05 January 2011, CBFP Canadian Facilitation, represented by MM. Cleto Ndikumangenge (Facilitator Delegate) and Dr Dany Dogmo Pokem (CBFP Communications Agent), attended the meeting organized by SRAFM and its partners for the harmonization of SEP tools: VSO and UICN. @ Group Picture of Participants -  Photographer : Patrick Nyemeck

The meeting started with a reminder of the outcome of the last three meetings i) the workshop for the harmonization of SEP tools in landscapes, including Model Forests landscapes (November 2009); ii) the planning meeting for SEP activities in Model Forest landscapes (August 2010) and iii) the evaluation and learning group TOR preparation meeting (September 2010).

One of the stakes of the meeting on 05 January 2011 was: to familiarize with the roadmap activities of CBFP Canadian Facilitation. Thus, Mr Cleto Ndikumagengem, Facilitator delegate, made an exposé on the Canadian Support Programme in the Congo Basin. The critical point of his communication was the presentation of the various forms of support provided by the Canadian Facilitation: Harmonization of forestry policies as advocated by COMIFAC and its partners, improvement of COMIFAC convergence plan, forestry training in sub-regional universities, involvement of women in ecosystem sustainable management programs. The speaker also indicated that in the monitoring/evaluation sector, the Canadian facilitation is working hard to ensure the consistency of SEP tools prepared by its partners. To this regard, Mr Ndikumagenge stressed the need for a synergy between the tools being prepared and the existing ones, as well as with COMIFAC convergence plan which remains the base of all CBFP actions. @ Exposés and interactive discussions  - Photographs : Théophile BOUKI.

This communication was followed by four others. The various tools used by the three partners for the monitoring/evaluation of changes initiated in their programmes were successively presented @ Exposés and interactive discussions  - Photographs : Théophile BOUKI:

♦ The first exposé presented by Mr. Greg Spira was on VSO objectives concerning the operationalisation of activities on the sites of Model Forests. The speaker pointed out matters and key SEP indicators, while also presenting the various themes and variables of change regarding the participation of local communities, mayors, and the civil society in decision-making and sustainable development programme implementation.

♦ MM. Achille Nomo and Greg Spira oriented the second exposé on SEP tools proposed by VSO, and then they elaborated in accordance with Model Forest objectives. He helped participants to familiarize themselves with the methodology of changes to “Knowledge/Attitudes/Behaviours (K/A/B), basic analysis of programme impacts on beneficiaries, set of activities and method of evaluation of impacts based on "Protovoice".

♦ The third exposé presented by Mr. Dominique ENDAMANA, from UICN was on TNS Landscape Participatory Performance Evaluation. A series of indicators were developed and experimented by UICN to evaluate change impacts on landscape at five levels: local natural capital, social capital, global natural capital, human capital and physical capital.

♦ In the fourth exposé, Mr. Joachim GUIEBOURI, representing SRAFM, presented SEP construction guide for Congo Basin Model Forests. Actions to undertake by the learning group for a follow-up of programme changes at local then national levels were highlighted. Some strategic follow-up orientations were identified: political dialogue, governance, sustainable development, local development, communication and resource mobilization. 

After these exposés, comments, questions and answers from participants helped to show the complementarity of the tools presented. The following recommendations were made for the harmonization of these tools:

♦ To adapt each tool to strategic plans and the objectives of different Model Forest platforms;

♦ To highlight human well-being evaluation indicators in order to assess the added value of Model Forests in the perspective of the improvement of the living standards of local populations;

♦ To facilitate SEP tools appropriation by local actors;

♦ To design an auto-corrective SEP tool well adapted to the living conditions of local communities;

♦ To review consistency between the prepared tools and COMIFAC convergence plan.

Four dimensions of the monitoring/evaluation process of Model Forest landscape changes (change evaluation orientations) were targeted:

At the end of deliberations, an action plan was proposed: