Page 1 of 16 Lao People’s Democratic Republic Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute Department of Forestry Joint Forest Management A Component Description ____________________________________________________ Khamphay Manivong and Berenice Muraille Forest Research Centre National Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Lao-Swedish Forestry Programme, Department of Forestry Lao PDR Phone 856 21 215005 · Fax 215004 ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT 1. Intended Audience of this Document 1. Supervisers, planners and implementers of joint forest management programs. 2. Heads of Provincial Forestry and Agricultural Sections 3. Heads of District Agriculture and Forestry Offices 4. District Agriculture and Forestry Extension Officers. 2. Explanation of "Component" The "the joint forest management component" is one part of the participatory village development and sustainable land use system. This component document contains information on recommended processes, procedures and methods for two joint forest management models (Model 1 and Model 2) in villages which have commercial production forests within their boundaries. 3. Purpose of this Document To explain the joint forest management procedures and methods developed in target villages in the Dong Kapoh State Production Forest in Savannakhet Province. To make information available for personnel involved in joint forest management work. Page 2 of 16 4. Information provided in this Document The objectives of joint forest management method development activity. End-users and beneficiaries of the procedures and methods. Detailed description of the key joint forest management stages and procedures for both Model 1 and Model 2 Discussion on the gender responsiveness of joint forest management procedures and methods. Monitoring and evaluation methods for joint forest management activities Experiences, lessons learned and recommendations from joint forest management method development activities. Additional supporting documentation regarding joint forest management. GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS DAFO District Agriculture and Forestry Office DOF Department of Forestry FIPC Forest Inventory and Planning Centre FRC Forest Research Centre JFM Joint Forest Management JFMA Joint Forest Management Association LUP/LA Land Use Planning and Land Allocation NTFPs Non Timber Forest Products PAFO Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office PFO Provincial Forestry Office SPF State Production Forest PVD&SLUS Participatory Village Development and Sustainable Land Use System VRMDC Village Resources Management and Development Committee TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. OBJECTIVES OF JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT 1 3. END USERS AND TARGET BENEFICIARIES 1 3.1 END USERS 1 3.2 TARGET BENEFICIARIES 1 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE JFM TOOLS 2 4.1. TOOL 1: JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT MODEL 1 3 4.2. TOOL 2: JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT MODEL 2 7 5. GENDER RESPONSIVENESS 6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION 11 6.1 PURPOSES OF MONITORING 11 Page 3 of 16 6.2 ASPECTS OF MONITORING 11 6.3 MONITORING PROCEDURES AND METHODS 12 7. EXPERIENCES, LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS 13 8. ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION 17 1. INTRODUCTION The Joint Forest Management (JFM) component is one of four in the participatory village development and sustainable land-use (PVD&SLU) system. The general description of the PVD&SLU system should be read in conjunction with this document as it explains how the JFM component links and complements the other three components: "land use planning and land allocation", "research", and "participatory extension". 2. OBJECTIVES OF JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT To develop procedures, methods and tools which involve villagers in the sustainable management of State Production Forests (SPF) and the village forests. 3. END USERS AND TARGET BENEFICIARIES 3.1 End Users The Forestry Research Centre (FRC) and the Forest Inventory and Planning Centre (FIPC) and the Department of Forestry (DOF) have an interest in the procedures because of sustainable forest management activities in JFM. The National University and the "forestry schools" have an interest in the JFM procedures and sustainable forest management activities as practical field examples to improve their curriculum. The Provincial Forestry Section (PFO) staff need to understand and have practical experience with the procedures, methods, and tools in order to co-ordinate, assist, and supervise District staff. Staff of the District Agriculture and Forestry Office (DAFO) and other relevant district agencies involved in the JFM implementation at village level need to understand and have practical experience with the procedures, methods, and tools in order to coordinate, assist, and supervise work in villages. Village JFM Board/Committees and Village Organisations use the methods and tools when implementing JFM activities Regional Training Centre (RTC) staff also need to understand and have practical experience with the procedures, methods, and tools in order to provide specialist training for implementing staff Projects or donors supporting activities in JFM villages 3.2 Target Beneficiaries The main beneficiaries are the nation, province, district, and village communities. Within the village the beneficiaries are village groups, village families and individuals (men and women). 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE JFM TOOLS The program has developed and tested an approach that has two primary tools: JFM model 1 (M1) and JFM model 2 (M2). There are two pre-requisites for JFM Model implementation in a particular village: Page 4 of 16 1. The village has part of or an entire SPF area in its traditional village territory; 2. The SPF area has been delineated and a long-term sustainable forest management plan for the SPF has been devised and approved as per the system developed by FIPC in 1992. The JFM models consist of a contractual partnership for sustainable forest management between the Government or State and a village. They are built upon the existing forest management plan of the State Production Forest (SPF), which clearly determines the forestry operations to be undertaken. The contents of the contractual partnership differ between the two models. Three parties, namely the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO), DAFO, and a specific village organisation, sign the contracts. These describe the rights and responsibilities of each party in terms of the arrangements made for: Sharing responsibilities in the management of the SPF and the benefits from selling logs among the partners; Sustainably managing the village forests outside the SPF in line with the land use plan developed through the land use planning and land allocation (LUP/LA) process and; Facilitating the implementation of an integrated village development plan. The 5 stages and procedures of JFM implementation are as follows: STAGES PROCEDURES 1. Contractual arrangement for JFM implementation 1. Village organisation for JFM implementation 2. Contractual arrangements 2. Village JFM organisation support system 1. Development of mechanisms to support village JFM activities 2. Village level financial management 3. Training support 3. Joint implementation of the SPF management 1. Implementation of forestry operations following plan the SPF management plan prescriptions 2. Joint implementation of log sales 4. Integrating JFM contracts into the village Following extension procedures development cycle Following LUP & LA procedures 5. Village forest management planning and 1. Understanding the traditional systems of implementation resources use and management 2. Village socio-economic assessment 3. Village forests assessment and inventory 4. Reporting 5. Developing the village forest management plan 6. Submission of the village forest management plan for approval 7. Plan implementation Each stage is presented much in the order in which it should be implemented when initiating the JFM model in a particular village. However, the order can be modified because in reality some stages will be implemented concurrently. Within each stage are a series of procedures, tasks, and activities. These too, follow much the order in which they are undertaken however they are not fixed. Once JFM implementation has started, some of the Page 5 of 16 procedures will have to be implemented on a continuing annual basis such as in stages 2,3,4,5, and 7. The stages and procedures in JFM Model 1 and 2 are the same. However the activities and tasks differ. Differences lie in the allocation of responsibilities and ownership of the process when implementing the various procedures. 4.1. Tool 1: Joint Forest Management Model 1 In JFM Model 1(M1), the full rights and responsibilities to implement the SPF management plan are contracted to a village. These rights include logging, the sale of logs and/or processing logs and selling sawn timber. In exchange for these rights, the village should commit itself to protect the SPF area and, in accord with official regulations, pay royalties and other taxes to the Government based on logged volume of timber. In addition to implementing the management plan of the SPF, villagers also have full rights to manage their own village forests for which separate management plans are developed with the support of the PAFO and DAFO. Support from DAFO is also given to the forest and agricultural land use planning and allocation process. In order to implement its contractual responsibilities, the village organises itself into a JFM