Please download The final Report of the Workshop

COMIFAC national coordinators unanimously adopt a reactivated priority action plan, draft country “annual work plans” and formulate seven strong recommendations to boost national coordination in the COMIFAC system. Furthermore and a by-product of the workshop, the capacity of national coordinators were strengthened in professional emailing, monitoring and security of computer systems (2) COMIFAC electronic platform and networking; (3) Planning, monitoring and evaluation annual work plan activities.

Douala (Cameroon), 21-22 November 2011 – Holding of a capacity building workshop for COMIFAC national coordinations. Organized by COMIFAC Executive Secretariat with the technical and financial support of JICA, GIZ, CIRAD and CBFP Facilitation, the workshop had four objectives: (1) Summarize the results of the study carried out with national coordinators, COMIFAC ES and the concerned partners in order to draw an action plan for national coordinations, in line with the implementation of the orientations of the convergence plan;. (2) To draw the priority action plan and a 2012 Annual Work Plan for COMIFAC national coordinations. (3) National coordinator capacity building in the area of activity planning and follow-up; (4) To contribute to the improvement of coordination, communication and knowledge management within COMIFAC.

 National coordinators of COMIFAC member states attended the workshop, apart from that of Rwanda. Members of COMIFAC ES and representatives of international organizations and institutions also attended: GIZ, JICA, CIRAD and CBFP Facilitation and a representative of the civil society. The opening ceremony was marked by two addresses: an introductory welcome address given by Mr. Masuhiro Otsuka, technical adviser of the Japanese cooperation on the behalf of partners. COMIFAC Executive Secretary, Mr. Raymond Mbitikon, delivered the opening speech emphasizing the importance of this workshop for COMIFAC due to the fact that national coordinations are the turning point of the entire COMIFAC system at sub-regional level and the permanent interface between the executive secretariat and national ministries in charge of forests, and COMIFAC members.

Deliberations continued with the presentation by Mr. Arthur Tomasian, COMIFAC technical adviser on the summary of the results of the “COMIFAC National Coordination Operationalisation” study carried out with different national coordinations in order to evaluate the achievements and the constraints of each of them. The overall situation shows many weaknesses which should be taken into consideration in preparing capacity building priority action plans.

Then, the participants were organized in two work groups in order to extensively discuss the measures required to change the current situation and result in dynamic national coordinations in each COMIFAC member country.  The plenary meeting for restitution was an opportunity to display both convergences and divergences of views. Concerning contradictory proposals, new plenary discussions helped to clarify the issue of national AWP and coordinations funding method.

A summary of proposals from both groups, the priority action plan was drafted and does reflect common views likely to be adopted by the assembly. Based on AWP format used by the executive secretariat for its biannual action plan, each country then prepared a draft 2012 AWP to serve as reference for next year activities. This draft AWP shall be re-examined for completion during the follow-up evaluation training session on November 23 & 24, especially as far as result-based management is concerned.

The following recommendations which gave rise to intense and fruitful discussions were adopted by national coordinators, namely:

• Each country should have a COMIFAC coordination structure at national level with a small team of at least three persons (may differ from one country to another), including the CNC and 2 assistants (forest, environment and wildlife);

•      The national coordination team should take gender into consideration;

• The CNC and its team work based on the engagement letter adopted by COMIFAC ministers’ council in Malabo in 2006;

• National coordination is set up within the ministry in charge of forests and is equipped to be functional and operational;

• National coordination draws an annual work plan adopted at sub-regional level by the ministers’ council and taken into consideration in the annual budget of the ministry of forests. AWP funding may involve partners;

•       National coordination is expected at the beginning of every year to prepare an AWP for the following year, almost one year ahead, in order to enable compliance with the normal process in the national finance law;

• National coordination reports periodically on its activities to COMIFAC Executive Secretariat through reports and other technical and administrative communication media.

Alongside this workshop, a two-day capacity building also held for COMIFAC national coordinations. Started on November 23 2011 at 08:30 am, the training session ended on 24 November at 05:30 pm. This training included three major topics: (1) Professional emailing, monitoring and security of computer systems (2) COMIFAC electronic platform; (3) Activity planning and follow-up evaluation Following these deliberations, COMIFAC national coordinators 2012 annual work plans were modified and adopted.

Please download a documentation of the workshop:

♦ Le plan d’action prioritaire des coordinations nationales COMIFAC

♦ Un exemple de Plan de travail pour la Coordination nationale du Gabon

♦ Le Résultat de l’étude sur l’opérationnalisation des coordinations nationales  présenté par Arthur Tomasian

♦ Le Communiqué final de l’atelier