PROGRAM OF WORKSHOP, TRAINING, TRAINING EXERCISE FOR AWARENESS RAISING AND CAPACITY IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT AND FOREST CERTIFICATE

I. Introduction

SFMI is a non-governmental organization (NGO) under the Vietnam Forest Science and Technology Association (VIFA), a part of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), and also is a member of the Vietnamese Civil Social Network (VNCSOs). SFMI was established by Decision No. 46 / QD-TWH dated 12 May 2006 of the Association of Science, Technology and Forestry Vietnam. Registration for science and technology activities according to registration number A-514 dated May 22, 2006 of the Ministry of Science and Technology. SFMI's precursor is the National Working Group (NWG) on Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification (established in 1998 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - MARD).

After more than 10 years of establishment and development, with a team of members are scientists, lecturers and researchers, forestry managers; All are well-trained and have many experiences in teaching and research at Universities, Research Institutes, and State management agencies. SFMI has been advising and supporting forest owners and wood processing businesses in Vietnam to access and develop the Sustainable Forest Management (FM) certification system and Chain of Custody certification. (Chain of Custody - CoC). One of the important activities in the consultation and support process in the SFMI is organizing workshops, training courses and training exercise to raise awareness, capacity, and experience on Sustainable Forest Management and Forestry Certification for forest owners and processing enterprises in Vietnam.

II. Program of the workshops, training courses, and training exercises

1. Subjects

i. State-owned enterprises, private enterprises, forest management boards, groups of farmers/cooperatives/communities managing and trading in forests;

ii. State-owned enterprises, private enterprises, groups of farmers/cooperative/communities producing, processing and exporting timber, processed forest products and NTFPs;

iii. State management agencies at every level and related parties;

iv. Individuals are selected to train according to the ToT system on sustainable forest management and forest certification.

2. Contents of the workshop to raise awareness

i. Introduce basic concepts of FM, FM / CoC, CW, CoC certification;

ii. Introduction to Vietnamese and International Sustainable Forest Management Certification Systems: ITTO, FSC, PEFC, Circular 28/2018 / TT-BNNPTNT, some standards in Southeast Asia and Asia;

iii. International and Vietnamese policy development progress in the field of Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification;

iv. Development Processing for Sustainable Forest Management and  Forest Certifications - Policies of Internation and Vietnam;

v. Advantages, limit/challenges/gaps in the development processing Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification in Vietnam;

vi. Solutions for the development of Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification in Vietnam. 

vii. Introducing standard sets of Forest Management (FM) according to FSC systems (FSC STD V4.0; FSC STD V5.1; Viet Nam FSC NFSS V2.0), PEFC (PEFC ST 1003:2018, VFCS)

viii. Introducing Chain of Custody Management Standards in FSC CoC STD systems V3.0, FSC CoC STD V3.1; PEFC (PEFC ST 2003:2020);

3. Contents building capacity on (SFM) Sustainable Forest Management and (FM) forest certification

3.1. Training exercise on Vietnamese standards NFSS VN V2.0 (under FSC STD V5.1)

Contents: Introducing to the NFSS V2.0 of Vietnam, built on the International Common Index IGI of the FSC STD V5.1 standard. In order to help the staff of the Management Board to access the latest regulations on sustainable management of FSC in all 3 aspects: Economy, Society, and Environment.

3.2. Training exercise on the FSC Forest Certification process

Contents: Introducing the process of implementing forest certification and the assessment content of international organizations authorized by FSC to issue FM certification (FM/CoC) in Vietnam.

3.3. Training exercise on regulations of the exclusion zone, cutting less the area within the certificate

Contents: Guide on skills for self-determination of the excluded area according to FSC's regulations;

3.4. Training exercise on internal assessment

Contents: Guide skills of self-assessment skills for forestry activities within the management scope of the Board. Find out noncompliance and take corrective action before inviting International CBs for the main audit.

3.5. Training exercise on non-compliance errors and solutions

Contents: Guidance on the classification of non-compliance errors in forest assessment, identified causes and requires remediation;

3.6. Training exercise on wood product chain monitoring procedures FM/CoC

Contents: Instructing on FM-certified forest product monitoring skills from harvesting and transporting to FSC timber selling sites in compliance with FSC standards;

3.7. Training on environmental protection principles in the plantation business

Contents: Guidance on environmental protection in activities: Seedling production, afforestation, forest care, road construction, exploitation to meet the requirements of FSC standards.

3.8. Guidance on the establishment of FSC boards/groups at forest owners' management levels.

4. Training exercise on improving silviculture technical capacity

Contents: Guidelines for nursery management; nourishment thinning techniques; transformation of large timber plantations; pest and disease prevention; guidance on zoning for regeneration of natural forests towards sustainable forest management…

5. Training exercise on Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) in GIZ syllabus, 2010.

Contents: Guidance to designing, logging techniques, using logging tools, using transport routes, timber yards, labor safety in accordance with the principles of minimizing negative impacts in logging, thinning comply with the regulations of the FSC standard.

6. Training exercise on investigation and establishing thematic reports for the sustainable forest management plan

i. Investigate the current forest status and forest productivity, develop graphs of plantation forest productivity; 

ii. Determining the protection area of the stream-side corridor and the biodiversity connection area according to FSC regulations;

iii. Environmental Impact Assessment and Social (EIA & SIA) according to FSC - PROFOREST guidance (2009).

iv. Building a system of standard position plots for annual forest productivity monitoring;

v. Building additional digital mapping system: Plant biodiversity; animal biodiversity, HCVF, stream-side corridor, and biological connection area; 

vi. Investigation and assessment of biodiversity of flora and fauna. Identify rare forest animals and endangered according to the Vietnamese Red Book 2017 and the Government's Decree 06/2019 / ND-CP dated January 22, 2019;

vii. Identify attributes of high-value conservation forest (HCVF) according to NFSS Standard V2.0 (FSC STD V5.1) and WWF;

7. Guide to develop a sustainable forest management plan for a business cycle

Contents: Guiding forest owners to develop a sustainable forest management plan for a business cycle to ensure scientific basis and feasibility, towards forest management ensured with all 3 aspects sustainability: economic, social, and environment. Harmonizing and meeting the requirements of the standards of sustainable management of Vietnam and International.

8. Guidance on building an appendix system to support the implementation of sustainable forest management plan

Contents: Guidelines for developing "Quality Management Handbook" and "Monitoring Handbook" on forest management activities of landowners. Meet the goal of obtaining international forest certification under both FSC and PEFC systems.

9. Guide to systemize documents and evidence

Contents: Guiding forest owners on methods of gathering evidence, systematizing documents and evidence to meet the requirements of international organizations in forest assessment in Vietnam.

10. Guide preparing field sites

Contents: Guide forest owners to prepare production sites to meet the requirements of international organizations in forest assessment in Vietnam. Including: Identifying protection corridors along with stream-side and biodiversity connection areas; piling down the boundaries of the protected area and the boundary of the management unit; forest cleaning; signs system of forest protection, propaganda about environmental protection…

11. Guide to select an international assessment organization (CB), negotiating and signing the contract