods approach In this session participants were introduced to the concept of households, livelihoods, and their implications for sustainable forest management. Common property, land tenure and forest management This session examined resource tenure for forest resources on communal land. It introduced the concept of common property and the debates about this form of tenure. It highlighted the importance of institutional development for joint forest management.  Examining the case of Dwesa Participants worked with a case prepared by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Rhodes analysing how changing policy on access to forest resources affected the livelihoods of people living next to the Dwesa indigenous forests in the Eastern Cape. Participants focused on the challenge of introducing participatory forest management approaches in situations where there has been conflict and ordinary people are suspicious of the State. The policy jigsaw Foresters identified key policy elements and laws administered by other role players which have direct and indirect relevance for forestry. Planning for participation Foresters examined what would be involved in planning different types of project using a participatory approach. Project types included planning a new plantation, devolving a woodlot and developing a community forestry agreement for the joint management of forest resources. Participatory approaches This session provided an overview of different participatory approaches including RRA, PRA and PLA. It introduced the key principles informing participatory approaches and principle methods used for identifying resource users and, profiling local institutions and decision making. PLA practicals Foresters experimented with different participatory methods and tools using matrix ranking, flow diagrams, activity calendars and examined do's and don'ts of participation using an IIED video as resource material. Shaping the new forester In the final session participants identified the skills, attitudes, values, knowledge and approaches required of the new forester. They made recommendations on the type of training and institutional environment which would enable foresters to develop and practice participatory forest management.