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Dear potential organizations,

Project AIN 8748, Informed forestry decisions, sustainable forest management and forest certification in smallholder forests in Vietnam, funded by Finnish Agri-Agency for Food and Forest Development (FFD) with backdonor funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFAF). The project was implemented by Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance, Nghe An Cooperative Alliance, and Centre for Climate Change Study in Central Vietnam. After nearly one year of implementation (from February to December in 2023), we would like to invite the auditing company to evaluate the activities performed by the implementation organizations. The audit requirements are detailed in the ToR file.

The estimated time for the audit is from December 25th, 2023 to January 25th, 2024.

The final Audit report needs to be written in English and Vietnamese. The audit report should be written in English first for FFD’s comments and approval, then completed in Vietnamese version.

Expressions of interest should be submitted to tranthiphuong@huaf.edu.vn and cc to: olliisotupa@gmail.com; tiina.huvio@ffd.fi by December 21st, 2023.

All expressions of interest should be included: the capacity of the organization, the estimated time, and the total cost for the audit.

The project 8748_ToR for Audit 2023

From November 24-26, 2023, the Climate Change Research Center of Central Vietnam (CCCSC) organized a training course on “Sustainable Forest Management Planning in the Direction of FSC and Forest Production and Business”.

The purpose of the training course is to enhance the capacity of members of cooperatives under the Union of Cooperatives of Nghệ An and the Union of Cooperatives of Thừa Thiên Huế in the preparation of sustainable forest management plans and forest production and business plans for small-scale forest households; to strengthen the participation of small-scale forest households in sustainable forest management issues, helping them to find markets for certified forest products and build the resilience of small-scale forestry livelihoods in Vietnam in order to practice climate-resilient smart agricultural production.

The training course covered the following topics:

• Introduction to sustainable forest management
• The principles and criteria of FSC
• Planning for sustainable forest management
• Forest production and business planning

The training course was attended by 30 members of cooperatives from Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế. The participants expressed their satisfaction with the content and quality of the training course. They said that the training course has provided them with valuable knowledge and skills that will help them to improve the management of their forests and to develop sustainable forest production and business.

The training course is part of the CCCSC’s efforts to support sustainable forest management in Vietnam. The CCCSC is committed to working with partners to promote sustainable forest management practices that contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

As part of its activities, the project organized a training course on “Guidelines for Developing Sustainable Forest Management Plans” at the Union of Cooperatives of Nghệ An Province from October 24-25, 2023. The participants of the training course were managers and members of cooperatives participating in the project.

The training course was organized by the project management board, with the participation of experts in sustainable forest management from the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam. The training content included the following main parts:

• Introduction to sustainable forest management
• Principles and criteria for sustainable forest management
• Guidelines for developing sustainable forest management plans

The participants were provided with the knowledge and skills needed to develop sustainable forest management plans that meet the standards of international forest certification organizations.

The training course was highly rated by the participants, contributing to improving the capacity of small-scale forest owners in implementing sustainable forest management.

Results of the training course:

• 100% of participants acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to develop sustainable forest management plans.
• 95% of participants rated the content and quality of the training course highly.

Recommendations:

• The project should continue to organize training courses on sustainable forest management for small-scale forest owners in other localities.
• The project should support small-scale forest owners in implementing sustainable forest management plans, especially in accessing forest certification programs.

From October 6-7, 2023, the Thừa Thiên Huế Cooperative Alliance (TTHCA) in collaboration with the consultants of the “member household training and internal evaluation” package implemented the “Knowledge and skills training for forest management” training course for forest owner households and FSC forest certification service groups under TTHCA.

The training course was attended by over 70 participants from 5 cooperatives participating in forest certification. The training course was held in two locations: Area 1 at Thủy Phương Cooperative, Hương Thủy Town, including Phu Bai Cooperative, Thủy Dương Cooperative, Thủy Phương Cooperative, and Thủy Phù Cooperative; Area 2 at Lưa Hiền Hòa hamlet, Phong Mỹ commune, Phong Điền district, including Hòa Mỹ Cooperative and the management board of the Lưu Hiền Hòa Community Forest.

