The National Forestry ProgrammeThis is the draft National Forestry Programme and as such is a working document and not a formal programme document. It should not be interpreted as an approved programme of the Government of Swaziland or the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives until it has been finally agreed and adopted. [TABLE OF CONTENTS | BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION | NATURAL FORESTS AND WOODLANDS | COMMUNITY FORESTRY | URBAN FORESTRY | INDUSTRIAL FORESTRY | INFORMATION AND DATA MANAGEMENT | RESEARCH | HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION | INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND STAFF REQUIREMENTS | IMMEDIATE ACTION PROGRAMME | MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE NATIONAL FORESTRY PROGRAMME] 11 MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE NATIONAL FORESTRY PROGRAMMEIt is of fundamental importance to continuously improving the National Forestry Programme through monitoring and evaluating the progress of the programme. There will be a need to adapt the programme on the basis of the lessons learnt from the monitoring. A monitoring system needs to be put in place, with annual monitoring reports outlining the details of the implementation process and the overall impact of the application of the National Forest Policy. The Forest Advisory Board will play a central role in defining the qualitative and quantitative criteria on which the monitoring and evaluation exercise needs to be based. The Forest Advisory Board will also have to co-ordinate the involvement of other institutions participating in this process. This National Forestry Programme does not have a restricted time frame, although the emphasis is on the implementation of the short-term components of the programme. A logical time frame for a first evaluation would be after about three years, which is 2005 to 2006. By that time there should be sufficient experience and knowledge from monitoring the programme elements that have started in 2003 or 2004 and will have been partly completed. The results of the evaluation should be used in a revision of the National Forestry Programme that should take place in consultative and participatory way. It is unlikely that a revision requires a complete reformulation of the programme. It will rather focus on changes in the time frame, on capacity building requirements and on specific parts that in the light of changed conditions or different policy views need to be rephrased. However, minor modification should be continuously made during the implementation of the programme. Both the National Forest Policy and the National Forestry Programme are dynamic and pragmatic in character, which requires a critical approach during the course of the implementation. The National Forest Policy itself also needs to be continuously and regularly monitored, assessed and evaluated within intervals of 5 to 10 years to ensure that the position of the Government on forestry issues is constantly up to date and keeping track of development trends. This will ensure that the needs of stakeholders and citizens are met taking cognisance of newly emerging issues as detected by new situations and circumstances nationally, regionally and internationally. This page was last updated on 27 October 2004 |