The content of the “Knowledge and skills training for forest management” training course was presented by international experts from the Resource Management Research and Consulting Center (CORENARM), including:

• FSC Sustainable Forest Management Standards
• FSC Nursery Management
• Low-Impact Logging and Occupational Safety and Health in Logging
• Forest Management and Protection of Natural Forests according to FSC Standards

Link to detailed activity

In accordance with the plan, on October 2-3, 2023, the Thừa Thiên Huế Cooperative Alliance (TTHCA) in collaboration with the consulting firm, the Resource Management Research and Consulting Center (CORENARM), organized a training course on “Group management skills (management, monitoring, record keeping, internal evaluation)” for the group management team of FSC forest certification groups under TTHCA.

The training course was attended by representatives of TTHCA, the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam (CCCSC), and 20 participants from 5 cooperatives that received support for forest certification.

The content of the training course on “Group management skills for FSC forest certification groups” included the following topics:

• Group management principles and practices
• Monitoring and evaluation of group performance
• Record keeping and documentation
• Internal evaluation of group compliance with FSC standards

The training course on group management skills for FSC forest certification groups in Thừa Thiên Huế was a valuable opportunity for the group management team to learn the necessary skills to effectively manage and monitor their groups. The training course will help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of FSC forest certification in the province.

According to the evaluation of participants, the training course was very effective. The course content was relevant and up-to-date, and the teaching methods were clear and easy to understand. Participants also appreciated the opportunity to practice their skills using real-world data.

Specifically, participants expressed the following positive feedback:

• The course content was comprehensive and covered all the important topics of group management for FSC forest certification.
• The teaching methods were interactive and engaging, and they helped participants to learn the material effectively.
• The opportunity to practice skills using real-world data was very valuable.

Overall, participants were very satisfied with the training course. They believe that the course will help them to improve their skills and knowledge of group management, and it will also help them to achieve and maintain FSC forest certification for their groups.

Link to the activity details

In accordance with the plan, on the morning of September 1, 2023, the Thừa Thiên Huế Cooperative Alliance (TTHCA) met and exchanged with a delegation from Finland and the Center for Climate Change Studies in Central Vietnam (CCCSC).

The meeting was attended by representatives from TTHCA, the Finnish delegation, and CCCSC.

Representatives from TTHCA, Mr. Luu Quoc Doan and Ms. Ninh Thi Huong, reported on the progress of the alliance’s activities and the challenges of achieving forest certification when forest area is decreasing.

The Finnish delegation, represented by Ms. Norra, agreed to transfer some funding to support the preparation of forest certification dossiers.

Mr. Timo Vesterinen, representing the Pirkanmaa Forest Management Association (FMA Pirkanmaa), presented an overview of the logging, development, and protection of pine plantations in Pirkanmaa.

The meeting was productive and resulted in the following agreements:

• The Finnish delegation will provide funding to support the preparation of forest certification dossiers for TTHCA.
• TTHCA will work with FMA Pirkanmaa to learn more about sustainable forest management practices.

Both parties expressed their commitment to working together to promote sustainable forest management in Thừa Thiên Huế.

The meeting was held at the offices of TTHCA in Huế. The meeting began with a welcome from Mr. Luu Quoc Doan, the chairman of TTHCA. He then introduced the other participants.

Ms. Ninh Thi Huong then presented a report on the activities of TTHCA. She highlighted the progress the alliance has made in promoting sustainable forest management, including the development of a forest management plan for the province and the support of FSC forest certification for member cooperatives.

Mr. Timo Vesterinen then presented a report on sustainable forest management practices in Pirkanmaa. He discussed the importance of sustainable forest management, the challenges of sustainable forest management, and the practices that Pirkanmaa has implemented to achieve sustainable forest management.

The meeting concluded with a discussion of the way forward. The Finnish delegation agreed to provide funding to support the preparation of forest certification dossiers for TTHCA. TTHCA agreed to work with FMA Pirkanmaa to learn more about sustainable forest management practices.

On August 7, 2023, as part of the AIN8748 project, the research team conducted field surveys and interviewed key informants, the board of directors of the Tình Thương cooperative under the Phong Điền District Blind Association, Thua Thien Hue Province.

Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, the national coordinator, chaired the meeting. In it, the members of the board of directors of the cooperative shared their concerns about the current operation of the cooperative, the mechanisms and policies for creating jobs and income for members. In addition, the members also shared candidly about the challenges and challenges in the process of organizing and operating activities.

On the same day, the project also visited the households of members participating in the cooperative to better understand the situation and assess the real situation of the obstacles that the households are facing, from which they can build a basis to propose more practical support.

Key findings from the interviews and field surveys:

• The Tình Thương cooperative was established in 2020 with the aim of providing employment and income opportunities for people with disabilities in Phong Điền District.
• The cooperative currently has 20 members, all of whom are blind.
• The cooperative’s main activities are handicraft production, including weaving, basket weaving, and pottery.
• The cooperative has faced a number of challenges, including:
  • Lack of access to finance
  • Lack of marketing skills
  • Lack of access to technology

Recommendations for support:

• The project recommends that the government provide financial support to the cooperative to help it expand its operations and improve its products.
• The project also recommends that the government provide training to the cooperative’s members in marketing and technology.

The interviews and field surveys conducted by the project provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the Tình Thương cooperative. The project’s recommendations for support are aimed at helping the cooperative overcome these challenges and achieve its goals of providing employment and income opportunities for people with disabilities in Phong Điền District.

On June 9, 2023, the “Forest Management Decision-Making, Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification for Small-Scale Plantation Forests in Vietnam” (VIE8748) project organized the seminar “Sustainable Small-Scale Plantation Forest Development towards Smart Forestry Adapting to Climate Change”.

The objective of the seminar was to provide an opportunity for small-scale forest growers from the Union of Cooperatives of Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế provinces to access sustainable forest management models for forest certification; at the same time, to exchange and share about practical cases in cooperative models of agroforestry with effective adaptation to climate change.

Attending the seminar, on behalf of the Project Management Board, were Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, the national coordinator of the Project, Director of the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam, Dr. Van Thi Yen, Project Director at the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam, Mr. Tran Luu Quoc Doan, Project Director at the Union of Cooperatives of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Chairman of the Union of Cooperatives of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Mr. Nguyen Huu Truong, Project Coordinator in Nghệ An Province. The seminar also welcomed Mrs. Vu Le Y Voan, Senior Advisor to the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) Program, representatives of the cooperatives participating in the project, as well as guests from the Forest Protection Department of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, the University of Agriculture and Forestry, the University of Hue, the Association of Sustainable Forest Owners of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, and cooperatives in Thừa Thiên Huế Province.

The seminar was opened by Dr. Tran Thi Phuong, the national coordinator of the project. She introduced the project’s objectives and activities, as well as the importance of sustainable forest management and forest certification for small-scale forest growers.

In the afternoon, the seminar was divided into two sessions. The first session focused on the introduction of sustainable forest management models for forest certification. The second session focused on the exchange and sharing of practical cases in cooperative models of agroforestry with effective adaptation to climate change.

In the first session, Dr. Van Thi Yen, Project Director at the Center for Climate Change Research in Central Vietnam, presented the principles of sustainable forest management. She also introduced the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme, which is a globally recognized certification scheme for sustainable forest management.

In the second session, representatives of the cooperatives participating in the project shared their experiences in implementing sustainable forest management models. They also shared their experiences in adapting to climate change through agroforestry practices.

The seminar was a valuable opportunity for small-scale forest growers in Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế to learn about sustainable forest management and forest certification. The seminar also helped to raise awareness of the importance of adaptation to climate change through agroforestry practices.

The following are some of the key findings and recommendations from the seminar:

• Small-scale forest growers in Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế are interested in learning about sustainable forest management and forest certification.
• There is a need for more training and support for small-scale forest growers to implement sustainable forest management practices.
• Agroforestry practices can be an effective way for small-scale forest growers to adapt to climate change.

The project team will use the findings and recommendations from the seminar to develop training and support programs for small-scale forest growers in Nghệ An and Thừa Thiên Huế.

In order to promote the potential and strengths of forestry, on May 23-24, 2023, at the Tiên Kỳ Agricultural Cooperative in Tân Kỳ District, the Management Board of the “Forest Management Decision-Making, Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification for Small-Scale Plantation Forests in Vietnam” (VIE 8748) project, led by the Union of Cooperatives of Nghệ An Province, organized a training course to raise awareness of forest economics for 73 members of the cooperative who are forest owners.

Through the training, the participants were provided with basic knowledge of forest value chains, as well as skills to analyze and identify value chain upgrading activities, contributing to the development of the cooperative’s business plan in a market-oriented way.

The training content included the following main parts:

• Introduction to forest value chains
• Analysis of forest value chains
• Upgrading of forest value chains
• Business linkage in the forestry sector

The participants participated in discussion activities, sharing experiences, and practicing value chain analysis.

At the end of the training course, the participants were awarded certificates of completion.

The training was highly rated by the participants and contributed to raising awareness and skills for forest owners in the development of sustainable forest economics.